Comments on: The Writer and the Raise

By: Lori

Lori — Thu, 07 Jun 2012 12:46:47 +0000

What a nice client, Sharon! That's fantastic. I'd love to hear more about how that works.

Anne, our next Pepsis are on me. :)

I quote hourly for the corporate clients when they ask specifically. Like you, I do the flat fee whenever possible. It just saves a lot of clock-watching.

By: Anne Wayman

Anne Wayman — Wed, 06 Jun 2012 19:35:36 +0000

Geeze, Lori, you got a raise... does that mean you're buying the next round?

I usually don't quote my hourly, but go for a flat fee. Sometimes I'll say "I base my flat fee on my hourly which is $xxx."

I actually quit most magazine writing just because the pay is static... now I reserve that for projects I just love.

By: Sharon Hurley Hall

Sharon Hurley Hall — Wed, 06 Jun 2012 18:22:17 +0000

That strategy has worked well for me, too, Lori – and I agree with Wade on diversifying. I also have one client in particular who pays adequately (rather than well) but who will allow me to scale up at will. That means that if a contract ends suddenly, i won't have to experience a shortfall.

By: Lori

Lori — Wed, 06 Jun 2012 17:05:29 +0000

Great point, Wade. Plus, it gives a certain amount of variety to keep things fresh. If I lived on just magazines, I'd have burned out ages ago.

By: Lori

Lori — Wed, 06 Jun 2012 17:04:05 +0000

Devon, I'm glad to hear you say that. You're worth more.

Kim, how did you do it exactly? I think I've only once told clients my rates were going up, and that was so long ago I don't even remember how I managed it.

Paula, you've hit on a freelancer truth -- there comes a time when we become more valuable than the markets we're working with. That's not to say we can't still work for them, but I'd say limit that work while aiming higher.

By: Wade Finnegan

Wade Finnegan — Wed, 06 Jun 2012 17:02:47 +0000

You're totally correct about the magazine rates, Paula. That is why I strive to have many different revenue streams. I really enjoy writing for magazines, but you need to balance that with higher paying clients.

By: Paula

Paula — Wed, 06 Jun 2012 15:20:55 +0000

Sadly, with feature writing the publications set their rates. While they usually start new writers at slightly less than their top rate, after you've reached their top rate there's not much you can do about it – other than seeking out magazines with higher rates. But when you're already working for magazines that pay near-top rates, opportunities for higher-paying markets plateaus.

This is why I'm trying to land more corporate gigs. Ghostwriting articles, blog posts, etc…at a higher price that you'd get from the magazine itself is right up my alley – finding companies that need me is my current challenge.

By: Kimberly Ben

Kimberly Ben — Wed, 06 Jun 2012 13:19:58 +0000

We're midway through the year (already???) and it's a great time to access current rates.

I remember the first time I raised my rates. I was so afraid of losing clients - and I did. Yes, I panicked at first; but long story short, losing the cheaper clients made room for the better paying clients I eventually acquired.

By: Devon Ellington

Devon Ellington — Wed, 06 Jun 2012 11:25:19 +0000

I'm in the process of doing that for teaching. The time/money ratio hasn't been working, and there are too many creative vampires out there, who want to drain a professional's creative energy without giving anything in return. Um, no.