Comments on: Ask the cubicle expat: Should I lower my rates if a client can’t afford me? http://www.anti9to5guide.com/2008/04/03/ask-the-cubicle-expat-should-i-lower-my-rates-if-a-client-cant-afford-me/ Practical Career Advice for Women Who Think Outside the Cube Tue, 07 Oct 2008 03:45:22 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.4 by: Cory http://www.anti9to5guide.com/2008/04/03/ask-the-cubicle-expat-should-i-lower-my-rates-if-a-client-cant-afford-me/#comment-33609 Sat, 10 May 2008 19:04:38 +0000 http://www.anti9to5guide.com/2008/04/03/ask-the-cubicle-expat-should-i-lower-my-rates-if-a-client-cant-afford-me/#comment-33609 This is interesting. I guess writers have the same problems as illustrators. If I had a nickel for every time someone promised future work or residuals instead of money upfront, then I could probably stop freelancing. I think I have a cliched mantra for each of these lowball tactics. I'm always mumbling things like stick to your guns, I can't pay my bills with unicorns and rainbows and I'll gladly pay you Tuesday for a hamburger today. I wonder if they teach some of these tactics in business school. This is interesting. I guess writers have the same problems as illustrators. If I had a nickel for every time someone promised future work or residuals instead of money upfront, then I could probably stop freelancing.

I think I have a cliched mantra for each of these lowball tactics. I’m always mumbling things like stick to your guns, I can’t pay my bills with unicorns and rainbows and I’ll gladly pay you Tuesday for a hamburger today.

I wonder if they teach some of these tactics in business school.

]]> by: Michelle Goodman http://www.anti9to5guide.com/2008/04/03/ask-the-cubicle-expat-should-i-lower-my-rates-if-a-client-cant-afford-me/#comment-32935 Tue, 29 Apr 2008 22:46:31 +0000 http://www.anti9to5guide.com/2008/04/03/ask-the-cubicle-expat-should-i-lower-my-rates-if-a-client-cant-afford-me/#comment-32935 HW, sure, and thank you too! You've reminded me I have some branching out I need to do in terms of clients... HW, sure, and thank you too! You’ve reminded me I have some branching out I need to do in terms of clients…

]]> by: harlemwriter http://www.anti9to5guide.com/2008/04/03/ask-the-cubicle-expat-should-i-lower-my-rates-if-a-client-cant-afford-me/#comment-32922 Tue, 29 Apr 2008 18:53:31 +0000 http://www.anti9to5guide.com/2008/04/03/ask-the-cubicle-expat-should-i-lower-my-rates-if-a-client-cant-afford-me/#comment-32922 Great advice, Michelle, thanks! And yes, agree that if I could get $2 pw for books, I'd stop complaining! As it is, I use the magazine stuff to finance my other projects (oh and pay my rent), which I realize aren't really that particular magazine's priorities, but are good reason to try to bring them up a bit in price. Thanks again. Great blog! Great advice, Michelle, thanks!

And yes, agree that if I could get $2 pw for books, I’d stop complaining! As it is, I use the magazine stuff to finance my other projects (oh and pay my rent), which I realize aren’t really that particular magazine’s priorities, but are good reason to try to bring them up a bit in price.

Thanks again. Great blog!

]]> by: Michelle Goodman http://www.anti9to5guide.com/2008/04/03/ask-the-cubicle-expat-should-i-lower-my-rates-if-a-client-cant-afford-me/#comment-32871 Mon, 28 Apr 2008 19:27:31 +0000 http://www.anti9to5guide.com/2008/04/03/ask-the-cubicle-expat-should-i-lower-my-rates-if-a-client-cant-afford-me/#comment-32871 HW, I like pay-per-word if the piece pays at least a $1/word, isn't too technical, and has no more than one minor revision. Otherwise, my hourly rate (when you do the behind-the-scenes math) won't be so great. Next time you get an assignment, tell your editor, "All my other clients pay me $2.50 a word. Can you come up in price?" Worst that can happen is they give you $2.25 or say no. (Or say $3/word, and be happy if they come down to $2.50.) I know writers making everything from $.20/word (not saying that's a good rate; that's just what some smaller places pay) to $5/word. From where I sit, $2/word looks pretty good. If I got $2/word to write a book, I'd be a very, very happy camper. :) But I realize you can't compare indie book publishing to newsstand magazine writing when you're talking about pay... HW, I like pay-per-word if the piece pays at least a $1/word, isn’t too technical, and has no more than one minor revision. Otherwise, my hourly rate (when you do the behind-the-scenes math) won’t be so great.

Next time you get an assignment, tell your editor, “All my other clients pay me $2.50 a word. Can you come up in price?” Worst that can happen is they give you $2.25 or say no. (Or say $3/word, and be happy if they come down to $2.50.)

