Namibia is a developing country, and many of its people do not have the resources to pay writers for their work. However, there are some organisations that commission articles from established writers and pay them for their efforts.

Writers in Namibia are mostly commissioned to write, and there is no agreed upon standard for their rates.

The industry standard is that articles up to 750 words long should be paid N$250 per article. Articles over 750 words should be paid at the rate of N$500.

Writers can also charge by the hour or day, but this is only applicable when writing non-fiction books or longer works of fiction (novels).

Writers are commissioned to write either on a per-article basis or on a retainer basis.

• Per-article writers are paid for each article written. This method means that the writer only gets paid when he/she completes an article, which can be good for people who want to earn extra cash during their spare time but do not want to commit themselves long term. But it is less stable than the retainer method because your income depends entirely on how much you write and how many articles you sign up for at any given time. If you’re not writing regularly, then your pay may drop significantly in between contracts.
• Retainer writers receive a monthly or annual fee from whoever they’re contracted with (typically an editor). This is usually more reliable as it provides regular income, but there’s no guarantee that work will always come through (so if someone calls off their commission halfway through writing their essays or magazine features, then the writer might lose out).

The industry standard is that articles up to 750 words long should be paid N$250 per article.

Articles over 750 words should be paid at the rate of N$500, and regular contributors are usually paid on a retainer basis, which varies between N$1 500 and N$2 000.

Articles over 750 words should be paid at the rate of N$500.

If your article is over 750 words, you should be paid at the rate of N$500. That’s right—you’re worth it!

Writing articles of this length takes more time and effort than writing shorter ones. As such, it’s reasonable for the writer to earn more for their work.

The longer an article is, the more research and time goes into creating it (and therefore the higher quality of content that can be produced). In order to encourage writers to create longer pieces, increased payment will motivate them to write in-depth content while encouraging readership among those who appreciate this style of writing.

Regular contributors are usually paid on a retainer basis, which varies between N$1 500 and N$2 000.

Regular contributors are usually paid on a retainer basis, which varies between N$1 500 and N$2 000. Contributors receive the retainer upfront and are not dependent on how many articles they write. The retainer is paid for a set period of time, usually between 3 and 12 months, and is paid monthly or quarterly

Young writers starting out with no portfolio or experience should be offered the lowest rate possible while gaining experience.

If you are a young writer starting out with no portfolio and experience, try to get the lowest rate possible. If a young writer refuses to work for you because your offer isn’t high enough, then it’s likely that an experienced writer will say yes to your lower offer.

As you gain experience, you should be able to command higher rates.