Good for you, Devon! Well-deserved, for sure.

Very true. Or if those few articles were amazing. 😉

It might not work if you’re only contributed a few pieces, or if you’ve only worked with a client for a year or so, but 20+ years of quality work usually means they’ll at least listen and consider your request.

Paula, great advice. It pays to push back a little. In some cases it won’t work, but it’s true that a number of pubs do have that wiggle room you speak of. I found it on a few occasions. 🙂

The bulk o fly work is writing for periodicals, which are notorious for setting rates and anyone who wants to write for them can accept or reject rates. But there is wiggle room.

In December I told a new editor at a place I’ve written for regularly for over 25 years that the rates he was offering were below my “get out of bed” minimum. He said “but they’re shorter,” I said, “And it takes more skill and more time, not less, to cut things down to the size you want.” He agreed that my experience deserved more, so he bumped up the rate and then assigned me several more things at the higher rate.

Also in December, I noticed one editor from a publication I’ve contributed to for at least 20 years was paying 75-cents/word when they other editors were paying me $1/word. I asked why he paid less – and he conferred with his fellow editors, realized he’d underpriced me, and bumped me up to $1/word. Then he immediately assigned a new piece.