Comments on: Pricing Your Design and Writing Services

By: James

James — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 15:46:41 +0000

@ Sally – That’s a tricky question, and I think that freelancers tend to have different variations based on what generally works for them.

We go for concise and the basics: Rate, turnaround, number of revisions, description of project, payment terms, what copyrights we sell (or don’t).

Getting into legal disclaimers and whatnot depends very much on what you are writing and the potential of damage from someone taking action on your content. But I do think that the loss of revenue disclaimer is a little bit of overkill…

By: Sally - Snappy sentences

Sally - Snappy sentences — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 09:27:02 +0000

Hi James
As someone starting out in the freelance world, do you have any advice or links to examples on what to cover off in your quote/terms and conditions? I’m not sure whether to include a disclaimer…like ‘although ss makes every effort to ensure accuracy of content, ss will not be liable for any loss of revenue… etc’. What has your experience been?

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Sun, 06 Jul 2008 16:43:09 +0000

[...] 2: Pricing Your Design and Writing Services [...]

By: Michael Martine

Michael Martine — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 19:50:01 +0000

People are writing stuff on the 4th of July? Oh… that’s right! You Canadians are! Good stuff.

Pricing and perceived value is indeed all over the map. A big mistake people make is that they tie their prices to their perception of their own worth. Unfortunately, that mistake is extraordinarily difficult to overcome, because in the minds of these people, a poor self-image filters everything they experience so that everything is a symptom of their own detrimental self-beliefs.

On the opposite end, charging high prices is also not an indicator of self-worth. It’s an indicator of many other things, like good copywriting on your services page, or good sales skills during initial communications, but it’s no more a measure of a person’s worth than is undercharging.

I don’t always charge as much as I can. When I don’t, there are important strategic considerations driving it.

Michael Martine’s last blog post..How I Used Gateway Blogging Techniques and Landed a Client with a Single Blog Post

By: Dhane Diesil

Dhane Diesil — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 02:17:07 +0000

I totally agree. There is not right or wrong answer. Only YOU the designer or copywriter knows exactly how much you are worth.

I struggled with this issue for months. But don’t let it stop you from working. The truth is, regardless of how much you charge, some people are going to think you’re expensive, while others will think you’re too inexpensive.

The bottom line: Charge as much as you can!!!

In the end, you and your client will feel a lot better about the value that you have provided them.

But you better deliver.

By: Debbi

Debbi — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 01:47:25 +0000

An excellent practical guide to pricing for freelancers is the book "What to Charge: Pricing Strategies for Freelancers and Consultants" by Laurie Lewis. I've read and heard a lot on the subject, and this book has been the most useful resource. Debbi Debbi's last blog post..Lessons Learned (Part 4): Read Advice Like This, Then Feel Free to Ignore It

By: James

James — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 23:02:36 +0000

@ Matt – Actually, I found the calculator to not be very accurate in certain cases.

Like, for Canadians.

But it is a resource and can help, yes.

By: Matt Tuley, Laptop for Hire

Matt Tuley, Laptop for Hire — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 22:32:38 +0000

FreelanceSwitch.com has a rate calculator tool that can be great for helping folks determine, at the least, a good starting point for the rates they'll set. It's found under "Resources". Matt Tuley, Laptop for Hire's last blog post..Is that graph necessary?

By: Susan Cartier Liebel

Susan Cartier Liebel — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 20:46:38 +0000

James,

Pricing is all about you valuing your services and your clients’ valuing your services similarly. That’s all in the presentation. Lawyers suffer from the billable hour hamster wheel and it is very hard to break free. I’m partial to project pricing in all forms of service. It prevents tension between the provider and the client and fosters partnership as long as the provider delivers as promised…and then some.

Great post.

By: Janice C Cartier

Janice C Cartier — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 19:22:09 +0000

oops. That inbox visual doesn't make sense. I meant I like that image you gave of when the inbox is empty vs piled with work..how that affects price. Janice C Cartier's last blog post..A Goal Setting Template- Part 4