How I Increased My Freelance Writing Rate From $10/hr to $150/hr
How to Raise Your Freelance Writing Rate
My old Upwork profile shows my first writing gig was five years ago. I earned $24. It was a flat rate for a piece that ended up being 623 words, so less than 4 cents per word. It took me about two and half hours, so hourly it was about $9.60 per hour.
Today, several of my clients pay me a flat rate for pieces that come out to around $150/hour. So how did I get here? Is this achievable for other writers?
Every remote writer’s journey is different and some people reach their goal rate in different ways, so remember, this is just one path you can take. I truly believe writing is a valuable skill worthy of high wages.
The first step is to ensure your writing is of the highest quality. The following tips won’t work if you haven’t been improving your craft.
However, if you’re a strong writer, you can get the same rates as me, or even higher. Allow me to walk you through several methods I’ve used to raise my rates over time. Hopefully, this will show you how to increase your freelance writing rate as well.
Tip #1: Start with personal samples. (No free work!)
Unfortunately, many people will read my original rate and start drooling. I fully expect comments of “I’d be happy with the 4 cents per word. I’m only making 1 cent per word and I’m scared to ask for 1.5 cents!” Even worse, many out there believe the only way to get into the industry is by writing for free first.
Freelance writing rates vary vastly depending on experience, industry, and where you're located in the world.
Never write for free to grow someone else’s brand. You either need to get paid or have full ownership of your work.
The only possible exception to this rule would be writing for a charity you work for or volunteer with because you’re passionate about the cause.
But how can you get clients without working for free first? You create your own samples. You can post your samples on Medium, LinkedIn, a personal website, or elsewhere.
Just don’t post somebody else’s topic for their website for free. It devalues the industry and lowers your morale. Oddly enough, people who want free or very cheap work tend to be the pickiest.
Tip #2: Turn down projects that aren’t a good fit.
The popular saying, “all publicity is good publicity” doesn’t ring true for writing. I turned down many clients, and continue to do so, if they aren’t a good fit.
A project might not be a good fit if it isn’t an industry you’re interested in, if it pays too low, or if the client is showing red flags that they are challenging.
Looking back through old Upwork messages, I surprised myself with how often I turned down gigs that wanted to interview me. For example, one client wanted me to write a Wikipedia page, which I’ve never done and have little interest in doing.
On Upwork, you’re publicly rated and I wanted 5-star ratings (the highest you can get).
Had I taken on projects I wasn’t comfortable with in exchange for pocket change, I likely would have gotten poor reviews that would have prevented me from getting better clients.
With clients elsewhere, I still stand by this statement. Writing about a niche you don’t understand well or have little interest in isn’t going to be your best work. Poor work that you’re embarrassed to use as a sample isn’t going to help you in the long run.
Tip #3: New clients = new (higher) rates.
Once you’re consistently getting new clients, you should continuously raise your rates when different clients approach you or you apply for new jobs. My $150/hr rate isn’t for every client I have.
Some long-term clients are grandfathered into lower rates. I value my long-term clients and know how much work it is to onboard new clients if I needed to replace them.
With new clients, try a higher rate than you’ve been getting. Sometimes, they don’t even bat an eye at your requested rate because you’ve been undervaluing yourself for so long you didn’t realize the industry standard.
My first Upwork hourly contract charged the client $38/hr and I received about $30/hr after Upwork's cut. That matched my part-time, in-person job (not writing) that I had before I switched to full-time writing.
Every time I had two successful clients at an hourly rate, I increased it before applying to new jobs. It went from $38 to $45 to $46 to $48 to $50 to $52 to $60 to $63/hour.
When I got clients elsewhere, I charged the same rate. That’s when I stopped actively using Upwork and moved on to just using other platforms and getting referrals. Once I started to feel too comfortable with a rate, and if work was steady enough, I pushed the number up.
