Need to hire a writer? What can you expect to pay? Craig Settles wanted to know, so he posted a question on LinkedIn.

What’s the typical freelancer’s rate for writing a computer tech-related case study that’s 2 pages, and 4 pages? I don’t need a writer, I need the rate. I haven’t done writing assignments in quite a while and need to know what the prevailing rate is.

Hal’s answer:

I’m a writer and I hire writers. I always go with pay by the project.

Pay by the word encourages wordy copy. I like it concise, so I don’t want to create a disincentive to tight writing.

Pay by the hour is difficult to verify. In the worlds of Ronald Reagan “Trust, but verify.”

Rates vary widely. I suggest YOU set a price and then offer it to your favorite writer. If they don’t take it, offer it to #2 on your list. If three people reject it, you’ve probably offered too little. Rinse & repeat.

Things to consider: do you have all the research in hand? Or will the writer need to chase down the info?

Balllpark: I’d expect a decent tech writer to want $500/page. The more pages you have, the more you can ask for a discount.

You can read the entire thread here.