Getting decent writing rates or nah? 🫤

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Happy Tuesday, freelance friends!

According to last week’s poll, the biggest concern facing freelance writers is getting decent rates.

I get it - prospective clients can be all over the place with their budgets. Bougie agencies and pubs may be paying $1+ per word, while others only want to shell out $50 for in-depth work.

It’s frustrating to navigate the lack of transparency in our industry, but I do have some practical tips and thoughts on how you can grow your business and your rates.

Check your need and timeline

We are all in different positions as freelance writers. Some people are writing as a side hustle while working a full-time job or serving as the primary caregiver for their kids or parents (🙋🏻‍♀️That’s me! I started freelancing after quitting my full-time job to be a SHM).

All this to say, for me, I have always approached my client prospecting and negotiating based on my current need. When I was new and wanted experience, testimonials, and some extra income, I worked for next to nothing.

As I got more experience and a fuller client load, I incrementally charged more. And I basically follow that same law of supply and demand in my freelance biz. I know some writers have a baseline rate that they refuse to go below - and that is great for them. But for me, I will take lower rates when my work load is slower, especially when it’s a smooth and enjoyable project to work on.

That leads me to me next point…

Prospecting is crucial at all times

The most effective way to get clients to pay higher rates is to always market and look for prospects. If you have a project you’re resentful towards because of the work:pay ratio, it’s time to consistently work towards finding a replacements. And it simply takes time and consistency.

Even if you’re booked, remember that prospecting DOES take time. We’ve all noticed how calls for freelancers on LinkedIn and other platforms have become crazy competitive. So it’s important to always do micro-marketing for your freelance business that’s cultivating leads even when you don’t need the work. Then when you DO need to replace a client, you have a lot more groundwork already laid to bring in some projects.

Think outside your typical client

Another way to find better rates is to evaluate your clients and see if there are other industries or business models to look into. About once a year, I do some analysis to make sure I know my highest-paying clients (per project) and my highest-volume clients (in revenue).

Then I look at their business model, industry, and my contact’s job title to see how I can replicate that success elsewhere.

Any other tips for finding better paying clients? I’d love to hear your thoughts!

Happy freelancing,

Lauren

PS: Want some personalized advice on your next steps as a freelance writer? Book a one-hour, “pick my brain” style call. Schedule a time here.

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