Anyone else at DU do freelance technical writing and editing?

[supernova]

I have a promising contact but I've never done freelance before, so I'm researching how to figure out what to charge.

I do writing and editing for the information technology sector (most IT), but any info about what freelance rates people charge would be helpful.

Thanks.

[DavidDvorkin]

1. I have done it and am hoping for a contract now

Years ago, I hit $30/hour for writing. If not for the recession, I think it would be $40/hr or more now. Instead, $40/hr seems to be at the high end now. But that also depends on the area (Denver has become fairly high cost of living and is a high-tech center) and the type of writing (the more technical background it requires, the higher the rate).

Editing is lower, I believe.

[supernova]

2. Thanks for your reply

Do you do general interest writing or more technical writing, if you don't mind my asking.

Traditionally, technical writing pays well above general interest writing.

[DavidDvorkin]

3. Technical writing

I'm a former developer (and hope to be one again), so my tech writing has tended toward the technical end. My last job was primarily API documentation.

[LongTomH]

5. David, How do you find freelance writing assignments?

I'm an unemployed programmer with good documentation skills, as well as being a hopeful writer.

[DavidDvorkin]

6. I don't, or not very successfully

I've been out of work for a year and had one short contract in that time, plus another teeny one.

The teeny one came through an acquaintance. The other one came from answering an ad. Check the usual online job boards. For those in the Denver-Boulder area, it's worth joining BWA, the Boulder Writers Alliance, for leads. STC, the Society for Technical Communicators, has local chapters, with a Web site listing local jobs, including freelance or temporary ones.

[sybylla]

4. Have done, though not in the last year

I agree with David's numbers. Somewhere in the $30-40 per hour range.

I focused more on technical writing and would also adjust the fee to the project if it wasn't something that merited that price. I also gave out bids/quotes on whole projects. It helped the customer relax, knowing the maximum cost of the project from the start. Bidding/quoting a project also gave me incentive to get it done and not dawdle since the less time it took, the more I made per hour. And, if I seriously over estimated, then the customer appreciated the nice discount.

That said, be liberal with the change orders if they ask for anything substantially different than the original quote. Some customers get you in the door and then try to suck all the hours out of you they can for the same money.

on edit: many of my customers were in the food and dairy industry who required errors and omissions insurance (professional liability). It's very expensive and those projects were charged accordingly. Don't take a project that may have serious implications without first making sure you have enough insurance to cover any accidents that could be linked to your documents.