Freelance Writing Rates: How to Stick to Your Pricing Guns
One of the things I love about being a freelance writer and blogger is that I get to set my own rates. This means I can be flexible with clients if I want without having to consult with anyone.
But, as with most freedoms, this is a double-edged sword. Sometimes it can hurt you. Following is a scenario I had with a long-time client, and how I managed to stick to my pricing guns.
Freelance Writing Rates: The Client Who Challenges You
I’ve been working with this particular client for almost a year. He owns a small internet marketing firm. The assignments I get from him are usually blog posts and press releases.
I gave this client a break on my freelance writing rates for blogging after working with him a few months because he uses me on a regular basis. But recently, he’s started to change what he wants, which made me cut the discount and revert back to my full rate.
Freelance Writing Rates: The Problem
My blog posts are billed at $20 per 250-350 words. He orders them in sets of three. I give him a discount on this, and I usually turn in posts that are between 350-450 words. I don’t do this on purpose. I just write until I finish and if it’s more than 350 words, then fine.
But, what this means is that what he’s really getting is an SEO article instead of a simple blog post. My rates for SEO articles begin at $35. The reason I point this out is that he’s already getting over and beyond what he’s paying for.
He recently requested that I start to make each blog post at least 400 words, and that I write them in a certain style. Now, I don’t mind this. But, I told him that the rate would be $35/per because what he’s really getting is an article, not a blog post. AND, with the added writing guidelines he wanted me to follow, it would take more time to compose each article.
He balked.
Freelance Writing Rates: The Solution
He decided to stick with the way we’ve been doing things all along. I explained to him that in business – as I’m sure he understood – it’s all about billable time. And time is money when you’re a freelance writer.
I stuck to my pricing guns, even at the risk of losing this client. And this is something that all freelance writers should keep in mind. Sometimes, after clients get comfortable in your working relationship, they will request certain things of you. And you may be tempted to grant it because you don’t want to lose them as a client.
Never be afraid to lose a client. Always be willing to walk away if it’s going to hurt your bottom line. And the reason I say this is because you’re NOT a freelance writer; you run a freelance writing BUSINESS. There’s a huge difference when you look at it this way.
Freelance Writing Rates: Why You Should Never Be Afraid to Lose a Client
Certain clients can cost you money — if you let them — by draining your time and your resources. Clients are business people too, and if you spell out why you can’t grant them a price break — using terminology they understand well (eg, it’s all about the bottom line) – they’ll respect you more.
While they may stop using you, that’s okay. The great thing about freelancing is that you don’t depend on one client to make a living. You depend on many.
Okay, freelancing writing business class over for today.
Written by Yuwanda Black from Inkwell EditorialPosted on December 17th, 2008 and filed under Making Money
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13 Responses to “Freelance Writing Rates: How to Stick to Your Pricing Guns”
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Writing jobs always fail me. Web design is my expertise.
Thanks for this. I’m actually struggling with a pricing situation on a pending project right now. We agreed on a pay per post, and then the next day he emails me, saying he’s found an online content mill able to churn out a bazillion posts and articles, very quickly, for a low price. He still wants to work with me, but he wants me to quote him the “very best price I can offer” (so, lowball what he’d already offered and agreed to). After asking me to do this, he went on to describe how my underpaid work has to be a “must read” to keep readers coming back to his site for more. The guy also speaks in vague generalities and can’t clearly articulate to me what he wants in terms of content or even who the target audience is. I also just read the press release for the company which stated they are investing $10 million in advertising over the next three years, which makes me wary and a little insulted that he’s asking me to undercut the already reasonable rate we’d agreed on.
A part of me feels like the best idea would to run in the opposite direction of this potential trainwreck of an assignment. But I’m just starting out in freelance writing and assignments are few. Difficult quandary! Your article has made me feel better about sticking to my guns on the rate we initially agreed upon.
Sarah:
I’ve had more than my share of these typees of clients over the years and my gut tells me to tell you to run from this client. He is the kind who will cost you money over the long run because he’s already showing signs of it (eg, not sticking to a previously agreed upon rate). This is not ethical. And if he wants to go with those content writing mills, let him. Eventually, he’ll do that anyway.
If you do any work for this guy, at least get partial payment up front because something tells me that you might have problems getting paid later on. Again, it’s just a gut feeling developed over many years of being a freelance writer (I’ve been at this since 1993).
And remember what I wrote Sarah, never be afraid to lose a client. Usually, this type of client is not worth hanging on to anyway. If he’s negotiated in good faith with you, then wants to switch terms midstream — that’s a red flag.
This is why freelancing requires nerves of steel sometimes. You have to TRUST that other work will come along. This is why continuous marketing is a must.
Good luck and happy holidays.
Yuwanda
We (the company I work for) struggled a little with the thought of dropping prices. Ultimately it was decided to keep things where they always have been pricewise and escalate the level of service. It seems to be a good trade off.
Well I am fed up with low paying writing gigs, i mean come on $0.01 per word
Even thou I have never worked with that rate and most probably will never, I find most of the client’s I get usually ask for something between that price range and when you give them your price they say it’s too high and in most case’s walk away as they know they can go to another writer who will sell him self so cheap and do the work. What i fail to get here thou, what do you get from $0.01 per word? Maybe someone can shed some light for me on this?
Ugh! I’ve been in the same boat. You give a client a break based on volume and then they want longer posts making the project not even worth your while. I totally agree that cutting these clients loose or sticking to a profitable price is the best way to go. They wouldn’t take a loss in their business so why should we?
Great advice, thanks for this.
Just starting out as a freelancer and talking rates is the thing that worries me most. Which is daft as in other companies I run I have had no problem negotiating rates/fees.
Good to hear of someone sticking to their guns confident in the quality of their work. Kudo’s!
Similar circumstances, i can’t tell you how often zI’ve had this issue with repeat customers….of course I’m going to give a discount, but don’t go nuts on me.
So important to stick to your guns! I’m in a similar situation. I don’t mind the work, but I’m sure as heck going to get paid for it.
The business person in me is thinking:
“The critical thing is to never get yourself in a position where you have to be that afraid of losing a client.”
But like someone asked what the heck to people get for 1 cent a word?
I meant: “What the heck do people get for 1 cent a word?”
Really I’d love to know.
So important to stick to your guns! I’m in a similar situation. I don’t mind the work, but I’m sure as heck going to get paid for it.