How to Negotiate the Best Rate for a Freelance Writing Assignment

Some new writers have difficulty negotiating a great pay rate for their writing. This article discusses a surefire plan to get the best freelance writing rate on every assignment from building your confidence in asking for the right price to learning how to find the best going rate for a freelance writer.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Computer
• Internet Access

1. Negotiating is a Skill
   
   Negotiating rate is perhaps one of the scariest things freelance writers do, especially newbies. But, it doesn’t have to be this way. The trick is learning how to negotiate the best price for a freelance writing assignment.
   
   Negotiating is a skill, and taking the time to learn some basic negotiation techniques will go a long way towards helping you to get the best rate.
   
   As a freelance writer, you should treat yourself as a business and not be open to this as a matter of course. I mean, can you walk into Banana Republic and negotiate on the price of a pair of cargo pants? No, because it’s listed on the tag how much they cost.
   
   This is the same line of reasoning you should apply to your freelance writing business. This advice is for those situations where you find yourself having to negotiate.
2. Project Specifics
   
   The best way to negotiate the best rate freelance writing assignments is to ask questions. The reason is, the more you know about the project, the better you will be able to assess what it’s going to take to finish it.
   
   Inquire about such tangibles the purpose of the project, the target audience and whether it’s to be used in online or offline media.
   
   All of this makes a difference in how you approach a project and the research time involved.
3. Figure Out a Timeline
   
   One of the most critical things you need to figure out is how much time it’s going to take you to finish a project. This is your biggest “cost.”
   
   That’s why you need to get as much information as you can to negotiate the best freelance writing rate for each freelance writing assignment.
4. Ask about Ongoing Work
   
   Another key factor which you need to weigh to negotiate the best rate for a freelance writing assignment is will this be a steady gig; will there be ongoing work.
   
   The reason this is important is, sometimes clients outsource impossible and/or difficult to complete assignments to freelancers.
   
   This can be because their client is a pain in the bazooka and they haven’t been able to please him with their in-house ideas, and/or they just don’t feel like researching the chemicals needed to drill for oil in the South Pacific.
   
   So, they’ll farm this type of work out.
   
   If it’s a one-off project, charge a premium. That way, it’ll at least be worth your time. Most won’t tell you that this is a one-shot deal, but you can get an idea by asking questions like, how often do you work with freelancers, what types of projects do you usually outsource, and is this your first time outsourcing this project.
5. Do Your Homework
   
   To negotiate the best rate for freelance writing assignments, don’t under price your services. Many freelance writers are so afraid of losing a job that they’ll take way below industry rate.
   
   Do your homework beforehand to get a range for what others are charging. Freelance writing forums like the one at aboutfreelancewriting.com are great for finding out this type of info.
   
   Remember, it’s easier to lower rates than raise them.

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