1 cent per word is usually the lowest rate you can get for writing, which is what you got last time (2k x $0.01 = $20). Rarely, you'll find someone offering maybe half a cent per word, but from what I can tell, this is pretty rare, especially since the global inflation. And 1 cent per word is on the low end of what freelancers on Fiverr offer, for instance. For now, let's call 1 cent per word the lowest amount possible.
Depending on the writer's rates (usually influenced by the amount of experience they have), this amount can go up by a lot. I think it would not be unusual for some more experienced writers to charge 15 cents per word, and someone even more experienced might charge more than that. 7 cents per word is usually accepted as the minimum amount on some freelancing places, such as r/hireawriter on Reddit. (It used to be 5 cents per word but has gone up since the inflation.)
It also depends on what kind of content you are requesting. If you're asking for plotting notes / an outline, 10k words of that would usually cost more than 10k words of regular story. I'd say about double the regular amount, usually. If you're asking for a script, that's usually the same rate as a regular story.
It also depends on whether you need the story for commercial use. Some will charge more for commercial use (usually the markup is about 2x the total amount), but some don't charge extra for it. It depends on the writer.
I asked on Tapas forums maybe a year or two ish ago, and there were offers ranging from 2 cents per word to about 15 cents per word, iirc. There might have been someone offering 1 cent per word too, but I honestly don't remember.
(Just putting this out there for reference: I do freelance custom poetry commissions, and my rates are roughly in the 25 to 35 cent per word ballpark due to 1) it being poetry, 2) my experience, and 3) the skill required for the style I frequently write in.)
I'd say you can find a good writer at the 1 cent per word rate, but you may have to look carefully at the portfolio pieces of the people offering. Luckily, the writer I found at 2 cents per word back then was an amazing writer. They're still accepting commissions, I believe, but they told me they're increasing their rates soon.
tldr; For 10k words, it could cost anywhere from around $100 to more than $1k, I think.
Hope this was helpful.
