NUJ Rate for the Job:
Words, per 1000 / online

Updated: 20 December 2017

These rates have been reported by members of the National Union of Journalists and others, and printed in the Freelance, newsletter of London Freelance Branch. They are sorted by publisher/publication, then by date (most recent first). TIP: Use the "Find in page" command under your browser's "Edit" menu to be sure of finding all occurrences of a publication/publisher. AND do note the year in which the rate was reported! See also the Freelance Fees Guide, which gives general recommendations. And read the disclaimer and the key to exactly what the entries mean.

Words, per 1000 / online August 2012: We've moved rates for online editions of newspapers and magazines into the 'news' or 'mags' listings, as newspapers and magazines integrate print and online. These should be rates for purely-digital publications.
Tell us what you've been paid for Words, per 1000 / online		Freelance Fees Guide
Publication / Programme - details & terms	Group	Year		Basic fee	Extras	GR	XXXX
Aeon (digital) Feature article. 1600 words - @ £250: no pics required; helpful editor Creative Commons licence to the world...		2017		160	0
Bandcamp Daily 800-word interview @ $400		2016		500			O
Cycling Weekly Online Writing day, exes £60/day subsistence + £250 max travel all rights	_AOLTW	2016		150	0	GR	XX
Devex Q and A session		2016		225		GR	X
Eurogamer (Gamer Network) 2000-word feature @ £120 Web use only		2014		60			XX
Eurogamer (Gamer Network) 2000-word feature @ £120 Web use only		2014		60			XX
European Cultural Digest		1998		200	-
Guardian blog/opinion language-learning	_GMG	2013		170			X
Guardian feature language-learning	_GMG	2013		420			O
Guardian online feature/reporting terms "not discussed" - is below house agreement rate for the paper, so do!	_GMG	2015		310		GR
Health Service Journal 800-word opinion piece no expenses either - they don't pay for opinion pieces.		2017		0			XXX
Hot News online		2010		100			X
Huck magazine Reporting: 840 words @ £50 + 10 photos		2016		59	0		XXX
Launch, yahoo.com, dotmusic record/gig reviews, 500 words @ £35 (cut from £40)	_Yahoo	2009		70			XX
Leeds (Leeds University alumni magazine) Features Leeds uni website only		2011		380		GR
Legal Updater identify expert; interview; research; write all rights assigned plus indemnity clause	_RE	2006		170			X
Media resistance (Belgium) Web publication: $1000 for 15k characters)		2000		260	-
Media Resistance (Belgium - ($1000 for 15k characters)		1999		262	-
New Internationalist online feature		2011		125			XX
New Statesman (online) Writing a blog / article for The Staggers - was £80 in 1990!	_Progres	2016		75		GR	XXX
New Statesman online column - 600 words @ £ 75 terms "not discussed"	_Progres	2015		125		GR	X
One in Four feaures on mental health issues FBS, additional payment for online use		2012		100		GR
One Shot TV Guide 2000-word interview @ £ 700	_CBS	2015		350
Open Mind column (500 words @ £60) no copyright grab		2012		120		GR
PlanetSki travel feature		2016		0	0		X
Popular Mechanics according to whopayswriters.com		2017		200	0
Positive News		2014		140			X
Resident Advisor 3000-word feature incl. interviews and research @ £400		2017		133
Science Business web only		2010		400
Stylist magazine (Online) 1200-word essay - was asked to provided 3 original photographs, but they didn't use all		2017		150
Teen Vogue according to whopayswriters.com	_CondN	2017		150	0		X
The Ecologist 1600-word feature, first offered £280, negotiated to £330 all rights		2010		207	0		X
The Register tech-related articles		2016		250		GR
The Stool Pigeon news report		2010		50			XX
Vice online feature, 1800 words @ £180 =	_INM	2016		100			XX
VICE 1000 words kill fee (not sure what the £60 is for - ed)		2015		120	60	GR	XX
Vice Munchies 800 words @ £160 =		2016		200
Visual Systems Journal (Matt Publishing - or Bearpark?) Technical articles		2002		250	0
24HourMuseum website First Web Rights		2002		300
Aol travel pieces - PR facilities	_AOLTW	2009		0			XXXX
BBC Learning Fictional story non-exclusive	_BBC	2016		138		GR
BBC Music online 350 words @ £ 30 =	_BBC	2012		86			XX
BBC Online licence not specified - they seem to have a payment on publication policy - last time payment took nearly 5 months	_BBC	2005		218
BBC Online feature	_BBC	2015		576			O
BBC website	_BBC	2010		200			XX
BBC worldwide 2000 word feature @ £700	_BBC	2015		350		GR
BikeRadar.com news online, all rights	_Future	2010		150			XXX
blueyonder.co.uk 300 word film review @ £125 =	_TeleW	2006		417			O
C4 Music website First Online rights	_C4	2005		200
Channel 4 programme support booklets + web material, per 1000	_C4	2002		275			O
Channel 4 writing for website	_C4	2001		250
Channel 4 website essay for Dispatches - no improvement in years! all rights	_C4	2005		275			X
Channel 4 website same rate for 3 years	_C4	2005		275
Channel 4 website	_C4	2000		250
condenet.com $1 a word	_CondN	2001		690
CultureWhisper.com 500-word features @ £30, generally listicles or previews		2014		15		GR	XXXX
Demand Studios web only		2010		50			XXX
Digital-Lifestyles.info news articles		2004		100			X
earthzine.org 1200 word cyberscience feature @ $1000 =		2013		833			O
emusic.com 200-word review @ £100 (up from $pound;75 for a nominal 150 words, in practice was 200)		2009		500
emusic.com short features 700-1000 words , all rights		2009		250	0	GR
emusic.com album reviews , all rights		2009		500		GR
EMusic.com 250+ word album review for £150 All rights		2007		600			O
