Let’s look at three signs it’s time to rethink your rate structure for your freelance writing services.

1. Prospects Aren’t Biting

If you aren’t contacted by many prospects even though your site and rate chart get adequate traffic, something’s wrong. Your first thought might be that your rates are too high and that you need to lower them. But that isn’t always the case. You have to remember that rates are somewhat open to interpretation. How you want to charge clients is irrelevant. How they expect to be charged is what really matters.

Let’s say you offer blogging services. You list your rates as $75 per hour, and you can typically write a blog post in your specialty area in one hour. Your competition generally quotes per post (let’s say $100 per post for this example). The client is willing to pay that $100 per post.

Your rates are actually lower than the competition, but the prospect never contacts you. It has nothing to do with your fees being too high and everything to do with how they interpret your rate structure. For example, they might have a set word count in their head which they (wrongly) assume will take you two to three hours to research and write.

You don’t make it clear how long a post takes, how many words per post your rate covers, etc. That’s because you think you have a more adaptable rate structure to account for things like research time and different lengths.

Clients just want to know what they’re going to be billed. Your rate doesn’t tell them that without them making an extra effort to contact you for a quote (many won’t). Your competition does. They charge more. They get the gig. Yay for them! Sucks to be you.

It’s time to rethink how you advertise your blogging rates. The wrong rate structure will turn off prospects before you ever get the chance to talk to them.

2. You’re Frequently Asked to Explain Your Fees

Here’s another sign you’re using the wrong rate structure for the type of freelance writing services you provide. You shouldn’t have to constantly explain how your rate structure works. If you’re asked to on a frequent basis, it might be time to try something else.

For example, let’s say you’re trying to transition from magazine writing to business writing. You’re used to charging per word — a rate structure magazine editors are accustomed to working with. So you advertise per word rates for your business writing services. Commercial clients are much less familiar with this rate structure, so you’re asked to explain or justify your per word rates.

Your rate structure shouldn’t cause confusion. You should adapt to the norms of your specialty area. If clients are comparing writers based on per project rates and quotes, you should provide rates in the same structure. If you write features where per word rates are the norm then you should quote in that fashion. If you specialize in some area where hourly quotes are typical (I’ve yet to find a good example of this in freelance writing), then stick to that. You’ll spend less time explaining your fees and more time on actual billable hours.

3. Add-On Fees Have Become the Norm

Rate structures are about more than the way you charge. They also encompass what’s included in those fees. You have a set service level covered by your advertised rates. Let’s say that includes a draft and one round of edits. Anything beyond that incurs extra fees.

When you review recent orders you find that 65% of clients end up paying add-on fees because they request a second round of edits (minor changes to the first round of edits you completed). That’s a sign something is wrong with your current rate structure. It says the current package you offer isn’t adequate for the market you’re targeting. Your true base service isn’t actually what you advertise. This can alienate clients — not something you want to do.

In this case your best bet is to rethink your packages and rates. If you insist on keeping the current package, perhaps advertise a second package that includes extra editing time (or more interviews, or whatever clients regularly request). No one likes being charged “extra” fees for something that seems like a basic project necessity.

At the same time, you should absolutely charge more when clients increase the scope of a project. The idea is to do so using a rate structure that gives clients flexibility without feeling like they’re being nickel and dimed to death every time they hire you.

Have you changed your freelance writing rate structures recently? In what ways did you change them and why? I’m about to revert my rate structures for a few services back to my old model. Why? I noticed that prospects were dwindling for those specific services since the previous change. Originally I assumed it was because rates went up. But so did other rates, and those services continue to attract new prospects on a regular basis. I had to rethink my rate strategy. Do you?

Here are five tips to help you become a happier and more productive freelance writer:

1. Make a plan.

If you don’t already have a business plan and marketing plan, create one. If you have one but you created it a while back, update it. Your business plan and marketing plan act as road maps to help guide you through the day to day aspects of managing your freelance career. It’s a whole lot easier to reach your destination when you know where you’re going. Need some help? Consider using my one page business plan or one page marketing plan template for a quick start.

2. Get organized.

Some people claim to work better when surrounded by clutter. I used to be one of those people. Then I truly got things organized and I realized what BS that was. As much as I might have known where things were in my mess on my desk, the simple truth is that clutter can mentally weigh you down whether you realize it or not. Give yourself a cleaner, more organized work place. Give yourself some time to get used to the change. And see if you feel better and can get even more done in a day after a week or two goes by. And remember, that doesn’t only mean cleaning your desk — bookcases, storage areas, and even your computer files count too. Still hate it after a few weeks? Well, it’s not that difficult to clutter things up again. So have at it.

3. Find your most productive work time.

Just because you’ve always called yourself a night owl, it doesn’t make it so. If you have flexibility in your schedule (as in you’re not already committed to another full-time job or family obligations that set your work hours for you), try a few different work schedules. And give them each a week or two so you can adapt. Try working in the evenings. Try working early in the mornings. Try a mid-day schedule too. Figure out when you truly work best — when you can get the most done in as little time as possible while maintaining whatever level of creativity you need for your freelance career.

4. Get paid up front.

Even if you’re not comfortable having clients pay you in full up front, at least collect 50% of your project fee before starting. When you have a significant portion of that money on-hand, you don’t have to worry as much about deadbeat clients stiffing you on payments for work you’ve already done and for time you can never get back. Not comfortable changing payment terms with existing clients? Then make that your new term going forward for new clients instead.

5. Re-evaluate your rates.

One of the biggest downers is to work hard and feel like you’re not being fairly compensated for your work. You can get that working for an employer in a 9-5 job. You don’t need it as a freelance writer. If you’re not earning enough, raise your rates. Yes, that might mean completely changing your target market. But if you made a mistake and targeted the wrong market to begin with, it’s better to change things up now than remain unsatisfied and have to do it down the road anyway. Not sure what you need to charge? Our freelance hourly rate calculator can help you figure out the minimum you need to charge for your freelance work.

Remember that there are many little things you can do throughout the course of your work day to get more done and be happier in the process. The above ideas are a just a few of the bigger tasks that can make a long term difference. You could also create daily to-do lists and schedules to keep you on track, surround yourself with things that make you happy (plants, fuzzy slippers while you work, a nice candle, motivational calendar, or whatever works for you), or even allow yourself a nap or walk or some other kind of break mid-day if it brings you back to work feeling refreshed. The point is that if you can be happier or more productive in your freelance work, you should take the time to figure out what’s going to work for you and then do it. There is absolutely no reason any freelance writer shouldn’t thoroughly enjoy their work.

