How to Price Your Writing Projects

Today we welcome Kate Croston to Writers in Business. Kate is a freelance writer who holds a bachelors degree in Journalism and Mass Communication. She writes for various clients and loves contributing internet service related topics.

As a freelance writer, I find it challenging to determine the price on some of my projects. I usually end up selling myself short. Kate is here to share her ideas with us on how to determine the correct price for our work.
How to Price Your Writing Projects
Freelance writing is a dream job for a lot of writers and bloggers out there, and with good reason – you get to basically set your own schedule and write what you want to write about. One of the biggest obstacles is figuring out how much to charge for your work – after all, you can’t be too expensive because you don’t want people to pass you by because you’re too pricey, but you can’t be too cheap either because hey, you’ve got bills to pay too! So how do you determine the right price for your writing projects?

Monthly Fees

To start, you have to determine how much money you need to survive. That means factoring in how much your rent or mortgage costs, your static monthly bills, your grocery and gas costs, and how much extra you need in case of an emergency or for some extra padding. At the end of the day, no matter what you’re fees are you have to be able to pay all of your bills otherwise freelance writing isn’t going to work out.

Experience

You’ll need to establish if you’re charging an hourly rate or if you’re charging per project – or if you’ll do a combination. Your rate per project should be loosely based off of your hourly rate anyway, so figuring that out is key when setting your rates. Be careful when charging hourly rates because you don’t want to end up in a position where you finish a project much sooner than you first thought you would and are now making less on a project then you originally thought you would. You’ll also have to take into consideration how much experience you have writing – seasoned writers with a lot of credible references and examples of work can charge more than those that are fresh out of school. If you’re moving from a salaried position to freelance writing, take a look at your current salary and see how it translates to what you’re moving into, especially if you’re leaving a full-time copywriting or writing position to freelance.

Regularly Evaluate

As your experience increases, your rates should to, so you’ll need to go through a few times a year and look at your rates, your work, and the feedback you’ve received from clients and assess if you’re still charging enough money. If you can back up higher prices with glowing accolades to a job well done, go for it. If you can’t back it up though, you’ll need to evaluate why you can’t raise your prices yet and fix it so that the next time around you can. Also, figuring out the market value of freelance writers in your area is a good way to determine if you’re charging too much or too little.

Don’t Sell Yourself Short

Freelance writers, especially new ones, have a tendency to low-ball their prices and thus ask for less then they’re actually worth. If you know you have a good product, charge for it. Freelancing can be a scary world to jump into, but people will pay a good price for excellent work – don’t sell yourself short.

Kate is a regular contributor to InternetService.net and can be reached at KateCroston.croston09@gmail.com.

Inspirational Book About Living with Downs' Syndrome: How David Met Sarah by Anne Kelleher

Anne Kelleher holds a degree from Johns Hopkins University and has studied English literature at the University of Connecticut. A gifted intuitive medium, Anne helps others connect to inner guidance and deceased loved ones. The mother of four and grandmother of two, Anne lives and writes in Connecticut, surrounded by a large circle of family and friends.

Her new book, How David Met Sarah, is completely different from any of her previous eleven novels. Anne’s brother, David, has Downs’ Syndrome as does the main character in this story.

Anne, welcome to Writers in Business. I understand you have written this story not only for your brother, but for developmentally challenged adults everywhere.

I wrote How David Met Sarah at my mother's suggestion when she explained that as much as David is interested in reading, it's hard to find stories he likes. He reads at approximately a third grade level but as an adult, David doesn't relate to third grade level stories. This is the first in a series of five books written for intellectually or developmentally disabled individuals.

Can you tell us about the story?

How David Met Sarah is a very special love story written from the point of view of a young man who is developmentally disabled. It includes suspense, conflict, romance, and all the appeal of an adult book while using vocabulary appropriate for those who read at an elementary level.

The National Down Syndrome Society has discovered your book.

The National Down Syndrome Society is an organization that supports developmentally delayed adults. I am thrilled to say that they have graciously agreed to help spread the word about How David Met Sarah. I will be donating 20% of the profits from this book to this organization.

Currently the book is available electronically. Any plans for a print version?

Yes, a print version and book club/reader's guide are in the works. We anticipate that both will be available shortly.

Reading specialists, special education teachers and librarians agree that there are no other titles like this available. Thank you for creating this heartwarming and insightful book.

David loves "his" story and we both hope that others will enjoy it, too. If you know and love someone like David, I hope you will check out When David Met Sarah. If you've ever wondered what it's like to live so differently-abled, I hope you will check it out, too.

