(www.inkthinkerblog.com) — Last week, a new potential client asked me to bid on a project to create a 1,700-word landing page and two 1,000- to 1,500-word auto responders. The turnaround time was 4 days from receipt of project materials, and it was set commence in less than a week from the time the potential client first contacted me. Short notice + fast turnaround + ~3,000 words of copy = hefty rate. I thought my quote of a couple grand and change was reasonable, and debated whether I had actually quoted too low.

So imagine my surprise when the client replied that the project budget was $400. And imagine my relief that we were discussing this via e-mail so there was no shocked silence or horrified look to have to explain away. I pulled myself together and said,

If you’re really looking for more of an edit and reformat, I can definitely work with you on the price. However, $400 is not feasible for me given the time required to do all three pieces plus the fast turnaround. For a straight edit/rewrite of the landing page alone with no independent research, etc., I would typically charge $500. Do you have any flexibility in your budget? I would love to work with you on this, so I hope we can find a mutually agreeable price.

Several days later, I got a polite “Thanks, but no thanks.” No shock there.

Could I have used $400? Yes. But was $400 enough for me to give up four days to focus exclusively on this project at $100/day? No. It was tough, but I’m glad I didn’t do the project for that price. I would have hated myself for it, resented the client, and been miserable doing the work.

What’s your price bottom line? Mine fluctuates, but that one was decidedly on the wrong side of it.

Contents Copyright © 2006-2014 Kristen King

(www.inkthinkerblog.com) – I found some great articles when I was researching a feature for the journal Science Editor, and I think they’re must-reads for bloggers and businesspeople with websites. I hope you enjoy them as much as I did!

10 Ways to Let Your Blog Go and What to Do About It

It happens almost without you noticing and then suddenly summer hits and you go to put on that T-Shirt and shorts and BAAAM – it hits you in the face – you’ve let yourself go!
The same thing can easily happen with a blog. No one plans for it to happen – but gradually over time you let things slip, become a little complacent and then fall into a lazy free falling downward spiral.
Read More >>>

Why Should Anyone Read Your Blog?

Technorati indexes 133 million blogs. According to their statistics, about 900,000 blog posts get made every 24 hours. Every topic, every theme, and every subject has been exhaustively covered by hundreds of blogs.
So why should anyone read yours?
Read More >>>

21 Ways to Make Your Blog or Website Sticky

A sticky website is one where a first time reader arrives and finds it difficult to leave.
Not because the site owner captures them in a ‘RickRoll’ or a series of windows asking them if they REALLY want to leave – but because something about the site motivates them to explore it further – and more importantly to make a decision to (and takes some steps to ensure that they) return again to it.
Read More >>>

A Practical Guide to Earning Six Figures: Re-inventing What You Have

Many people struggle with the duality of enjoying their current work while yearning for an increased income. Our Freelance Switch survey showed that many freelancers are working part-time to supplement their core source of income (salaried work). What do you do if you love being in your profession but know it’s unlikely to ever allow you to earn six figures a year? What should you do if you know freelancing is not the right choice for you?
Read More >>>

Did you learn anything new? Have an aha moment? Vehemently disagree with something you read? Leave a comment and let me know how these articles will affect your blog and your business — or why they won’t.

Contents Copyright © 2006-2014 Kristen King

(www.inkthinkerblog.com) — Speaking of increasing your rates, how do you tell your existing clients that you’ll be charging them more? James Chartrand comes to the rescue again with How to Increase Your Rates for the New Year over at Men with Pens:

2009 is just around the bend, and that’s usually the time when many professionals set their prices for the coming year. If charging more is the right thing for you, then it’ll soon be time to tell current clients that you’ll be increasing their expenses.

Fun stuff.

Writing that letter to advise customers of a rate hike can be uncomfortable, and it can be difficult to find the right words. You don’t want to lose clients, after all. You simply want to be paid a rate that you feel is fair for the work that you do and the time you spend doing it. Read More >>>

Something I loved about this article is the advice to help clients understand how your rate increase benefits them. Who’d a thunk, right? What was your aha moment in this article? Leave a comment.

Contents Copyright © 2006-2014 Kristen King

(www.inkthinkerblog.com) — If rates are on your mind, be sure to check out James Chartrand’s rate-setting series at Business Tips for Writers in the Freelance Writing Jobs Network:

Why You Shouldn’t Ask for a Raise

We all want more in life. More freedom, more fun, more money… It’s perfectly fine to want these advancements and a better life, and it’s perfectly acceptable to ask for these “mores” from others.

We could ask a partner for help to lessen our workload. We could find a friend and ask if that person wants to join some activity. We could ask clients for a wage increase on the work we do. Nothing ventured, nothing gained, after all.

But I believe there are times when you shouldn’t ask for more – especially when it comes to money. Read More >>>

How to Find the Confidence to Ask for a Raise

Last week we discussed circumstances when you shouldn’t ask for a raise, but there are definitely times when you should seek out that pay hike to better compensate yourself for a job well done.

The problem is that many people feel very uncomfortable discussing the subject of pay increases and money with their clients. Most writers don’t enjoy the game of negotiations, and they end up never asking for anything at all. They get stuck in a rut and stay there for a long, long time.

Why, though? What makes people stop themselves for asking for more money, especially when the situation proves a pay hike is deserved? Read More >>>

Figuring Out A Good Pay Rate for Writing

The pay rate of writers is a hot topic. With the wide range of pay rates for various types of writing, no one can really figure out what they should be charging or what they should be paid for their words.

Sure, we can all cry for industry standards and level out the playing field so that both clients and writers know what the going rate should be. It’s not going to happen anytime soon, unfortunately.

There are way too many factors involve in different types of writing for people to set a standard rate. Both print and web content pay rates vary according to readership, subscription numbers, types of articles, the amount of research… the list goes on. Read More >>>

Taking Baby Steps for a Better Pay Rate for Writing

Many writers struggle with the decision of pay rate. What is a good pay rate for a writer? What amount is my work worth? What can I get paid for my writing? What are others getting paid? How do I compare? What rates for writing should I set?

Oy. That’s a bunch of questions and they can be stressful ones to answer, creating a situation of doubt, worry and a dip in confidence.

I say, forget that. Instead of deciding your own pay rate, let your clients decide for you. How? Using baby steps and the ‘no’ point. Read More >>>

Preparing Yourself for Better Writing Rates

Once you’ve decided to establish rates for writing that compensate you fairly for your time and effort, you need to start standing up for yourself and putting your foot down.

That’s not easy. Many freelancers hold themselves back from setting better rates because they’re afraid of what people will say. But remember, fear holds us back from getting us what we want in life.

Some temporary discomfort can often bring us great benefits.

To better prepare you to command the rates you want, here are some tips on dealing with some negative circumstances you may have to face. Read More >>>

What’s the best advice you ever received about rates? Leave a comment or share a link!

Contents Copyright © 2006-2014 Kristen King