How are you going to increase your productivity and happiness as a freelancer? If you have other tips or ideas, feel free to share them with our other readers in the comments below.

Often when I or other business writers talk about earning more money as a freelance writer, people comment with things like:

“But you’re a business writer, so of course you earn more. I want to be a Web content writer, or blogger, or ‘article writer,’ or whatever.”

Yeah? What’s your point?

Here’s the thing. If you think you can’t earn as much as “business writers” you’re fooling yourself. Guess what a lot of those business writers are doing? They’re writing for company blogs. They’re writing niche SEO content to promote a company in search engines. They’re pitching feature ideas to magazines just like you would if you wanted to write for magazines yourself. They’re ghostwriting feature articles picked up in magazines and major industry websites (I even covered this kind of work before here). They writing… you guessed it… content!

Misconceptions About Business Writing

Business writing is often confused with copywriting — more specifically with writing sales copy. Is copywriting a part of business writing? Absolutely. But it’s one type of business writing — not the whole specialty area. When you work as a business writer, you have to be able to adapt to different types of writing that benefit your clients’ business.

The bulk of my business writing work used to be press releases, because I ran an online PR firm and my full-time writing work kicked off by bringing along most of my former PR clients. But now the vast majority of my freelance writing work as a business writer is actually blogging.

Sometimes I’m asked to help launch a new blog — coming up with the branding / domain name, choosing the categories, and creating the content. Other times I’m there to serve as a spokesperson for the company (usually ghostwriting short news posts to keep their customers updated about what’s going on with the company). Sometimes they have me respond to reader comments, and sometimes they prefer to have regular staff do that once the posts are written. Sometimes if I blog for them I also tweet for them.

Sometimes I write beginner-level content that takes 20-30 minutes to write (introductory articles to business or finance-related topics). And sometimes I’m even hired just to write up my opinion on industry issues in my specialty areas. Why? Because those opinions ignite conversations, build organic incoming links, and get resulting organic traffic — all things being done with a business purpose, and all falling under the umbrella of “business writing.” (And let me tell you, that’s an awesome job to have.)

It’s All About Your Hourly

Do I charge less for this kind of writing than I do for writing press releases, pitch letters, newsletters, email marketing copy, or Web copy? No. Not really. I know how long an average project will take me in each category of services I offer, and I set my rates based on a set hourly goal ($150 per hour). Sometimes, especially getting to know a client’s business well over the years, I exceed that significantly. And sometimes, like when I’m first putting research into a company to get to know them and their market, I just pull it off or come in slightly lower. That’s regardless of the type of writing I’m doing. It’s just how per-project pricing generally works.

I make as much writing Web content and blog posts as I make with more traditional forms of business writing. And you can too. Remember, you only make less than someone else (thinking on an hourly level) if you choose to. If you want to earn more you have to charge more, and you have to show clients that you’re worth it. Web content is worth a lot more than some folks seem to think. And as long as you stay within that group’s mindset, it will continue to be true. For you.

Today I want to take a look at some criticisms of Demand Studios / Demand Media other than the low rate argument. And I’m going to give you facts — lots of them — so you can make your own decisions about some of these issues. After all, if your opinions aren’t based on facts they’re not opinions at all — they’re delusions.

So today I want to follow up on Carson Brackney’s recent post on Demand Studios where he mentioned that he’s giving them a go for himself so he can form firsthand opinions (which is something I respect by the way). I did have a wee issue with one thing though — his mention of the DS debate, and the focus on criticism revolving around rates they pay writers.

Rates are Just the Tip of the Iceberg

Yes, it’s true that many people have criticized the $15 rates for much of their content and even some of their higher rates. On one level I agree with those people. On another level I really don’t give a damn. Why? Because I know the writers who want more, who are worth more, and who are willing to work for more will get much more in their freelance writing careers.

As for those who are happy with Demand? Good for them — I’m genuinely glad they’re happy, and as I (and other writers) have said repeatedly there’s a place for content mills for some writers. And those who want more but who don’t want to work for it or who are too busy making excuses to try? Well, then they’re probably right where they deserve to be right now in their careers, and hopefully they’ll take steps to improve their situation in the future.

But here’s the thing. You can’t really have an honest conversation about the Demand Studios / Demand Media supporters and opposition unless you go beyond the rates. That’s far from the only criticism out there, and I think many are valid. Personally, my biggest issues with DS include the occasional misleading marketing they engage in to try to solicit writers, the frequency at which they contradict themselves, and what appears to be special treatment from Google (although that’s an issue we’ll discuss far more thoroughly at a later time, and it’s more an issue with Google than Demand itself). For now let’s get back to the issue of “bias.”

More About Bias (Mine and Theirs)

(Note: I really can’t stand the whole “martyr” card some bloggers like to play with their readers. So let me apologize up front, because I know this next segment might sound that way.)

As much as (coming from a PR background) I hate the buzzword, I still am a big supporter of transparency. So I think it’s only fair that I explain my background in this topic area so you know where I’m coming from, where my insight is based, and why this issue is something I’m so passionate about. And even though my past with these sites is already publicly well-documented, I’d rather refresh you on that than have someone come crying later saying “how can you speak out against mills when you write / wrote for them?” I don’t write for them. So let’s be clear on that up front (since someone asked me that on Twitter the other day). But I used to.

I have a lot of experience with content mills, content farms, content networks, or whatever you’d like to call them. There were positive elements. There were plenty of negative ones.

I’ve worked for these sites as a writer. I’ve worked as an editor. I used to be one of the most outspoken supporters of one in particular — Suite101. I’ve tested others for the benefit of my readers here, including Associated Content and the article marketing site EzineArticles.com. I’ve been around. And since then, Yo has picked up on that testing with other mills and networks here on the blog. But back to our flashback….

Not long after leaving About.com, I was hired by Suite101′s new management team / owners as their Technology Editor. Around the same time I was also writing for a network (now gone I believe) called All Info About — their model was a bit different (they put an ad on your site in their network, but you could also place your own to directly earn income, so there really wasn’t any guesswork involved).

I try not to judge single sites based on the whole lot. That would be silly. My opinions were, and are, formed individually. Had I judged them based on issues with others, I never would have given Suite101 a try after the editor overturn drama with About.com at the time. But Suite101′s editor-in-chief (no longer there from the last info I heard) convinced me that they were different; that they really cared about the writers. And even though there had been a bad history under the old owners before them, I think they really did have decent intentions in the beginning. They did actually listen to the editors and writers. Unfortunately things got to a point where I felt that changed.

