Comments on: Your Freelance Writing Wake-up Call

By: Jake Poinier

Jake Poinier — Fri, 16 Feb 2018 16:24:47 +0000

Mine was a strategic “aha” moment. We’d put out bids to have our kitchen remodeled, and while two of the vendors gave us a firm bid, #3 gave us an estimated range that spelled out all the details and unknowns that could affect the price. They weren’t the cheapest, but they earned my trust with transparency. (Ultimately, they came in under the highest number.) I adopted that strategy and have used it successfully for almost every project in the 16+ years since. The key side benefit is that it gives clients an incentive to be easy to work with, because they know they can keep their cost down!

By: lwidmer

lwidmer — Thu, 15 Feb 2018 15:17:46 +0000

In reply to Joy Drohan.

What a great story, Joy! You continue to impress me. 🙂

I like how you put it — you do the work you love, but you limit it so you can get the work you need to pay the bills. It’s a nice balance.

By: Joy Drohan

Joy Drohan — Thu, 15 Feb 2018 13:17:12 +0000

Over my 20+ years of freelancing, I have steadily increased my rates. I started out hanging tear-off signs around campus and working for $11/hour. For almost that long I’ve worked for a publisher whose books I really admire, and the subject matter is important to me and to the world. They don’t pay top dollar, so although I was thrilled to get the work at first, and they’ve given me several pay raises I’ve asked for, it’s become so I’ll work for them only once or twice a year because it’s work I enjoy and value. Limiting it frees me to pursue more gainful work while still occasionally indulging my love of the subject matter and the publisher’s mission (a nonprofit). Others who are feeling crushed by too much work for too little money might be able to use such a strategy to keep a bit of the work they love for whatever reason.