Have you wondered if there’s a point at which the freelance writing life gets easier? I get asked that a lot.
Writers get sick of the hustle and grind of trying to scare up more gigs. Or they tire of being broke all the time.
Isn’t there an easier way to earn more money as a freelance writer?
As it happens, there is.
There is one great way to earn more money as a freelance writer that doesn’t rely on marketing. It’s my favorite way to earn more, too, as it does not involve working any harder.
Bonus: Now is the perfect time of year to lay the groundwork and make this happen.
What do you charge?
The simplest way to grow your income as a freelance writer is to get paid more to do what you’re already doing. In other words, get a raise from your existing clients.
No marketing needed — no auditioning, writing sample articles, answering ads, going to networking events, sending queries, nothing.
It’s so simple! Yet so many writers fail to take advantage of this great opportunity to earn more.
It’s true that for this to work, you need to already have clients. And they need to be the right type of client — the kind where you can get a raise — not a content mill where they’ve been paying $15 or $20 for articles for years, and it’ll never change. Or a revenue-share situation where you earn pennies for ad clicks. Only a miracle will earn you more at these sort of places.
My experience in mentoring hundreds of writers is that new writers often bid too low, and then rarely ask clients for more money. Even though over time, their expertise in that client’s business and their sector usually grow dramatically.
Often, all you have to do is get more is simply to ask. If you’ve been writing for a client for 60-90 days, you can often get a raise at that early point. That’s enough time to make yourself indispensable to the client. You don’t have to wait a year or more!
Some writers tell me they don’t feel ready to ask for a raise yet, or they need to gain confidence that they’re worth more.
Let me help: You’re worth more. Yes, I can tell from here.
Why is now the best time to get a raise? Well, my proven approach to getting raises takes six weeks to execute. Six weeks from now, it’s a new year. That’s why this is the perfect moment.
6 Weeks to more money
If you give your client a lot of notice near year-end, it’s fairly easy to get a raise. I’ll demonstrate why. It takes six weeks for this method to play out — here are the steps:
1) Notify your client this week that your rates are going up starting in 2015. I suggest a simple script along these lines:
“For some time now, my rates have been rising, but I’ve kept your rate stable because I love working with you. However, at this point I won’t be working at this rate in future. I’m writing to let you know that starting in 2015, my rates are going up from $X to $X (usually 10%-15% more).”
2) Client gets note. Scans it. Sees it says something’s happening in “2015.” Client makes a mental note that this isn’t something urgent that’s happening this week. They don’t have to think about it right now. They can go back to the million emergencies they’re dealing with because it’s almost year-end.
3) If you don’t hear back, you’ve got two options. Get back in touch and insist they sign a revised contract, or simply start charging more on Jan. 1. You know I recommend having a contract, but your call. I’ll admit I’ve used the sneaky approach in the past, and it’s worked out.
4) If you haven’t gotten confirmation yet, remind them right before Christmas that your rates are going up.
5) Client is headed out the door for the holidays, and realizes time got away from them on this one. Now, they’ll never find a replacement for you before Jan. 1. They think about it and realize they like your work, and it’s probably not worth the effort to break in a new writer — it’s easier to just pay you a little more.
6) When you bill for January work, you’re at the higher rate.
One tip: I’ve found asking for a modest raise pretty foolproof. But I also know writers who were being radically underpaid, who asked for and got 50%-100% raises. So consider your situation and your client, and think carefully about how big a raise you want to shoot for.
Small raises increase your odds that clients will simply agree without giving it a lot of thought, but sometimes the pay is so low you should either quit or get a substantial raise.
When you can’t ask for more
There’s one big rule of asking for a raise from an existing client: You can’t do it unless you’re ready to walk if they don’t agree.
If they say ‘no’ to the raise and you stay, they’ll never respect you again. This client is now a dead end. You’ll never earn more here.
If you’re absolutely petrified about asking existing clients for a raise, or simply not in the scenario where you can risk losing the client, you can still help yourself earn more.
How? Raise your rates for new clients.
Grandfather in your old clients at your existing rate, but anybody new pays more. Then, gradually replace those older clients with the higher-paying ones as you go. Once again, this doesn’t add to your marketing workload — it’s just part of what you tell prospects.
Will you raise your rates in 2015? Leave a comment and tell us how you’ll make it happen.