So not only am I well aware of all of the arguments for content mill writing, but I used to wholeheartedly believe them. I know what it’s like to feel passionate about them, and to get really angry when people bash them. So as much as that can drive me crazy today when people take general comments personally, I do understand what they’re feeling. The difference is that I was there on the backend long enough that I finally woke up. In the end, it’s about money — the big content sites want to make it, and they make it by paying you far less than you could be earning by pursuing gigs elsewhere. They appeal to the lowest common denominator (which is reflected in every single one of us sometimes) — what’s “easy” starts to look like what’s best for us.

What really bothers me isn’t that I used to very aggressively support content mills and speak out in their defense. It’s that I convinced other writers like you to believe that. It was my job to tell you the regular gig made it worth it. It was my job to tell you residuals were better than a much higher up front payment (that could have paid down your high interest bills or gone into savings and investments to earn interest for you rather than for the content site). It was my job to tell you that working for a content site was an amazing thing you could do for exposure (with no regard for the fact that there were better things you could do for exposure while earning far better money, even as a beginner). And I did my job. And as I’ve said in posts here before, I’m still ashamed of that fact.

I’m ashamed because I’ve always cared about the writing community in general. And I should have known better. I should have crunched the numbers sooner. I should have stopped thinking of it in terms of what it could be, and instead seen it for what it really was. Even while recruiting writers (many of whom I’m happy to say left with me or shortly after me, and several of whom I’m still quite friendly with), I did what I could to help them earn more. I volunteered a lot of my own time to teach a select group of Suite101 writers about Internet marketing and SEO — things to help them promote their sites and increase their earnings. But it wasn’t enough.

And that’s why I’ll always try to do more here at All Freelance Writing to help writers realize their options before they end up in the mill rut. It’s why they’ll never be promoted here as a great option for writers, even though I (and other contributers) have tried to treat them fairly in that we’ve generally acknowledged their place for some. But we don’t write for hobbyists here. We write for freelancers who are looking to build professional careers.

That is the context in which you should take the rest of this post.

And keep something else in mind. There’s very little in it for me to write this post. We’ve seen tremendous traffic growth without it, and no amount of traffic or links will make giving up nearly all of my free time for two days, plus extra hours up late each of those days worth it — I value my time too much, and if you’ve been a regular reader here for a while, you already know that.

I get nothing out of telling other writers they can do better. If anything, I increase the competition within my own target market. In fact, I’ve recently been coaching a Demand writer, bringing her not only into my target market but right into my own personal client base. It’s not about me. It’s not about this site. I only get this worked up over an issue if I truly believe in it. And I believe Demand Studios is a bad thing for most freelance writers trying to build serious careers.

Now ask yourself — what’s in for them when they spin things, give multiple versions of a story, and post misleading marketing copy to add more writers to their ranks? How about those $200 million in sales (and more expected this year)? I don’t think there’s anything wrong with wanting to earn money. That’s just business. But I don’t care about Demand’s business. I care about the writers who build the backbone of that business. You can believe what you want. You certainly don’t have to agree with me on every point. You don’t have to agree with me at all. At the end of the day, your decision to work for Demand doesn’t affect me.

When it comes to Demand, I’ve talked to a lot of their writers (I’ve even hired some). I’ve read and listened to the executive interviews. I’ve heard both sides of the debate. I’ve read as much of their guidelines and other documentation as I could before forming opinions (some of which is linked and cited here). I’ve done my research. And now I’ve gathered a large collection of sources for you, not necessarily to convince you to think just like I do, but to cut through some of the PR speak and show you not what the critics are saying, but what Demand representatives actually have to say when you take the time to really look.

Remember, bias isn’t just having an opinion and sharing it. Every time one of their reps gives an interview, it’s biased in their favor. Every time someone they sponsor endorses them or features them, it’s biased in their favor. Yet they criticize the critics, call us biased as though they’re not when they’re being employed by or otherwise paid by Demand, and treat us as though having an opinion means we’re not worth considering. Demand’s CEO has even said that people who criticize Demand just don’t understand them.

And to that I say, “Oh really?” Their model isn’t exactly rocket science. SEOs have been doing the same thing for years. The primary difference? They implemented algorithms to automate the keyword and ad spend research to make their process more efficient. They pay little per piece, so they can earn significant profits.

Look, it’s one thing to change your mind about an issue. I’ve certainly done it (as detailed above). I’m not one who tries to hide their past views by deleting blog posts or comments. That wouldn’t be fair to my readers, and it wouldn’t be fair to me. Everyone is allowed to learn and grow — two things I hope I never stop doing. But what you’ll see below doesn’t look to me like a case of someone changing their mind when you look at the dates and the actual information coming from these Demand reps.

Then again, maybe I’m wrong. Maybe we all are just ignorant when it comes to Demand Media. After all, their own people can’t seem to get their story straight, so who could blame the laymen like us for not understanding the full picture.

Let me give you a few examples — here are some of Demand Media’s / Demand Studio’s claims, with a few follow-up facts for good measure.

Claim: Demand Studios Isn’t Journalism (or Trying to be)

A big criticism of Demand Studios comes from those who worry the site and company will have a negative impact on journalism, on top of that industry’s existing problems. There have been multiple instances where Demand’s CEO Richard Rosenblatt has tried to say they’re not targeting journalism, aren’t participating in journalism, or are not creating news. At the same time, they’ve been seen advertising specifically targeting journalists. I think Rosenblatt sums it up nicely:

“Only the journalists call us journalists.”
- Richard Rosenblatt – CEO, Demand Media [WebProNews, March 18, 2010]

I beg to differ:

“We’re basically service journalism.”
- Steven Kydd, Executive Vice President [Keynote for International Symposium on Online Journalism - University of Texas at Austin, 2010]

“We knew the life of a piece of online content was indefinite, so we focused on creating evergreen, “news that you can use,” quality content”
- Jeremy Reed – Senior VP of Content and Editorial for Demand Media [TheWMFreelanceConnection.com Interview - February 2010]

“We are primarily looking for people with solid researching and reporting skills, and ideal candidates have had their work published in print or online.”
- Robyn Galbos – Director, Demand Studios [Interview with WOW! Women on Writing - April 8, 2010]

