Tag Archives: freelance negotiations

Negotiating Freelance Rates? Give Yourself a Raise

Joe Wallace Turntabling Rare RecordsIt’s easy to forget that the whole world is NOT paying attention to your every move–especially if you freelance online. But who really IS paying attention?

I don’t write that to be insulting. I write that to be ENCOURAGING. As in, who really knows what  you’ve been charging for your freelance services in the last year or two? Sure, if you publish a rate card online you’ll need to be a bit careful when adjusting your fee structure, but when it’s time to talk fees with a new client it may be a good time to ask yourself if it’s time for a raise.

Even a small one.

One of the most difficult parts of the freelance game for many is staying motivated in the tough times. Getting compensated what you feel you’re worth–or at least within spitting distance–is part of that motivation. Have you been working for peanuts? Working too long for peanuts? Have you been working at a reasonable, but somehow still not quite satisfying rate? When you’re the boss, the only person to ask for a raise is YOU.

I struggled with that concept for ages…how could I justify charging my new client more when I was still working at a lower rate for others? When I realized that I wasn’t cheating, but offering my older clients a longevity discount, that’s when it occurred to me that I could indeed up my fee when warranted, and not worry at all about the idea that I might be fudging numbers, shortchanging a newcomer or asking for something I didn’t really earn.

The more experience you get as a freelancer, the more your inherent value as a freelancer goes up…unless you do shoddy work, of course. But this post isn’t aimed at the half-hearted, substandard, or just-barely-good-enough types. I’m talking to you, Mister and Miz Hardworking Freelance Person. Ask yourself–are you due for a pay increase? I bet the answer is “Yes”.

Joe Wallace writes music AND writes ABOUT music. He’s currently working on a video installation project for a gallery opening to be announced soon, sound design and ambiance for an art opening in Ohio, and polishing up his manuscript for WTF Records: The Turntabling.Net Guide To Weird and Wonderful Vinyl. Contact him: jwallace(at)turntabling(dot) net.

Negotiating Freelance Work: Five Things to Try

Ever try to negotiate rates, output and fees with a client only to discover that all the things they seemed to want in the initial meeting have changed overnight?

What’s a poor freelancer to do? Every situation is different, but here’s what I find myself doing time and again when faced with a situation where plenty of ideas are thrown around and “Come and join us” invitations or “Let’s work together” offers are given, then suddenly turned into a set of vague demands or a hesitancy to commit to specifics.

5. Repeat the obvious for clarity’s sake. “OK, so you want X, Y, and Z delivered by X date, correct? And you want me to write 700 words for each one with a payment rate per project of ABC. Right? Don’t commit to a project if they can’t quantify numbers. Get everyone on the same page for output, deadlines and pay.

4. If they can’t commit to the specifics, spell out what you’re willing to do. “I’m capable of writing X amount of pieces per day/week/month at a rate of ABC. I can give you topics on ABC and D. How does that sound?

3. Always explain your position fully. One client wanted me to start working on a project the week of Christmas. I said, “Why don’t we make it the following week, since I’m already committed to travel on those dates.” If the client wants something that’s too much work for not enough pay, find a tactful way to explain that you need more money for that work–something along the lines of “Well, for the (lower) pay you’re offering, I could do XYZ and not ABC because that would involve extra hours and other labor. However, for X amount of dollars, I could definitely do both XZY plus ABC no problem.”

2. If you are taken by surprise by any part of the negotiations, don’t answer right away. Say you’d like a bit of time to study the proposal a bit more so you can make a good offer on the deal.

1. If you’re forced to say no, be tactful, be diplomatic but above all, be honest–or at least appear to be honest. If you really DON’T want the gig, turn it down by saying you’ve gotten another project at a rate you simply can’t turn down, but you’d be happy to revisit the deal at a later date. (If you are indeed happy to do so). Or you can simply come right out and hit them with the truth if the money they want to pay is too low or the work they want for a decent sum is too much. You can say no without burning your bridges, simply by explaining that you’ve got other commitments which demand more of your time than you previously expected and you don’t want to give a new project the short shrift…