I know writers making everything from $.20/word (not saying that’s a good rate; that’s just what some smaller places pay) to $5/word. From where I sit, $2/word looks pretty good. If I got $2/word to write a book, I’d be a very, very happy camper. :) But I realize you can’t compare indie book publishing to newsstand magazine writing when you’re talking about pay…

]]> by: harlemwriter http://www.anti9to5guide.com/2008/04/03/ask-the-cubicle-expat-should-i-lower-my-rates-if-a-client-cant-afford-me/#comment-32869 Mon, 28 Apr 2008 18:33:36 +0000 http://www.anti9to5guide.com/2008/04/03/ask-the-cubicle-expat-should-i-lower-my-rates-if-a-client-cant-afford-me/#comment-32869 What do the freelance writers here think about the pay-per-word system? I write for a ton of magazines and hit the $2/word max everywhere. I can often wrangle extra if the story runs longer than expected, or they add in sidebars, or we go through seventy rounds of revises. I've also had luck asking for a bit more upfront if the piece seems particularly reporting-heavy. But I'm at a point where I'd love to start telling editors "my word rate is $2.50" or whatever from the get go...and I fear they would all immediately die from shock because the $2/word is such an ingrained standard everywhere. Any thoughts on what it takes to move up? What do the freelance writers here think about the pay-per-word system? I write for a ton of magazines and hit the $2/word max everywhere. I can often wrangle extra if the story runs longer than expected, or they add in sidebars, or we go through seventy rounds of revises. I’ve also had luck asking for a bit more upfront if the piece seems particularly reporting-heavy.

But I’m at a point where I’d love to start telling editors “my word rate is $2.50″ or whatever from the get go…and I fear they would all immediately die from shock because the $2/word is such an ingrained standard everywhere.

Any thoughts on what it takes to move up?

]]> by: The Anti 9-to-5 Guide » Homer gets a muumuu and other randomata http://www.anti9to5guide.com/2008/04/03/ask-the-cubicle-expat-should-i-lower-my-rates-if-a-client-cant-afford-me/#comment-32663 Fri, 25 Apr 2008 16:13:40 +0000 http://www.anti9to5guide.com/2008/04/03/ask-the-cubicle-expat-should-i-lower-my-rates-if-a-client-cant-afford-me/#comment-32663 [...] Here’s what the New York Times has to say about charging your clients enough money. (Here’s what I — and some of you — have to say.) [...] […] Here’s what the New York Times has to say about charging your clients enough money. (Here’s what I — and some of you — have to say.) […]

]]> by: Amy T http://www.anti9to5guide.com/2008/04/03/ask-the-cubicle-expat-should-i-lower-my-rates-if-a-client-cant-afford-me/#comment-32287 Wed, 16 Apr 2008 22:18:16 +0000 http://www.anti9to5guide.com/2008/04/03/ask-the-cubicle-expat-should-i-lower-my-rates-if-a-client-cant-afford-me/#comment-32287 GREAT TIMING! I am on my way to a client meeting with whom I can smell this debate coming. Good suggestions from all, and thanks to Michelle for providing such a great forum for these issues. New book: Yay! (And that is my cheerleading for the day....) GREAT TIMING!

I am on my way to a client meeting with whom I can smell this debate coming. Good suggestions from all, and thanks to Michelle for providing such a great forum for these issues.

New book: Yay!

(And that is my cheerleading for the day….)

]]> by: sabrina helas http://www.anti9to5guide.com/2008/04/03/ask-the-cubicle-expat-should-i-lower-my-rates-if-a-client-cant-afford-me/#comment-32164 Sun, 13 Apr 2008 20:08:40 +0000 http://www.anti9to5guide.com/2008/04/03/ask-the-cubicle-expat-should-i-lower-my-rates-if-a-client-cant-afford-me/#comment-32164 i think this is such an important topic! thank you for posting it! i know i have dealt with this so many times and definitely had/have struggles with it. what's funny is in my experience usually its my corporate clients who try to haggle me to come done in price. go figure.. ps-cant wait for the new book =) i think this is such an important topic! thank you for posting it!
i know i have dealt with this so many times and definitely had/have struggles with it. what’s funny is in my experience usually its my corporate clients who try to haggle me to come done in price. go figure..
ps-cant wait for the new book
=)

]]> by: cmdshiftdesign http://www.anti9to5guide.com/2008/04/03/ask-the-cubicle-expat-should-i-lower-my-rates-if-a-client-cant-afford-me/#comment-31758 Sat, 05 Apr 2008 22:11:36 +0000 http://www.anti9to5guide.com/2008/04/03/ask-the-cubicle-expat-should-i-lower-my-rates-if-a-client-cant-afford-me/#comment-31758 So weird that this ended up being a post this week cause I just dealt with a situation like this yesterday! I quoted someone on a website, then then emailed back and listed some revisions they had to the number of pages, etc, and asked for a new quote (the scope of the site got smaller) But then at the end she asked "could you do it for $x" (which was just a bit lower that the absolute lowest i would ever go) I revised my quote based on the change in scope and it was less but not as low as her suggestion. we'll see what happens. but yea, no way im going to take on something for less than i want, it would just make me angry throughout the process and id dread dealing with a similar situation for any of their future projects. So weird that this ended up being a post this week cause I just dealt with a situation like this yesterday!

I quoted someone on a website, then then emailed back and listed some revisions they had to the number of pages, etc, and asked for a new quote (the scope of the site got smaller) But then at the end she asked “could you do it for $x” (which was just a bit lower that the absolute lowest i would ever go)

I revised my quote based on the change in scope and it was less but not as low as her suggestion.

we’ll see what happens.

but yea, no way im going to take on something for less than i want, it would just make me angry throughout the process and id dread dealing with a similar situation for any of their future projects.

]]> by: Michelle Goodman http://www.anti9to5guide.com/2008/04/03/ask-the-cubicle-expat-should-i-lower-my-rates-if-a-client-cant-afford-me/#comment-31662 Fri, 04 Apr 2008 13:43:21 +0000 http://www.anti9to5guide.com/2008/04/03/ask-the-cubicle-expat-should-i-lower-my-rates-if-a-client-cant-afford-me/#comment-31662 all great suggestions. thanks, everyone, for weighing in. all great suggestions. thanks, everyone, for weighing in.

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