Freelance writing jobs and hourly contracts

[emma305319]

Firstly, my sincere apologies if I've posted in the wrong section, or am somehow not adhering to the rules of the forum. I've used Upwork for a period but it was quite casual, I've now embarked upon the endeavour to persue freelance writing more seriously and have a few contracts currently. I'm still quite new and the majority of my writing jobs have been fixed price contracts up to now. However, I've a few clients that have hired me at the moment on an hourly contract,

I'm wondering how other freelancers go about these. Do you clock hours for your time spent researching, or only as you're physically typing up the document? How many hours would you deem "appropriate" for a 500-750 word article that requires some research? I know it's a bit like asking, "how long is a piece of string?" but I'm still finding figuring out my rates quite tricky/awkward.

I'd be really grateful for any advice. Thanks in advance!

[yeasir_arafat_13]

You should track your time for all the tasks you're doing for the completion of the job, both for typing as well as researching, as it's also a part of the work that client have given you.

[petra_r · Accepted solution]

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Yeasir A wrote:
You should track your time for all the tasks you're doing for the completion of the job, both for typing as well as researching, as it's also a part of the work that client have given you.

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No.

It depends on what was agreed with the client. If you take jobs outside your area of expertise, you need to check with your client how much research time they are willing to pay for.

Whilst in general, time spent on the job is to be charged, a programmer would not charge for time educating themselves on how to program, for example.

As usual, there is no "one answer fits all situations" answer and the above response is ignorant and could land a freelancer with poor feedback, disputes and a sinking JSS.

**Edited for Community Guidelines**

[emma305319]

Thanks Petra, I'll make sure to discuss with my clients to ensure we're both clear of each other's expectations.