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How to Negotiate So That Everyone Wins
By Mridu Khullar
Despite scores of articles and essays written on the subject,
one of the most common problems freelance writers face is
negotiating with editors or clients for more money. Many a
writer has missed out on an extra $100, a bigger bio, a kill
fee, or even just quicker payment, by failing to ask for more.
It doesn’t have to be that hard. Here are simple yet
effective ways to negotiate with your clients and reach
numbers that everyone likes.
1. Ask, ask, ask. You don’t ask, you don’t get. It’s that
simple. Yet, out of fear of rejection, fear of looking like
a fool, or fear of not being good enough, many writers will
simply accept the first offer that’s sent their way. Here’s
a secret: no editor, and I mean no editor who has any
experience in the publishing world is going to take back an
offer simply because you asked if it’s possible to go higher.
So ask!
2. You don’t always have to ask for higher pay, especially
if you know that the rates of the publication are fixed.
You can negotiate for other things—for instance, ask for a
bio under your piece, ask for payment on acceptance, and
this may be new to you—ask for volume of work. If the editor
is going low on pay, ask if she’d give you regular work so
that you don’t have to spend all that time on marketing.
3. Give them a reason. You don’t have to, and it’s certainly
not expected, but by getting a little personal with your
editors, you have an advantage. Use it by telling them why
you think you deserve more—do you typically get paid a
certain rate by other publications for pieces of this nature?
Is their rate below the market average? Do you bring something
more to the topic and to the publication? Will it require
travel? Build on your skills and give them a reason to
increase your pay.
4. Okay, so you get more cash out of the transaction. What
do they get? Why should they pay you more? This is something
you should keep in mind when you’re negotiating. What’s your
negotiating power? It could be any of the things I mentioned
in the last point, but it could also be that you’re an expert
on the topic or that you bring specialized knowledge or
research. Make it lucrative to the client to hire you over
someone else and pay you more as well.
5. A very good question to ask is, “What’s the highest you
can go?” Straight up, no games. Let the editor know you’re
serious about delivering work, and you’re serious about
getting paid. What’s the highest they can go? Then take it
or leave it.
6. Another strategy is to say, “The lowest I can go is…”
This shows the client that you’re willing to compromise,
but there’s a limit to it. I always suggest keeping a fixed
minimum limit that you will not go below, no matter the
circumstance.
7. Be willing to walk away. Pretty much the best strategy
for getting what you want. It’s also the hardest. It’s tough
to walk away from work as a freelancer, especially in times
when your income is low, when it just seems easier to take
whatever you can get. No matter what you’re feeling inside,
stand your ground. Set limits, and if your client can’t agree
with you on a figure, be willing to walk away and find someone
who will.
8. Try not to go first. You always want to let the editor
start with a number and go from there. If you go first, it’s
very likely that you’ll end up underselling yourself.
9. Don’t get emotional. Unless the editor’s rate is downright
offensive, avoid getting into confrontations about how much
writers should be paid, the state of the publishing industry,
and how plumbers don’t work on spec. Keep it professional.
Either you agree on a number, or you don’t. Most of the time
though, you’ll find you’ll be meeting most clients somewhere
in the middle.
BIO:
Mridu Khullar, 26, is a freelance journalist from New Delhi,
India. She has lived and worked in Asia and Africa, and is
currently a Visiting Scholar at UC Berkeley's Graduate School
of Journalism. She has written for Time, Marie Claire, Ms.,
Elle, Parade.com, Women's eNews, The World & I, and East West
Magazine, among others.
Visit her at http://www.mridukhullar.com
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