“Yes, the rates are low, but they’re better than content mills.”
That was a response I got recently to pointing out that a job listing had abysmal rates. The person responding knew, as I did, that neither of us would ever be accepting the pitiful pay that was stated in the job listing.
But where we differed was in how we thought. And while I don’t know that writer’s rates at all, I deduced something pretty damning: This was a writer who’d taken that kind of work in the past (which I know because I’ve taken lower-paying stuff, too). And perhaps that writer was still justifying taking things that were beneath him/her.
And to whom are we justifying things? To other writers, to the writing community at large, to beginners wanting to get a first job under their belts. But the justification is usually for one person in particular:
Ourselves.
The rates in question were less than 6 cents per 100 words. The person who’d justified the rates said that content mills were only paying 2 cents per hundred words, so while this was indeed a low-paying job that that writer wouldn’t be caught taking, it was at least an improvement.
See what happened right there? Someone was comparing horrific rates to rates that were a little more horrific and calling it “better.”
That’s where justification gets us. And that’s where justification holds us down.
Worse, this conversation was happening on social media. So the writer posting just told anyone who was looking that yes, I’m justifying shitty rates because they’re better than other shitty rates.
Good luck finding a client to take you seriously when they see that.
Even if the conversation had taken place behind the scenes, it’s still problematic that anyone would be justifying what is clearly wrong. But we are experts at convincing ourselves that we have it under control.
An example:
Jane has a decent job as journalist. She’s struggling financially because the job pays $25,000 a year, and has done for four years now. Jane’s colleague is doing the same work, but he’s being paid $45,000 a year. He’s been with the company a year longer than Jane. Jane wants to be paid more, but the company isn’t budging. They say they don’t have the budget for it. But Jane won’t leave — she loves her coworkers and she loves the work. As much as she wants more money, she thinks she should be grateful to have a job at all. Besides, the next boss may not be so nice to work for. And her cousin, who works in a fast food restaurant, doesn’t make $20,000 a year. So Jane is pretty fortunate.
So Jane just compared her abysmal pay in journalism with even worse pay in fast food. Why is this wrong?
- Jane has marketable skills
- Her cousin is in a completely different industry
- Jane’s colleague is making a lot more doing the same job
I knew someone this happened to. She didn’t justify her rates (nor know anyone in fast food, that I’m aware), but she was paid abysmally. One day, she decided she’d had enough. She applied for a different job and got it. The new company gave her a starting salary of $65,000. Because this “Jane” decided she wasn’t going to compare her pay to anyone else’s. She compared her skills to her salary and realized she wanted more for her hard work.
So if you, freelance writer, decide that making 6 cents for every 100 words is a step up from the 2 cents you were earning, ask yourself this: What do you want to be making?
Now ask yourself another question: If you take all these miniscule rate hikes, how many years will it take you to get there?
Why not start now? Why not justify this:
[bctt tweet=”#Freelancewriting takes skill and talent. That’s worth more than 6 cents per 100 words.” username=”LoriWidmer”]
It’s okay to take a lower-paying gig under a few circumstances:
- The pay is not drastically lower than your normal hourly rate
- The work is not so time-consuming that you can’t work for any other clients
- The work is something you enjoy
- You don’t remain at that level of pay forever/you have shorter-term notions of how long you’ll work with this client
Even then, it’s acceptable — even advised — that you say no when you know it’s not going to benefit you. Remember, the writer-client relationship has to suit both the writer and the client — not just the client.
What other justifications are you seeing freelancers make?
Have you ever justified a project or client or project pay? Did the justification make sense?
Like you said, Lori, it is okay to take lower-paying gigs now and then. I have two local clients that don’t – actually can’t – pay close to the same level my national clients do. But they respect my time and my skills—and pay way more than 6-cents per word.
One allows me freedom to write about whatever I like, no pressure to meet deadlines, and it’s light, fun, quick work. Sometimes it’s one column per week, sometimes it’s one per month.
The other lets me cover interesting people and businesses throughout the region; the editors know they can’t compete with my regular rates and understand when I have to prioritize better-paying assignments. They’re also flexible and easy to work with. Because it’s a quarterly publication, the deadlines are usually long enough that I can work on those pieces between my higher-priority jobs. Over the past year or two it’s turned into a win-win.
The reason these arrangements work is because I don’t rely heavily on either client for income, and neither dominates my schedule. I just find it fun to have a good mix of clients, so I choose to work for them when I can. Last year I got to write that epic article about the impact out region’s suffragists played in passing the 19th Amendment, this year I wrote about the oldest continuously-operated dive bar in the city. I love how wide-ranging the topics can be.
Respect is an important aspect of it, Paula. And I agree — they do respect you. I’d say they trust you, too. That’s sometimes a great tradeoff for lower pay.
Good idea to have a healthy mix of clients. Keeps it interesting and helps cushion the blow should one drop out of sight.
I have taken pay-on-acceptance quick-turnaround articles at lower than my usual rate, usually when a client was late paying & I needed to make up the difference fast. It’s always been on topics I know inside out (which means I should be getting paid more for the knowledge, even though I can write them fast), but I needed the quick cash. I try not to do that too often, though!
I’ve done it too, Devon. I think we all have. What none of us have done is take anything that comes along in an attempt to earn a few measly dollars.
But taking a quick-and-dirty assignment to get cash in the door works when there’s a missing check!