NUJ Rate for the Job:
Words, other / other
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.
Work paid by the piece, for example, that's not for newspapers, magazines, books, PR or online publications. |
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Publication / Programme - details & terms | Group | Year | ![]() |
Basic fee | Extras |
GR |
XXXX |
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Grassroots interviewing, writing up report and filling in a couple of grids exps. paid. i.e. phonecalls | 2001 | ![]() |
600 | GR | |||
Academic policy reports reports, nominally 6000 words | _HMG | 2006 | ![]() |
1800 | |||
Annual report for small charity 12 easy pages, incl. layout | 2006 | ![]() |
600 | ||||
BBC concerts BBC-promoted concert programme, short artist notes, extra for post-commission changes | _BBC | 2014 | ![]() |
115 | |||
BBC concerts BBC-promoted concert programme, artist profile | _BBC | 2014 | ![]() |
150 | |||
BBC concerts BBC-promoted concert programme, short artist notes | _BBC | 2014 | ![]() |
90 | |||
Booklet for DVD US independent record label - "write as many words as you want"! $750 | 2008 | ![]() |
384 | ||||
Cherry Red Records liner notes for reissue CD, word count not specified no terms specified | 2013 | ![]() |
125 | X |
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Economic and Social Research Council per 500-word Plain English summary | _HMG | 2007 | ![]() |
250 | |||
Economist Intelligence Unit sponsored report Finding and interviewing senior executive (who had to be approved by report sponsor) then write-up of interview and EIU survey ll rights and no byline | 2016 | ![]() |
1250 | 0 | |||
FirstWord 10-15,000 word business intelligence report on pharmaceutical industry marketing, telephone interviews with senior managers and directors, 6 weeks | 2010 | ![]() |
3500 | O |
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Political risk analysis 350-400 word analytical articles on political risk , terms: all rights plus legal liability | 2008 | ![]() |
30 | 0 | XXXX |
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Public + Commercial Services union copywriting campaign literature, per hour | _TU | 2001 | ![]() |
20 | |||
Renaissance Press political comment, wordage unspecified | 2010 | ![]() |
50 | X |
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Romsey Group 'for 2-page feature including pix' | 1993 | ![]() |
150 | - | |||
Royal Mail, Stamps + Collectibles department writing commemorative stamp presentation pack (incl all expenses incl. attending Central London design presentation meetings) 800 words | _HMG | 2006 | ![]() |
750 | |||
Saibs advertorial writing out-of-house: £150 per page (300-800 words approx); DPS £250 | _IPC | 2006 | ![]() |
250 | GR | ||
Small technology publisher piece on technology trend, approx 2-3k words. Payment is one-off per piece to subscribers and GBP100 for each extra sale. Expected yield around 1k sometimes 1.5k £100 for each sale beyond subscriber base; extra for any work arising from the piece (eg request by customer for custom research) | 2007 | ![]() |
750 | 100 | GR | ||
The above are the rates for Words, other / other notified by members up to 20 December 2017. |
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Key to the rates, by column: |
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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 |
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4 Currency: either ![]() ![]() | ![]() |
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5 Amount paid for basic licence - e.g. first use in print: | Basic fee |
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6 Paid for extra licences - web use, database resale... (no data pre Jun 2000) | ... | Extras |
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7 "Going Rate" according to experienced NUJ members - do try to better it: | ... | ... | GR |
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or Minimum rate set out in NUJ House Agreement (more will be made soon): | ... | ... | HA |
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8 Underpaid, in the fallible opinion of the Freelance editor: | ![]() | 50 | 0 | X |
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or Just sometimes we're pleasantly surprised: | ![]() | 1500 | 300 | O |
Other rates:
Type of work: | In the "sector": (click or tap below!) | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Words, per 1000 | News | Local | Mag | online | Book | PR | Other |
Words, other | News | Local | Mag | online | Book | PR | Other |
Photography | News | Local | Mag | online | Book | PR | Other |
Broadcasting | News | Local | Other including podcasting | ||||
Shifts | News | Local | Mag | online | Book | PR | Other |
Other: | Cartoons | Crosswords | Illustration | Punditry | Retainer | Teaching | Tip-off | Translation | ||||||
Recently reported rates | all from the past few months |



