If you are a freelance writer it is safe to say that your main goal is to supply clients with quality content. With that being said, what else do you offer clients? Do you offer anything special that will put you in a better position than the competition? For many, this is a tough question to answer; but it does not have to be.
I feel that my customer service skills are top notch. I strive to offer great service, and most of my clients have thanked me for this at some point in time. This is something that I take great pride in, and over the years it has helped me to earn new business while also building long term relationships.
Of course, you can also offer clients other services in order to make yourself more valuable. For instance, many freelance writers offer to submit online articles to social bookmarking sites or directories. Others will supply images with their content. While I try to stay away from this, there is nothing wrong with offering these services if they will help you to earn more money.
The more that you offer clients the better. You do not have to go so far overboard that you begin to compromise your content. But at the very least you should mix in some intangibles that will give clients an added reason to work with you.
The rate that you charge as a freelance writer will greatly determine how much money you earn. Many aspiring writers do not know how to set a fee schedule because they are unaware of the details that go into this. When it comes down to it, setting your rates is not as hard as it sounds.
You are your own person. For this reason, you should set your freelance writing rates based on what you offer. Sure, you should consider what the competition is doing, but do not let this effect your rates too much. I know many freelance writers who charge twice as much as I do. At the same time, others charge half as much. This just goes to show you that the industry is full from top to bottom.
Many freelance writers think that lower rates will mean more work. While this can be the case, it also means that you will have to work more in order to earn a decent living. You may want to consider this option instead: charge higher rates so that you can do less work to make the same amount of money.
Of course, you cannot charge rates that do not align with your experience and knowledge. Far too often I receive emails from new freelance writers who are charging twice as much as me. While there is nothing wrong with reaching for the sky, they do not realize that clients that pay a lot of money want to hire somebody with solid experience. Remember, you can start your rates on the low end of the scale until you gain experience and build your portfolio.
I know that this post is not an exact “step by step†guide on how to set a fee schedule. The reason for this is simple: every freelance writer is different. Set your rates according to what you are comfortable with and what you need to earn in order to bring in a nice monthly income. Over time, as your experience grows, you can then up your rates to better match your new position within the industry.
This week alone I have received four emails asking what I charge for a 500 word article. And these emails were not from buyers interested in working with me. Instead, they were from aspiring freelance writers who want to know how much I charge so that they can emulate my rates. As you can imagine, there are many issues with this.
First off, just as I cannot charge as much as others, there are some who cannot charge as much as me. There are many details that go into setting freelance writing rates. I charge what I do based on my experience, knowledge and other benefits that I bring to the table. Some freelance writers charge much more and others charge much less. But no matter what, you need to set your rates based on your income goals and other related details.
Moving on, one 500 word article is not the same as the next. Take for example a 500 word blog post compared to a 500 feature article in a mid-sized, regional magazine. As you can imagine, I would probably receive more money for the article in the magazine. Is this always the case? Of course not. But it goes to show that rates can and will change based on the project. Keep this in mind: 500 words are not always the same when it comes to setting rates. You must base your price on the market, the project topic and complexity, the client, and much more.
My best advice is this: your rate for a 500 word article, and every other project for that matter, should be based on what you are comfortable with while also aligning with your goals. Just because I charge a certain amount for so many words does not mean that everybody else should do the same. If this was the case, some freelance writers would be compromising a lot of income whereas others would be priced out of the market.
