When I started freelancing, I did not know what to charge and did not know the worth of my writing. Today, beginners ask me the same questions as they face the difficulties that I had faced. Here are a few facts about freelance writers and these are true for most of them, if not all.
1. Freelance writers do not know the actual budget
2. Freelance writers are afraid of losing the project
3. Freelance writer are afraid of bidding too high or too low
4. Freelance writers are afraid of asking the client about the “real” budget
If you are new then you may not know that real freelance writing jobs pay great but you have to be a good writer to get to that stage. If you are experiencing any of the 4 conditions given above then it is unlikely that you will EVER get out of the low paying rut and make real money.
Set Your Own Freelance Writing Rates
You really need to figure out the worth of your writing and decide freelance writing rates for yourself. Most of the freelance writers, even the experienced ones, are afraid of bidding high because they think that the client will have the fix budget and may choose someone else and you may not get any business from him. The problem is that if you set your rates too low then you will not be in the position to negotiate the terms. Even if you secure the project, you will lose the motivation because the reward will be too little.
There are hundreds of freelance websites in operation today and most of the webmasters pay around $4 for an article, some pay even lower. Why? Because freelancers accept such rates and let the buyers take control of them and dictate the situation. If you think that your writing is worth more then you need to get out of this hole and raise your standards and rates.
Do you Know Your Writing Worth?
There are no set criteria and it is entirely up to you to put a price on the amount of efforts that you put in to write an article. Some writers consider $10 “great” and some simply refuse to take up the job at that rate. But there are a few factors that can help you in determining your freelance writing rates.
i) Experience: If you are beginner then this point is irrelevant for you. If you have been working as a freelance writer for some time and still getting paid around $5 for an article then there is something seriously wrong. You need to revise your pricing strategies and need to assess the market thoroughly.
ii) Type of Project: Some projects demand little or no research and some demand total concentration and a lot of study. Writing is one part, will you be promoting your writing piece? Will you be bringing traffic to the website? Will you be moderating and replying to the comments? The amount of time you have to spend on a project directly impacts the rate.
iii) Expertise: Buyers want to hire top notch writers and experts in a certain field. If you are an SEO expert and you have all the knowledge then you can say to the client, “If you want quality, you have to pay for it.”
iv) Client’s budget: There is no secret in it and it is the reality that most of the clients do not know the exact rate either. They are looking for a writer who can deliver what they require and usually pay whatever the writer demands.
You also need to know who your client is. A blogger may not be able to pay you like a businessman and rates in bulk projects are relatively low. If you keep all these things in mind then you are less likely to face many problems as a freelance writer and you will get out of the low rate rut in no time.
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