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HOW TO NEGOTIATE YOUR PAY AS A WRITER

August 04, 2021 • written by Kevin Olega

Gusto ko lang magtanong kung magkano po rate niyo, and if by hour or per article po ba.

I just want to know if it’s high time na ba to increase my rates. Been working as a writer for four years na po, and my rating is still at 0.25 per word sa isang sideline ko.

MY RESPONSE:

$1 per 100 words is a decent entry-level rate.

Aim to get $2/100 words.

Then aim to get $3/100 words, then $4/100 words, and so on.

Let’s discuss the next steps.

The best way to increase your income is to look for new clients.

Only accept higher offers until you have a full schedule.

I don’t put all my eggs in one basket.

I prefer to have several clients and many small orders than one client that I fully depend on for my livelihood.

From experience, things going wrong with a single client can lead to all sorts of financial and personal trouble.

I typically handle three to five clients who hire me for two to a maximum of four hours of work a day so that my income is stable.

Some clients are busy and won’t assign work for a few weeks, and that’s fine.

I have other clients to collect tasks and money from to meet my income requirement.

After accepting an offer, and you finally fill your schedule, look for a third or fourth client that will likely cause schedule conflicts.

The schedule conflict is your golden opportunity.

I’m going to give you the exact script that I use.

Here’s an example situation:

Client 1: $1/100 words Client 2: $2/100 words Client 3: $3/100 words Job offer: $4/100 words

Start a conversation with Client 1.

Hi there!

We’ve been working together since YEAR.

I really enjoyed working with you.

I didn’t realize it’s already been DURATION.

You’ve been very generous and patient with me.

I learned a lot of:

Share three lessons or skills that you learned on the job.

I’d like to bring more value to your company, so I quietly worked on improving my skills.

In the process, I sent samples of my work to friends.

I received an offer to write for $4/100 words.

I’m seriously considering the job.

However, I really enjoy working with you.

Do you think it’s possible to increase my rate to $4/100 words?

Does your budget not allow you to increase my rate to $4/100 words? (check explanation at the bottom)

YES: That’s great. Thank you so much! I’m really happy working here! (REPEAT THE CONVERSATION WITH CLIENT’s 2 and 3)

NO: I see. I’m really grateful for all the opportunities and lessons that you’ve given me. You’ve been very generous to me, and I’m really satisfied with my pay. However, the pandemic has made me seriously consider my finances. I’m going to accept the new job offer to increase my income. Is it possible to continue writing for you during my weekends and available time? I don’t mind the reduced workload. I just really enjoy writing about this topic.

YES: Awesome.

NO: I see. That’s unfortunate. Anyways, I’ll be finishing my pending work to make sure I don’t leave anything unfinished. I’ll also assist by referring friends who want to enter the industry. I’d love to stay in touch, and I’ll share some ideas about articles that come to me while writing other topics. I’ll also continue sharing your articles on my social media and personal blogs. I want to work together again with you in the future.

IMPORTANT NOTE:

It’s always a good idea to have these conversations after receiving your payment.

Some clients tend to end the relationship and NOT pay you when they find out you’re considering leaving.

It’s also a good idea to end conversations on a positive note. Ex-employers have boosted my career by giving testimonials and putting recommendations on my public profile.

NOTES ABOUT NEGATIVE PHRASING:

I typically use NEGATIVE PHRASING for hard questions.

People seem to dislike admitting limitations, and I use this to my advantage when speaking to entrepreneurs.

POSITIVE PHRASING: Can you give me a pay increase?

Can you increase my rate?

Can I work for you part-time instead?

NEGATIVE PHRASING: Do you feel it’s impossible to get a pay increase this year?

Are we not earning enough money to cover the proposed budget?

Do you feel it’s NOT possible for me to work for your part-time?

From personal experience, negative phrasing seems to work.

Let me know if you have questions.

Thank you for reading this far and thanks for your attention.