Freelance Writing – How Much Are You Worth as a Freelance Writer?
I’ve written this piece for Ezine Articles, and it’s a good read 
I hope you get the idea of it. LOL.
Why do freelance writers need to set their own rates? How do you know how much to charge your clients? This maybe the hardest part you need to decide on – but is definitely one of the most important.
A lot of freelance writers get confused when they are asked how much are their going rates per article, per word, or per project batch. Letting your client set how much he’d pay may leave you on the losing end because he’d probably bargain with you with the lowest possible rates.
But why do freelancers need to set their own rates?
If you are offered $2 for a 500-word work, should you accept it? For a new freelance writer, it might be enough.
Looking at the amount, it isn’t really much. But if you are just starting in the industry, building on your profile, building on your clients’ trust and building on your skills will help you to know how much you are worth. It will help you determine how much you need to charge for your writings.
Think of that $2 per article gig as a writing sample. New freelance writers take them because they want to prove themselves. They want to see how and what they can do.
Starting at a low rate lets you criticize yourself and let yourself be criticized by your clients, as well. If you continue to do great pieces of work, then consider giving yourself a promotion. Gradually raising your going rate as you build on your reputation and your portfolio helps as lot.
Ask yourself this question: How much is my writing worth? Surely, it might be hard to answer, but once you set the line and evaluate your own work, everything else follows.
A portfolio is a good reason for you to start promoting yourself as a freelance writer. It allows you to showcase your best works to show to potential clients, thereby giving them a clear proof as to why your rate is like that.
If you feel that your writing is worth $1 per 100 word, then show it – and prove it. Likewise, if you feel that your writing is worth $25 for every 500-word article, then showcase your best works and prove why you are worth like that.
You cannot just start your freelance writing career with a $25/article gig at once. Like other jobs, freelance writing has growth. Even if you work at home, it helps you grow and develop yourself as one of the most coveted and respectable writers in the industry.
So the next time you get a gig and you must send your expected salary, then don’t be afraid to bid over the budget (or maybe below.) It just goes to say that your bid or rates measure the quality of your writings and works.
Kristine Clarisse Cruz is a 21-year-old girl gamer and musician who stumbled into the freelance writing industry after finishing her internship in Europe. She’s currently working as a full-time freelance writer for US-based and Philippine-based companies and clients, and earning as much as a regular Philippine call center agent does.
Visit her blog for more information on the freelance writing industry in the Philippines and around the globe, as well as tips & stories for aspiring freelance writers, plus freelance writing jobs – updated fresh daily!
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kristine_Cruz
http://EzineArticles.com/?Freelance-Writing—How-Much-Are-You-Worth-As-a-Freelance-Writer?&id=3101384
1 comment
Hi Kristine,
Thank you for sharing this article. This is a thoughtful, well-written piece. But I will have to disagree about taking on a two-dollar article-writing job, even when one’s just starting. The rate is way too low. If we convert that to Philippine peso at PhP46, that’ll only give PhP92. How far will that go? One has to think about buying food, paying the bills, continuing education (i.e., editorial training), and the list goes on–and these are necessities.
I say, let’s raise the bar for writers who know not only how to write well, but also know what they write about. Accepting a paid writing job is not just about making money and a portfolio for one’s self, it’s also about empowering colleagues in the entire industry. If one writer (newbie or otherwise) accepts two dollars for writing an article, then it’s just saying that it’s OK to be paid two dollars for a well-done writing job. But it’s not OK. There is a standard rate and when we say, “standard rate,” we talk about the going rate in the industry that applies to *all locations* around the world. And unless writers, editors, and other editorial colleagues stand behind this rate, other people will keep paying some of our colleagues US$1.50 to US$6.50 per article. For more details, please do visit the Editorial Freelancers Associations Rates Chart, http://the-efa.org/res/rates.
One can and may choose to avoid low-paying writing jobs. Certainly, there are better opportunities out there.
Your colleague in the industry,
Al Sabado
Freelance Editor
Marikina City, Philippines
http://www.alsabado.com
al@alsabado.com
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