“What is wrong with coming up with a way for thousands of writers–who have been laid off, by the way, from news organizations–knowing exactly how much they make, selecting their own topics and publishing when they want?”
- Richard Rosenblatt, CEO of Demand Media [BusinessInsider.com - January 11, 2010]

“Service Journalism Openings”
- Job posting soliciting writers [ProBlogger.com]

“Minimum of 3 years as a Managing, Line, Features, Section or Associate Editor at a newspaper, magazine, book publisher or publication (Please do not apply if you have fewer than 3 years experience)”
- Required qualifications listed for DS Copy Editors in a job ad from the company [JournalismJobs.com - open job ad that expires June 28, 2010]

“Educational and/or professional background in writing, journalism, blogging, etc.” and “Familiarity of writing in AP style preferred.”
- Job ad from the company [JournalismJobs.com - open job ad that expires June 24, 2010]

“Experience writing about health-related topics in a medical or health magazine, newspaper, journal, blog or other health website”
- Job ad from the company, hiring medical / health writers [JournalismJobs.com - open job ad that expires June 21, 2010]

As you can see, not only have Demand Media / Demand Studios executives referred to DS as a form of journalism, contrary to Rosenblatt’s comments, but they’ve also quite actively recruited those with a journalism background. I consider that misleading at best, and a downright lie at worst. But it makes for great spin when you’re being interviewed and you want to discredit some of your naysayers.

Claim: Demand Studios Isn’t Meant to be a Full-time Job

Another criticism of the company has to do with the idea of the sustainability of using DS as a full-time job as opposed to a more limited and / or temporary freelance writing gig. That’s because of the potential to push writers and other producers to burn-out levels.

The point is this: when you pay people very little and you know they desperately need that money, you put them in a position where they have to work for you so often just to get by that there’s no time left for them to target better markets and grow their careers.

Executive VP, Steven Kydd doesn’t seem to agree with that concern, because he says Demand Studios isn’t about creating full-time jobs:

“We’re not trying to create full-time jobs.”
- Steven Kydd, Executive VP [Keynote for International Symposium on Online Journalism - University of Texas at Austin - 2010]

I guess their motives differ from their marketing…

“Work as much as you want, from wherever you want. Fill gaps between full-time jobs or work with us full-time – our freelance jobs are as flexible as you need them to be.”
- On DemandStudios.com [Homepage copy]

“Some filmmakers use Demand Studios to fill time between other gigs, while others focus on Demand Studios assignments as their full-time job. We welcome both types of filmmakers and everything in between.”
- On DemandStudios.com [Page recruiting filmmakers]

… and their executive pitches:

“First, take the application process as seriously as you would for a full-time position.”
- Robyn Galbos – Director, Demand Studios [Interview with WOW! Women on Writing - April 8, 2010]

“Many of our freelancers are happy making a full-time living off of Demand Media assignments – as we’ve removed the “hustle” from freelancing that allows them to focus on what they love to do and cut out all the hassle associated with pitching ideas, finding assignments, chasing down payments, lather, rinse and repeat.”
- Jeremy Reed – Senior Vice President of Content and Editorial for Demand Media [ TheWMFreelanceConnection.com - February 15, 2010]

Maybe they didn’t all get the memo.

Claim: “Group Health Insurance” (Various)

This was a prime example of Demand Media releasing misleading information to market their site to new writers. The basic claim? Eligible writers can get inexpensive group health insurance, just like a “real job.”

On the surface, I know that sounds great, especially to writers who are out of work and in serious need of new insurance coverage. But not all of the information they provided was 100% true. I mean, all you have to do to see that is read the actual insurance documents they eventually provided. If we were talking about a traditional comprehensive insurance plan here (you know… the things employers usually pay into partially), I’d think it was a great option for those who truly had no other option. But that’s not the case.

I’m not going to get into all of the specifics of why this is misleading, the issue of promoting it to sound like an actual insurance benefit versus what’s more of a discount plan (if they technically offer “benefits” they risk contractors being re-classified as employees by the IRS), and what freelancers need to know and discuss with an insurance professional before even considering moving to Demand’s health plan — our resident licensed insurance professional already did that. I want to focus on three of the most alluring aspects they promote to make it sound great to writers, and then I’ll share what the health plan documents actually say.

The health plans have been promoted at times in a way that could make them sound to an average reader like they’re a substitute for traditional health insurance or self-purchased individual plans. Considering how these plans sound could influence whether or not writers sign up and churn out 90 articles to become eligible, I think that’s a problem. Here are two examples:

“By offering guaranteed access to health care benefits as well as twice weekly payment, we are lightening the burden and removing more of the risk for those who want to follow their passion.”
- Steven Kydd, Executive Vice President of Demand Studios [Company-issued press release announcing health care benefits - October 21, 2009]

“You may be able to enroll in the plan after 90 days if a ‘qualifying event’ occurs (such as you or your spouse losing a job which provided health insurance).”
- Demand Studios Health Plan FAQs

And here’s what the actual insurance document says:

“Flex Shield pays indemnity-based benefits for a covered injury or sickness. Flex Shield is not traditional comprehensive health insurance and should not be considered a substitute for comprehensive health insurance or major medical coverage.”
- Demand Media’s Flex Shield Benefit Program Documentation [Page 2]

Here’s what the on-site marketing pitch says about both deductibles and co-pays:

“No deductibles or co-pays”
- DemandStudios.com [Plan Highlights]

Sounds simple enough to me! Until you read the fine print. From a promotional perspective, this works, because to an average reader when you say something like “you don’t have to pay any co-pays during your doctor visit, and you don’t have to pay a deductible,” it sounds like you’re saying their monthly premium is all they have to pay. However, the plan is actually so limited in the amount of benefits paid, as well as the frequency at which benefits can be paid for certain things, that the person with the health plan actually can pay a lot out of pocket. Go ahead. Take a look at the fine print and coverage limits to see for yourself:

- Demand Media’s Flex Shield Benefit Program Documentation [Page 7]

There’s one more big “selling point” for the health care plan from Demand Studios that I take some serious issue with. It has to do with coverage for those with pre-existing conditions. Here’s what they say in the marketing material on their website:

“Pre-existing conditions are covered. The only exception is if you know you are pregnant, you cannot join the plan for that purpose. (Other than in California where there is no such requirement).”
- DemandStudios.com [Plan Highlights]

Now if you read the documentation, you’ll find that’s just downright false. It’s not the “only exception.” There’s another limitation involved with significant wait time before you’ll get any kind of coverage for your condition. And if you have a serious health condition that’s driving your decision to join Demand Studios in order to get this health plan, you might be in for an unpleasant surprise if you believe what they say on their site. Here’s the actual exclusion language from the documentation itself:

Other Demand Studios Criticisms

I have page after page of additional research material here pointing to even more hypocrisy from Demand Media / Demand Studios. And they’re behind other valid criticism of the sites. But given the length of this post already, I’m just going to summarize, as I think we tackled some of the biggest.

