I was approached by a potential client. Now let me start by saying this is nothing against this person. I am sure they mean well. They wanted to know if I was available to write for them. I replied that I was and to let me know what kind of project they would like.

When they emailed me back I was floored. I write for what I think is a reasonable rate. I offer discounts for clients that use my services on a regular basis and have been known to offer a discount to those who need it. That being said the rate this client offered was phenomenally low. That is ok. I understand that everyone has a budget and there may have been things that I have no idea of why they wanted to offer such a low fee.

But …

What amazed me was the fact they said they had other ghost writer on the project at this price already. This amazes me.

I put a lot into my writing and I value my time. That people are willing to write for pennies saddens me. I am sure that these other writers put just as much into their writing as I do, but are not putting the value on their work and their time.

When writing online I have learned a lot. The first thing I learned is that if you don’t value what you do, others aren’t going to either. Be proud of what you do. Write with confidence and command a fair price. People may want to bargain with you for a price, but you can usually work out a deal. Maybe take a dollar less but have the client commit to a few more articles. There are ways to work with a client about price, but don’t accept less than what you are worth.

Another thing I have learned is there are a ton of people out there that will undervalue your work. I do a lot of writing for free. Well not really free. I write for directories and my own sites. This pays off by getting my name out there. So I am working for myself really, so I am not working for free. Work for yourself, but don’t work for peanuts!

Value your time and your talent! Your worth it! Don’t be afraid to say no. Don’t be afraid to stick to your guns and work with a client to work out a deal that is fair to both of you!

Stepping down off my soap box to start writing now. This really has me inspired to write a few articles this morning about this very topic! Stay tuned!!!!