Once you’ve decided to establish rates for writing that compensate you fairly for your time and effort, you need to start standing up for yourself and putting your foot down.

That’s not easy. Many freelancers hold themselves back from setting better rates because they’re afraid of what people will say. But remember, fear holds us back from getting us what we want in life.

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Many writers struggle with the decision of pay rate. What is a good pay rate for a writer? What amount is my work worth? What can I get paid for my writing? What are others getting paid? How do I compare? What rates for writing should I set?

Oy. That’s a bunch of questions and they can be stressful ones to answer, creating a situation of doubt, worry and a dip in confidence.

I say, forget that. Instead of deciding your own pay rate, let your clients decide for you. How? Using baby steps and the ‘no’ point.

[Read more…]

by James Chartrand

This is the third post in a series on increasing your rates and getting more money writing for a living. We’ve already discussed when you shouldn’t ask for a raise and how to find the confidence to ask for a raise. Today’s post covers figuring out what you should be paid for your work in the first place.

Feel free to ask your questions in the comment section, and we may cover the answer in an upcoming post.

The pay rate of writers is a hot topic. With the wide range of pay rates for various types of writing, no one can really figure out what they should be charging or what they should be paid for their words.

Sure, we can all cry for industry standards and level out the playing field so that both clients and writers know what the going rate should be. It’s not going to happen anytime soon, unfortunately.

There are way too many factors involve in different types of writing for people to set a standard rate. Both print and web content pay rates vary according to readership, subscription numbers, types of articles, the amount of research… the list goes on. [Read more…]

by James Chartrand
This is the second post in a series on increasing your rates and getting more money writing for a living. Feel free to ask your questions in the comment section, and we may cover the answer in an upcoming post.

Last week we discussed circumstances
when you shouldn’t ask for a raise, but there are definitely times when you should seek out that pay hike to better compensate yourself for a job well done.

The problem is that many people feel very uncomfortable discussing the subject of pay increases and money with their clients. Most writers don’t enjoy the game of negotiations, and they end up never asking for anything at all. They get stuck in a rut and stay there for a long, long time.

Why, though? What makes people stop themselves for asking for more money, especially when the situation proves a pay hike is deserved?

Fear: The Ultimate Killer

From childhood on up until the day we pass on, fears rule our lives. We learn to avoid unpleasant situations. Events shape how we perceive the world. We develop all sorts of inner whisperings that control how we behave and act.

Fears take on many forms: fear of embarrassment, fear of change, fear of condescension, fear that we just don’t deserve something. We talk ourselves out of all kinds of good things because we’re damned scared of what someone else might say, think or do.

Fears hold us back from what we want. Fears keep us from having a better life.

The Steps to Finding Confidence

If you never ask for anything, you’ll never receive anything. Writers need to learn how to ask for what they want, and it all comes down to having the confidence to pose the right questions.

Finding the confidence to ask for what we want when we’re scared isn’t so hard. All that needs to be done is examine the potential consequences and sifting reality from our negative perceptions. [Read more…]

by James Chartrand

This is the first post in a series on increasing your rates and how to get more money writing for a living. Feel free to ask your questions in the comment section, and we may cover the answer in an upcoming post.

We all want more in life. More freedom, more fun, more money… It’s perfectly fine to want these advancements and a better life, and it’s perfectly acceptable to ask for these “mores” from others.

We could ask a partner for help to lessen our workload. We could find a friend and ask if that person wants to join some activity. We could ask clients for a wage increase on the work we do. Nothing ventured, nothing gained, after all.

But I believe there are times when you shouldn’t ask for more – especially when it comes to money.

Accepting a pay rate for any gig creates a standard of expectation for value delivered. If you provide a particular level of quality and a certain set of services for a determined dollar amount, then that’s it. That’s what you do, and that’s what you deliver, and that’s what you get paid for it. You agreed to it, after all.

Let’s say that in a year’s time, you’re still doing the exact same thing for the exact same pay rate. Should you ask for a raise? I don’t think so.

Remember the movie Flatliners from 1990? I do. The green line on the medical monitor’s screen was completely flat, the hum a dull monotone. The group of med students stood there watching nothing happen.

That’s the case with pay raises: They flatline. Unless something happens to change the situation, unless someone grabs initiative and puts life into the issue, the green line drones on without a blip. [Read more…]