To read more about the book or order a copy, please visit Amazon. You can also read more on Anne’s blog How David Met Sarah.

Crazy Mom's Everywhere & Lit Fest Magazine's Amanda Goossen - Special Feature with Giveaway!

Joining us from Phoenix, Arizona is Amanda Goossen. She is blogging with Crazy Mom's Everywhere, Snooth.com and WhatsCook.in as well as working with Lit Fest Magazine and reviewing books for Publisher's Weekly. Today on Writers in Business, Amanda is announcing a short story contest, giveaway and guest blogging spots.
Welcome Amanda! Let's start with your LitFestMagazine.com. Can you tell us about it?

Lit Fest Magazine was developed about a year and a half ago after I left my position at a literary magazine and I was determined to create an online magazine that included everything I love. I had just gone to the Los Angeles Times Literary Festival at UCLA and was feeling such bliss from everything that surrounded me at this event. I named my website Lit Fest because I wanted it to encompass everything that you would find at a really phenomenal Literary Festival...Literature, Music and Food. Living in Los Angeles my husband and I had a number of friends in these fields so I put out the word of what I was doing and that I wanted people to contribute. The reaction, feedback and eventual work submitted was terrific!

Our market for Lit Fest was originally Los Angeles based but because we had a few writers spread out through the country and actually the world (I have one book reviewer who lives in Australia) I knew it would be enjoyed internationally. I recently moved to Phoenix, AZ and I large amount of our material is based on things regarding our new city and may become our target market.

Our Guest Blogs and Weekly Short Story Contest tend to be two of the most popular parts of Lit Fest. Our Guest Blogs are done by authors who are usually promoting a book and want readers to read about their work as well as get a feel for who they are. My favorites have been the month long blog author Andrew Gross did from his vacation in Napa Valley, an author who wrote about why she was a terrible judge for a dance contest and another who write about getting her life back after spending a year in front of her computer writing her first book. In about 1,000 words these authors can crack you up laughing, make you cry or at the very least introduce themselves to you in a way you would have never known them otherwise. I love reading them each time they hit my inbox.
The short story contest is something I decided to include with Lit Fest because so many people are writing and don't know how to get their work seen by others. There are an incredible amount of talented people out there that just want a few people to read what they have to say...I think there should be more arenas to have writing viewed by other writers and readers. There are a few stories I've read by aspiring writers that were so incredibly amazing that I still think about them often.

Anyone interested in the Short Story Contest can find information on LitFestMagazine.com and authors looking for a Guest Blogging spot can email me Amanda (at)LitFestMagazine (dot)com about open dates and guidelines.

I love your graphics, design and content of Crazy Mom's Everywhere. Can you share your inspiration and purpose for this new blog?

Thanks! I have spent the past year teaching myself Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop and have loved everything I've learned. The 'Crazy Mom's Everywhere' graphic was developed while I was experimenting with what I learned and applying it by trying to create a logo and name for an event planning company I hope to have someday. Everything was kind of accidentally working as I went and I thought I had to use this now instead of holding on to it for a few years. So I pushed that logo aside and developed this instead.

My purpose for Crazy Moms Everywhere was originally to anonymously post the good times and bad of being a mom. I feel like sometimes us moms feel like we are going to go crazy in the mayhem of everyday. But we don't always realize how many others are in our same exact position. We are all going crazy, running here, doing this thing and then that. Trying to be perfect and never quite making it there. I had friends who would act like everything was perfect but if you asked them how they really felt they would break it down and explain all the chaos that filled their day. I wanted moms to realize we don't have to put up a front, we can be honest with each other about the good times AND the bad! Oh and I gave up on the anonymous part because I felt if we were being honest, we had to be completely honest.

The blog tends to have a lot of food based writing because food plays such a large part in my life and in our family. I have a hard time sharing some things about my kids and family because I believe in privacy and don't want my children to ever look back and think, "Oh thanks Mom" although I'm sure they will do that anyway, so instead I talk about our family through our relationship with food. I talk about how our stressful, frustrating day came through in our dinner when I burned the homemade pizzas I was so excited about but totally not relaxed enough to be preparing. Or how a certain incredible brand of breakfast items (Waffle Lady) has changed our life and the way we eat. You can say my food obsession translates to the blog in a huge way!
(<--Amanda's Fairy Cupcakes)

In the past week I have tried to vary things a bit, taking a few breaks from food discussions. Recently I started "31 Days of New Things" where every day I try something new, mostly food and cooking oriented but there will be some mommy firsts which will arise for sure! I am actually in the middle of writing one right now!

