Members Pay Rate Survey 2021

03 February 2021

Thanks to everyone who contributed to this survey and apologies for the length of time it has taken to bring you the results. I wish I had gladder tidings to bring for this New Year but, save a happy few, most people have recorded another period of no increase in rates, in some cases a reduction or having to produce more work for the same money, of more expectation that you would write for free or on less good terms. Members’ comments were gloomy overall – “ No longer realistic to expect to earn a living from food writing” was a sentiment expressed by quite a few members in different ways. That more than an handful agreed that rates had not increased (or were lower) than 20+ years ago is disturbing. (On a personal note, I went and checked my accounts from 1993 and my rate from The Sunday Times was indeed high average for 2020. I did not consider myself well-remunerated then.) Members suggested reasons for this stagnation of rates – an enormous pool of bloggers who would write for free or products – although one member thought that those days were ending. Several members articulated frustration about how they felt publishers were thriving but authors had been undervalued and left behind. “I’m completely amazed how little publishers and companies are prepared to pay for recipes /books”. “(Rates) have gone down noticeably and in many cases where the title may be thriving, it feels like if they can get away with it, they will.” “Too many people are being dragooned into working for little or nothing because too many people are prepared to work for little or nothing. Self-perpetuating.” “If you try and insist on reasonable rates (albeit lower than a decade ago) the work will go to someone else”. Although a couple of contributors said they set their own rates and that they felt others undersold themselves.

“Felt particularly ripped off by one national magazine this year” went one complaint. The disparity of the rates for a photographer and a food writer are quite marked. Food styling / photography rates appear more consistent with them having held up. However some people are having to do their own photography and styling to go with their articles without extra / increased payment.

There appears to be most opportunity for increased income within PR / Supermarkets / Consultancy.

Book Advances no longer exist for some people – new models have arisen but members should take great care to check their contracts for exactly what expenses the publisher will take off income before sharing revenues as this can be an area of contention. Self-publishing was not included in our survey.

Difficulties in getting paid were common – from slow payers to non-payers and small claims. Advice from one member was to avoid talking to your commissioning editor about your invoices and to keep problems as much as possible within the Accounts Department.

Members wanted a Rate Card but as you will see from the unwieldiness of the information (and that’s after I have tried to break it down into useful data) a card would be difficult to produce. I hope that the survey has information which can help and guide you when pitching for work. I trust too that members who commission work will NOT abuse the information by further pushing down already depressed figures.

This is not cheery reading. I am sorry. I urge you to make sure you register all your output with ALCS - visual contributions count too. You must make sure that you are identified as the creator of the work – all the more reason to get a name credit EVEN if the magazine is taking your copyright. If you get a communication out of the blue from ALCS, don’t be alarmed or worry that it is a scam. They have staff to track down writers who have not claimed for monies they are holding. Further information alcs.co.uk PLR – the small amount of money authors get from library loans – is also worth claiming. It may not be much and is quite random depending on whether your book is in the sampled libraries’ stock but, as a supermarket reminds us, every little helps. bl.uk (the scheme is now run through the British Library – existing registered members through the Stockton office are retained.) Remember keep both ALCS and PLR up to date with ALL your published works.

With very best wishes for 2021 and hopes for a better future,

Sarah Beattie – Professional Issues Secretary, The Guild of Food Writers

Food writing – Non Recipe led

Market	Rate
Newspapers – National	£130 – 500/1000 words Most common £250 Average £300 Also P/T salary £27,500
Magazines – National	Between £0 – 1000 per 1000 words Most common £250 or £500 Average £314
Regional press/Small interest magazine	Between £0- 1000 per 1000 words Most common £250 Average £220 but low because 4 x £0
PR	£15 – 47 per hour £120 – 700 per day or £3000 per report 4-5 days work
Books	A vast range: from £0 adv and 10% royalties to £150000 per book Advances from £0 to 5000, royalties from 10% to 40% Single payments between £500 – 32000
Website	£0 – 720 per 1000 words Most common £200 Average £270 – lowered by some £0 Also £15 ph and £200 per day
National Radio/TV	No response
Regional Radio/TV	No response
Supermarkets	£20 – 800 per 1000 words Average £370 Even spread Also £700 – 1000 per day

Food writing – Recipe led

Market	Rate
Newspapers – National	Few respondents. Between £0 – 900/1000 words also £100 per recipe and a £27,500 per 3 day week salary
Magazines – National	Per recipe £35 – 330 Average £115 Also £400 per day £00 to source not develop 4/5 recipes Per word from £150 – 700/1000 words £35000 pa FT salary
Regional press/Small interest magazine	From £0 – 500 per recipe Average £192 2 x £0 Also £200/1000 plus a £50 for recipe photo
PR	From £100 – 1000 per recipe Average £340 From £250 – 1200 per day Average £570 Also £15 – 35 per hour
Books	Advances: from £1000 – 15000 Average £4822 Flat fees from £1000 – 8000 Average £5250 but small sample with big variation
Website	From £20 – 250 per recipe Average £120 Also £350 – 400 per day
National Radio/TV	£500 – 1200 Average £850
Regional Radio/TV	£150 for 2 hrs
Supermarkets	£700 per thousand words Up to £8000 for a project lead £60 – 1000 per recipe Average £280 Also £350 per day

Food Styling

Market	Rate
Newspapers – National	£350 pd
Magazines – National	From £225 – 400 per day Average £313 but overwhelmingly £350 usual amount Additional some paid Prep day £175 – 200
Regional press/Small interest magazine	£100 – unspecified, single response
PR	From £250 – 450 per day Average £325
Books	From £150 – 350 Average £225
Website	From £100 – 500 per day Average £340 Also £1000 for 3 recipes
National Radio/TV	From £350 – 450 per day Average £400 Also some prep day £250
Regional Radio/TV	No information
Supermarkets	From £300 – 450 Average £366 Also £30 per hour
Packaging	From £150 – 450 per day Average £366 this is driven lower by 1 low response.

