Know what I saw the other day? I saw a tweet by someone hiring writers. WriterS — plural. The ad went like this:
UX Writer – Up to $35/Hr
Copywriter (Health Science) – $25-$29/hr
Movie/News Writer – ….
The list went on, but the first two listings tell you everything you need to know about these jobs.
They’re crap. Total crap.
There was a link enticing you to view 250 more jobs, but if this is the best they can put forward, save your mouse the trouble.
Not that these are the worst job postings you’ll ever see, but they are certainly not paying what freelancers should be charging for those little things — like healthcare, taxes, rent ….
What is achingly apparent, though, is this:
[bctt tweet=”Disspell the myth: #Freelance job postings are not for #freelancewriting professionals.” username=”LoriWidmer”]
They are aimed at wannabe writers, wannabe designers, wannabe freelancers of all stripes who are dabbling and not ready (or willing) to put the work into a freelance writing career.
Why these are not your employees:
They’re setting the rate without your input.
Imagine that you researched a client, contacted them, nurtured a relationship with them, then at negotiating time, they told you what you’d be making. Told you. Didn’t ask your rate — just said, “For this 25,000-word ebook, we’re paying you $1,000.” Meanwhile, you’re charging $1/word for that ebook. Yet when did you get the chance to counter? And why would you, I ask, because they’re clearly not taking you seriously?
They’re paying you like an employee, but without benefits or employee status.
Let’s just look at that first job listing. They’re hiring a user-experience writer, presumably someone with experience in that realm. For an employee, that $35/hour would amount to a $56K annual salary. Plus, that person would get benefits, vacation/sick time, and maybe some matching 401(k) dollars. Not the highest wage, but it comes with some decent perks.
But you’re a freelancer. That $35/hour will still net you $56K annually IF you work 40 hours a week for the client, which means you’ll have zero time to work with other clients. Even if they need you on a part-time basis, you’re getting far too little, for now you’re not getting anything but the money. Oh, and now you’re having to pay into your benefits and 401(k) without any employer contributions. Oh, and don’t forget your quarterly estimated tax payments — no more automatic payroll deduction. And vacation? Forget it. You take a week off, you don’t get paid.
They’re hiring multiple people, meaning you’re about as special as the person you’re replacing and the one who will replace you.
It’s a cattle call. They’re not necessarily looking for talent — they’re looking for warm bodies who can piece together sentences coherently. They’re looking for people who aren’t picky about the work they do, the hours they put in, or the pay they receive. When someone wises up to how crappy the gig is, they’re easily replaced with the next “applicant.”
They have all the control.
Any time an ad lists what they’re paying, you have no control or negotiating power. None. They’re looking at you and seeing a pseudo-employee — you know, one who doesn’t get benefits, but gets told what to do and for how much money. You don’t like the pay? Tell them. Go on. But don’t expect to hear from them again, for you, my friend, are expendable. There are far too many wannabe writers who will make the same mistake and take this job without thinking.
They’re making writers lazy.
Really lazy, in fact. Writers don’t have to learn how to market, don’t have to learn how to negotiate, don’t have to think about where the next gig is coming from … and don’t have to worry about ever advancing beyond that rut that’s been dug for them. They’ll just churn out moderately intelligible content and get paid a pittance.
What’s a freelancer to do?
This:
Find, nurture and secure your own clients.
Use these clickable links to get you started:
- Locate clients whose business offerings could use your skills and services.
- Build a network and build relationships within your network.
- Set an aggressive rate and negotiate like you mean it.
- Show those prospects your value, then deliver over what’s promised.
- Build on current successes to secure future clients and projects.
Writers, how did you build on your freelance successes?
Did you ever rely solely on job listings? How did you move beyond that?
What’s your best strategy for securing better clients?
4 responses to “The Biggest Freelance Myth of All Time”
What about rates for non-Corporate clients and smaller to mid-size businesses? Aren’t those rates much less?
They shouldn’t be, Gina. I have clients who are one-person shops who pay my rate the same as a larger client. I know a writer who charges his book authors (non-corporate clients, for sure) a $20K fee to ghostwrite their books.
Even if the work isn’t for a corporate client, what you charge should never be as low as these rates. How are you paying for your healthcare? How are you paying taxes? Social Security? Retirement? All of these things come out of your pocket, so they have to be factored in. When you’re an employee, they are deducted and, in most cases, matched by your employer. Freelancers don’t get that benefit. We have to earn enough to cover those things.
There’s another factor you didn’t squeeze in there, Lori: Most of these ads that say they pay $25 or $35 per hour also decide how much time each projects “should” take – usually less than half the amount of time it would actually take a competent writer.
No. Nope. Not going to fall for it.
How right you are, Paula. Thank you. That’s one of the biggest jokes of these sorts of ads.