If it were a per-word contract, I would calculate approximately how long it would take me and continue to up the per-word price. Today, most of my work is at flat rates. I still often track time to know my average hourly rate.
Tip #4: Let clients know your after-fee rates (at first).
In the beginning, it used to happen often that clients were unaware how much of what they paid would make it to me.
For example, a client would say something like that their budget is $100. I would say how if they paid $100 on Upwork, I would receive $80 and how many words I would write for that rate.
Since they were also charged on their end, they were sometimes shocked I wouldn’t get the whole amount! At this point, people usually found more money in the budget or adjusted expectations accordingly.
The same can be done with PayPal and other services that take fees. These days, most of my clients pay me through direct deposit so neither of us has to worry about fees. When possible, I recommend going this route.
This isn't to say you need to justify your rate, just give clients a bigger picture when it comes to platform fees. As you become more established, just raise your rate high enough to account for fees.
Tip #5 Get clients directly ASAP.
Freelance platforms can be useful at the beginning and, for some freelance writers, they can continue to be profitable. However, for most freelancers, you’ll make more money if you cut out the middleman.
Do not do this by breaking your agreement with freelancer sites and taking those clients off the platform.
Nearly all freelancer websites have a rule in the fine print that you can’t off-platform with their clients. That’s how they make money.
If work dries up, you’ll be happy you weren’t banned from freelance platforms for breaking the rules. Plus, if a client agrees to break the rules against the platform, that same client might also be dishonest enough to pull something immoral on you, such as withholding payment.
You can get clients directly by applying to jobs on freelance job boards or through cold emails. You can also get clients to approach you about your writing business if they see and love your online samples.
Tip #6: Video & phone calls instill trust.
Don’t worry; I hate call overloads too. I rarely do them with clients, but absolutely agree to calls with potential clients that seem like they would be a great fit.
Once people see that I’m who I say I am, they trust me more and are more likely to agree to my rates.
Answering some of their questions in real time also shows them that I know what I’m talking about and not just Googling their questions before replying to an email. It's easier to raise your freelance writing prices when clients already trust you.
Tip #7: Give a price range rather than a set price.
I learned this tip from former FBI hostage negotiator Chris Voss in his book Never Split the Difference: Negotiate As If Your Life Depended On It. If a client isn’t sharing their budget and wants to know what you charge, give a range, rather than a set price.
First of all, business people are more similar to garage sale shoppers than you think.
Everybody wants to think they’re getting a good deal. If they end up paying you the low end of your range, they’ll consider that a win, even if you secretly know that’s the price you were aiming for all along.
It also helps you if the expectations aren’t clear yet. You don’t want to state a rate and then find out a project is a lot trickier than it initially sounded.
You might have been fine with $50/hr writing a fluff piece, but want $60/hr for more mentally draining technical work. Providing a range lets you keep your word once you know the full scope.
Tip #8: Retainers bring consistency.
You waste time if you're constantly onboarding new clients. One-off projects will only get you so far. Seek consistent, long-term clients. A great way to do this is to have clients put you on a retainer.
The word “retainer” means different things to different freelancers. Like lawyers, some writers are paid for a month to reserve their time for any writing a business needs.
Even if they don’t write during all of the allotted time because the company didn’t have much work that month, the writer is still paid for setting aside that time.
Others use the word retainer just to mean that they will get paid a set price for the month for a set amount of work, such as an article or two a week. Either system is fine.
When you have retainers in place with consistent clients, it makes it easier for you to raise your rates with new clients because if it doesn’t work out, you still have enough work to fall back on.
Tip #9: Referrals are gold.
Freelancing platforms take cuts from your pay, which obviously isn’t ideal. Plus, ratings only instill so much trust in a potential client. When one of your clients directly recommends you to somebody else who could use your remote writing services, that connection instills far more trust.
Think of it like Amazon reviews and your best friend recommending a product. Are you more likely to pull the trigger on trying an expensive product with good reviews or one your best friend, who has excellent taste, personally recommends to you?
