On the 2nd of June, 2016, I floated the idea of doing a challenge in which I go from scratch — without using my existing influence and resources — and earn $1,000 monthly as a freelance writer within two months. The idea was overwhelmingly welcomed, with over 400 people expressing interest in the challenge in a matter of days!
It can be frustrating when you send an email and you hear nothing.
You send an email to the editor of a potential publication you want to reach out to and, after checking your inbox like 100 times throughout the day, you hear nothing. Maybe they’re just busy, so you wait a day… a week… and still no response — until you completely forgot that you sent an email.
The above scenario should be very familiar if you send emails; it happens when you cold pitch clients, when you email your favorite bloggers or when you try to get published in major publications.
Ever since starting the Earn Your First $1,000 as a Freelance Writer challenge, a question I get asked a lot is that of how to charge clients. How do you ensure you are charging the right amount? How do you ensure you’re not cheating yourself? How do you ensure that the amount you demand won’t scare your clients away?
It’s easy to point you to some “standard” rate list, but I won’t do that. Instead, I’ll give you practical advice on how to charge your clients.
Also, I’ll be honest with you: despite my years of experience as a freelance writer, I still have fears when I give new clients my rate. What if they find my rate too high? What if they don’t reply? Indeed, many do not reply. However, as I later conclude in this article, the solution isn’t to go as low as potential clients are willing to go; the solution is to find clients who are willing to pay your rates no matter how “high” it is.
Instead of writing a fresh article, I decided to update one I had already written on the subject of charging clients. Enjoy!
It’s been exactly 11 days since I kickstarted the Earn Your First $1,000 as a Freelance Writer challenge and I just got my first client TODAY! They will be paying me $150 per article.
Here’s a screenshot of their message to me (I posted this in the challenge Facebook group earlier):
A lot of exciting things have happened since I announced the Earn Your First $1,000 as a Freelance Writer challenge. Here are some of the highlights:
Starting today, we will start prospecting for, and pitching, clients; if you’re not sure how to go about this, read my articles on the strategy for the earn your first $1,000 as a freelance writer challenge and how to prospect for clients. These two articles should put things in perspective for you.