I had that sangria, Kathryn. Remind me next time to drink it AFTER I eat – I sort of remember watching Nova last night, but it could just as easily been Family Guy. ;))

“Freelanniversary” – I LOVE it! :)) As to the rates, Amie, I say if you can do the job easily and there are minimal additional edits, consider the lower offer. Or…. counter with a slightly higher rate. Does that help?

Your post made me realize that the choices I make now can affect our entire industry. It’s something I didn’t really consider before, and I know I’m not the only one.
So many writers are trapped in survival mode. They don’t know how to build a strong and lasting client base, so they make mistakes that cost us all in the long run.

Hopefully your words (and the great comments everyone made) will help change that!

I’ve not raised my rates yet this year, but only because I plan to raise them on my “freelanniversary” in June. I do, however, have to make a tough decision about whether or not to accept less than my normal rate for a project. My inclination is to say yes, because it’s not that much less (and certainly not as ridiculously low as Devon’s example!) and it will be a good learning experience for me. What are your thoughts there?

I am not a freelance writer – but I do sometimes do some freelance editing sometimes – and I won’t go lower my rates – I work hard and it takes many hours to do a good job! And, that time takes away from working on the novel(s) – so!

(and as to your comment on my site – now I want some sangria! *laughing*)

Ivonne, I’m so glad you visited! Please make us a habit. I love making new writing friends. 🙂

Kimberly, Leigh, I’m SO glad to hear your experiences! There’s no reason why we can’t get a “raise” even in a tough market.

You can tell the story however you want, but basically there’s a salesman with something priced very high — $10,000 or something. Someone says to him, “You won’t sell very many at that price.” And he responds, “At that price, I don’t need to sell very many.”

The same concept applies here, though of course I’m not pricing anything at $10,000. :o) The point is, if you price your services at the highest the market will handle, yes you may scare some potential customers off, but you don’t need all of them.

I’d rather have fewer clients, less work, and higher prices, and I can’t imagine who the heck wouldn’t see it that way!

Personally, I find this sad, because it drags into the personal life and how everyone perceives things. And who wants to perceive everything in life as being cheap, right?

Me? No!

So everyone be proud of what they do & charge away 😉

Greets Ivonne