Job Listings – September 19, 2007

Improving Your Net Worth
As busy as I am, I’m a bit afraid to quit those lower-paying regular and semi-regular gigs. That’s because busy, in my experience, is temporary. However, there comes a time when we’re lucky enough to pick and choose. It’s not often, nor is it ever a permanent situation, but picky’s a damn fine place to be sitting, even once in your life.

So what do you do when the work’s coming in and you can’t handle it all? Some smaller gigs you can contract out to your writing chums, but if it’s still too much, you need to decide what stays and what goes. And yes, it boils down to money.

Try raising your rates with incoming clients. Those who are apt to hit you with low-ball offers won’t hesitate to take the work elsewhere. It’s a chance for you to increase your worth (and if I know you, you’ve underestimated that worth). Freelance chum Anne Wayman has a great article over at About Freelance Writing on how to raise your fees. Definitely check it out.

In a few cases recently, I gave a much higher, and much closer to the mark, price on new gigs. In one case, I got the job, too. The others? They weren’t serious enough to continue, in my opinion. If you’re shopping price for creative talent, you’re not going about it in the right way. Finding talent that matches your needs is an entirely different beast from finding a price you like and THEN choosing a writer. A bit bass-ackwards, in fact.

So try it. Try raising rates. Chances are, you’re undercharging now as it is. Raising your rates will help shrink the workflow to just those who are serious enough to warrant your skills.

Meanwhile, check out the job listings to see if someone else thinks you’re worth it:

Freelancer Fluent in Spanish
Medical Writer
Features Writer (Arizona)
Real Estate Investment Writer