1. Claims of an interest in quality content for readers and not just search engines – While on one hand Demand wants writers to put together authoritative pieces, did you know they also have a resource blacklist that lists sites writers aren’t allowed to use as sources? I’ll give them some credit for blacklisting user-submitted and user-edited content like that from Wikipedia. I’ll even give them credit for having a suggested reference list. But they also blacklist much more authoritative sites if they’re competition in the search engines — for example writers can’t cite WebMD as a source if they write for Demand’s Livestrong.com property. I don’t know about you, but I’d call that a pretty clear-cut case of writing for search engines before readers.
2. Claims that Demand content saves readers time — This was one of the more laughable things I saw from Rosenblatt. He claimed that Demand Studios helps readers save time (among other things). Really? How is putting more content with the same information into search results helping people save time? If the information isn’t there yet, then maybe. But that’s not the case for the vast majority of their content I’ve come across. In those cases, at best they’re taking the same amount of time to find the material. At worst they now have to sort through even more content to find the most reputable sources available. If you want to save me time with quality information (as opposed to just trying to rank in search engines for a variety of longtail search phrases for the same thing), then I shouldn’t need more than one article from you on how to train a dog to sit. Instead, buy one high quality article covering a few different methods — if quality and saving time are really your goals at least.
3. Claims that Demand is concerned with conflicts of interest — Apparently that’s only when it might be involved in their search engine rankings. On the other hand, they have no problem “sponsoring” others to write about them, as though that’s not a similar conflict of interest affecting Web readers. I guess it just depends which side of the table you’re on.
4. Claims that Demand improves people’s lives — Sure, I could see the occasional article “improving people’s lives in big and small ways” if they’re accurate, if there wasn’t already more reputable information out there on the topic, etc. But before making claims quite that lofty, I do have to point out some gems of examples from their “contributing writers” (which, if I understand correctly are the ones producing through Demand, and going through their editorial process — correct me if I’m wrong and I’ll sincerely apologize). Do you know what their writers can teach you to improve your life? Here are a few examples: How to make yourself fart (because, really, who doesn’t want to know how to do that?), How to have sex in order to get pregnant (apparently sexy lingerie will cure your baby-making woes — although I didn’t see their famous credible sources cited on that claim), and best of all How to pass a drug test for opiates. As for that last one, not only might they be helping people get away with breaking the law, but fact-check-fail: marijuana is not an opiate. I could have written a much better, much shorter article on that topic for them. Here it is: If you want to protect your “legal freedom and job eligibility,” don’t do illegal drugs, you f*ing dipsh*ts! See? Now that’s information designed to “improve people’s lives.”
5. Claims that Demand pays writers on par with an average journalist’s salary — This one turned out to be much more than a “summary,” but I think the numbers are important. While we won’t get into the “is $15 per article fair?” here, there is one other issue regarding rates that I think is worth mentioning. It has to go to Demand’s defenseof those rates.Not only did Rosenblatt claim people who criticized Demand just didn’t understand them, but he also demonstrated that he doesn’t understand the difference between independent contractors and salaried employees — at least as far as pay being comparable goes. How? Well, in his manifesto he claimed “… we generally target an hourly rate for writers that is comparable to the average salary of a journalist.”

   I wonder what journalists he’s talking about. I mean, if you look at their various interviews and job ads you’ll see quite a few average hourly pay estimates from folks at Demand — $15-25 per hour, $22-25 per hour, $15-30+ per hour. Okay, so let’s take that middle range and give them the benefit of the doubt and say the average pay is $25 per hour (remember — we’re talking about their typical writers, not an exception to the rule, no matter how happy you might be to be one).

   Now let’s take a look at what journalists typically make. I can’t even begin to guess where Rosenblatt got his average (even the government notes that salaries for these folks vary widely). Given that they produce such super-duper, source-cited, fact-checked content, let’s give them the benefit of the doubt again and go with the information provided by one of their writers — $22,000-50,000 per year (and here’s the updated info from their source).

   Yikes. That’s another big range, and that’s only supposed to account for starting salaries (and not including journalists with advanced degrees, which their author notes should add another $10-20,000 to that starting salary). So let’s pretend that Demand never looks for people with advanced degrees and doesn’t want any actual “journalism” experience since that would mean a higher comparable salary they’d have to meet — again, giving them the benefit of the doubt.

   Let’s assume not all DS writers are living in the lowest cost of living areas and go somewhere in the middle — $30,000. So, for your basic $15 DS article, how many do you have to write in a year to earn a comparable “salary?” That’s 2000 articles over the course of 52 weeks in a year; that comes to a requirement of writing 38.46 articles per week, or 7-8 articles every week day.

   Could you write that many articles every single work day with no vacation time, sick time, holidays, personal days, etc.? (Keep in mind the DS job ads estimate an average of 30-60 minutes per article). But let’s assume you can. Now let’s also assume you’re so good at what you do that you never get asked for an edit or a rewrite and you certainly never have an article rejected. You’re also lightning fast at finding and claiming articles, dealing with editor communication, etc.  to the point where we can pretend that time doesn’t even exist. Cool.

   You just might make Rosenblatt’s point look legitimate. After all, if you plug in those same numbers for working days, number of weeks, etc. you’ll find that poor little journalist only comes to around $14.42 per hour. Damn! Makes it look like DS writers live like kings, right? Well, yeah, when you twist stats to make it look that way, sure you can make it work. But here’s the problem.

   Freelance payments and the earnings of salaried employees are not directly comparable. For example, as a freelancer, you’ll pay twice the Social Security and Medicare taxes as an employee (where the employer pays half). That puts you at 15.3% just for those taxes. Big difference.

   You also technically do have business expenses, even if DS is your only paying client and you don’t do any marketing — at least a portion of your internet connection is a business expense, possibly a portion of rent and other utilities if you have a home office, etc. Now that might not sound like much to some, but there’s even more to expenses.