Speaking of food, I understand you are writing a new column in the Arcadia News and you are writing food and wine articles for Snooth.com and WhatsCook.in. It's interesting to learn how writers acquire these regular writing projects. Do you send out query letters with clips?

Finding new writing jobs can be a challenge, but it's also about how much time you are willing to spend searching. I spend about two hours, one night a week looking for writing jobs on various websites. I'm registered in a couple online writing groups which send out emails about jobs as well. One thing I've had to learn is to apply, apply, apply. I send out resumes (with a few writing clips) every time I see something that might be up my alley. Every time I send an email for a writing job, however, I have a sudden tinge of fear before I hit send. I have a moment of doubt which quickly dissolves and hearing back a positive response makes it all worth it. I've just convinced myself that I can't get a job if I don't put myself out there!

Also, I have an outstanding friend who I went to college with who is also a writer and we talk non-stop about our progress, what we need to do to write more, find jobs, get better at what we're doing and how to juggle our passion for motherhood with our passion for writing. Our love of reading and writing is a major part of our friendship and a plays a large role in my writing career.


On top of all of this writing, you are also a reviewer for Publisher's Weekly. I'm sure many of my readers would like to learn more about this.

Reviewing books for Publisher's Weekly has been an incredibly exciting and enjoyable experience. Since I was six years old I have been an avid reader. Books have been one of the great loves of my life and being able read for a well-known company has been an honor. I can organize my time however I need to and depending on the length of the books I can usually read about 8 books a month, only having to devote a few hours a day about five days a week. This works out well for me because I also review books for Lit Fest and gives me time to read those as well.

Before we provide the information on your new giveaway, I wanted to ask if there is anything else you would like to share with my readers.

Yes, I would love for moms to know that writing (or whatever passion they have) is totally reachable, but they have to be willing to go after it. My kids and spending as much time as I can involved in their childhood is my main priority so I spend a lot of time up late. Coffee is my friend!

Thank you Amanda! I've spent years working around my childrens' nap times, bed times and now around their school days. It's wonderful to have that flexibility while still contributing to our family finances.

To end our interview, could you tell my readers how they can register to win your contest?

I'm happy to. We offer frequent contests and giveaways through Lit Fest Magazine and Crazy Mom's Everywhere.

To be entered into this Crazy Mom's Everywhere and Lit Fest Magazine Gift Bag Giveaway readers must go to LitFestMagazine.com or Crazy Mom's Everywhere and sign up to follow by email or as a Google follower. They must also send an email to Amandagoose (at) gmail (dot) com with their name, address and email. This information will only be used to mail the winner their prize.

Contest runs from Sunday October 30, 2011 until November 5, 2011. Winner will be notified by email on November 6, 2011 as well as announced on both websites.

Gift Bag Includes:

Waffle Lady Whole Wheat Waffle Mix (The absolute best waffle mix in the world)

Leo Monster made by Allison Barum (My favorite gift to give the special kiddos in my life)

Children's Books:
Superhero Joe by Jacqueline Preiss Weitzman
Mr Duck Means Business by Tammi Sauer

Young Adult Books:
The first two books in John Grisham's YA Theodore Boone series
Theodore Boone: Kid Lawyer
Theodore Boone: The Abduction

Cookbook:
The Kitchen Counter Cooking School By Kathleen Flinn

Fiction:
A Pinch of Love by Alicia Bessette
Stories for Nighttime and Some for the Day by Ben Loory

Special Addition:
The Hallows Insider: New Fiction, Facts, Maps, Murders and More in the World of Rachel Morgan By Kim Harrison (Release Date: Oct. 25, 2011….beautiful hardbound book with color pages, illustrations and more)

Understanding Business Expenses by Brigitte Thompson

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) requires that our writing expenses be ordinary and necessary in order for them to be acceptable. An ordinary expense is defined as common and accepted in our profession. A necessary expense means we need to spend this money in order to operate the business. The expenses must not be considered extravagant. They must be an essential part of doing business as a writer. It is important to differentiate between personal expenses and business expenses.

Writers are able to realize some unique deductions which may be considered personal for other taxpayers. For example, a book on the history of New Mexico used for researching my fiction manuscript based in that state could be deductible as a writer.

Other potentially deductible expenses include tickets to a ballet used to build the character of a ballerina I am writing about and an instructional DVD used to improve my public speaking skills. Most writers will call these expenses research or professional development. We need to be able to justify each expense if audited, so be sure it is legitimate and has the supporting documents to back up the claim.

Check out my book, Bookkeeping Basics for Freelance Writers, to learn more about deductible expenses and how to reduce the income taxes you pay as a writer. You can read about it on my web site and on Amazon.com.