Friends In Cyber Places
It took me some time to understand the blogosphere, but once the light bulb went off in my head, I began to realize just how rich a source of good information bloggers can be. As someone who makes a significant portion of his living through freelance writing, I have learned that stopping by other writer’s blogs can be rewarding.
Voila! A Freelance Rate Sheet
This morning I visited two blogs and found the answer to a question that has remained relatively unanswered for some time — how much should I charge my clients? Yes, I have a fee structure in mind when it comes to writing, but I found that my rate sheet needs some work. Specifically, there are times when I will take on a project for an agreed upon rate and realize midstream that the work I am doing for the client doesn’t equal the rate I should be charging. I am not the type of person who insists on renegotiating a contract at that point in the game, so I typically swallow my loss.
I usually come away from the project feeling very frustrated too.
Thank You Georganna and Lillie
Little did she know it, but Georganna Hancock recently linked to something of tremendous value to me: an eleven-page report titled, “How Much Should I Charge?” Referencing Lillie Ammann’s blog, Georganna posted a link to the report on her blog and I quickly downloaded it.
With Special Thanks To Lynn Wasnak
The report is the work of Lynn Wasnak, a freelance writer, editor, and publisher. Lynn is also known for Many Voices, a site for childhood trauma survivors.
Many thanks to Georganna, Lillie, and Lynn — I now possess a tool that should help me do a better job of setting fair and marketable rates.
Yes, nothing worse than realising you’ve underbid a project. It’s not quite as frustrating as scope creep though. It really irks me when clients change their requirements halfway through getting the work done, only to find they want twice as much for the same price - ugh!
Small changes I can live with, Robb. Larger or ongoing changes really irk me. Sometimes we can come to a satisfactory middle ground, while other times I realize that this business relationship must end once the project is done.
I’ve just begun thinking about freelance writing and was wondering about fees! I am so glad you posted the report as well as the links to the other sites. Thank you so much.
Glad to help you out, Ms. Q. I only wish I had this type of information when I first started out as it would have meant more money for me. I hope you do well in the freelance world.
Thanks, Matt! I’ve been rummaging around Lillie’s very helpful website - tons of info on self-publishing. Your site is becoming a great resource for me.
Lillie has some excellent tips on publishing and is one of the most encouraging bloggers out there. You’ll do well sifting through her site.
[...] Much Should I Charge?” which is a very detailed report worth printing out. I first mentioned Lynn’s report in July and have been referencing it ever since. Lynn has mentioned to me that work on an updated [...]