   To make freelance rates directly comparable to the earnings of an employee, you must compare those freelance earnings not to the employee’s salary, but closer to the employee’s total cost to their employer. In other words, all other things have to be equal. Unless Demand Studios is paying not just what that $30,000 per year journalist is earning as a salary, but also the value of any benefits (like health insurance, 401k contributions, sick time, vacation time, etc.) that the average employer is paying, the comparison is irrelevant because the salaried journalist is actually getting much more.

   Remember, as a freelance writer, you’re a business owner, and what you charge clients has to cover all of those things if you want to treat them as comparable.  Salary.com does some nice breakdowns of this for you. So let’s take a look at the difference in their base salary and actual cost when factoring in those benefits. Here’s what we find:

   Their U.S. national base pay is just over $31,000 (pretty close to what we estimated earlier). However, once you factor in average benefits, the journalist is actually getting the equivalent of a little over $47,000. Now what’s the percentage increase? 51.6% That’s pretty significant. That means you’d have to earn more than $45,000 per year working for Demand to really be paid on par with those salaried journalists with a $30,000 base salary (whose hourly “rate” now actually comes to around $21.63 per hour – again, big difference, but it falls within the general range Demand mentions). Okay. Let’s crunch the numbers and see how it adds up.

   To earn that $45,000 with Demand Studios, you have to write 3000 articles over the course of a year. That’s 57.69 articles per week, or 11.54 articles per day on average. Then again, we focused on the journalist’s real earnings specifically so you could account for things like time off (which you still pay for as a freelancer, just out of the rates you charge clients).

   So in reality, you’re probably not going to work 5 days a week, 52 weeks per year. Let’s assume pretty modest vacation time, plus sick time, plus personal days, plus vacation days at four weeks off per year (off 20 working days). Now that comes to 12.5 articles per day, every week day left during the year. Based on Demand’s estimates of 30-60 minutes per article for most of their writers (again, remember we’re not talking about the exceptions, but the typical case study), that means you would have to write 6.25 – 12.5 hours every week day to actually make money comparable to the earnings of a starting journalist.

   That still doesn’t even account for your added taxes, and any business expenses you have that the employee-journalist does not. Nor does it account for any other time involved in working for Demand — and let’s be honest here, you’re not perfect, and you’re not robots.  So sure, you could fudge the numbers to make them work by ignoring the business element of freelancing. And if you’re willing to ignore that and are willing to work an average of over 9 hours per day, you might be able to say Demand pays on par with an entry level journalism job.

   But then again, when Demand likes to tout their writers’ experience, why should those more experienced writers consider that a point for Demand Studios? There’s no logic to it. And keep in mind, that’s not even on the upper end of the starting salary range. Not only that, but since Demand’s CEO claims they’re not journalists to begin with, why choose a starting journalist’s salary as a base model, especially when journalists are commonly thought to be underpaid anyway? Again, there’s no logic to it — at least not if he’s trying to make a case FOR writing for Demand. And really, the math is moot anyway. Remember, Rosenblatt didn’t say they pay on par with the typical salary for a brand-spanking new journalist. Just the average salary of journalists in general.

And that’s all to say nothing of the general Google partner issues, the sleazy SEO keyword-stuffed links at the bottom of the DS site, the issues of “writers relying on a 3rd party that relies on another 3rd party” business concern, etc.

I think that’s enough for now. Clearly, the issues with Demand Media / Demand Studios aren’t all about the rate debate. Sometimes it’s just about the stupid sh*t those associated with them say and do.

What it Does

The freelance hourly project rate calculator is designed to help you figure out how much you really earn on individual freelance writing projects. That doesn’t just mean what you charge the client. It means accounting for all time that goes into securing and completing the project, and finding out what your hourly rate breaks down to. For example, you can find out what you really earn with residual earnings schemes based on the full time invested, or you can track individual client projects.

Why Use It?

The freelance hourly project rate calculator helps you improve your productivity so you can start earning more without actually raising your rates. Remember, the key to success in providing services is finding out how to work smarter rather than harder — finding ways to earn more while investing the same amount of overall work time since billable hours are limited by nature.

For example, you could use the calculator to compare final hourly rates earned while writing three different white papers of the same length. When you set your general per-project rates, you should have an idea of how long a project will take you. This tool can help you figure out that average and figure out where you might be spending too much time. That gives you the information you need to adjust your work habits to make the process more efficient. For example, you might change the way you communicate with clients — email rather than several very long phone conversations if a client happens to be a “talker.”

This tool is also designed to help those considering “too good to be true” freelance writing jobs. We talked recently about residual earnings and how people bragging about high earnings through those sites were leaving out important information (like having to write more than 1400 articles to make it happen and not mentioning edit requests and time spend corresponding with those editors or even reviewing and choosing topics to write about). The tool can be used to check some of those claims — find out what earnings really come to before jumping into a gig that could drain you of far more than you get in return.

How to Use It

I think the tool is fairly intuitive. Start by choosing your currency from the list (it really doesn’t affect the calculations at all — just there so people aren’t forced into using USD values). Then enter the information requested — total amount charged for the project, how long you were writing, how much time went into research and brainstorming, time communicating with the client, etc. Enter values in minutes, not hours.

You can’t enter information into the last two fields. When you get to them, hit the button at the bottom and their values will be calculated for you to tell you how many hours were spent on the project in total and how much you earned per hour worked on that project. That’s all there is to it!

It’s not enough to knock off the excuses. You stopped blaming the economy for your lack of work. Great. You stopped blaming low-rate writers for underbidding you and costing you jobs. Fantastic. You stopped blaming your busy schedule for the fact that you can’t work enough billable hours. Wonderful! But where do you go from there?

Changes That Can Improve Your Freelance Writing Career

You have to take action. If your freelance writing career isn’t where you want it to be, then something you’re doing (or not doing) is holding you back. What that is will vary from one freelance writer to the next. Here are a few ideas for changes you can make to your freelance writing career though. Maybe one of them will be the right option for you!

