4 Things to Think about When Negotiating Pay for Blogs

So I’m no expert, right? But I’ve been writing blogs for a couple years and recently acquired several clients as a paid blogger. You’re like, This guy? Yeah, bro. ME!

You can do it, too. Maybe better than me. But before you go trying to crush me under your hypothetical blogging heel, think about how much to charge for your writing. If you don’t get paid what you’re worth, you’ll be pissed afterwards. But it’s not always about how much you get paid in the right right now. I’ll explain in these four things to think about when negotiating as a professional blogger.

1 – How long will it take to write?

This is probably the first thing to consider, because it is the most complex. Is it an opinion piece, or will it require research? Opinions are easy–you give your thoughts, maybe with an anecdote, in a rational beginning-middle-end kind of way.

If it requires research, you might need 3-5 sources. Finding a variety of sources, reading them, cropping it down to the most useful 3-5, and sprinkling them into your writing. Then setting up links. Links don’t take a long time to set up (highlight the line of text –> CTRL + k –> put in the URL –> hit ENTER) but it does interrupt your flow if you do it as you write. Or you do them at the end all at once. Either way, it’s added time.

Know yourself, know how long it takes, and then, as writers are often told…

2 – Consider your audience

Or in this case, your potential client. Is it a single entity LLC, or a bigger company with a large reach? I’ve told small business owners that I could write blogs for $25 a piece. They said it was too much. I’ve told larger companies I would charge more and they didn’t even bat an eye.

I should’ve gone higher….

3 – Don’t undersell yourself (too often)

I started writing blogs, more or less, for free. Most bloggers say this isn’t a good idea. I only did it for free to be able to say to my next potential client, I already have a client base.

I know, kinda dumb. But I’m kinda dumb–cut me some slack. And to clarify, when I started writing blogs for Threads Podcast: Life Unfiltered, it wasn’t totally for free. I had the blog you’re reading now before I appeared as a guest on Threads for the first time. After being on the show, they asked me if I was interested in starting a podcast, because they were starting a podcast production company (now known as Hey Guys Media Group) and they were looking for clients. I didn’t have the money to put into it, so I was offered a deal:

Write blogs for Threads in exchange for podcast production. Then I went on Threads a second time to talk about my show (Creative Ops) and whatnot once it launched.

Since then, blogging has snowballed. I mean, you all know what a fantastic writer I am, so after some time had gone by, the guys who gave me my first blogging job asked me to write for another one of their shows, The Gig Economy Podcast. But here’s something I had to consider before settling on prices:

4 – Should I charge as much as I can, or can I leverage lower pay for other benefits?

When they asked how much I wanted per blog, I offered a pretty low price. They asked, “Why so low?” I said, “For that price, I’d like to have a job title within the production company as your in-house writer, and get referred to all your clients.”

Done. So for less money, I’ll hold down a long-term gig with much higher visibility for my writing. It’s nice to fill in the resume when you have some stay-at-home parenting gaps in the ol’ job history. Plus the referrals, which has already paid off!

Since a few months ago, when I started offering my writing services on my website, I’ve written blogs and/or edited web content for 6 clients and lined up 2 more to start sometime in the next few months. Not bringing in money bags full of cash, but it’s helping out a little. And it’s giving me some much needed positive feedback in my writing life. See, I’m going through the arduous task of getting a novel published for the first time, and it’s not going great–I’m still not a published novelist, nor are there any immediate plans for me to become one. Read about my writing misadventures, or catch up on my thoughts on writing.

Any if there’s any agents or publishers out there, maybe you’re looking for something like this?

Maybe I’ll start posting a few pages of it at a time, see what happens….

Alright. That’s about it. Check out my podcast if you like hearing how creative people do what they do. Check out blogs I wrote for Threads Podcast: Life Unfiltered like 3 Ways (Some) Christians Hijack And Exploit The Bible. Or, most recently, the first one I wrote for Hey Guys Media Group: 4 Money-Saving Car Maintenance Tips for Gig Economy Drivers.

You can also buy me a coffee if you like any of my content. Or buy me an Xbox and I’ll stop putting stuff out altogether…

Take care folks!

-CT

Christopher Tallon writes, podcasts, and…wait a second. Are you actually reading this? High five! Follow me here:

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