Five Ways to Upsell Your Writing Services

Five Ways to Upsell Your Writing Services I’m grateful to be a freelance writer and making a living from something I love. In fact, I’m so grateful that I sometimes sell myself short and accept less pay than what my writing is worth. So how did I begin to expect and receive fair pay and even upsell my services? In her Forbes article, â€Å"How to Get Paid What You’re Worth,† Liz Ryan writes â€Å"†¦you will have to negotiate, and youll also have to say No to the wrong opportunities.† Saying â€Å"no† to some projects opens doors to better pay. Here are a few tips to help you upsell your writing. 1.  Ã‚     Emphasize relevant credentials and experience. I selectively combine both direct and indirect experiences to apply for a gig. For example, if I’m proposing a piece on Mideast refugees, I explain why my previous writing as well as my Middle East living experience qualifies me as the best writer for top pay. 2.  Ã‚     Relate your query to the publications specific need or growth potential. Your sailing expertise may seem detached from a prepper blog, but you could explain how preparing for the unexpected is an essential skill that can benefit preppers using water routes during an apocalyptic event. Craft your query to emphasize water escape preparations as a new niche topic for the publication. 3.  Ã‚     Analyze clients job description to counter-offer services that better meet the need. Twice last year I was asked Another client requested a high-level manuscript review, but then also mentioned comment balloons and line edits. I explained the difference and advised her that if she wanted detailed feedback rather than a summary, she should consider the line edit. She happily paid several hundred dollars more. 4.  Ã‚     Follow up for additional projects. Several previous clients indicated they might have additional work down the road. I politely waited a year or so, and then contacted them to follow up. Most were ready to assign new projects, while one had postponed the idea. My initiative paid off, sometimes more than once as additional projects were developed. 5.  Ã‚     Ask high and accept lower at a fair rate. Some projects have more bargaining flexibility than others. When feasible, consider taking the risk to ask a higher price, and then settle for a lesser amount that will meet your project expectations. However, keep in mind that you may risk losing the project in these situations. In fact, that happened to me recently. I refused a ghostwriting book project that was priced several thousand dollars lower than the work merited and lost the deal. No regrets! As a writer, you set the bar for acceptable pay. Don’t settle for less than you deserve and look for opportunities to upsell your services.