Free Advice Friday: 10 Commandments of Writing Value

What’s on the iPod: I Will Follow You by Rivrrs

What a week. A sizable client project, almost completed, has occupied seven of the eight or more hours I spend a day at this electronic box. I’m happy because the client is happy, the project is in a good place, and we’re about to wrap it all up. I’m tired — correction, exhausted — from all the thinking and typing. But if I made them happy, I’ve done my job.

There’s been a bit of drama here at home. The last few months, my youngest has gone from being laid off to being offered part-time status to suddenly being full time again. She hasn’t changed jobs — this is all from the same place she’s been for two years. It’s been two months of angst and doubt for her, and it’s taken a toll on her confidence. Still, this whole debacle (let’s call it what it is) has done something else for her:

It’s made her realize her value.

I can’t go into the details of why the decision has flipflopped so many times, but I will say it’s taught a certain young woman that she’s worth much more, both monetarily and personally. She went from tears to worry to anger to disgust and finally to “I’m worth more than this crap.”

Amen.

For us freelance writers, sometimes it takes a similar pile of steaming crud, doesn’t it? I don’t care where you are in your freelance writing career — if enough clients dump on you and treat you like a leper, your BS meter is going to peg and you’re going to say “Enough!”

Let today be that day.

Easy to say, isn’t it? For some writers, it’s also easy to apply. However, there are plenty of writers out there who aren’t exactly topping out earnings-wise, am I right? Fear, contentment, laziness, client-induced guilt…whatever the excuse, we writers are damn good at clinging to them.

So repeat after me:

1. Thou shalt not undercharge. It’s like I told a contractor who’d done some work for us a few weeks ago — you don’t charge enough. If a client says that, that’s a huge red flag. However, you shouldn’t be waiting for clients to tell you — most won’t. Look at what other writers are charging for the services you’re providing.

2. Honor thy skills and background. Don’t wait for clients to say “Wow! I have to pay you more because you have eight years of experience writing sales letters!” More likely, you’re going to hear pushback on the price –that’s when you can haul out your background as proof you’re worth it. I’ve had clients question my fee — we all have. The solution is to know that what you bring to the job is worth more because you’ve proven yourself to be reliable and good at what you do.

3. Keep holy thy bottom line. You know what you need to earn. Don’t negotiate a deal that’s lower than you can accept just because you want to win new work. Instead, negotiate a one-time break in exchange for additional, contracted work. You deserve to be paid for what you do.

4. Thou shalt not compromise boundaries. We all have our limits of what’s acceptable. If you have a client who’s asking you to do something that doesn’t fit within your business scope or moral code, refuse it. No amount of money is worth lowering yourself or taking on work that requires you to give up more than you care to.

5. Thou shalt say no. Just like my daughter did when she was offered a job that was there, gone, half there, then there again, say no when it doesn’t fit. If your client isn’t valuing your skills, your contributions to date, or your dedication to the craft, don’t work for them.

6. Thou shalt not covet without seeking. Seriously. Don’t sit there complaining about the freelancer who’s always busy or whining because you want to work for that client (and you’re doing nothing to make it happen). Go for it. Suck it up, give yourself a “what the hell” moment, and do the work needed to get you what you want.

7. Thou shalt not stop improving. Your value right now is probably more than you realize. Still, every writer — repeat, every writer — can improve on the skills or knowledge they have right now. That translates into more value.

8. Honor and feed thine creativity. Do something creative for yourself every day. Blog. Write fiction/nonfiction/poetry. Paint. Cook. Take a class. Find something that gives you a pleasurable outlet for your creativity and maybe even expands your abilities. A happy freelance writer is more likely a freelance writer who places proper value on his/her time.

9. Thou shalt run a successful business. Never forget your skills are your product and your time is your business. Remove the “freelancer” persona and put on the “business owner” persona. Business owners would never undercut their prices or take shit talk from a nasty client.

10. Thou shalt not allow any client to define thine success. No telling you what to charge, either. Client criticisms, if not constructive, need to be thrown out like the trash they are. If a client tells you you charge too much, you need to hear “Our budget is too low.” If a client tells you your work is full of errors (and they can’t prove it), you need to hear “We’re trying to avoid payment.” If a client says “You’re a lousy writer” or “You should get a real job” you need to hear “I’m an arrogant ass who has no professional tact nor do I have a clue what you do all day.”

Writers, what commandments are critical to defining your value?