Getting one press release written costs $0 to about $500 in 2026, before you pay a cent for distribution, and many releases do not need a paid writer at all. Upwork says press release writers on its platform typically charge $15, $44 or $110 an hour at beginner, intermediate and advanced levels, eReleases lists its writing service at $300 added to a distribution package, and the Editorial Freelancers Association 2026 rate chart puts “other writing,” the category that names press releases, at 30 cents a word or $70 to $100 an hour.
What does a press release writer cost in 2026?
A press release writer costs about $20 to $500 for a standard 400 to 600 word release in 2026. The low end is a Fiverr or Upwork gig. The middle is a freelance writer billing EFA rates. The top is a wire service add-on such as eReleases, which also requires buying distribution.
Here is what each source publishes, collected from the vendors’ and associations’ own pages in October 2026. Prices move, so check the page before you buy.
| Source | What it publishes | What a 500 word release works out to |
|---|---|---|
| Editorial Freelancers Association, 2026 rate chart | ”Other writing” (includes press releases): 30 cents a word, $70 to $100 an hour. Business and marketing work-for-hire: 32 to 87.5 cents a word | About $150 at 30 cents a word, or $160 to $440 at business and marketing rates (our math) |
| Upwork, press release writer hiring page | Typical rates of $15 (beginner), $44 (intermediate) and $110 (advanced) an hour | $30 to $330 at two to three hours of work (our math) |
| Upwork Project Catalog | Fixed-price press release listings starting from $40 to $225 | $40 to $225 per release |
| Fiverr gig search and Fiverr Pro | Gig listings starting at $20 to $60; vetted Pro experts starting at $25 to $265 a project | $20 to $265 per release |
| eReleases | Writing service $300, sold only with a distribution package ($399 to $699) | $300 on top of distribution |
| EIN Presswire | Free AI press release generator, up to 25 releases a day | $0 |
Two things stand out. First, the price range is wide because the job is short: a competent writer finishes a release in a few hours, so the hourly rate matters more than the format. Second, the most expensive line in the table is the only one that forces you to buy something else. If you want the full picture on what the wire itself charges, see our breakdown of press release distribution costs.
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What are the five ways to get a press release written?
You can write it yourself with an AI assistant, hire a marketplace freelancer, hire an experienced freelance PR writer, buy a wire service writing add-on, or hand it to an agency or in-house PR staff. Each one trades money for a different thing: speed, judgment, or an editor who knows what reporters ignore.
1. DIY with an AI assistant
EIN Presswire offers a free AI press release generator and says you can create up to 25 releases a day with no credit card. OpenAI’s help center lists ChatGPT Plus at $20 a month, and Claude and ChatGPT both have free tiers. The real cost is your time: you still supply the facts, the quote and the reason anyone should care, and you still check every claim.
2. Marketplace writer on Fiverr or Upwork
Fiverr gig listings for press release writing start at $20 to $60, and its vetted Fiverr Pro experts list starting prices from $25 to $265 a project. Upwork’s Project Catalog listings start at $40 to $225. These work well when you have the facts and need clean copy fast. The limitation is variance: a $20 gig and a $200 gig can look alike until you read the samples.
3. Experienced freelance PR writer
The Editorial Freelancers Association surveyed more than 1,100 members from November 2025 through mid-January 2026 for its 2026 rate chart. It lists “other writing,” with press releases as a named example, at 30 cents a word and $70 to $100 an hour. Expect this tier to push back on a weak angle, which is often worth more than the copy.
4. Wire service writing add-on
eReleases lists press release writing at $300 when added to a distribution package, with a three business day turnaround on its FAQ and a promise not to distribute until you approve the copy. Its packages run $399 to $699. Newswire.com says it handles “everything from writing to distribution” but does not list a separate writing price, and Business Wire’s pricing page covers distribution only.
5. Agency or in-house PR staff
Agencies quote writing inside retainers or projects and rarely publish a per-release price, so we will not print one. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a May 2025 median of $74,750 a year, or $35.94 an hour, for public relations specialists, and its handbook lists writing press releases as part of the job. That is wage, not a billing rate.
Which option should you pick?
Pick the cheapest option that still gets a real story checked by a second person. For a routine announcement, that is usually DIY with AI plus a careful read. Move up a tier only when the news is complicated, regulated, or likely to be read by a reporter who covers your industry.
| Option | Typical cost per release | What you get | Main limitation | Our take |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DIY with AI (EIN Presswire generator, ChatGPT, Claude) | $0 to $20 a month | A fast draft you control | You supply the angle and the fact check | Best default for routine announcements |
| Marketplace writer (Fiverr, Upwork) | $20 to $330 | Clean copy from your notes | Quality varies widely between sellers | Good when you have the facts and no time |
| Freelance PR writer at EFA rates | About $150 to $440 | Editing plus judgment on the angle | Takes longer to find the right person | Best for news a trade reporter might cover |
| Wire writing add-on (eReleases) | $300 plus a $399 to $699 package | One vendor handles copy and the send | Only sold with distribution | Pick only if you already chose that wire |
| Agency or in-house PR staff | Not published; wage floor about $36 an hour | Strategy, pitching, ongoing relationships | Highest total cost, usually bundled | Worth it only when releases are part of a pitching plan |
Notice that no row buys coverage. The writing fee pays for a document. What happens after it is written is a separate decision, with a separate cost.