When potentially getting a new client from a referral, don’t be afraid to up your rates. Often, they don’t know what your rates were previously. Even if they do, it’s not out of the ordinary to increase your rates over time.
I once quoted a new client from a referral double what the person who referred them had been charged.
When they asked about the difference, I explained that the old client was from several years ago and my rates had increased significantly over time as my skills improved and demand rose. I got the rate I requested.
Tip #10: Actively fight imposter syndrome.
Honestly, I’m still working on this tip myself. It’s easier said than done. One way to fight imposter syndrome is to go back and read some of your best work. Remind yourself that you’re good at what you do.
Look at how successful some of your clients are and know you are part of their success. If you don’t believe you deserve a higher rate, it will be extremely tough to convince others you do. You need to have confidence in yourself.
Bonus Tip: Be ready to walk away
You won’t be able to convince every single client to pay you what you think your time is worth. You must be willing to walk away. If you don’t have enough clients already to get yourself to a place where you can walk away, you may need to temporarily have another source of income.
The good news is that, much like a car salesman, some clients find more money in the budget once you turn them down. Others leave and come back when they realize the cheaper writer can’t produce the same quality work you do.
Others never come back. Know which clients you’re willing to walk away from and which you aren't.
Related Freelance Writing Rates Questions
What are average freelance writing rates?
It isn't easy to come up with standard freelance writing rates because it varies widely depending on the industry, where both the client and writer are located, and the writer's expertise.
A freelance writer might charge hourly rates, by word, or with per-project pricing. Writers on content mills typically charge lower rates than writers who work directly with clients.
Remember, a freelance writer has to pay more in taxes than a W2 employee and must spend unpaid time finding prospective clients (once more established, it's mainly repeat existing clients). For these reasons, freelance writing rates are higher than one might think.
Interestingly, higher-paying clients tend to be more understanding and have more realistic expectations than lower-paying clients. Raising rates for one's writing services can make working with clients substantially easier.
How do freelance writers ask for higher rates?
Most of the tips above explain how to raise your rates for new clients. But how do you increase rates for your freelance writing business for existing clients?
Before raising your freelance rates for existing clients, make sure you're prepared to lose them as a client if necessary. It's easier to stomach the idea of losing a client if you already have other clients paying you higher freelance writing rates.
Consider whether it's worth it for this particular client. If a client is pleasant to work with and the rate is only slightly lower, you might want them to be grandfathered into a lower rate.
My clients don't all pay the same rate. If I've been working with them long-term and they are easy to communicate with, I'm fine with them paying less than new clients.
Once you've decided you can risk losing the client, don't ask if you can raise your freelance writing rate. Tell them it's rising.
Don't make it start immediately, but tell them when the price will change. Many freelance writers increase their freelance rates at the beginning of a new year.
For example, a writer may send an email in December stating something similar to the following:
[Client Name],
I'm writing to inform you that my blog post rate is increasing from $200 to $250 per blog post starting on January 1st. This pricing will put our rate more in line with that of my other current clients. Please confirm that this rate still works within your budget.
Thanks,
[Freelance Writer Name]
The email can, of course, be more informal and personalized.
How much should I charge for a 500 word article?
There is no standard rate for what a 500 word blog post costs. If you're new to freelance writing and not sure where to start, first figure out what you want your hourly rate to be.
Make it higher than you would for a W2 position because freelancers are taxed at a higher rate. It's also a specialized skill that deserves proper compensation.
Then, estimate how long you think it will take you to write the blog post. Let's say you want about $30 per hour and think the post will take you around three hours. You would then charge $90 for the post.
As you write more, you'll get a better sense of how long it takes you to write and you can adjust your freelance writing rates accordingly.
After successfully completing projects for several clients, try to raise your freelance writing rates. You might be surprised at what clients are willing to pay a freelance writer for quality work.
Just getting started as a remote writer? Learn how to go from Zero to Remote Writer.