DEAR FREELANCE WRITERS? WHAT RATES ARE YOU CHARGING?

What are “The Right Rates” for freelance writers? Should you charge by the hour, the page, or per task/project? Freelance writers have a lot of options when setting rates. Some people even set monthly or annual retainers for their more long-term clients. 

This article will show you how to charge hourly rates. When setting hourly rates, freelance writers ought to take into account their speed, value and income goals. 

You need to work backwards and determine these four items: what income you’d like to make this year; what weekly salary you’ll need to make to meet that goal; how many hours you’re willing to work each week; and how many weeks you want to work. This will give you your hourly rate. 

Most freelance writers probably shy away from advertising the high hourly rate for fear that they could scare off a client. But remember, you want clients who value your skills and talents, so focus on the quality of your projects – not the quantity. A few high-paying clients is always better than tons of low paying ones. 

If you’re really scared of charging those sky-high hourly rates, take your math a step further and figure out a per-word rate instead. 

To determine this, you’ll first need to see how many words you can write in an hour. A good way to do this is to just monitor your next project. Then follow these steps: start a stopwatch when you begin writing; stop the watch when you’re done and note the word count; divide the minutes you worked by the number of words completed; and multiple that number by 60. That’s how many words you can complete in an hour. 

Now, once you have that, it’s time to determine your per-word rate. To do that, just use this simple formula: your hourly rate / your number of words per hour. This number is what you should be charging clients for every single word you write. 

Always remember, if you’re afraid of charging clients too much, take time to develop a niche. Study up on a subject you’re particularly interested in, and make yourself an expert. The more expertise you have in an area, the more willing your clients will be to pay top cash. 

And next time you’re bidding on a project or you’re approached by a new client, make sure you’re choosing the right rates and the right types of rates. You need to show your services offer value, and by undercutting the true rate you deserve, you’re only hurting yourself and your career in the long run. 

Only you can control your career’s fate, so take charge and become the successful writer I know you can be. 

5 MYTHS THAT KEEP FREELANCERS FROM GETTING PAID WHAT THEY ARE REALLY WORTH

https://ideas.ted.com/5-myths-that-keep-freelancers-from-getting-paid-what-theyre-really-worth/ 

GETTING STARTED AS A FREELANCE WRITER

How to find your writing style? 

How do you, as a writer, find your place in the writing world and develop a writing style that suits you? When you write, choose a style that allows you to express yourself. That leaves you feeling like you have shared what you want to. That makes you feel energized and excited about your work...not drained and struggling to create more.

Here are four ways to help you develop your own writing style:

Read a lot

Make it a daily habit to spend at least half an hour devouring someone else’s work. As you read more and more, your own style of writing will deepen. It will develop based on your own experiences and the influences you have had. Find something that interests you and start reading, whether it be in a book, via a website, or another place…..and read every day. You can broaden your own horizons as an author by reading various styles of writing. Reading will show you new ways of wording sentences and creative ideas you hadn’t thought of.

Be honest to who you are

Trying to be someone you are not will hinder your writing journey, not help it. Writing is an art-form that allows you to express yourself from within. Therefore, stay true to yourself - your own values, your beliefs, your feelings and who you are as a person. When you write something that is not from who you are, it can confuse your reader. Because it will be difficult to sustain your voice as a writer. When your style changes or doesn’t flow well, it makes it harder for the reader to identify who you are and may not want to read more of your work. When you write from who you are you will not need to change your style part way through. Find your own style of writing and own it!

Write what comes with ease

There may be times that you feel like you have writer’s block, or struggle to come up with what you want to say. If you find that writing in general is difficult it could be for several reasons: you have not created a writing habit to allow it to flow for you; you are lacking in inspiration for your topic; you are not writing in a style that is true to you. If you have created a proper writing habit and you are stuck, try getting inspiration, like reading other forms of writing to refresh you or taking a break from writing. A half hour walk while you listen to music may be all it takes to put you back on track. If you are still struggling, then chances are, you are not writing in a style that is congruent to who you are.

Express yourself naturally

Once you have found your style the only other thing you can do is write, write, and keep writing. The more you write, the easier it will come to you and the better you will become at expressing yourself through your words. You have a gift to write and you need to use it to share your message with the world. 

Today plan your daily habit of reading and writing and watch your life grow and move you to the next level of your writing career.