This post is going to be a bit different than usual. Instead of offering information on freelance writing, I am hoping to get some feedback from you!
If you read ChrisBlogging on a regular basis, it is safe to say that you are interested in freelance writing. With that being, said would you be interested in enrolling in a freelance writing course sometime early in 2008?
After a lot of research, I have found that courses teaching how to make money online are quite popular. Unfortunately, I have yet to come across any that offer top notch information on starting and maintaining a freelance writing career; this is what I hope to change.
Some basics of the freelance writing course would include:
1. Daily information including tips, hot markets, and updates on my career. The main point of the course will be to guide those who are interested in starting a full-time freelance writing career.
2. Access to the inner workings of my freelance writing career. This will include income breakdowns, the chance to view documents including income spredsheets and many others.
3. Access to me via email and/or instant messenger. I get a lot of emails and chat requests, but simply don’t have the time to always answer in a timely manner. By starting a membership site, it would allow aspiring freelance writers to ask me questions whenever they come up.
4. A monthly fee that has yet to be determined. Again, this is something that I would like feedback on. What would you be willing to pay for the features and benefits listed above?
5. A limited number of members as to keep things personal, and not over saturate the market.
As mentioned, all of the details have yet to be worked out. I am still gathering information and ideas. Any feedback that you can provide via comment or email would be great. Hopefully there will be enough interest to get the freelance writing course up and running in the early part of next year!
Is hiring a freelance writer the same as buying a car in the way that the price is negotiable? Well, this all depends on the writer, as well as how he or she runs their business. Some feel that making freelance writing rates negotiable is part of the industry. Of course, I know just as many writers who like to stick to their fee schedule no matter what.
Consider the following three questions when thinking about whether or not to make your freelance writing fees negotiable.
1. Do you have any wiggle room in your price? In other words, can you afford to negotiate down to a lower price, but still earn a reasonable hourly wage? This is an important question to answer. If you can lower your price but still do well for yourself, you may want to consider doing so. For this reason, it may not be a bad idea to set your freelance writing fees a bit high to start. This way, if the client agrees you are ahead of the game. And if they want to negotiate, you have room to do so as well.
2. Who is attempting to negotiate with you? If it is a client who you have done a lot of business with in the past, you may want to consider lowering your price. After all, some clients are simply better than others. There is nothing wrong with lowering your price for a client that offers a lot of work, and is good to you overall.
3. Are you willing to keep your prices lower for a client? Or will you attempt to raise them to your standard for future jobs? If you lower your price once, a client may expect you to do so on all future work. In many cases, if you attempt to charge them your standard rate on future jobs they may balk and feel that you are cheating them. This is why it is very important to consider the situation and who you are dealing with before negotiating.
What do you think? Are your freelance writing fees negotiable? Personally, I will negotiate with particular clients and am more prone to do so with those that I have worked with in the past. As long as I can still earn a solid hourly wage, slightly lowering my fees in return for business is a trade off that I am willing to deal with.Â
Putting together freelance writing fees is often times easier than presenting this information to potential clients. This is when you will find out if you have priced your services correctly, or if changes are in hand sooner rather than later. When it comes down to it, the way that you present your freelance writing fees to clients is very important.
Since a lot of people may find you via your website, you will not have to worry about the formal presentation of fees. Of course, this only holds true if you list your prices online. Instead, buyers will go over your rates and then get in touch if they like what they see. It is important to not scare potential buyers away with complex pricing. If you do this, you will find that you do not receive a lot of inquiries via your website.
Unfortunately, things are not always this easy. There are going to be times when you are contacted via email or phone, and asked questions about your freelance writing fees. Handling this situation with care is very important.
Simply put, when a client asks for pricing information you want to be to the point and truthful. If you know what your rates are, you should not have any problems supplying this information. Tell the potential buyer how much you charge for a project like theirs, as well as why if you feel that an explanation is necessary. Remember, this is your business. You should never act in a shy or apologetic manner when giving out price quotes. If you do this, the buyer may feel that you are asking too much and in turn attempt to negotiate a better price. While you not want to lose the business, you need to stick to your guns. If you make an exception for one client, you are more prone to do it for others. In the end, this means that your fee schedule is pretty much a waste of time.
Some freelance writers will negotiate with clients, whereas others never deviate from their set schedule. This decision is up to you. When I first got started with freelance writing, I usually did whatever it took to obtain new business. As I gained experience and confidence in my work, this happened less and less. Now, I very rarely lower my prices and have found that most clients have no problem with this. They may ask for a better price, but after I explain myself and what they are getting, they agree to the original quote.
Finally, never present a “final†quote until you know exactly what the project entails. Although a 500 word sales letter may sound simple enough, until you know every last detail, hold off on quoting exact price. You never know what else the client is going to expect from you.
The way that you present your freelance writing fees has a lot to do with the number of interested buyers that you convert into clients.
