What I love about Writers Worth Month is the various ways in which writers interpret worth and value. Ashley and Anne have taken the them and given us two very different twists.
I think what stuck with me in both posts is these ladies had somewhat of an a-ha moment — that instance where they realized their skills hold real value in the market. I think we can have more than one a-ha moment, too. As we grow our writing business, we come to realize various things about our clients, our skills, and ourselves that can sometimes land on us like a revelation.
I remember my moment.
I had been working for a number of years on building customer relationships, nurturing those to the point where I was finally getting the assignments I thought I wanted. Oh, I wanted assignments, definitely. However, the pay I was receiving for each one wasn’t consistent.
I was settling.
It took two checks from two different clients arriving on the same day to open my eyes. I had finished two articles — one for an industry publication that I’d worked with for ages and one for a newer connection, a client in that industry, who had been a bit fussy during our two projects together.
As I stared at those two checks side by side, the difference blew me away.
The publication paid $1/word. The assignment had been for 2,000 words. Easy math. Also, the best math, because the other project, the one that had taken a few edits and a bit of biting my tongue when the client said things that bordered on rudeness, had also been for a 2,000-word piece. That check — $800.
When I saw that, I informed the lower-paying client that my rates were going up.
I lost that client, but what did I lose exactly? I lost an expensive, time-consuming hassle. Yes, they weren’t exactly rude, but they weren’t exactly nice enough to make me believe they valued my skills in any way. Rather, I had the opposite impression — the fussing wasn’t worth it. I’d taken the job because the project was one I’d not done before, and I thought I’d get the experience on the resume.
Silly me.
Maybe that’s the real bonus of my a-ha moment — I learned that people will question you on whether you’ve written this specific thing or in that specific industry, and you think you have to have that clip. I was gathering samples, not protecting my bottom line.
After fifteen years in the niche industry I’m in, I still get questions like “Have you ever written anything in this area?” When you write in a niche, often your skills can slide into a new area like butter on a hot griddle. Clients don’t always see that because they’re locked in their own niche. When that question comes up, I’m truthful. I’ll say “Not directly, but here is where my skills will fit with that…” and I give examples.
Do I rush out and work for pennies just to get that clip? Not anymore. It’s not necessary. There comes a point in your career where what you’ve done already is proof enough that you have mad skills.
It’s true that in your beginning days at freelancing you will take jobs that don’t pay what you want just to get that clip. But have your own a-ha moment right now — limit those jobs and instances to the barest minimum you can. One white paper. One press release. One sales sheet. In fact, write your own samples — use your writing business as the client, and crank out your samples right now.
Also, look at those check stubs and invoices every month. Line them up on a table, on the floor, and really look. Where are you making the most money? How can you get more of those clients? Where aren’t you making so much? How fast can you get that rate up or replace that client?
Writers, when was your a-ha moment? How much of a revelation was it?
What advice can you give writers who are stuck in a rut? Where should they be making changes?
11 responses to “Writers Worth: My A-Ha Moment”
Believe it or not, a client pushed me into my a-ha moment. She was one of my first clients. She worked with freelancers for some time.
She left the company where we first connected. She went to a totally different industry. She called me and said she knew the industry was not my niche but she loved my writing and loved working with me. She asked if I would work with her. Well, duh. You bet.
She then arranged for projects and suggested fees that were in some cases double what I had been working for at her old company. She was pushing the baby bird out of the nest and letting me know I was worth more than I was charging.
Clients like that don't come along every day. It was a special moment in my career and opened my eyes to my worth.
I'm probably still having my a-ha moment, even after working as a freelancer for nearly a decade. It's a constant, ever-evolving thing for me — which is one reason I love this job. There's always more to learn!
I've made that mistake–focusing on this specialty sample or that. But then I realized that within the wide world of finance, my specialty is WRITING. If a client knows more about some obscure derivative than I do, that's okay. I know more about writing than they do. Together, we can make magic.