emusic.com short features 700-1000 words, all rights		2000		350		GR
ESPNSoccernet	_Disney	2008		100
Film4 website 1800 words for £200 =	_C4	2006		111			XXX
FirstPersonGlobal all rights		2002		300
Forty Fourth Publishing arts reviews for new as yet unnamed website: 500 words @ £100		2011		200			X
Forty Fourth Publishing arts reviews for new as-yet-unnamed website: 800 words @ £200		2011		250
Freeserve websites feature article		2002		285
Google music reviews all rights, heavy indemnity clauses	_Google	2013		150			XX
Google music reviews all rights, heavy indemnity clauses	_Google	2013		200			XX
Greener Copywriting agency blog/online article writing		2015		25			XXXX
Guardian Networks (IT support section) all rights - contrary to house agreement?		2012		300
Handbag.com Features		2003		300
icircle.com (freeserve.co.uk) feature All rights		2003		200			X
ideastap.com		2009		350			X
Improvement and Development Agency feature writing no terms specified	_HMG	2002		200
Institute for War and Peace Reporting		2002		75
Intelfax content for UK Foreign Office websites no exes!		2002		125	0
jobs.ac.uk website 800 word articles for university @ £100		2014		125
justfornurses.co.uk feature writing, 700 words @ £300, no terms specified		2002		450		GR	O
Knowledge@Wharton.edu 1500-word feature web only		2010		667		GR	O
londonr.com feature - 1000 words		2016		55			XX
londonr.com feature - 700 words @ £35 =		2016		50			XX
lonelyplanet.com 1000 word article £60 expenses for set of images to illustrate article , terms all rights		2016		180			X
MSN (Microsoft) all rights, no expenses, no tax at source		2013		1000		GR	O
MSN Travel 2500 - 3000 word piece all rights		2010		200		GR
MSN website all rights		2010		200		GR	X
Music website re-use of old print article online		2009		500
Music website re-use of old print article online		2009		75
Netdoctor.co.uk researching and writing feature - 970 words @ £200 , terms All rights, everywhere, forever	_Hearst	2016		206	0	GR
new website travel	_NI	2000		300
News and feature writing News and features for McGraw , terms all rights, no expenses	_McGraw	2016		300		GR
NHS website copy	_HMG	2008		200			X
opendemocracy.net 1000-word column		2006		100			X
OpenDemocracy.org retained copyright		2004		0
Oxford Analytica		2011		225
pinke.biz		2009		50			XX
Politics.co.uk Detailed article breaking down polling data - refused as too low		2017		50		GR	XXX
Project Maverick (I-Pad app magazine) feature	_Virgin	2010		500			O
Red Bull Music Academy 2200-word feature @ €400 all rights		2016		180
Search Sciences LLP www.searchsciences.co.uk 1000 word articles to a brief		2013		10			XXXX
Snack Media (complained of by Roy Greenslade on his Guardian blog		2011		10			XXXX
Snowsports websites online content management day (7 hours)		2011		120			XX
Soccernet all rights	_Disney	2007		100			X
Space Arts website blog post 500 words @ £100 =		2018		200
Specialist music mag Album reviews terms not specified		2016		60		GR
Suite101.de 1000 word articles for Web use only: offered €0.00 plus 50% of revenue from Google Ad-click, if any. Turned down!		2009		0			XX
TeacherNet web feature	_HMG	2004		244
theregister.co.uk		2003		250
thewriter.com		2012		300
Think Africa Press plus £10 for a photo all rights		2013		150			XX
TotalJobs.com 600-word features @ £100 all rights, pay only on publication and no guarantee of publication; member 'thanks but no thanks'	_RBI	2010		167
Trade news service feature article with interviews ($0.75 per word)		2017		1125			O
Travel copywriting company country / sports guides		2010		25			XXXX
VICE News 18p per word plus £20 per photo for news feature		2016		180		GR
Vice.com reporting job, photos included		2015		135
Vice.com researching and writing feature inc interviews - offered £200 for 1800 words, asked for £350 , got £300		2015		167
Vice.com researching and writing feature inc interviews		2015		167
Virgin Media website entertainment features, 500 words @ £125 first world online rights (FWOR) by default (no rights specified)	_Virgin	2010		250
Website short articles for site yet to go online , all rights		2010		15			XXX
Website for a national charity 12 monthly articles, each £130 for 800 words web use indefinitely		2005		162.50
Wellcome Trust MOSAIC - 'flu research licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivs 3.0		2013		600			O
Writing about business writing commissioned article		2013		150
www.parentdish.co.uk all rights	_AOL	2013		100		GR	XX
Yahoo	_Yahoo	2012		333
Yahoo France feature	_Yahoo	2014		150			X
Yahoo France feature	_Yahoo	2014		150			X
yahoo.com re-use of blog articles in online archive - net to freelance is $150 from gross payment of	_yahoo	2008		310
The above are the rates for Words, per 1000 / online notified by members up to 20 December 2017.
Key to the rates, by column:
1 Publication / Programme, any details of work and licence
2 Owner at the time the rate was reported, where known	Group
3 The year in which the rate was reported		Year
4 Currency: either or
5 Amount paid for basic licence - e.g. first use in print:				Basic fee
6 Paid for extra licences - web use, database resale... (no data pre Jun 2000)				...	Extras
7 "Going Rate" according to experienced NUJ members - do try to better it:				...	...	GR
or Minimum rate set out in NUJ House Agreement (more will be made soon):				...	...	HA
8 Underpaid, in the fallible opinion of the Freelance editor:				50	0		X
or Just sometimes we're pleasantly surprised:				1500	300		O

Other rates:

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