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Twenty five dollars for each hour for finished product? When each hour
probably takes two to complete? So Keith can expect about a hundred
bucks a day? Wow I would have thought/asked for more...
-----Original Message-----
From: techwr-l-bounces+dhandy=informatica -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
[mailto:techwr-l-bounces+dhandy=informatica -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com] On
Behalf Of Peter Neilson
Sent: 18 September 2009 17:13
To: Keith Hood
Cc: Techwr-l
Subject: Re: Taking a slightly different tone
(Keith asked about fees for voice recording work.)
If you are a professional speaker or announcer and have a portfolio that
proves the quality of your work, then you might command that fee.
All depends on how professional the clients wish to appear.
If your voice doesn't sound like an automobile horn, lacks the common
"uhhh" and "ahhh", and can actually prevent snoring among the audience,
you just might get the correct rate. Otherwise, your clients will likely
expect to pay you about $25 for every hour of finished product, and then
feel short-changed afterwards.
"Can't be that hard. It's just talking, right?"
Keith Hood wrote:
> This post may be a waste of time but I can't think of anyone better to
ask...
>
> I've been asked to provide a quote for doing some voice recording
work, for a company that is fielding some web-distributed training. I'm
told it would probably be about 8 hours' work.
>
> I have gone online and researched the going rates for voice work, and
they are frightening. Apparently it's normal to charge by the *second*
at rates like $200 for a 30-second gig. I and the people doing the
training materials have no experience in this and I'm pretty sure asking
for $100 for each 15 seconds is a good way to scare them off.
>
> So, what do you think would be a good rate? This came to me through a
friend who is working form that company as a technical writer, and most
likely the company is thinking of paying for the voice work in the same
manner as her. They're probably thinking of an hourly rate in the same
neighborhood. If I got a new gig as a tech writer I certainly wouldn't
be making money by the second on it, and I have nothing better to do
right now.
>
> I have to get back to them by 3 this afternoon, so if you open this
message for the first time after that, you may as well not waste your
time replying. Unless you just feel like throwing something out on
general Friday-whathtebleep principles.
Free Software Documentation Project Web Cast: Covers developing Table of
Contents, Context IDs, and Index, as well as Doc-To-Help
2009 tips, tricks, and best practices. http://www.doctohelp.com/SuperPages/Webcasts/
Help & Manual 5: The complete help authoring tool for individual authors
and teams. Professional power, intuitive interface. Write once, publish
to 8 formats. Multi-user authoring and version control! http://www.helpandmanual.com/
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Free Software Documentation Project Web Cast: Covers developing Table of
Contents, Context IDs, and Index, as well as Doc-To-Help
2009 tips, tricks, and best practices. http://www.doctohelp.com/SuperPages/Webcasts/
Help & Manual 5: The complete help authoring tool for individual
authors and teams. Professional power, intuitive interface. Write
once, publish to 8 formats. Multi-user authoring and version control! http://www.helpandmanual.com/
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