How Long Does It Take to Write An Article

How Long Does It Take to Write An Article?

July 15, 2022 Reading time: 10 min

When people ask me about writing and how long it takes for an article to be written, they often mean the very act of writing itself. So, I say, “A few minutes to a couple of hours IF certain conditions are met.” 

Writing is not just about the act of writing, which is the end result of all the research, reflection, thought-processing, and time involved before a writer can finally put the word down on paper. I call this “think-writing” which is the part of writing many people don’t see, and which takes many hours for an article and many years for a book to be written. These are the conditions that have to be met.

So, I’ve compiled many of the common questions people ask me and will answer each from my experience and additional research below. (Of course! A good writer always researches before writing!). I hope they help you appreciate what it takes to come up with even just one good article. But, before I answer the questions, I will share with you how my writing process is, as it provides the context for all my answers.

My Writing Process

What I have found most effective and efficient for me is to undergo a three-step writing process:

  1. Research, make notes and reflect on the notes for the meaning I can glean from them. I believe in not just being a collector of information but a synthesizer, adding the meanings I discern out of that collected information. In this way, my writing contributes new value to readers, and not just regurgitate old information already out there.
  2. Write a working outline of my thoughts.
  3. Write my thoughts down, using the outline as a guide. Then, keep revising and polishing it until it shines.
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Many things happen in this process, including inner angst and fears that come up, procrastination, and distractions. I see this now as just part of the reflection part of the research. Writing is basically dueling with one’s inner self, but if one keeps at it, what results can be golden.

Given this context, here are my answers now to the most common questions I get asked.

How long does it usually take to write and publish an article?

To write an article depends on one’s knowledge of the topic. If it’s a new topic, it will require more research. Generally, it takes me 2 to 3 hours of research, reflection, and outlining time, and those hours aren’t always consecutive in one sitting. But, once the outline shines through, the actual writing takes only from 20 minutes to a couple of hours, depending on the length of the article.

If it’s a blog article and published online, it can be published instantly once accepted by an editor. If it’s to be a printed article in a magazine, it depends on the magazine’s production process and cycle, usually 2-3 months. If it’s an academic article to be published in a peer-reviewed journal, it takes at least 6 months.

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How long should an article be?

It depends on your understanding of your audience’s needs and what length of articles they usually read, as well as the topic you are writing about and the publication’s standards. Associated Press has asked its journalists to write articles between 300-500 words long only. Forbes recommends that 600-700 words per webpage are ideal for search engine optimization (SEO).

My favorite Linkedin article writing service

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I like LinkedIn Publishing for Pages. You simply turn on the Creator mode in your LinkedIn account for this. It lets you:

  •  Publish long-form posts and go deep on contemporary topics to share with your audience;
  •  Encourage conversations about it; and
  •  Amplify your reach in the process. 

The lowest-priced article writing service I know

In respect of fellow writers, I don’t want to call it the “cheapest article writing service”. Calling it “cheap” makes it sound cheap, so I’d rather use “lowest-priced” to talk about the most affordable writing services around. “Way to Changes” recommends the artificial intelligence (AI) platform Jasper, and copywriting company Content Development Pros.

Price per an article in freelance writing

If you order content from an article writing service, Content Development Pros starts at $12.95 per page of 250 words. This amounts to $0.037 per word. A fair rate for hiring good freelance writers is within the range of $0.05 to $2.00 per word. 

Best SEO article writing services

“MarketerMilk”recommends 8 best SEO writing services they ranked, in order:

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Top blog article writing services

Digital marketing authority “Neal Schaffer” recommends 15 blog writing services depending on your need and approach. Your approach would depend, in turn, on how much time and other resources you have for directly managing a writer on your own or not. 

Here are his 4 suggested approaches and the writing services he recommends, differing in levels of direct management of writers to virtually none:

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Best high-quality article writing services

I would recommend going through Neal Schaffer’s recommendations above again, as article writing services are also offered by these top-recommended sites.

Bulk article writing services

Bulk article writing requires a large amount of content in a short period of time, so this often involves a large number of writers working on a project at the same time. 

