Q: I have a new client who wants me to research and ghostwrite a 5-month series of columns, 900-1,000 words each, for a printed industry trade publication. The articles will also likely be picked up, at least in part, in an e-newsletter. My usual fee—which most of my clients don’t blink an eye at—is beyond her budget. She’s told me that her parent organization pays just over half of what I quoted her to the FLCWs they hire.
I’m looking for some stats to help me justify the higher fee, and then I’ll negotiate a compromise so I can do the work. I do want to do it, for a variety of reasons, but not at the low rate they usually pay.
Do you have any current stats, or could you point me to some, that would help me? The most recent I have are from 2000—TWFW and “Freelance Writers’ Guide” from NWU.
A: Most rate guides aren’t worth a lot as they offer ranges for individual project types that often render them virtually meaningless. So, not sure where to steer you for that. But, truthfully, your search for “justification” is really besides the point and just muddies the issue. Bottom line, you get what you get because you’re a good and talented writer. If you’re offered a job paying a lot less, as I see it, it’s pretty simple. It’s either far less than what you usually get and so you pass. Period. OR, even though it’s far less than what you’re ordinarily get, you have reasons for wanting to do it that outweigh the lower fees (desire to break into a new market and build a portfolio, personal interest in the subject, etc.)
So you either decide that those factors still make it worth doing, OR you decide that even with them factored in, you still pass. Why do you need to find justification for it? You know what you charge (AND get) for a similar piece. All that matters is what YOU are willing to take and WHY. For experienced writers, rate guides are pointless in the big scheme of things. Remember, for every project out there, there are writers earning fees all over the map, so who’s to say what the “typical” is? It is what YOU say it is.