• Change the hours you work. — You might consider yourself a night owl, but that doesn’t mean it’s the best time for you to work. I used to be one myself. Then I got a biological reality check. I didn’t want to hear it when people told me getting up very early would be better. But do you know what? It was! I get nearly twice the amount of work done each day, and I still have far more time for my own projects and my personal life, not to mention more money because of the increased productivity. I get up at 4am, and it’s a “magic number” as far as I’m concerned (yours might be 3am or 6am… I don’t know). There really is a huge difference when you’re working with a well-rested mind — not one that’s been up and processing all day and evening. And you still get the benefits of working late at night (it’s dark, it’s quiet, and there aren’t many distractions). It wasn’t an easy change for me early on. I’d say it took a good week or two before it went from being something I was making myself do to a natural habit. Once you hit that phase, you’ll wonder why you didn’t do it sooner.
• Change the freelance writing rates that you charge. — We’ve talked so much here about why you shouldn’t under-charge for your freelance writing services that I’m not going to get into it again. If you aren’t earning enough, chances are good that you aren’t charging enough. That’s all there is to it.
• Change the market you target. — If you’re afraid to raise rates, because you’re worried clients you work with won’t want to pay you more, you could very well be right. That doesn’t mean what you’re charging is right though. It means the target market you’re reaching out to is wrong. Your target market has to consist of people who are looking for the services you offer, but also those who can afford the rates you plan to charge. It’s not either-or. This can be one of the most difficult changes to make in a freelance writing career, because it can literally mean starting over. You might have to re-launch your professional site, put together a different portfolio that appeals to the different market, and be prepared to try new marketing tactics to reach your new potential clients. And on that note….
• Change your marketing plan. — Sometimes the only reason you’re not succeeding is that your marketing plan is a bit off. Maybe the strategies you’ve been pursuing really don’t work well with your target market. You might be cold calling Internet businesses where people don’t always answer their phones (they might prefer an email pitch). You could be blogging to showcase your expertise in your niche when you’re targeting high-level executives, where a white paper might be far more effective. Look at your target market. What to do they? Where do they go (online and off)? What are the most efficient ways of reaching them in a way where you can make an impact? Those are the types of things your marketing plan should focus on. If they’re not, make a change.

What other types of changes would you like to make in your hunt for freelance writing jobs? What changes have you already made, and have they worked out for you? Share your stories and other advice for making changes in the comments below.

While a few colleagues I’ve talked to are taking a week or two off during the holidays, I was surprised by how many aren’t — and not because they take big vacations at other times of the year. They echo similar concerns of not being able to go for a week or so without the income coming in or fearing that if they take time off they’ll lose regular clients.

I was in that same situation at one point, so I sympathize. But look at it this way — time off (whether you want it over the holidays, in the summer, or even both) is a perk of being paid well for what you do. If you can never afford to take time off, you probably aren’t earning enough.

I’m not going to tell you exactly what you should be charging. Everyone has to set their own freelance writing rates. But no matter what your actual number works out to, remember that it should do more than cover your bare minimum expenses. It also has to account for things like vacation time, sick time, personal savings, retirement savings, and any benefits you might want such as health insurance.

So if you’re stuck working through the holidays and you’d rather not be, spend a few minutes thinking about it. This time next year would you like anything to be different? Are you being paid enough to make that happen? Are you worth more than you’re currently being paid? Whether or not 2010 is meant to be the year of the well-paid writer, it can still be the year of the well-paid YOU. Decide now where you want to be when the holidays come around again, and find a way to make that happen if you’re not already.

(Note: some posts are still scheduled to go live on AFW, and others on the  team will also have posts scheduled, so I hope you’ll check in still if you do find yourself working).

Feeling that you’re worth more is only half of the battle. Don’t get me wrong. It’s important. You probably won’t start commanding higher freelance writing rates if you don’t feel that your time is worth more than what you’re being paid now. It starts with you. It just doesn’t end there.

How can you “deserve” higher freelance writing rates?

It goes back to something else I talk about a lot here — value. Let’s say you got caught up in the extremely low-paying markets at a penny per word or less. You’re far from the only one. You probably also aren’t the only one who would love to earn more. But many of those writers never will, and they shouldn’t.

Extremely low-paying markets are often full of freelance writers who really aren’t qualified to write for a living. I’m not talking about new writers who simply made a bad business decision by targeting the wrong markets either. I’m talking about the type that can barely string a few sentences together. Maybe they just swipe content from another site and reword it (copyright infringement in some countries if you don’t have a license or the copyright holder’s permission). Maybe they know absolutely nothing about the topics they write on, and their articles amount to little more than regurgitated Wikipedia content. These writers are going to struggle to earn more than they currently do, because they don’t offer true value to clients with bigger budgets for higher quality work.

Let’s hope you don’t fall into that group. Here are a few things you can do to demonstrate increased value to clients that will show them you really do deserve to be paid more than rock-bottom rates:

1. Choose a specialty. — If you’ll write about anything and everything you’re less valuable to most businesses paying top dollar for freelance writers. Generalists might thrive in lower-paying markets, but big-budget clients often expect someone who’s knowledgeable in their niche or industry, or in the writing style (such as writing effective ad copy targeting a female audience).
2. Get some reputable clips. — Here’s a newsflash for you: the work you do for a penny per word can make you look like a joke in higher paying markets. You don’t want that work representing you. Once you show clients that you’re willing to be taken advantage of, why on earth would you think they’d happily fork over the big bucks? Many of these clients won’t even look at you if you haven’t worked similar jobs on the reputation scale. Don’t have any reputable clips you’re thrilled to show off? Consider doing some work for a local branch of a well-known nonprofit. It’s good PR for your freelance writing business, and a clip from a known organization looks infinitely better in your portfolio than a bunch of cheap content for MFA (made-for-Adsense) sites like content mills and slapped-together niche sites.
3. Build more credentials. – Whether you’re writing for a penny per word or significantly more, you might have maxed out your earning potential based on your current experience and credentials. Building more credentials is one way to add more value to your work. Let’s say you write about small business issues, but your freelance work is the whole of your experience in running a business. That’s perfectly fine if you’re talking about those types of business issues. It doesn’t make you qualified to write for people targeting more traditional small businesses though. They’re not the same thing. A certificate in entrepreneurial studies, a business administration degree, or an MBA could certainly help to close the gap.
4. Evaluate the competition. — If you want to raise your rates, now is a good time to do a basic SWOT analysis (where you map out your strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats when compared to your competition). Doing this lets you see where you stand on the value front compared to competitors, so you’ll get a better idea of whether your work is worth more than theirs or not in the eyes of prospective clients. Just make sure you compare yourself to the people you want to compete against rather than the lower-rate writers you’re already in competition with.
5. Create an elevator speech. — It doesn’t matter that you offer greater value than the competition if you don’t know how to convey that to potential buyers. An elevator speech is a short description of what you do — short enough that you could give the pitch on a brief elevator ride. We’ll be talking more about elevator pitches tomorrow, and running a contest based on them through the end of this year. Check back then for more information about how to create one.