What is the usual article writing price per hour?

On Upwork, content writers are paid from $15 to $80 per hour, although most writers are paid within the $30-$50 per hour range. 

Freelance writers may charge per number of words, per hour worked, or per project. There’s no fixed rate as it depends on a lot of factors, beginning with the use of copy/intended audience and platform, the amount of research required, and the length of time to work on it.

The most high-quality article writing price

According to PeakFreelance, a paid membership community for professional freelance writers, a fair freelance writing rate is $250 to $399 for a 1,500-word blog post and $500 to $999 for writing a whitepaper.

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How much does it cost to write an article with online services or tools?

It depends on the kind of content to be written. According to Media Shower, a media communications company–

  • Low-end content is $5 for 500 words;
  • Simple content is $50 for 500 words;
  • Well-researched basic content is $100 for 500 words; and
  • High-quality content written by industry experts is $250 for 500 words.
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How long does it take you to write a 500-word article?

If it’s a topic I’m already familiar with or even an expert in, 10 to 20 minutes, including revision and polishing. If it requires intensive research, it can take as long as 2 hours, research time included.

How long does it take you to write a 1000-word article?

Again, it depends on my familiarity with the topic and the amount of additional research it would take. If I’m familiar with it, it would only take me half an hour to write it. If not, it would take 2-4 hours, including research time.

How long does it take you to write a 1,500-word article?

If I’m familiar with the topic and not much additional research is needed, it would take me around 30 minutes to an hour to write it. Otherwise, it would take 2-6 hours.

How long should a summary of an article be?

The rule of thumb is around one-third or less of the entire length of the article. So, a 1,000-word article should have a maximum summary of 300 words. In practice, 50-150 words are enough, as long as the summary properly covers the key points of the article.

How long does it take to write an article for a magazine?

Depending on the magazine’s house style, the topic you are assigned to (a 150-word sidebar or a full-length 30,000-word investigative feature on a sociopolitical issue), and the amount of research it will require, magazine editors would give you from 5 to 15 or more days to write it. “Writing” here involves aspects of writing, including “think-writing” and research.

How long does it take to write an article for a newspaper?

Since newspapers require timeliness, currency, and relevancy of the articles they publish, you have less time to write your articles. However, the upside is you usually have to write only shorter 300-500 word articles. Among daily newspapers, the rule of thumb is to submit your article or story by 3-4 p.m. every day for it to be published the next day.

How long should an article review be?

An article review depends on the length of the manuscript and the personality of the reviewer, as well as their other time demands. As a rule of thumb, a page of single-spaced comments based on a review of a 15-20-page article would be reasonable.

How long does it take for a journal article to be reviewed?

Journal editors usually set a deadline of 3-4 weeks for an article to be reviewed by peers. However, since journal editors also have no way of enforcing consequences if the deadline is not met, it’s hard to accurately predict how long a peer review process will take. Highly technical papers take longer.

So, to answer this article’s main question — how long does it take to write an article? The answer is it depends on several factors: who you’re writing for, the platform it will be published or used in, the topic you’re writing about, your familiarity with the topic, the additional research it will require, the number of words you are limited to, the time you have to write it, and your own writing process.

I hope I have satisfied many of the questions a lot of people often ask about writing articles, the writing life, and the writing industry in general. If there are more questions you’d like to have answered, please email me at _____ (please provide your email address in the blank space) or comment below (if this is going to be published online with a comment box provided).

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Experienced digital marketer with over 10 years of experience managing work processes in various industries. Participated in numerous online digital marketing conferences and authored many articles on topics such as SEO, local SEO, PPC advertising, SMM, and online marketing. As a CEO, have successfully led multiple digital marketing projects and had also written guest posts for various e-commerce websites

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Experienced digital marketer with over 10 years of experience managing work processes in various industries. Participated in numerous online digital marketing conferences and authored many articles on topics such as SEO, local SEO, PPC advertising, SMM, and online marketing. As a CEO, have successfully led multiple digital marketing projects and had also written guest posts for various e-commerce websites

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