Real Words

I recently updated my website to include information for my clients on my standard blogging rates. One of the things that I have noticed to be true for most freelance writers who have a blog is that they don’t reveal their own writing rates on their blog. For the most part, this doesn’t bother me. However, I do wonder why freelancers don’t reveal their rates on their own websites more often.

Reasons that it doesn’t bother me that freelance bloggers don’t write about their rates:

• Money is really a private issue. I don’t think it’s anybody’s business what you earn. I think that freelancers should have the right to keep their incomes to themselves in the interest of privacy.
• Rates vary a lot from location to location. One reason that I think it would be good if freelancers shared information on how much they earn is that it would help to set a more standard industry rate for our writing. However, I also know that pay rates where I live (San Francisco) are considerably higher than pay rates in places with a lower cost of living so it may not really benefit freelancers to know what others are earning.
• Rates fluctuate a lot. I have standard rates for my writing and blogging services. However, I also know that my rates can vary a lot depending on the nature of the job. Jobs that don’t require as much research or time investment can be done at a lower rate than my standard per-piece rate since I’ll still meet my hourly rate goals. I also offer discounts for working with specific clients including local businesses and artists. And admittedly, rates sometimes fluctuate with how badly we need work to pay our immediate bills.
• There are ethical concerns. As a blogger, you have to recognize that your readers can be impacted by what you write. If you’re advertising rates that are much higher or much lower than theirs, this can cause them to question their own rates, something that a blogger perhaps shouldn’t be influencing.

However, I do think that there can be value for freelance writers in revealing their rates. Some reasons I believe this include:

• It helps you get really clear about your rates. You have to really set clear rates before you advertise them which assists you in determining what you’re worth. Once these rates are advertised, it’s easier to stick to them to keep in line with your financial goals as a freelancer.
• It makes it easy for clients to tell if they want to hire you. Many clients don’t want to hire you if you’re too expensive. Why waste your time with them? Having your rates on your website eliminate a lot of unnecessary back and forth conversation about jobs that you’re not going to take anyway. However, I do think it’s important to state in any applications if your rates are negotiable or if you offer any discounts.

So that’s where I stand on that. What do you think? Should writers reveal their rates on their websites or save that for email communication with potential clients? Should bloggers write about their rates on their blogs?