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Member only guide to the Australian book industry.
Freelance Writing
Freelance rates of pay vary considerably, depending on a variety of factors including the type of organisation commissioning the work and the level of experience of the writer.
Please note that these rates are applicable to short-term, one-off freelance writing projects only. They are not intended as a benchmark for sustained periods of independent writing.
The below rates are estimates only and do not seek to represent actual market conditions – some commissioning editors may be able to offer more than this and some may offer significantly less.
MEAA recommends the below rates:
Per day
$1104
Per half day
$736 (2/3 day rate)
Per hour
$277
1000 words or more
$1123 then $1.03 per word.
For current market rates, check out RATE TRACKER on MEAA’s website. This rate tracker has real data updated by freelancers based on their own experience of who pays what.
Freelance Writing rates were reviewed and updated in December 2021. The next review and update will take place in December 2024.
As we will every year, a WPI increase has been applied (July 2024.) We appreciate it may take organisations a budget cycle to update their own rates.
