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Originally Posted by jasonwisdom  As for figuring out your hourly rate, the simple way is to take your full-time salary, divide by 1,000, and that's your hourly rate. If you make $50,000 as a salaried employee, your rate is $50 per hour. |
This is an excellent rule of thumb.... Usually I charge $40/hour for basic copywriting and $50/hour for feature writing. Both include SEO if it's an online client. I also charge for the time it takes me to research a new topic, although I am very upfront about this. I also tell clients I usually write 400-600 words in an hour, so it gives them a rough idea of how long the work will take. You didn't mention what kind of freelancer you are, but if you're web designer, say, you can do a package quote for a whole site, then charge an hourly rate for any additional bespoke work.
As for any other tips; always protect yourself from getting burned. If a new client requests a batch of articles, make sure you agree a standard and get paid after the first few. (If you're a website designer, you can ask for an upfront deposit.) Your genuine clients wont mind this - what difference is it to them? I've had a couple of dodgy clients who just picked my brain for hours, got me to write lots of nice articles, pretended we were all chummy.... then kicked up a fuss when I wanted to invoice them - and after that it just got messy. I guess I learned the hard way...
You should probably be more suspicious if THEY contact YOU although I guess it can work both ways.
Freelancing is a nice gig, especially if you can establish a friendly client base and get new business through word of mouth. Your work flow will never be that consistent but if you stick with it, times usually get better. I also supplemented my freelance income with my own website publishing and now that has taken the front seat. It's kinda interesting where freelancing can lead you.
