I love it when someone shines a light on a truth and your own lightbulb comes on.
That’s how it was for me in 2013 when Walt Kania (whose blog is pretty fabulous, by the way) wrote this guest post for Writers Worth that still resonates. What you charge is determined by one person — you. You knew that, but do you behave like that?
Over the years, I keep having these moments of clarity, including an epiphany recently about my own rates. It wasn’t the first time, either. When two checks arrived for the same type of work, yet with two very different amounts, it was another a-ha moment that changed how I priced.
Ah, but what if it’s magazine work? Those rates are set in stone, aren’t they?
Yes and no.
Sure, you can maybe get an editor to inch up the going rate if you’ve proven yourself a few times over and give them consistently good copy (lessening their workload). But if they can afford to pay no more, there’s little you can do about it.
Little. Not nothing.
Guess what? That article that pays you 75 cents per word? You can easily get $1 to $1.50 a word for it.
Just shift who your buyer is.
[bctt tweet=”Increasing your #freelancewriting article rate takes one simple move.” username=”LoriWidmer”]
Here’s the move:
Write for a client.
Right now, I write for one magazine each month. I do so because we have a long relationship and I really like the editors. Plus, the work is fun, on the easy side, and rewarding.
But in any given month, I’m writing anywhere from six to nine articles. Well, except for November 2021, where I wrote 18 for one client (and it nearly killed me).
They’re considered thought leadership pieces, and corporate clients give them high value in their communications efforts. Because it’s a client, because it’s a specialty, because they review and approve the copy, I charge more. Much more.
So can you.
There are other benefits. Client work can be almost easier than writing for a magazine, though I do love writing for magazines. The experts are found for you. You can have a more candid conversation because they’ll be going over the content before publication. It’s usually one interview and done, not three or four and chasing down experts in hopes of getting the info you need.
Need more convincing? Here’s a typical example:
Client 1 is a specialty magazine. They pay their writers a flat fee for each article. The flat fee, which has been the same for 20 years, is $1,000. That’s for any length, but the articles should be a minimum of 1,500 words.
Client 2 is a global tech company. They develop thought leadership articles on a variety of company-related topics. They work with freelancers who have strong tech experience. The freelancers working for them charge between $1.50 and $2/word. The articles are a minimum of 1,000 words.
Look at that. By shifting to a corporate client, the freelance writer is making more money for less work. Anyone who has worked with an ultra-picky editor (I have on two very disagreeable occasions) will appreciate that the client comes to you with the topic, the experts, and the focus. Once you learn that client, the work will become easier, too.
Moreover, corporate clients often have more than one project per month for you. When you connect with a corporate client, your workload will increase, and so will your compensation.
What are you waiting for?
Writers, how many corporate clients do you work with?
If none, what is getting in the way for you?