Set higher rates

You know you want to

Author

Diana Kelly Levey
February 26, 2025

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Let’s talk about setting your freelance rates—the never-ending internal debate. If you’ve never questioned your rates before I have two theories:

  1. You’re lying.

  2. You’re not charging enough.

I once read or heard that your rates should scare you a little. A few clients should say your rates are out of their price range or budget. That’s okay. You aren’t for everyone.

The time you spend honing your skills, reading, and investing in your business has value.

Honor that.

Here’s a no-nonsense guide to setting freelance rates:

1. Know Your Worth (and Then Add Tax)

Before you settle on a number, do some market research:

  • Check out freelance groups and job boards to see what others charge.

  • Ask experienced freelancers (many are surprisingly open about rates).

  • Use rate calculators from organizations like the Editorial Freelancers Association or Contently.

  • Book a coaching call with me to learn how

Freelance writing rates can range from $0.01 to $2.00+ per word. That’s a wild spread, so don’t panic—find where you fit in and adjust as you go.

2. Set Your Income Goals Like a Business Owner

Figure out how much you need to make before setting your rates:

  • Add up your monthly expenses (yes, including that overpriced latte or the train fare to meet with a client).

  • Factor in savings, retirement, and taxes (because the IRS does not play).

  • Break it down into a daily or hourly target.

Example: Want to earn $75,000 gross a year? That’s about $6,250 per month or $312 per workday (assuming you work 20 days a month). Your freelance writing rates should reflect that goal.

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3. Choose a Pricing Model That Feels Right

There’s no one-size-fits-all pricing. Try:

  • Hourly: Easy to track, but you might earn less as you get faster.

  • Per Word: Great for articles/blogs. $0.20–$0.60 per word is common, but marketing clients often pay more.

  • Per Project: Best for complex work with planning involved.

  • Value-Based: You work with the client on getting paid for the value you bring to their business, sometimes a commission of a sale or increasing a flat fee

  • Retainer: Reliable income for ongoing work. Often ranges from a few hundred to several thousand per month. This is the Holy Grail of freelance business arrangements.

4. Raise Your Rates (Yes, You Can)

Most freelancers undercharge. (If clients often comment about how affordable you are, you’re probably in that group.) Here’s how to fix that:

  • Implement yearly rate increases for long-term clients. (Chances are your grocery bills have gone up in recent years, why can’t your rates reflect that?)

  • Adjust rates when demand for your skills goes up.

  • Tack on 10–20% for every new client.

  • Give clients a heads-up to let them know when it’ll start and how much. “Starting next quarter, my new rate will be $X.”

HINT: If you want to drop a client, ask for a big raise. If they say yes—awesome. If not? You can walk away guilt-free.

5. Charge More for Your Expertise

If you have niche knowledge (SEO, medical writing, fintech, etc.), make sure your client knows about it, and it’s advertised on your social media profiles and website.

Specialized skills = higher rates. Clients pay more for industry expertise and unique perspectives. A medical writer with a Ph.D. should earn a higher freelance rate working on a healthcare article than a writer with less experience and no degree in that field.

6. Stop Charging Based on Time Alone

Freelancing isn’t just about time spent. It’s about:

  • The value you bring to a project.

  • Your years of experience.

  • The results you help clients achieve.

If your work helps a company earn thousands, your rate should reflect that. That being said, I’m not one of the freelancers who hates on hourly rates. I think you need to be smart about it and not walk away from work because a client only knows how to work this way.

7. Charge for Meetings, Revisions & Scope Creep

Ever spent an hour in a “quick” meeting? That’s billable time. Does your client email you all day long or ping you on a platform like Slack, let them know you’ll charge for it.

  • Build meeting time into your quote.

  • Set a limit on revisions (extra rounds = extra fees).

  • Charge for anything outside the original scope.

What’s your biggest struggle with rates? Hit reply and let me know—I’d love to hear from you!

Thanks for being a reader.

Diana

P.S. Missed last week’s newsletter or a recent post? Check them out here.

P.P.S. Keep scrolling for jobs. ⤵️

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What’s Happening in My Business & Life

  • I’m reading Colleen Hoover’s Too Late (Which reminds me I think I need to renew it from the library this week.)

  • Must-read article on BestFreelanceTips: What’s the difference between editorial writing, content marketing writing, copywriting, and other types of freelance writing? Read the definitions here and see live examples of freelance writing.

  • I’m a speaker on the Freelance Freedom Summit along with some other amazing women in the freelance and business owner space. Grab your free ticket to check out the sessions that will be presented March 10-14, 2025.

  • I’m listening to the podcast, Hello Monday with Jessi Hempel

  • Watch this online course and get pitching examples! If you’ve ever thought about becoming a freelance health writer, nutrition writer, writing articles for health websites with a food focus on want to know what editors look for in a pitch, watch this prerecorded webinar. Freelance writer Natalie Rizzo and I share pitches that sold, what editors look for from writers, freelance rates, and how to get started writing for magazines and websites.

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