Do you need to pay someone to write a press release?
Usually no. A press release follows a fixed shape: headline, dateline, what happened, why it matters, a quote, company boilerplate and a contact. If you can state your news in two sentences and you have the facts, an AI draft from ChatGPT, Claude or the EIN Presswire generator plus your own edit will do.
Pay a writer when one of these is true:
- The news is technical, financial or legal, and a wrong phrase creates a real problem.
- You are announcing to a trade press beat where reporters read closely and ignore fluff.
- You have no one internal who can write a clean, plain paragraph.
Skip the writer when the release is a routine hire, a minor product update, or an award your industry hands out every year. Those releases mostly exist to put a dated record on your own site. The Bureau of Labor Statistics notes that 65 percent of writers and authors are self-employed, so supply is deep if you change your mind later.
One test before you pay anyone: write the two-sentence version yourself. If you cannot, a writer will not fix it, because the problem is the news, not the prose. Our guide to whether press release distribution is worth it applies the same test to the wire fee.
What does the writing fee not buy?
It does not buy coverage. A press release is a document. Coverage happens when a reporter decides your news is worth a story, and no writer, wire or AI tool can make that choice for them. Upwork, Fiverr and eReleases all sell copy, not editorial decisions.
That gap is where most budgets leak. A business pays $300 for writing and $500 for distribution, sees the release reposted on syndication pages, and counts that as press. Those reposts are automated. They are not a journalist reading your news and writing about it.
If what you want is a reporter writing about you, the work looks different: a specific angle, a named journalist who covers it, and a pitch that stands on its own without the release attached. That is the work Subscribe PR does on a short call about earned placements, and it is a different purchase from a writing fee. Whatever you buy, keep the two line items apart so you know which one produced results.
We have not tested whether a paid writer gets more pickup than an AI draft, and we are not aware of a public study that has. Judge a release by named reporter replies and original articles, not by how polished it reads.
How do you judge a press release writer quote?
Compare the quote to the EFA chart and the job size. A 500 word release at 30 cents a word is about $150. At $70 to $100 an hour for two to four hours, it is $140 to $400. A quote far above that should come with something extra: interviews, pitching, or a named industry specialty.
Ask four questions before you hire:
- How many revision rounds are included, and what does another round cost?
- Will the writer interview you, or work only from your notes?
- Does the price include a headline and a short pitch email, or only the release?
- Is distribution bundled in, and can you buy the writing alone?
The last question matters most with wire add-ons. eReleases states its $300 writing service is sold when added to a distribution package. That is a fair offer if you already chose eReleases, and an expensive one if you only wanted copy. For tips on shaping the finished release, see how to optimize a press release for AI.
FAQ
How much does it cost to have a press release written?
Most releases cost $20 to $500 to have written in 2026. Fiverr gigs start around $20, Upwork reports typical press release writer rates of $15 to $110 an hour, and the Editorial Freelancers Association lists press releases under “other writing” at 30 cents a word or $70 to $100 an hour. eReleases charges $300, but only on top of a distribution package.
Can I write my own press release with AI?
Yes, and for routine news it is often the right call. EIN Presswire offers a free AI press release generator that allows up to 25 releases a day, and ChatGPT and Claude both have free tiers, with ChatGPT Plus listed at $20 a month. Supply the facts and the quote yourself, then check every number, name and date before anything goes out.
What is the hourly rate for a press release writer?
Upwork says press release writers on its platform typically charge $15 an hour at beginner level, $44 at intermediate and $110 at advanced. The Editorial Freelancers Association 2026 chart lists $70 to $100 an hour for “other writing,” which names press releases. The Bureau of Labor Statistics puts the median wage for public relations specialists at $35.94 an hour, which is salary, not a freelance rate.
Do wire services write press releases for you?
Some do, at a price. eReleases lists a $300 writing service with a three business day turnaround, sold only with a distribution package. Newswire.com says it handles writing through distribution without a separate published price. Business Wire’s pricing page lists distribution only, and PR Newswire describes an editorial team that reviews releases rather than a published writing fee.
Is it worth paying a professional to write a press release?
Usually not for routine news. A paid writer earns the fee when the announcement is technical, regulated or aimed at reporters on a trade beat who read closely. For a new hire, small update or recurring award, an AI draft plus your own edit is enough. Neither option buys coverage, because a reporter still has to decide your news is worth a story.
Does a well written press release guarantee media coverage?
No. A press release is a document, and coverage depends on a journalist choosing to write about your news. Good writing removes reasons to ignore it, but it does not create interest that the news lacks. Reposts on syndication sites after a wire send are automated and are not editorial coverage. Measure results by named reporter replies and original stories.
The short answer
The writing is the cheap part of a press release. Free tools from EIN Presswire, a $20 Fiverr gig, an Upwork writer, an EFA-rate freelancer at about $150 to $440, or a $300 eReleases add-on will all produce a usable document. The expensive mistake is paying any of them and expecting coverage, because a release gives a reporter something to read, and only the reporter decides to write.
Spend on the writer when the stakes justify a second set of eyes, and spend your time on the angle every time. Ready to see what ChatGPT and Google say about your company right now? Start your free audit here.
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