You're a writer for a large corporation. How do you know if you're being paid fairly?

To know if you are being paid fairly, you need to know your market value. This is so that you wouldn't end up being underpaid. You need to find out about how much writers with your level of experience are paid. This is so that you can compare your salary with the salary of others. This is so that you would be able to judge if you are being paid fairly or not. You should also network with other writers. This is so that you would be able to know if you are being paid fairly or not.

Understanding market value is crucial for writers to ensure they're not undervalued. Beyond online tools and networking, writers should also consider the nuances of their specialties—technical, creative, or content marketing, for example—as these can significantly impact rates. Additionally, factors like the demand for specific writing skills and recent industry trends should be taken into account when assessing fair compensation.

You learn what other writers make from other writers. If you’re a freelancer, join a freelance support group like the Freelance Writers Den. If you’re a full time employee, entities like Superpath publish an annual report of what writers make.

The market is about meeting halfway and 'fair' is subjective. Forget trying to match other writers' prices – that's a race to the bottom. Instead, get straight with your clients. Here's my trick: Write a kick-ass 800-word sample to invite them to put a ballpark value on it. Use that as your measuring stick for the whole project, then add a 10-20% buffer. Over time, you'll figure out what feels right and 'fair' to charge.

Evaluating your performance as a writer is crucial for understanding your value within a corporation. Beyond subjective measures, tangible metrics such as the number of successful projects completed, the rate of client retention, and the direct impact of your writing on company goals can provide a more objective basis for assessing your compensation. For instance, if your copywriting has consistently led to a measurable increase in sales or customer engagement, this should be reflected in your pay.

All written content needs a purpose or goal. Is it for brand awareness or to convert leads? When you know the purpose and KPIs of the content, you can easily track if the content is meeting its intended purpose. Don’t rely on an employer to give you this information. Track it for yourself.

Besides only negotiating for the salary, you also need to negotiate for your compensation and benefits. These are as important as your salary. You need to negotiate for benefits so that you can have certain benefits that you can't get even if you have the money. These benefits could be flexible working hours, paid time off or anything else that the company can offer you. Compensation needs to be negotiated so that you can get it if the company did anything you wrong in the future. This is to cover yourself so that you can get some compensation if the company wants to go back on their words.

You need to review your contract and term so that you know whether you are being paid fairly or not. This is to avoid any legal disputes. You must make sure that you read through all the terms in the contract. This is to avoid overlooking any hidden or vague clauses in the contract. If there is something that you aren't clear about, you could ask a lawyer to help you oversee the contract. This is to avoid you fron breaching the contract.

Freelance writers should time their projects. When you know how long it takes to write the average 1,000 article, for example, you know better what to charge for future projects.

If you are a writer for a large corporation and are concerned about guaranteeing a fair compensation, begin with researching the standards of this industry for writers with roles and experience levels similar to yours. Compare what your making with an average of others to evaluate if you’re salary is fair. Furthermore, update your skills on a regular basis while also expanding your portfolio to showcase your quality to the company. Keep a record of your contributions and successes. This will become useful in salary negotiations. If need be, remember that there is nothing wrong with advocating for yourself. Also, talk about compensation with your employer according to your qualifications and your skills’ market value.