In every freelancer circle, whether it’s a forum, a group, or something similar, I’ve seen this question posed at least once. More than once, I’ve been the one to ask the question: how much should I charge a client?
Inevitably, there will be two answers to this question:
- “When you’re first starting out, you should be prepared to work for free!”
- “If you aren’t charging at least $100 per post, you’re selling yourself short!”
Now, as a relatively new freelancer (but as someone who has been working contract and odd jobs for several years), both of these answers rub me the wrong way.
I don’t think I should have to work for free — could you imagine if we told people in any other profession that? And while I hope to one day have the experience to charge $100 (or more!) per blog post, right now that seems as reasonable as charging $5k and my client’s first born child.
So, all that said, what should a freelancer charge? My answer: it depends on the freelancer. And on the client.
When it comes to my clients, I charge them on a case-by-case basis. No two jobs are exactly alike, so no two rates should be exactly alike, either.
When deciding on a rate, a freelancer should take into account their own needs. While it might seem reasonable to say, “Oh, X per word is fair,” that doesn’t take into account the research, revisions, and otherwise non-billable stuff that goes into every post.
Remember, every second that you spend on a client is a second that you aren’t spending on something else. Your rates need to reflect this if you want being a freelancer to be a fulltime job.
But you shouldn’t ignore the needs of your client, either. You shouldn’t charge a small business the way you would a corporation. And you shouldn’t charge people who want a couple of tweets a week the same way that you would someone who wants you to write a full-length autobiography.
At the end of the day, everything is relative. Being willing to negotiate with your client can be your greatest asset — provided that you stick to your guns when it counts.
