Raise your Freelance Writing Rates
To make more money as a freelance writer, you can simply raise your project fees or hourly rate. As you can imagine, when you begin to charge more you will begin to earn more as well. Of course, there are some things to keep in mind when it comes to raising freelance writing rates.
1. Never increase your rates too much. In my opinion, anything more than a 10 percent increase at a time is probably too much. Could you get away with more? Sometimes yes, sometimes no. But in the interest of not annoying clients, you do not want to get out of control.
2. You cannot get away with increasing your rates every month. Instead, make sure that you only do so once a year at the most. Many freelance writers have a set month each year when they consider raising their rates. For the most part, the best month of the year to do this is January; but it is up to you.
3. When current clients ask why your rates have increased, make sure that you have a good answer. You can’t say, “Because I felt like it.†If you are rude to clients who ask this question, they may decide to move onto another writer.
4. What will you do when a client says that your new rates are too high for them? Will you cut them a break, or stick to your guns? Remember, if you immediately offer them the old rate just to keep their business, they will think that they are not subject to any changes in the future. This is not to say that you should never negotiate, but be very careful with what you say and do.
5. Before you raise your rates, research the industry as well as what other freelance writers are charging. Even if you are a great writer, charging more than everybody else may not get you very far. When your rates are among the highest of the high, you can only attract a special type of clientele.
Simply put, when you raise your freelance writing rates you will see an increase in income. The only way that this will not work out is if your current clients begin to drop you because you have asked for too much. Keep the above tips in mind so that you can increase your rates each year without putting anybody off.Â
