Every blogger who takes guest posts hits the same question sooner or later: what should I charge? Too high and the emails dry up. Too low and you end up publishing for buyers who haggle, delay and sometimes never pay at all.
There is no single right number, but there is a sensible way to work it out.
Start with what a post costs you
A guest post is not free to publish, even when someone else writes it. Before you set a price, count the real work:
- Reading the article and checking the links point somewhere you’re happy with.
- Editing, formatting, adding images and setting it live.
- Sending the live link, invoicing and keeping records.
- The space on your site, for as long as the post stays up.
If all that takes you an hour, your price should be worth an hour of your time at the very least. Many bloggers find they’ve been charging less than they’d accept for any other kind of work.
Then look at what your site offers
Buyers are paying for your audience and your site’s standing, so those set the upper end of your price. Things buyers tend to look at:
- How much real traffic you get, and where it comes from.
- How long your site has been going and how focused it is on one topic.
- Whether your posts get read and shared, not just indexed.
- How selective you are. A site that publishes anything is worth less to everyone.
Small does not have to mean cheap. To the right buyer, a focused site can be worth more than a big general blog. The journal of an independent shop like The Curious Hideaway, for instance, reaches people who really care about handmade goods and local markets.
Write your rate down once and use it every time. A fixed rate card makes replies quicker and stops you talking yourself down in each email.
Charge separately for the extras
Many buyers ask for more than a standard post. Price these on their own rather than folding them in:
- Writing the article yourself. That is a writing job on top of publishing.
- Link insertions into an existing post. Cheaper for you, but not free, and it changes an article your readers already trust.
- Permanent, do-follow, no “sponsored” label. Think carefully about these requests. Search engines expect paid links to be labelled, so look up their current guidance before you agree.
- Rush jobs. Same-day publishing can carry a fee.
- Removal or edits later. Say up front whether changes after publishing cost extra.
Why cheap rates cost you more
It is tempting to drop your price to win more deals. It’s a pattern many bloggers notice: the buyers chasing the lowest prices are often the same ones who pay late, ask for “payment after indexing”, or disappear once the post is live.
A low rate also leaves no room for the time you spend chasing. One unpaid post at a cheap rate can wipe out the profit from several paid ones.
A fair price does the opposite. It tells buyers you run your site properly, and the agencies with good payment records are usually happy to pay it.
Haggling: when to say yes
You don’t have to accept the first offer, and you don’t have to refuse every counter offer either. A simple rule helps:
- Decide the lowest price you’d accept before you reply, and never go under it.
- Offer a small discount for something that helps you, such as payment upfront or several posts at once.
- If someone pushes well below your rate, it is usually a sign of how the rest of the deal will go. A polite no is fine.
You can copy this:
Thanks for getting in touch. My rate for a guest post is £X, paid upfront or within 24 hours of the post going live. I can offer £Y per post for three or more, paid upfront.
Check who you’re pricing for
Before you send a price, look the sender up on Outreach Ratings. A buyer with a strong record is worth a fair deal. A poor record means no price is worth it. Once you’ve agreed a rate, our guide to guest post payment terms covers how to make sure you actually get paid.
