Is It Typical to Earn $2,000 Per Article?

The June issue of Writer's Digest featured a workshop article on marketing reprints. There's no doubt that you can reap financial benefits by recycling past articles, but the numbers they quoted seemed a bit outlandish.

Although I'm sure it happens for a lucky few, I firmly believe that it is highly unlikely that you are going to receive $2000 dollars for an article... especially in today's market.

With the closure of more and more print publications, the WD article sets up an unrealistic expectation for those reading it. With continued cuts at papers like The New York Times due to ever-declining subscriptions, the odds that you'll earn two grand for a story about fitness is beyond unlikely, it's a pipe dream.

I'm sure some well-established writers continue to make some nice bread for their contributions. But the fact is, the most your likely to get paid for 750-1000 words is about $100. A lucky few may rake in as much as $500, but it's a rare case when such good fortune will come your way.

From most all the lists I have received, the more typical payscale is much more disparaging for anyone hoping to pay their bills for their writing skills. Time and time again, I receive notifications that offer to pay $5-15 for 750 words.

I don't mean to discourage any aspiring writers out there. I just hope you realize that magazines like WD, although a great source of information on writing, are well behind the curve in terms of the market.

Perhaps, they aren't as behind as I would think. Maybe they are trying to remain cheery and optimistic in these dark times. If that's the case, my hats off to WD. If not, by all means, hire some writers who have a better handle on the state of the market.

I realize this article lays on the gloom and doom rather thick, and it offers no real solutions. If you know of a few great paying markets, I'd love to hear about them. Share them below in the comments.