You just got a new lead. In the midst of all of the excitement of possibly gaining a new customer and making more money, you start to feel that familiar feeling in the pit of your stomach.
Goddammit, you’re gonna have to have that dreaded conversation again. The one about pricing.
For most of us, figuring out our rates and discussing them with clients is the worst. There’s always that worry that as soon as you mention money the client will disappear, or tell you straight to your face that you’re not worth that much.
We all remember those days starting out when we’d see job ads demanding what sounded like an obscene amount of work for a tiny payoff and thought “is it even possible to make money at this?” (Then we discovered people like Sophie and Carol Tice and learned better.)
Here’s the problem: jobs like that can only exist as long as there are writers still grossly undervaluing their services. As professional bloggers, our biggest competition is not other professional writers, it’s the mistaken mentality that writing is cheap.
If you’re not charging enough, you’re part of the problem. If you’ve been hesitant to start demanding what you’re worth during that dreaded conversation, there are 5 good reasons why you owe it to the rest of us to start.
1: Blogging is more valuable than ever to businesses.
Google doesn’t like bad writing because people don’t like bad writing.
If a business is interested in effective marketing these days, a blog with good, valuable writing in it is crucial. The value a good blogger brings to a business in terms of traffic, reputation, and leads is worth paying good money for.
2: It’s time to squash the cheap writing mentality of the content mills.
To the temporary detriment of our profession, for a while Google didn’t much mind bad writing (or rather, hadn’t figured out how to distinguish it from the good stuff yet). The businesses designed to crank out tons of cheap articles and blog posts to take advantage of this are having problems now, but they set a dangerous precedent in pricing.
Businesses accustomed to paying $20 (or less) for 500 words need to learn what the rest of the marketing world has already figured out: cheap content will hurt rather than help them, and content worth publishing is worth paying for.
3: Trying to undercut other writers hurts the whole profession.
If you try to get business by being the cheapest, you’ll likely find yourself ready to give up after months of exhaustion and poverty. Lowering your rates is a terrible career strategy for you, and it hurts other writers who are trying to run a quality business but keep encountering companies expecting them to work for less. If you’re no good at writing, find another profession. If you are good, then you deserve to get paid a fair rate for your skill.
4: If we charge too little, we don’t have the time we need to learn more.
This is the cycle many beginners get stuck in. If you spend all your time working for low-paying clients just to get by, you don’t have time to improve your fate. Clients don’t benefit from a writer who’s exhausted, over-strained and failing to keep their skills up-to-date.
You should bring to the table:
- writing ability (obviously!)
- research skills
- knowledge of the best marketing tactics and persuasive techniques
- an evolving knowledge of what’s going on in the fields you’re writing about
- a knack for writing good headlines and structuring posts for easy online reading
- relationships with other bloggers and experts in your fields
Without all that, it’s possible you’re not offering much more than your clients could do themselves.
#5: Most businesses don’t know what a good writer costs. It’s our job to teach them.
If the first blogger a business talks to bids low, then every blogger they turn to later —at least, anyone who charges enough to make a living— is going to seem expensive in comparison.
A lot of businesses really don’t know what writing’s worth; they’re figuring out what to expect based on what they hear from us. It’s our job to teach them well, so other writers don’t get stuck hearing those awful, disrespectful words: “A blog post isn’t worth that much.”
And when you do get faced with those words, stick to your guns. Be ready with a simple response about the value you give your clients, along the lines of:
Just keep in mind, my fee comes with the guarantee that all posts will be well-researched, impeccably written, optimized for web readability and search, and delivered on time.
Some prospects will still balk and walk away, but you can rest assured they’re the types who wouldn’t value the work you provide anyway.
Clients worth having will recognize that you are worth that much. We all are.
Image: AMagill
“As professional bloggers, our biggest competition is not other professional writers, it’s the mistaken mentality that writing is cheap.”
Mentality really is the key, Kristen. Top-notch writers don’t charge bargain basement fees. Our services should be based on new profits generated for clients, not per word dollar rates.
Besides, if we writers aren’t convinced we’re worth premium rates, then neither will anyone else. Confidence is everything in our business. Clients “buy” how we represent ourselves and “pay” for what we produce for them. It’s much easier than folks make it out to be…
Absolutely TERRIFIC job, Kristen! I’m looking forward to reading more of your work. 🙂
Hey, Michael!
So glad you enjoyed Kristen’s fabulous article. Hope you’re remembering to keep an “I’m worth it!” mentality when it comes to your own writing. 🙂
Thanks for stopping by!