Cathy, we could all use a great client like that! What a neat experience for you.
Dava, so true. These moments continue throughout our careers, I think. I have them every now and then. It's a great thing to realize on an ongoing basis that our skills are worth something — usually more than we think.
Yo, well said. So true! You've just created my latest a-ha moment. 🙂
Thanks a lot, Lori. I was just about to say most of us have several ah-ha moments throughout our careers. The first is realizing that writing is a career.
Maybe it's because I'm the baby of the family, but I'm used to being undervalued – my ideas were never good enough until one of my older siblings suggested the exact same thing. Then there's that friend of mine who dismisses every opinion or bit of advice I have, but months or years later shares her brilliant insights with me. I've gotten used to just saying, "Yeah. That's exactly what I said hours/days/months/years ago." That doesn't mean I don't see my own value. I just struggle at times to get others to see it. Sometimes the see it on their own.
Within the past week three editors from three different publications recognized the value of my contributions (maybe they read my posts about Writers Worth Month!), and the validation felt great. But the same week, a professional organization rejected me for a second time. I meet their membership criteria to a T. I haven't seen the list of newest members, but six months ago most new members were relatively inexperienced, some were part-time, un- or under-paid bloggers (I know, because I rejected no- or low-pay job offers from their "employers"). The mission statement clearly says the association is for professional writers earning a living by covering the industry.
My ah-ha moment from that? I'm overqualified. And they REALLY need to read their own mission statement! I don't need their twice yearly association events to land interviews. Sure, not being on their industry wide mailing list makes it harder for me to find leads early enough to pitch ideas before their members can, but I've been doing this longer – and better – than most of them could ever dream of.
Paula, I think you've hit on something. You're struggling to have people see your value. Why? Why not own your value and to hell with what anyone else thinks? The minute you own your own value, your attitude will change. People sense that change. Sure, there will always be know-it-alls who won't get it, but that's not your issue to solve — it's their insecurities.
I still can't believe you didn't get accepted. Their guidelines could have been written from your background! Do you need them? Probably not, since you've been making a damn fine career without the likes of them. Still, I get it. It's now the principle of the thing — they're clearly not following their own guidelines.
My a-ha moment is exactly what I recently wrote about — when I found my ideal client. Like you, I compared the checks and calculated the time and effort put into earning those checks. I realized that I'd have to let a client go if I was going to make a living doing what I do. I realized that client didn't value what I did enough to pay a better rate. Maybe it wasn't feasible with his budget, but it's my responsibility as a business owner to find clients who appreciate what I do and have budgets that can pay a better rate.
That's usually what it takes, isn't it? 🙂 Funny how those side-by-side checks open the eyes.
Lori,
Thank you for sharing your a-ha moment. I enjoyed reading how comparing the two checks you received led to your moment when you knew, and followed through with (a hard part for me) increasing your rate because you knew your clients would pay it, and those that would not, like your challenging, low-paying client were not worth your time.
My upcoming a-ha moment post also came as a result of comparing checks, but there's a twist to my experience. I'm looking forward to sharing it soon!
It's been awesome to read other freelance writer's a-ha moments! I'm an introvert- by choice and largely necessity, but I feel having a network of talented freelance writers come together like this to share stories and advice is a key element we often miss when working alone. This month of a-ha moments feels like a combination of the best parts of writer's workshop, combined with a bit of after hours camaraderie!
Thank you again, Lori, for hosting and contributing to this month's posts. I'm looking forward to nodding my head in agreement while reading the many inspiring stories to come, just as I have with all the great stories so far!
Have a lovely weekend and Mother's Day to all the freelance writing mamas!
Best,
Tracy Spangler
I was challenged by a real friend to triple my rate – couldn't but I could double it and a client bought! Aha for sure, and they continue… one reason I think Lori's Writer's Worth month is so great.
Imagine if you'd tripled it, Anne. Still, a doubled payday is mighty sweet!