In this mailbag response, a freelance commercial writer asks if they should drop fees (a whopping 75%!) for an easy gig where the client seems unwilling to budge.
Find out why we don’t think this is a good idea, and get some tips on negotiating rates for “easy” jobs that could leave both you and the client feeling happier with the arrangement.
Should a Freelance Writer Drop Their Rates for an Easy Job?
This question came in from a fellow freelance commercial writer:
“On request, I recently did a sample script-writing piece to go with a PowerPoint presentation for an insurance training company. Their editorial committee approved my work (I qualify), and they want me to be available for what might be a steady stream of additional paying projects. In their response, they stated matter-of-factly that they pay $20 per hour for this work. Because I am typically getting $80/hour or more with most of my clients, I am hesitant to devalue myself by accepting this client. On the other hand, because the work is really pretty easy, for $20/hour, maybe I could justify it as fill-in work when I don’t have other main-fare stuff happening.
“As a minimum, I will re-approach the client with a counter offer to see where that might lead. What are your thoughts?”
From Peter Bowerman:
I’d pass in a heartbeat (and would have asked before I submitted to a test), but that’s just me. Even as fill-in work, it just sets a bad precedent in your mind.
And any client willing to pay only $20 an hour obviously doesn’t value good copywriting; or maybe they do and they’ve simply been more than able to find writers willing to work for that.
Have you seen some of the work done by these $20 an hour writers? If you have and it’s about what you could do, then heck, more power to them. If it’s not nearly as good as you would do, then maybe you can point that out…
Of course, a better question might be to look at a particular project and ask them what it paid.
Maybe you find that X project paid, say $360 for 18 hours work and you could do it in 8, in which case, it might be more worth your time.
And sure, go ahead and counter, though if they’re used to paying $20 an hour, I’m guessing they’re not going to budge much unless you can demonstrate graphically, why they should.
From Jennifer Mattern:
I’m with Peter here. It would be a hard pass from me.
But I also think cases like these come down to more than stubborn or bargain-seeking clients. It’s about hourly rates.
Charging hourly rates is generally a bad idea for freelance writers. It pits the freelancer against their clients, and it fails to account for the value you truly provide.
I do think it’s important to have an hourly earnings target though — knowing what you want to earn hourly, or the minimum you’ll accept for a gig. But once you know that hourly rate, you don’t share that with the client. You use it to set a project rate instead.
Peter touched on this with his 18-hour example. Clients often don’t know the time required to complete a project. And that will vary based on the writer and their experience. There is never a time when you should accept less pay because you can do a job faster (and hopefully still better) than someone else.
So I’d suggest similar. Ask what the total project fee comes to for this work, then negotiate that project fee, assuming you really want the gig. Leave hours out of the conversation. And if the project rate they’re willing to consider is too low in your opinion, walk.
You can always find filler work at your target rates. There’s no good reason to lower them, especially for a potential long-term working relationship.
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