After writing by myself weblog about how freelance writers ought to goal for making $100 an hour, I heard from many writers. Largely they needed recommendation on how one can obtain extra modest targets—simply transferring up from the $8- to $15-an article stage and maybe making $30 an hour. In order that’s my matter—move-up markets.
For those who’re writing $15 or $20 articles now, you need to be searching for $50-an-article purchasers who would can help you slowly drop your lower-paying gigs and lift your common hourly fee.
To research move-up markets extra, I trolled on-line job advertisements for gigs that paid round $50 to $100 an article
These aren’t ordinarily advertisements I take a look at, so I used to be stunned as soon as I centered on this worth level to seek out fairly a number of listings.
Clearly, this doesn’t embrace the numerous, many higher-paying gigs you might discover by networking, approaching small companies in your city, utilizing social media to prospect, and in any other case aggressively advertising what you are promoting.
Along with those I discovered, Writers Weekly lists many roles at move-up charges…the difficulty linked right here had fairly a number of, together with $125 to $300 from Alaska Enterprise Month-to-month, and assignments from $75 to $150 about hockey from Puck Life.
And over at All Freelance Writing, Jennifer Mattern posts job listings just for gigs that pay over $50 a publish. What simpler approach is there to display out the slave-wage jobs and focus on move-up markets?
Right here’s what I’ve realized—{the marketplace} won’t set wholesome pay boundaries for you. There’ll all the time be cheapskates. You must set the boundaries your self.
For those who entertain the notion of $15 articles, you find yourself writing them. For those who flip down low-paying jobs as merely under your backside asking worth and maintain wanting till you discover better-paying ones, you’ll probably find yourself being higher paid.
Why doesn’t all people do that? As a result of switching up may cause a short-term cash-flow downside whilst you get new purchasers lined up. You must overcome your concern that you just’re going to starve for those who maintain out for higher gigs, and even spend a part of every week prospecting for higher assignments as a substitute of writing your present low cost articles. Saying “no” to potential purchasers—or to that oh-so-easy to entry project web page on a content material mill—can really feel harsh, scary, confrontational, perhaps on this financial system even a bit loopy. However that’s precisely what it’s a must to do to maneuver up.
I’m well mannered with potential purchasers who name and provide me $20 an article, or $50, or $70. I thank them for his or her curiosity, and allow them to know they’re not in my ballpark. I provide my rewriting providers in case they uncover the content material they received low cost isn’t as much as snuff, and encourage them to be again in contact once they pays skilled charges. I don’t go away mad, I simply go away, and depart the door open. Attempt it—you’ll discover that valuing your time sufficient to show down lowball purchasers feels nice. It additionally leaves room in your schedule for better-paying purchasers.
What’s your move-up purpose, and the way do you intend to realize it?
This publish initially appeared on the WM Freelance Author’s Connection.