Thanks for bringing up points I haven’t heard yet! We are responsible for legitimizing the industry. This was encouraging and motivating. Gotta sit my butt down and get some leads.
It’s a weird feeling, huh? To know that we’re not only responsible for our own well-being — but our decisions can impact the well-being of our fellow writers as well! :O
Good luck with your leads! 🙂
Wow, this article couldn’t have come at a more perfect time for me.
My first gig was sort of thrown in my lap, and I had no idea freelance blogging was even a thing. I had no idea what I was doing, so I thought, Eh, I’ll charge $15 a post. After about a week in, I then thought to myself, Hmmm… Yeah, this isn’t right.
Since then, I’ve been reading like crazy, including all of Sophie’s stuff. I raised my rates, just a smidge, because she said she had a low budget to work with, and that first client dropped me. I now get the strong feeling she KNEW she was getting quality work for pennies.
I’ve learned my lesson quickly. Thank you SO much for posting this information!
Good luck!
Glad to give you some extra incentives for getting what you’re worth.
Great article! I especially love #4! Creating the opportunities for continuous learning and development is a MUST! Becoming a better writer will also continue to ignite the passion and add to better and better content available to serve others. Thank you for sharing this post.
Definitely! If you’re not taking the time to become better at what you’re doing, then you have no chance of reaching your professional potential.
This just came at the perfect moment. I was going to start writing for a client but needed some help in quoting. This write-up tells me what I’m worth. Excellent read.
I’m glad to help!
Sophie’s report on what other freelance bloggers are charging should be helpful too (if you click on “pricing” up in the second paragraph, you can check it out).
“If you’re not charging enough, you’re part of the problem.”
Truer words were never spoken, Kristen.
Not only do we writers have a global printing press right at our fingertips, but the skills we present to clients flow directly to their bottom line. So why in the world would we want to charge bargain basement fees when our efforts literally raise the roof on their
profits?
This is clearly an inside job, folks. Inside our heads, that is.
“Mental infighting” is the self-created virus that destroys
our rise to the top before we even get started. It’s time to
get out of our own way. Seriously.
Or, in the words of an anonymous African proverb:
“If there is no Enemy within, the Enemy outside
can do you no harm.”
Wonderful work, Kristen. I hope Sophie invites you back! 🙂
Thanks, Michael!
I agree, this is at least as often an issue of convincing yourself of your worth as it is of convincing the client.
I think most freelance writers have a period early on of doubting that it’s a viable profession because of all those times we see job ads for $5 a post.
Those jobs only exist because somebody’s still taking them! We need to reach the point where everyone interested in doing good work in this field knows better and learns how to make a case for why they’re worth more.
A lot of freelance writers, especially where I come from, think that if they charge what they should be charging, opportunities will stop coming, which isn’t the case if you provide the value your client is looking for.
Indeed, Kristen, it’s time freelance writers stepped up and waged war against bottom-of-the-barrel rates. Thank you for a very timely post!
How you market yourself has more to do with opportunities coming than what you charge. Which I something I didn’t really get into in #4, but is a really important part of being a professional freelancer (of any variety).
If you don’t charge enough you don’t have time to focus on building and marketing your business, which is another reason people get stuck at the level of spending all their time on low-paid work.
There are good clients out there. The ones who disappear once they hear professional rates oftentimes undervalue the people who work with them in other ways as well.
Hi Kristen!
” jobs like that can only exist as long as there are writers still grossly undervaluing their services.” I can tell you what the problem is…lack of confidence! This is why writers ‘undervalue’ their work. (I just can’t tell you how to fix it…YET.) It is something I’m working on every single day and I’ll conquer it in time. I’d say, honestly, that this lack of self-confidence is something that all newbies go through and that taking low paying gigs is the side-effect. You are 100% corrrect. We absolutely cannot do this out of respect for the writing community as a whole. I love the response you provided in #5. It is worded beautifully and I’m going to ‘swipe’ it…and ‘Lynnify’ it. : )
Thanks for another great post.
I completely understand the lack of confidence.
Up to a certain point, taking low-paying gigs when you’re brand new can have a purpose – but you have to be strategic about it. If a $20 blog post with your name on it will give you a clip that will help you move up to blog posts for $50 and up, it could be worth it. You just don’t want to get stuck thinking that’s all you can do and if you just keep writing more cheap posts then at some hypothetical point in the future you’ll be “good enough” to command more.
Not to mention, Sophie’s got a big ol’ list of blogs that pay $50 per post and up, most of which have a sizable audience already.
