Writers’ rates are a frequent topic at the Malaysian Writers Community Facebook Group. They are a common cause of concern for both seasoned freelancers and new writers seeking to break into the market. Hirers also frequently request market rates.
This initiative was started by Tina Isaacs in 2016, with an initial survey designed by Pepper Lim. It was finally taken up by the 2020-2022 committee, who deployed a revised survey, collecting data from over 50 writers.
This rates card is important because it calibrates the expectations for both writers and would-be employers. Writers deserve to know what is considered a fair rate for their labour, and this knowledge will protect new freelancers from exploitation.
The 2021 Rates Card Survey was conducted in June 2021 and will be launched in October 2021 during MYWriters Fest. We aim to conduct it annually to further refine our survey and garner larger datasets as our initiative becomes more known.