by Kenneth Andrews

Created on: June 12, 2010

Freelance writing is a great career path for anyone with an internet connection who longs to be self-employed. The hours are flexible, the money can be very good indeed, and the work is incredibly varied (given that it all involves sitting in front of a computer screen typing). When it comes to payment, however, some freelance writers can make the mistake of charging by the hour for the services. Although this probably aids their budgeting and gives new freelancers the comfort of some secure income, below are some reasons why freelance writers should not, in general, charge by the hour.

First, the freelancer should bear in mind that their publisher does not actually care how long it takes the writer to produce some work. Publishers pay freelancers to supply finished copy in advance of a deadline. Whether it takes twenty minutes or twenty-two hours is not really the publisher's problem. They're paying for the finished article, and it is the freelancer's responsibility to manage their time accordingly. To charge by the hour drags the freelancer into the sort of relationship that they thought to escape by becoming self-employed, having to account for time spent on a given project.

Freelance writers should also not charge by the hour because they will end up earning less. Freelance writers make their money by working swiftly and dependably, producing material in the smallest number of hours possible, in other words. An hourly rate brings with it the temptation to... take one's time, shall we say? While this may bring in a bit of extra cash in the short term, charging by the hour encourages freelance writers to become less productive and efficient. A freelance writer should be hungry to get as much work completed as possible, and there is no incentive to increase your productivity if you are charging by the hour.

Another reason why freelance writers will earn less if they charge by the hour is the question of how much they charge. Publishers will rarely pay a freelancer any more than they need to, and if a freelance writer has an hourly rate which is public knowledge, then that is the most they will ever be able to charge, with no room to negotiate when a contract comes along for a lucrative project. Good freelance writers know that they have to cut their cloth according to the client when it comes to payment - if a national newspaper comes calling for thought leadership pieces then they should be charged more than the local realtor who needs some press releases knocking out. Both contracts are valuable to a freelance writer, but setting an hourly rate will mean either losing the fast turnaround 'bread and butter' press releases because the rate is too high, or being ripped off by the New York Times because they know the writer generally charges $6 an hour.

Freelance writers are self-employed, one person business in effect. They should be looking to maximize their revenue by delivering as much copy as possible as efficiently as possible. Freelance writers who charge by the hour are running contrary to all common sense - by charging a flat rate they have little chance of growing their income year on year, and the hourly rate is a disincentive to rapid and efficient service.

If you are an aspiring freelance writer, take the time to negotiate payment for each piece of work on its own merits, taking into account not just how long it is likely to take you, but also how valuable the work is to the client, what kind of exposure it will receive and how specialized the knowledge needed for the subject. Negotiation is a process many people find tough, particularly creative people such as freelance writers, but it will stop you selling yourself short and developing sloppy working habits.

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