I think number four is the most important. When I was starting out, I wanted to learn a lot of other things but I didn’t have the time because there was so much work with so little pay, and I thought that it was just the way it was.
Also, I get stuck at the “convincing clients” part. Most of them think that what they’re offering is a generous amount and sometimes I just feel like giving them a price list instead of negotiating.
Those just aren’t the kind of clients you want. I know they can be hard to find, but there are clients out there who value good writing. Some businesses are even hiring former journalists for blogging, because they know how valuable good content is to their business.
Someone who haggles and insists you’re not worth what you say you are isn’t going to value the work you provide.
I know right now before I take on any paid work that I am absolutely full of doubt, who the hell am I to think I’m qualified enough to charge $50+ a blog post etc but if I can prove I can deliver quality content to a blog or business then hell it’s worth even more.
It really is the mental gymnastics that us beginner and maybe even experienced writers go through.
Thanks for the reminder and opening my eyes to how I should proceed for my future in freelancing!
Good luck getting started, Jackson!
As I mentioned in the comment above, thinking strategically about the work you take in those early months can really pay off later.
In some cases, a free guest post on a blog with a large and relevant (as in, read by the kind of people you want to work with) audience will serve you better than a low-paid post somewhere no one’s heard of that may or may not even have your name on it.
Now, that’s not to say I was thinking strategically like this when starting out. If I had it to do over again though, I’d take an approach with more of a plan.
The truth is, by charging higher rates, you are not only doing yourself a favor, but actually helping other freelance writers as well!
The fact that there are so many good writers charging low rates creates a problem. By committing yourself to charging livable rates, then you become part of the solution, making it a lot easier for freelance writers to make a profitable living.
(Holds hands with other freelance writers while singing Heal the World by Michael Jackson)
That is so dorktastically awesome. 🙂
I saw a “freelance writer” in the US on oDesk charging $5.63 an hour. She could go work at McDonald’s for more money than that. I really just didn’t get it.
“As professional bloggers, our biggest competition is not other professional writers, it’s the mistaken mentality that writing is cheap.” –AMEN, sister.
You bring up some really, really great points on why writers should start charging more for their services. (I’m vigorously nodding my head at #s 1 and 5 in particular.)
I agree that top-notch blog posts bring a ton of value especially in terms of marketing. A good blog can put a business on the online map (aka Google), build authority, and more importantly bring in traffic, leads, and even sales. That alone is worth worth *at least* a hundred bucks per post.
I also love the script that you included at the end. High-quality content doesn’t (shouldn’t) come cheap. It takes quite a bit of time and effort to research, write, proofread, and optimize a post and bloggers should be compensated accordingly.
I second that “Amen”! 😀
Kristen
Another problem serious copywriters and bloggers have is what a previous client of mine kept referring to as the ‘blue-stocking brigade’.
Now I know this sounds a little old-fashioned and misogynistic, but I nevertheless got what he meant.
He was describing well-kept housewives, house husbands and anyone else who didn’t really have to worry about money.
Some of these would take up writing, or something similar, but would charge very little – because it was more of a pastime and a bit of pocket money than a way to make a living.
In other words, some writers drag the whole industry down not because they’re desperate but because they’re not desperate.
People who just “write for fun,” as Edson describes it below, do create an issue for those of us intent on making a living off of it. You would think in an age of personal blogs, when any person can create a platform to write about whatever he or she wants, that people would be less inclined to write for somebody else for a pittance.
Most business remain in hunt for those writers who write just for fun and they exploit their position by offering as they want; this is because purpose of online writing is vastly varied that is why empolyer takes its full advantage and offer rates after knowing the main purpose of selected writer of doing this job
There will always be a few scalawags who try to trick writers into giving away their craft for free — and there will always be writers who accept that as the norm — but most PROFESSIONAL businesses know the value of great writing and are willing to pay accordingly. You just need to keep an eye out for a higher class of client.
Good luck out there. And thanks for reading!
My biggest challenge here is lack of experience. I’m used to working in the corporate world where how much experience you have goes a long way toward determining what you make. I’m just having a hard time sorting that out in my head with commanding dollar amounts for blog posts and basing costs on the quality of the writing and not charging $15/post because I’m just starting out and trying to build a writing portfolio. The temptation to charge that just to get yourself out there can be strong, I’ll admit. Thanks for the great post!
If you have experience in the corporate world, then you have experience.
You shouldn’t just count your professional writing experience as the only kind that’s valuable. If you look for clients in the industry that you worked in previously, you’re ahead of other writers in terms of understanding their audience and what they do, and should be able to command higher rates.
