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Great work. Thanks a lot for post!

This sounds like a great resource book for my electronic library -- and perfect information for where I am in my writing career. Please enter me in the random drawing.

Thanks for the helpful advice, Laurie, and the great questions, Margo.

On occasion it's taken months to receive payment after a freelance job is finished. My method of requesting payment after fees are negotiated and the job is completed is an e-mail, then a follow-up, and a third if needed. It's frustrating to wait as long as three or four months to get paid for a job. I'm thinking there's a better way.

My question is: How do you bill for services--e-mail, invoice, some other method?

Oh, and I would love to receive a print copy of Laurie's book on what to charge/price strategies.

Thanks,
Donna Volkenannt
http://donnasbookpub.blogspot.com

I'm asked this question constantly at freelancewrite.about.com! In fact, if I don't win the contest, I'd love to talk to Laurie about reviewing the book anyway. I've got a huge audience of freelancers and can send traffic specs via email. Contact me, Laurie, at Allena at gardenwallpublications dot come or at my About.com addy.

I would love to win a copy of What to Charge. I find myself holding back from jobs when I'm not sure of what to charge--this would be a wonderful birthday present (on the 7th) and perhaps make my next year more productive!

Donna, great question! I would love to hear the answer, too. Since I'm not eligible for the drawing, I think I am going to have to get myself a copy of this book! Laurie's interview is so great, and I can only imagine her book will be that much more informative.

Finally a book we can take some solid advice from. It is surely to be informative and helpful for us! Thanks Laurie for writing this book, as I know it will be of great use to me. For those starting out, it can be a struggle and a challenge to find your self-financial worth and at the same time your courage to state your needs to cover your efforts. Please accept my congratulations on this publishing accomplishment!

Hi Donna,

When I was working full time as a freelance graphic designer I experienced that problem all the time because I worked for billion dollar corporations in the action sports industry. First you HAVE to submit a professional printed invoice, clearly stating your payment terms (30 days is the standard). Their accounting departments will receive it and do a little song and dance to put off paying invoices for as long as they can. It's not unusual for them to start *thinking* about paying for an invoice 3 months after it's due! So, in my experience, the ONLY thing that lights a fire is a phone call to accounting. Actually, persistent phone calls. I got to know everyone who worked in the accounting departments of companies I contracted for. Everything else (like e-mail) can be ignored. But after a little while, they began paying regularly, and on time because they didn't want me to follow up with a call. ;)

(Laurie, if there is an easier way, please let us know!)

Great information. I started freelancing writing and consulting several years ago and I did research before I started quoting clients. Another approach is to ask friends who hire people like you what they expect to pay for certain services. Before I branched out on my own I had been in the hiring position so not only did I have a general idea of rates, but how to ASK a potential client about their budget, timeline, etc. Books like these help lessen that learning curve and we are all learning how to do our jobs better as well as service our clients better! -Megy; email: Megy (at) karydesconsulting (dot) com.

Hi Laurie,
What if you request $300 for an article, and the magazine says their budget is $275. Do you still negociate?
Your book sounds good for people without business skills.
www.ruthfrechman.com

Thank you for this insight, Laurie! I'm wondering how much weight credentials (e.g. degrees) have in pricing? Maryann ([email protected]).

This is Laurie Lewis, not Anonymous. For some reason, I can't post a comment under my own name without getting an error message.

Donna, you asked about collecting from slow-paying clients. Angela's response is right on target. What it boils down to is that you sometimes need to make a pest of yourself to get what you are rightfully due. Some other nudges for slow payers: (1) Inform the client, and include on every email and repeat invoice, that you will tack on an interest charge for late payment. You might want to start at 10% after 45 days have passed since you invoiced. (2)Hold up any work you still have for the client until the old bill is paid. I tell clients my policy is not to do additional work for a client who is $X in arrears. (The value of X depends on the size of the arrears.) You'd be amazed how fast a check comes if you're sitting on more work the client needs. (3) Embarass the deadbeat! I wouldn't do this until after the third or fourth attempt to collect. Send a fax to the company's main number. Faxes are seen by anyone within eyeshot of the machine! It's mean, but so is the non-payer.

Ruth, you asked about negotiating if you're $25 over the client's budget. That's not a lot, and you may want to do it for the client's price. But try to get something in return for the lower fee. In the case of a magazine article, ask for a by-line or listing of your email address, which may bring in more clients with bigger budgets.

Maryann, credentials sometimes make a difference. In my field---medical writing---MDs can charge a lot more than I do. On the other hand, a continuing education certificate issued by a professional organization like the American Medical Writers Association, to my knowledge, has rarely or never meant more money for the freelancer.

One more thing. At the last minute, I decided to produce my new e-book, Freelance Fee Setting: Quick
Guide for When a Client Demands a Price NOW through BookBaby rather than Smashwords. It should receive wider distribution to more e-book devices. Look for it later this month.

Laurie Lewis

This sounds like such a helpful book! Many of us are afraid to think about the business end of "this writing business."
bfbrengan at gmail.com.

This leans to the tech side of writing, but here's the question. Do you address the pricing of paid subscriptions for jobs, contests, etc? There are some undoubtedly some experienced writers that want to move into that area.

You are so right that the market has changed dramatically. It's great timing for a book on the subject of pricing, and I'd love to have your book.

Great interview. And the times definitely are changing. We so have to value ourselves if we want to be valued by others. Knowing the make-up of why we need to charge what we do is validating for freelancers. I'm always asked by business people if I write for outfits like Constant Content, and when I say I can't afford to write for such a low fee too many people are amazed. There's such a mental image, I think, of the writer in the garret. Too many people, writers included (as you noted) forget that writing is a business and should be treated as such.

Thanks for the great interview!

Joanie

This sounds like a resource book that would benefit me in my writing career; helping answer many of the worrisome questions I have. Writing my first novel along with poetry and other freelance writing is exciting, and freeing to me. How to proceed after it is complete is where I get concerned. I am skeptical who can and cannot trust with my work. I have had a couple people approach me about helping them write their story; because they love how I am detailed with my emotions when I write. This is a new and exciting adventure, but I am not I don't feel I have a strong business head. I would love to have this book; thank you for the opportunity to win one.
Crystal

When an editor mentions an "honorarium" for an article they;ve accepted for publication, how do you then negotiate for a higher offer? Somehow it seems cheesy to push for more money and I don't want them to change their mind about publishing the work.
Ellie http://homeonprairie.blogspot.com/