After writing alone weblog about how freelance writers ought to purpose for making $100 an hour, I heard from many writers. Principally they wished recommendation on the way to obtain extra modest targets—simply transferring up from the $8- to $15-an article degree and maybe making $30 an hour. In order that’s my subject—move-up markets.
For those who’re writing $15 or $20 articles now, you ought to be on the lookout for $50-an-article purchasers who would will let you slowly drop your lower-paying gigs and elevate your common hourly charge.
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 have a look at, so I used to be shocked as soon as I targeted on this worth level to seek out fairly a number of listings.
Clearly, this doesn’t embrace the numerous, many higher-paying gigs you possibly can 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 problem 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 solely for gigs that pay over $50 a submit. What simpler means is there to display out the slave-wage jobs and focus on move-up markets?
Right here’s what I’ve discovered—{the marketplace} is not going to set wholesome pay boundaries for you. There’ll all the time be cheapskates. It’s a must to 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 hold wanting till you discover better-paying ones, you’ll probably find yourself being higher paid.
Why doesn’t everyone do that? As a result of switching up may cause a short-term cash-flow drawback whilst you get new purchasers lined up. It’s a must to overcome your worry that you simply’re going to starve in the event you maintain out for higher gigs, and even spend a part of every week prospecting for higher assignments as an alternative 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, possibly on this economic system even somewhat loopy. However that’s precisely what you need to do to maneuver up.
I’m well mannered with potential purchasers who name and supply 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 supply 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 after they will pay 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 aim, and the way do you propose to attain it?
This submit initially appeared on the WM Freelance Author’s Connection.