Bargaining: Whether It’s For or Against You, It’s a Part of Freelance Writing

While it is true that your freelance writing venture is a business, your own company, and you can charge anything that you desire, sometimes it is not that simple. Many times, freelance writers that are just starting out are willing to sell themselves short to get experience, bylines, a portfolio piece, or simply to start getting paid to write (this is especially true if freelance writing is your only income stream at the moment). Obviously, since you are the boss, you can agree to work for any rates that you choose, but you should always value your own talent enough to only work for reasonable compensation for a given project.

This is where many freelance writers and their prospective clients come to a stalemate. Some, but certainly not all, clients attempt to negotiate with writers to get the lowest possible rates. Many times these rates are unfeasible for the quality and quantity of the work provided. They are not only insulting, but they won’t pay the bills, which is why you started a business in the first place.

You may say, “Well, wouldn’t taking the low-paying job be better than turning it down — especially if you don’t have anything to replace it?”

Well, yes and no. If you are that hard up for money to eat, keep the lights on, and pay your rent or mortgage, then you probably should take on a part-time job for a while. Taking low-paying gig work won’t cut it, and it will give you a reputation for being cheap and a pushover. Plus, you save yourself the time it takes to complete such a job for pennies, and you can redirect that effort into finding higher-paying clients through marketing.

That all being said, bargaining does go both ways, and if you feel as if you are being lowballed on a gig, you can always negotiate a higher rate than the one you were originally offered. After all, we have something that they need or want, so it automatically holds value.

Here are just some of the reasons why a freelance writer should negotiate for higher rates:

Clients Gain the Benefit of Your Expertise

If you are an expert in your chosen niche and have the credentials to prove it, you deserve to be paid for the knowledge that your work brings to the table. Whether you have a degree, a strong portfolio, or lived experience, you have social proof to establish yourself as a professional, and that means your expertise should not come free. It was developed via the time and money you spent learning your particular discipline, and if they are going to benefit from that, you should be compensated accordingly. So, leverage your knowledge in any way you can.

You Deserve to Make a Living Wage

When you bargain for a higher wage, in many cases it is far from the greedy aspiration that many writers convince themselves that it is. They almost feel as though they should suffer from poverty and struggle to pay bills and feed themselves if they get the other advantages of the freelance life, such as being their own bosses, working from home, and making their own hours.

I’m here to tell you that it is not an either/or proposition! You can ask for reasonable pay and live a happy, healthy life as a freelance writer. And, yes, you should factor in the costs of health insurance, office space, and overhead, which you alone are responsible for. Clients are already getting a deal because they don’t have to pay for these things in order to obtain your services, so don’t kowtow to their requests to cut your going rate. You should never have to sacrifice your financial growth for the benefit of others that may already have more money than you do!

Projects Can Get Quite Complicated

While there are several projects that require nothing more than simple ad copy or standard content marketing, there are many writing assignments that require hours of extensive research, interviews with experts in a particular field, or specialized, acquired knowledge in a specific niche. The request for a larger scope than your usual projects, or the fact that a general writer cannot complete a given task, means that additional payment should be offered. If you are asked to put in far more effort than usual, or if the sheer complexity of the project can only be handled by someone with your specialized background, then your contribution should automatically be considered far more valuable than your typical asking price.

You Are Expected to Provide Additional Services

If you are asked to write an article, a blog post, or web copy based on a client’s outline or instructions, then you should charge your basic per-word rate with your head held high. However, if you are asked to devise a digital marketing strategy, come up with ideas for content, search for keywords and optimize for SEO, as well as edit, then you are being sorely underpaid if you are not being compensated for these additional services. Request a raise, and if your client balks, then tell them you will only write copy for them going forward.

In conclusion, when you bargain with your clients for decent rates, you are showing them that you understand their needs and will compromise in matters where it is fair or necessary. Doing so means you are demonstrating the flexibility and cooperation that many companies will seek out in a collaborator. However, as a freelancer, you need to prove to them that you know your worth and that you are providing them with a valuable service, at a certain quality, which they will not find elsewhere for lower prices. By understanding each other’s needs, you will be able to build an honest and respectful rapport. You are showing them that you are a competent business person that will not be taken advantage of, and your talent is worth the additional cost.