This week started off on several sweet notes: people wanted to hire me and buy some of my stuff. My oversized ego said, “Take that, recession!” But by today, things are quite different. The people who want to buy stuff I make are still on (oh, thank you!!!) but the folks who showed interest in hiring me to write for them are not so present. It happens. It stinks. But it happens.
And life goes on.
One of the hardest things about being a freelance writer is convincing people to hire me. A lot of people approach me about writing for their website or composing the text for their marketing collateral, but about nine times out of ten, it’s hard to advance the discussion without mentioning my rates from the start. Most people’s eyes glaze over when I tell them that I don’t have set rates because every job is different – some jobs can I can whip out in a matter of a couple hours, others take weeks because of the research and fact-checking involved – and thus, every job has a different fee. The person listening always comes back to the same question: “Okay, but how much will you charge me?” After some back-and-forth about what they need, what they’re looking for, deadlines and so on, I give them an estimate. Some people – smart people – say they want to start scheduling the job (great!), but most others are polite and tell me they’ll get back to me (right) and others gawk or gasp and tell me they are certain they can find someone less expensive through Craigslist. The things people say. Stinks. Happens. Life goes on.
The other stumbling block I often face is the perception that I can’t write about things I don’t know. A lawyer recently inquired about hiring me to write the text for his new website and marketing collateral. Luckily this isn’t a guy who’s terribly worried about money, but he kept coming back to the idea that I couldn’t write about his specialty. Although I gave him instances where I was assigned a story or hired to write about a topic of which I had close to zero knowledge, he could not detach himself from the idea that he needed a writer who specialized in his field. As the conversation dragged on, I just knew, “This is not going anywhere.” It stinks. It happens. And life goes on.
I found myself this morning without much to do. I’ve pretty much exhausted all the leads I can follow at the moment and needed a break. When I stepped into the back yard to see what the mischievous dog was barking at I noticed that one of the trees is blooming. Its flowers don’t have a scent. But they don’t stink either. Nice way to end the week.
Note: We had a big mess in our kitchen which prevented me from completing the cookies I started on Monday. I hope I’ll be back in baking mode this weekend. If not, you know me. I’ll try to whip up something clever for you.
{ 5 comments… read them below or add one }
thank you for sharing your beautiful surprise with us! I think it must be a good sign. & congrats on your recent buyers. That is always a good feeling, though I am not surprised, you are so talented.
Have a fun weekend.
That’s too bad Mari. It does stink. I know exactly what you mean about people thinking they can either do it themselves or get it done “cheaper”. We’re not the highest law firm around, but people will still “shop around” to see if they can get it done cheaper elsewhere or else find the form they want online. It usually ends up with DH having to extracate them from a mess they’ve made themselves. It would have been cheaper for them to let him do it to begin with. *sigh*
I’m not a plumber, electrician, or CPA, so I know enough to hire an expert to do the things I’m not qualified to do. Next time someone like that lawyer waffles, tell them “I promise not to practice law (or whatever they do) if you promise not to try being a professional writer.” That should set their minds straight.
Oh, and another thing – about your fees? Charge by the hour, then however many hours it takes (whether researching, etc.), that’s what they will pay. Then you just have to estimate (in your mind) how long you think it will take for you to do the piece depending on the work involved. The less you talk about what it takes to complete the piece, the better.
Hope this helps a bit, hun. I know it’s hard, but what I always tell DH is “You don’t need the practice! You know how to do (fill in the blank), so get the money up-front.” It works!
The right jobs WILL come along. Have a good weekend.
Paz
Thanks Lily!
Sally, I generally create estimates based on my hourly rate. So if a job sounds like it will take a lot of time and research, require many revisions, I have to put all of that together and give a quote. I just hate how people commoditize (that a word?) what I do…Anyway. Thanks for the encouragement.
Paz, Thanks dear. You’re right. It’s just frustrating. Bleh.
brave and beautiful.