Below is a blog post I originally posted on my freelance site last year. I just found a “must see” video for writers on the topic of getting paid. It inspired me to re-post this blog post on The Copywriter’s Vault. After you read my post…get really inspired and watch the video from The Copywriter Underground website.
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I sent out several emails to prospects marketing my services this week. I had a potential client respond by asking me why he should switch to my SEO content writing services, when his current writer charges 50% less.
I told him that if he received well-written copy in a timely manner and was happy with the price, he shouldn’t stop using his current writer. Of course, my thought was that if he was satisfied, why did he contact me?
My guess is that he was fishing for a cheaper rate.
I replied with a breakdown of my rates explaining why I charge what I charge, and what goes into my research, writing, etc. I didn’t try to convince him; I just wanted him to understand what he would get for the money. Of course, I never heard back from him.
In the same week, I had another potential client contact me about my services. He said he liked my work and that he saw my rates. He didn’t say they were too high or too low. I told him that depending on the volume of work he could give me, we could negotiate the rates. The more work I could get, the better the rate.
We discussed how some copywriters will work for really low wages, peanuts, practically free. He commented how this was tearing down our profession across the board. He is right. Most writers write because they like it, but they have to pay bills too.
We don’t need to overcharge clients; we just need to make a fair wage. If we spend time researching, writing, editing, re-writing, etc…we should be paid for our time. People in any profession expect this.
I’ve come to the conclusion that if I have to beg a client to be paid a decent wage, they probably aren’t the client for me. A client that understands what it takes to get good work will gladly pay a fair wage.
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and now…the video: Pay the Damned Writer (*warning: some coarse language.)
