So far, I have been hired by clients at least 393 times. The client said, “Okay. Let’s do it.” And, conversely, I have not been hired maybe 1,000 times. Or even more. (Who would keep count of that, anyway?) The odd thing is, I have no idea why I get hired, and why I don’t. In my […]
Walt Kania
About Walt Kania
Posts by Walt Kania:
Should female freelancers charge more?
Do clients somehow, consciously or not, view male and female freelancers differently? Does that affect who gets hired? Does that affect who gets paid what? I’m beginning to think it does. At least around the edges. The other question is, even if your gender does matter, what can you do about it anyway? Is it even worth […]
Using low rates to attract clients
It seems tempting. Especially when you’re hearing a lot of ‘no’. Or when you’re just starting out. You’re trying to get a foothold. Or, when you’ve hit a slow spot, and you want to scare up some quick assignments just to make the rent. So you think about dropping prices, offering low fees, just to get […]
Getting paid: ‘When’ determines ‘how much’
When you get paid should determine how much you charge. Getting a dollar today is not the same as getting a dollar next month. Getting a dollar six weeks from now is like getting 75 cents, just because it’s irritating. (And, maybe because you had to use your VISA for the electric bill in the meantime.) Sometimes we get to […]
Freelancing: Inventing your ideal career, in real time.
Morgan asks: “I love the notion of freelancing, but where you can go with it? What kind of career path can I have as a freelancer?” Friends and family used to ask me that all the time. Back in the late 1900’s people studied career paths like they were magical treasure maps. “What kind of […]
Little victories: Big hits from small jobs
This always makes my day. At 11:25 am or maybe 3:40 pm, I’m at the keyboard. I am ass-deep in some huge assignment that will last a week or two. (Or, I’m ass-deep in procrastinating, depending.) The phone rings. My client Kathleen. She tells me something has just happened in the insurance world. Some government […]
How to raise a rate, boost a fee
Situation: You’ve been charging a client XXX for a certain type of piece. Or you’ve been billing them XX per hour. Or YY per page, per day, per meter. And now you need to raise that. Maybe because you guessed wrong initially. Maybe the work is a flaming hairball from hell. Maybe the client is more of […]
How not to be invisible
Would you ever forget a freelancer named Donna Coney Island? Me neither. I know twenty people in her business. But I always remember Donna Coney Island. Is that her real name? It doesn’t matter, does it? She has a unique story either way. When I first started freelancing (back when we actually used lances) I was […]
Following the threads
On Tuesday, you get a call. It’s from someone new. Someone who was sent to you by one of your other clients. It’s a nice assignment. The work is a bit new for you. You handle it. Everything comes out well. The new client is pleased. Happy ending. But there’s more. You’re just starting. Right there, […]
Q/A: Turning down a client you don’t want.
Sally: Q: “What’s the best way to turn down a client you don’t want? Sometimes, when discussing a project with a new client, or looking at the background files, I just know it’s a disaster just waiting to happen. What’s the best way to say ‘no’ to a project and client I don’t want, while […]