Home Economist

Market	Rate
Newspapers – National	£150 per day
Magazines – National	From £150 – 400 per day
Regional press/Small interest magazine	No information
PR	From £250 – 400 per day Average £315 Also £125 per recipe
Books	From £40 – 250 per day Average £157 Also £30 per recipe
Website	From £80 – 400 per day
National Radio/TV	£450 per day (single response)
Regional Radio/TV	No information
Supermarkets	From £300 -350 per day Average £325

Recipe Testing

Market	Rate
Newspapers – National	£40 per recipe single response
Magazines – National	From £35 – 150 per recipe Average £78.50
Regional press/Small interest magazine	No information
PR	From £150 – 150 per recipe or £120 – 450 per day
Books	From £20 – 40 per recipe Average £30 or £40 – 150 per day
Website	From £150 – 200 per recipe or £150 per day
National Radio/TV	No information
Regional Radio/TV	No information
Supermarkets	£50 per recipe or £1200 for unspecified project

Recipe Development

Market	Rate
Newspapers – National	No information
Magazines – National	From £75 – 1500 per recipe Average £327 but most common £75
Regional press/Small interest magazine	£1500 single response for a brochure
PR	From £75 – 1000 per recipe Average £293
Books	£30 per recipe Single reply
Website	From £125 – 500 per recipe and between £1000 – 3000 unspecified projects also £350 per day
National Radio/TV	£200 per recipe (single reply)
Regional Radio/TV	No information
Supermarkets	£320 per day £40 – 50 per hour £75 – 280 per recipe Average £146 Also 3 unspecified projects £500 – 3000

Recipe Rewriting /Editing

Market	Rate
Newspapers – National	£27,500 per annum 3-day wk
Magazines – National	£35,000 per annum
Regional press/Small interest magazine	£100 per recipe
PR	£50 per recipe
Books	£10 – 30 per recipe £21 – 26 per hour
Website	From £50 – 150 per recipe
Supermarkets	£250 per day

Americanisation/Translation

Market	Rate
Newspapers – National	No information
Magazines – National	No information
Regional press/Small interest magazine	No information
PR	No information
Books	£30 per hour £10 per recipe 20p a word
Website	No information
Supermarkets	No information

Workshops /Demos / Tours

Market	Rate
Newspapers – National	£250 – 300
Magazines – National	£250
Regional press/Small interest magazine	£125 – 1000 per day Or £500 – 600 per demo Most common £500
PR	£0 – 500 per day Average £117 as several at £0
Books	Mostly unpaid with contributions for travel expenses
Website	£400 – 1250 per day Most commonly £400 Also £120 – 250 per hour webinars
National Radio/TV	From £200 – 550 appearance fees
Regional Radio/TV	From £0 – 3000 While many report no fee for food festivals etc Average £622 Huge disparity but could cover 1 dem or a 3-day festival
Supermarkets	From £0 – 3000 While many report no fee for food festivals Average £622 Huge disparity but could cover 1 demo or 3 days

Blog

Market	Rate
Newspapers – National	£80 per 500 words
Magazines – National	No information
Regional press/Small interest magazine	£500 unspecified rate
PR	No information
Books	No information
Website	£75 – 240 per post £800 – 1500 for brand recipes on blog
National Radio/TV	No information
Regional Radio/TV	No information
Supermarkets	£250 per post

Photography

Market	Rate
Newspapers – National	£0 – 750 per image
Magazines – National	£50 – 500 per image
Regional press/Small interest magazine	£160 per shoot £600 per day
PR	£35 per hour £400 – 800 per day
Books	£600 – 800 per day
Website	£600 per day
National Radio/TV	£1,500 unspecified project
Regional Radio/TV	£2,500 unspecified project
Supermarkets	£400 – 800 per day, from £250 per image £2500 unspecified project

Restaurant Reviews

Market	Rate
Newspapers – National	£0 – 500/1000 words Most expenses only – small sample
Magazines – National	£0 – 200 per review Average £50
Regional press/Small interest magazine	£0 – 85 per review (2/3s paid)
PR	No information
Books	£35 – 50 per review Average £42.50
Website	£0 – 100 per review Average £40
Supermarkets	£150.00

Consultancy

Market	Rate
Newspapers – National	No information
Magazines – National	£400 unspecified project
Regional press/Small interest magazine	£300 – 500 unspecified projects
PR	£200 – 2500 per day Average £920 also £15 – 30 per hour
Books	£100 – 350 Average £233
Website	£15 – 30 per hour £500 per day £150 per 450 words £1.20 per entry (I don’t understand this response)
National Radio/TV	£450 per day (single response)
Regional Radio/TV	No information
Supermarkets	£350 – 1200 per day Average £737.50 Also £50 per hour And larger projects £3000 – 5000 Menu creation £460 – 800 per menu

Syndication

Market	Rate
Newspapers – National	£60 (50% of fee) per article
Magazines – National	No information
Regional press/Small interest magazine	No information
PR	No information
Books	No information
Website	No information
National Radio/TV	No information
Regional Radio/TV	No information
Supermarkets	No information

Sarah Beattie

@sarahbeattiegra

sarahbeattiefood

facebook.com/SarahBeattieFood/wall/