Words on the Page

The Freelance Client Balancing Act

Posted on by lwidmer

You may have heard me whine talk about how busy my workdays have been lately. Because I’ve recently added two new clients to the stable, it’s been interesting trying to please them and keep up with the work that was there before they reached out. I was just able to keep up with all the…

Another Writers Worth: This Job, Not That Job

Posted on by lwidmer

You know that feeling you get when you see a freelance writing job listing that just takes your breath away — but not in a good way? Writerly chum Mary Schneider sent this one over last week. Honestly, it took me a day to digest it, mainly because something this rotten can cause lots of…

4 Ways to Get More Freelancing Done

Posted on by lwidmer

Fifteen projects. That was my to-do list by Wednesday of last week. I would say it’s an usual month, which it is, but lately, I’ve been having a string of months just like this one. While that’s phenomenal for the bank account, it’s lousy for the emotional wellbeing. But I sit here typing, ignoring most…

Free Advice Friday: Your Freelancing Questions, Answered

Posted on by lwidmer

It’s Friday, we’re all stressed, so let’s just keep it light today, shall we? Over the 17 years I’ve been freelancing full time (plenty of part-time freelancing before that), I’ve received questions. I’ve asked them, too. Some are always the same: “How do I get started?” (Which, quite frankly, takes volumes to answer, so please,…

The Freelance Writer’s Survival Kit

Posted on by lwidmer

I think it was as I was lying down to sleep, still talking about work at 11 pm, that I realized I have a problem. I’m overworked to the point of not being able to shut it off at the end of the day. And for those of you who are new to freelancing or…

Meaty Monday: Is it Time to Switch Your Freelance Focus?

Posted on by lwidmer

You know that feeling when there’s a big old pandemic that’s ground everything from airlines to client work? What am I saying? Of course you know. You too are living through the train wreck that is 2020. While airlines being grounded is frustrating for a lot of us (I’m missing two trips to Scotland this…

The Rise of the Volunteer Freelance Gigs

Posted on by lwidmer

In case anyone missed this, we’re in a bit of a tight labor market. Too many workers, not enough work. Unfortunately, that means there is also an equally disturbing increase in job listings aimed at freelance writers that are abominable at best. But there’s an uptick in yet another disturbing facet of the “get writing…

The #1 Client-generating Freelance Marketing Boost

Posted on by lwidmer

Because I was on vacation last week (and far too busy the week before to get another post up before I left town), I missed all the great comments you’d left on my last post about the notion of a “going rate” in freelancing. So I took the time yesterday to reply to each of…

Friday Frank Talk: The Myth of the Freelance “Going Rate”

Posted on by lwidmer

Sharon Hurley Hall, who is one of the smartest freelancers I know, said something the other day that made me nod my head in agreement so much I thought I’d sprain my neck. It’s about this notion of a “going rate” in freelancing. This came up in a discussion on a private forum about yet…

4 Untruths About Your Freelance Writing Business

Posted on by lwidmer

Did you ever see something online that made you scream out loud? Same here. Could be something someone claimed, or one more of those “turn your side hustle into a freelance career!” posts. Could even be something ridiculous you saw that spouted something really inaccurate about freelancing. For me, it’s usually bad advice or guidance. Or…

Gabriella

Great post, Lori!

Interesting. I didn’t know there was a furor over freelance. I do think it sounds sort of like the person who doesn’t really work much but wants to appear productive and creative. Still, when people say, “Are you still freelancing,” I don’t get offended. Personally, I call myself a professional writer.

On the rates up front, yep, I now do that all the time. Every. Single. Time. I can’t tell you how many times people contact me and say we should work together, and then I find out their pay is pitiful. So when I’m approached, I always say something along the lines of, “I’d love to talk to you. I charge __ per hour and __ per word. If that’s something that fits your budget, let’s arrange a time.”

Nearly every time, the conversation ends.

But I’ve had people say, “If you charge that much, I can’t find you work!”

Dopes. If I can charge that much, it means I don’t need you to find me work. You contacted me, remember?

Have a great day!

1. Paula Hendrickson
  
  Love those last few lines, Gabriella!
lwidmer

There’s been a minor kafuffle over it, Gabriella. I think it’s energy wasted, personally. But I’m all for anyone calling themselves whatever they think is necessary to attract clients. I’ve never had any issues with calling myself a freelance writer. Bring the goods and there isn’t a problem, right?

Yep, I’ve learned myself to lead with that conversation on rates. It’s just better for everyone involved. I had an email from a company about two months ago asking if I worked on this or that kind of project, and what were my rates, and would I like to have a phone conversation? I told them yes to the projects and here’s my rate. If the rate is amenable, we can set up a call. Crickets. But again, it’s a corporation, and things do go on the back burner.

Either way, no time was wasted on either side. They got a quick answer, and they’ll come back if it’s within their budget.

Sharon Hurley Hall

Another good one, Lori. I admit I’ve found rate sheets useful when trying to price something new, although I soon moved on to seeing what my peers charge, which is a much better guide. And of course, I always need to keep in mind what I consider compensation that values my experience.

As for leading with the rates, yes, yes, YES! It saves a lot of wasted time on both sides.

1. lwidmer
  
  They were at first, weren’t they? The difficulty is that you start to think “Well, that seems low.” That’s when you know it’s time to move on. 😉
  
  Doesn’t it save time? It’s the question people dance around. Why not just bring it up? Straightforward is a good business trait, too!
Devon Ellington

Pitiful rate story: A family friend recommended me as a ghostwriter to one of his friends. He promised that she had a “real” budget to write this book. I asked her what her budget was, and she said she was still putting together numbers, so we had discussions about research time and sources needed, structure, time frame, etc. She’d read some of my work in her field and really liked it.

She then asked me for a quote based on our discussions. When I gave her one, she came back with 1/11th of that quote, then questioned the necessity of ANY research or fact-checking.

Needless to say, I refused.

I have also refused all “referrals” from this individual, because he doesn’t understand “real money” when it comes to writing. It’s not like he charges so little for what he does.