Remember, it’s never enough to think you should be paid more. You not only have to deserve it, but you have to show clients why you deserve it.

How would you feel about having your freelance writing schedule booked weeks or months in advance? Do you wish you had the luxury to be more selective in the freelance writing jobs you take on, able to turn down anything that doesn’t appeal to you?  Plenty of freelancers are already in that boat, myself included. It’s a great place to be, but a reader brought up a good question a while back in a comment — if your schedule is constantly full, doesn’t that mean it’s time to raise your rates?

The short answer is “no.” Demand alone isn’t enough of a reason to raise your rates. Today I want to talk about why, before you rush off to raise rates for 2010 just because you have adequate demand at your current rates.

Not All Work is Created Equal

Credit: alxm (stockxpert.com)

It’s true that constant demand is one sign that it might be a good time to raise rates. But that doesn’t mean it’s always true. For example, the bulk of my work comes from regular clients who place relatively large orders every month. I have a booked schedule well into the New Year. This year I only took on about five new clients due to the existing commitments. I don’t expect that to change in 2010. Yet I turn down multiple offers every single week (referring those buyers to colleagues).

Does that mean I should raise my rates with my other clients, or replace them with higher paying ones? No. Why? Because an influx of offers in no way means those working relationships would be equal to my existing client relationships. I have long-term contracts. There’s no guarantee of that with a new client. I’ve found an amazing balance between great rates and stability rivaling that of a regular full-time job. Hypothetically I could drop client A (who orders $2000 worth of content a month) and replace them with client B (who will pay a bit more). But client B might not stick around beyond a month or two, meaning I’d then have to replace them again with someone new.

Stability and long-term contracts are a huge factor you can’t afford to ignore.

New Clients Equal More Work (and Sometimes Less Money Hourly)

You also have to look beyond your base rates. You can’t think of it as “client A will pay me $450 for the project and client B will pay me $600 for the project, so I should go with the new client B.” When it comes to freelance writing rates, you have to revert everything back to hourly levels.

If you’ve been working with client A for a year, chances are good that you’re already intimately familiar with their business, products, or services. You probably know who their target market or target readers include, and you know how to tackle the project to appeal to those people. You might be able to turn that project around in 5 billable hours, meaning you’ll earn $90 per hour.

With client B, you don’t know any of that information up front. If you truly want to do your job well you’ll have to invest more time into research. You’ll review the client’s website thoroughly. You’ll look at other documentation they send you. You’ll have phone or in-person consultations with the client. You’ll research the target market / readers and how the competition successfully appeals to them. It might take you 9 hours overall with that additional work. Even at the higher per project rate, you would only be making around $67 per hour.

Unless you know up front that client B plans to be a long-term repeat client (meaning that initial time investment will pay off over time as their projects become faster to complete), the better business decision is to stick with client A. The lower rate is actually more pay per hour (and more hours to devote to other projects).

Changing Rates Sometimes Means Starting Over

Credit: Ivan Petrov (sxc.hu)

Unfortunately, there’s always the possibility that you’re at the maximum rates your current target market will pay. Therefore, if you want to raise your rates, you’ll have to change your target market. That means starting over. You’ll need to tailor your services and your value proposition to an entirely new group of potential clients, re-think your marketing strategies, and revamp your network. Do you really want to do that?

If you’re not happy with what you’re earning (such as being stuck at content mill rates and wanting to double or triple them), then do it. You have to change your market to change your career path. But in a case like mine, when you’re already earning a very comfortable hourly rate, overhauling your career targets (and all of the unpaid marketing and administrative time involved in doing that) doesn’t make sense.

So no, demand isn’t enough to signal that it’s time to raise your rates. Hating your current work, feeling taken advantage of, and being pushed to the burnout point cranking out content just to make a livable hourly wage… those are reasons to raise rates (if you can offer the value to back it up).

That said, don’t ignore the demand either. A sudden influx doesn’t always mean something. But if that increased demand sticks around for six months or more with no signs of letting up, take it as a sign that it might be time to evaluate your overall situation as a freelance writer. Only that will tell you whether or not it’s really time to increase your freelance writing fees. In the end what you should strive for is balance — rates that allow you to pay your bills, set money aside for savings or investments or leisure activities, and still enjoy enough free time that you can pursue your own hobbies and projects or spend more time with friends and family.

Finding that balance might seem like a dream to some, but I can tell you it’s absolutely attainable. As with most things freelancing, all it takes is a bit of business sense and planning.

Do you sometimes feel like your rates are too low? Are you afraid to increase them? When you earn a living as a freelance writer, you get to set your rates. You decide how much you’ll earn. But sometimes writers lack confidence. They worry that clients won’t think they’re worth what they want to charge. Not true (unless you’re insane and you think you’re going to start earning a 7 figure income right off the bat).

It’s time to forget about those insecurities, those cheap writing ads you see everywhere, and that crazy notion that earning more money freelance writing is just too hard. Today I challenge you to make a change and start making more money!

The Challenge

Today I want you to step outside of your element, put your foot down, and say “I’m worth more than this!” I want you to take your normal rate, and I want you to increase it. If you’re charging $.10 per word or less, I want you to double it! If you’re charging significantly more (let’s say $.50 per word), then increase it by a smaller increment but one that’s still a significant change.

I don’t want you to start emailing all of your existing clients to tell them you’re raising your rates. I don’t want you to update your rates on your website. That’s not the point of this challenge. This challenge is about getting you to take a chance.

Start by looking for a new market, job ad, or even a site or company you’d like to write for that isn’t advertising. Normally I don’t advocate pitching if you can avoid it, but today is special. I want you to find a new prospective client to pitch a project idea to. Pitch them with your increased rate (and obviously don’t bring your older / existing rates to their attention – if this works out for you, you should continue doing it until all of your work is coming in at the higher rate).

You might be surprised to get a “yes” for a project you otherwise may have felt unqualified for. It happened for me and several colleagues of mine. When I was ready to pitch my first independent Web writing client for a specific article, I knew what they were paying my colleagues. I raised it $.10 per word (to $.35 per word), because that’s what my time was worth to me then (and it was a relatively simple piece that took little more than an hour or so). I pitched my rate. They accepted. They didn’t question it. They didn’t try to talk me down. They said “yes,” I wrote the article, and they paid me. Now that my time is constantly in demand, I have even more flexibility in what I charge. You can get there too. But you have to take that first step in deciding what you’re worth and asking for it.

So go ahead. Get out of your comfort zone for once, and you may find you quite like it there.