Thanks, Kristen. I’ll remember than when I’m pricing my guest blog posts. 🙂
Great post! I am so going to share this!
I think with so much free information out there on the web (good or bad) there is the mistaken perception that getting something on your site is free as well.
I have been on bid sites ( which I am now off of) where they work for less than a penny a word! So yes, we all can do a great service to our industry and start charging what we are worth.
Hear hear, Shelly! 🙂
“Clients don’t benefit from a writer who’s exhausted, over-strained and failing to keep their skills up-to-date.”
Or, you know, really hungry. And cold. And stressed out. And hungry. Really, really hungry.
I started writing a few months ago, online, and getting paid for it. I thought it was great to be getting paid for something I loved doing. But all the copyright from those blog posts and articles was taken from me, and I was lucky if I was earning $3 per 500 words.
Yeah, in my naivety I fell victim to a content mill… and considering I managed to make $100 one week… well, let’s just say I was working hard and leave it at that. But I burned out pretty quickly, and I had to stop. I took two months away, and realised I couldn’t stay away. I really loved the actual researching and writing. So I recently came back and starting researching and writing how to make a reasonable amount of money.
Then I found this blog. I’m loving all the advice, and I agree with all the points in this post. I just wrote a blog post on my own blog about this, actually, about how I want to charge an amount for my work that makes me feel valued.
So, thanks Kristen. And thank you, Sophie. I’ve received the Ultimate List in my email and I’m working through it to find the blogs I’m best suited for. 🙂
Um, I meant £100 in one week. I think it was about $160, maybe?
Glad you found your way here!
$3 for 500 words is not worth it for anyone at any experience level. I’m glad you broke out of that trap sooner rather than later. I hope the company that thought it was ok to pay you that won’t be around much longer – many of these content mills are on their way to failing as Google updates make cheap content less valuable. Exploitation doesn’t pay!
Great post Kristen! Thanks for providing such a positive reality check to writers. Many people can write well, but not everyone can write as well as we can. Every writer has a special talent that they should not undervalue. We’ll attract better clients too. The big fish is in there, waiting. 🙂 Best wishes!
You might be surprised how many people really can’t write well. It’s a skill that’s easy to take for granted when you have it, but many college professors and professional editors will tell you that it’s not a widespread ability.
I briefly did some editing work for a client and was surprised at how lazy and sloppy some of the work I saw was – if you’re taking the time to produce well-thought out sentences and proofread, you’re probably way ahead of most people.
Blogging has been a great way to show off your talents to your prospective clients. And with that only you will be able to get the best revenue on your work.
I have seen a lot of writers working for less than a dollar to write the articles, and I really feel bad for them.
It is sad when that happens, yes. I’ve seen many writers working for dirt cheap as well. The problem, I think, is that many writers are simply unaware that there’s REAL money to be made with their skills — and that writing is a legitimate service/business.
We’ll just have to keep spreading the word! 🙂
Thanks for commenting, Arbaz.
This applies to any type of artistic profession. I’m a singer-songwriter, and the reason why independent artists are struggling to make a living at what they do is the proliferation of “free” music, largely obtainable online. When I say “free” I don’t really mean free; I mean charging $0.99 for a song download or $10 for a CD. Thanks to Napster, Spotify, YouTube and iTunes, this is the norm and we’ve accepted it as such, but I wonder what would happen to the music industry if we decided it was no longer acceptable. Would a photographer even think about charging pennies for a photo session? Would a painter charge $10 for a painting he spent hours, or even days, working on? No! Usually these artists are making hundreds of dollars doing what they’re doing because they know their worth and they refuse to back down. The same applies to musicians, writers – artists of all types. We need to recognize that what we do is a time investment and it’s WORTH something. It drives me crazy that people who are good writers will still write for “exposure” or for $1.50 per 500 words. Listen to this article, everyone! It’s time to revolutionize the creative industry and start recognizing our value. None of us are that desperate. We can always do better. I love this post and this blog. Looking forward to more!
Love your enthusiasm, Selwa! 😀
So glad you liked the article. Thanks for stopping by. *raises glass to the wage revolution* Keep fighting the good fight out there.
Great article, Kristen. I totally agree that by not charging more bloggers/writers are doing a disservice to their profession. No one should be aiming to languish in the dark, murky depths of content mills.
Having said that, how about working for clients who have good quality work to offer, but do not have the budget for it because they are just starting out? Any thoughts about how to raise my rates even while working for such clients?