Freelance writing is an industry rife with people who believe they must accept gigs that pay below-market rates in order to remain competitive. All writers have to take their experience into consideration when setting their rates, but undercharging does not pave the road to success.

When I started, like most others, I used bidding websites, or charged below-market rates. I also reached out to friends, and offered them low rates in order to gain experience. However, some of the work I did for them turned out to be more difficult than anticipated. To top it off, I wasn’t specializing in a niche. Instead, I was looking for just about any gig I could get my hands on. I thought being a jack-of-all-trades would benefit my career. Unfortunately, this goes against the conventional wisdom I learned the hard way: if you want to be a writer, you need to specialize.

Wanting to showcase my talent and professionalism to potential clients, I purchased my own website. I knew there were free websites I could use but I felt having my own website would help me better market myself.

After that, I focused primarily on product reviews, coverage of immigration issues, and health and wellness. After getting a few more credits to my name, I was no longer a new freelancer and I was able to negotiate higher rates based on bylines and additional experience. Plus, I acquired references from clients who had paid me what I wanted, and were able to prove my skills were worth their investment. I also saved time when I stopped applying to gigs that didn’t pay enough. And, as a bilingual writer, I was also able to charge additional fees whenever work needed to be translated as well.

Through increased experience, and focusing on a few specialties, I was also able to write faster, and spend more time finding high-paying writing work.

RELATED:

• Why I Don’t Post My Rates on My Website By Kathleen Krueger
• Flat Fees vs. Hourly Rates: Do Both at Once! By Anne Bingham
• Two Different Rates For The Same Words
• I Got Higher Quality Clients, and Tripled My Income, by Raising My Writing Rates! By Joy Lynskey
• Writers! Never Work For Less Than Professional Rates!! By Elizabeth Armenta

Ingrid Cruz is a full-time freelance writer. She enjoys traveling, reading, and a good cup of coffee. Her website is: http://www.ingridiswriting.com

HOW TO REMEMBER, WRITE AND PUBLISH YOUR LIFE STORY

Angela Hoy's popular online class is now available in book format!

Remember Your Past
Write It and Publish It
in as little as 12 weeks!

Angela Hoy's book will get you started!

• Using Angela's MEMORY TRIGGERS, recall memories that have been dormant for years
• Record those memories in chronological order in your memory notebook
• Using the memory notebook as your outline, write your autobiography!
• Also works for biographies and memoirs!

Read more here:
https://booklocker.com/books/4764.html

QUERY LETTERS THAT WORKED! Real Queries That Landed $2K+ Writing Assignments

Peek over the shoulders of highly successful freelance writers to see how they earn thousands per article! The query letter is the key!
In these pages, you'll find real query letters that landed real assignments for national magazines, websites, and corporations.

Also includes:

• Abbi Perrets' form letter that brings in $30,000-$45,000 annually
• Sample phone query from Christine Greeley
• The Six Golden Rules of Queries and Submissions...and How I Broke Them! by Bob Freiday
• Your Rights As a "Freelancer"
• and ANGELA HOY'S SECRET for finding ongoing freelance work from companies that have a stable of freelancers, yet never run ads for them!

 

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