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Does your company hire freelancers and share their rate information with industry peers? Make sure to double-check that you are not participating in an unlawful cartel-like behavior. For example, an UK regulator is investigating scripted drama producers for sharing information to fix freelancer pay rates. If found guilty, the companies may be subject to fines of up to 10% of their turnover, according to The Freelance Informer.
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Here’s my pricing profile. What’s yours? — That’s the challenge published in our latest newsletter. Fill out your anonymous pricing profile, and after submission, see how other freelancers responded.
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There’s been a lot of talk about freelance pricing recently, and that’s a good thing. There are hardly any strict rules because freelancers are such a diverse group. Sharing experiences is one thing that truly helps — getting inspired by people's ideas, like the list of 12 things Austin Church learned about pricing during his 14 years of freelancing. We like his last bit of wisdom:
“You’ll know you’re getting closer to the right prices when they offend the wrong clients. To become the more expensive option will do wonders for your profits and your joy quotient.”
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Sarah Duran interviewed Robert Vlach on The Hustler’s Manifesto podcast about some themes covered in his best-selling business book The Freelance Way, and especially freelance pricing.
One of the highlights in their conversation was how pricing impacts the overall subjective experience of freelance work. Robert pointed out that if we dislike a particular job, it’s often because we are underpriced and overstretched. Doing the same work when well-rested or better compensated can feel entirely different.
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Personal marketing is a sore spot for many freelancers who don’t want to look self-centered and arrogant. On the other hand, self-promotion is a quite necessary part of the freelance way, unless you have skills that are unique or in high demand.
A socially acceptable approach is outlined in an article How to brag without sounding arrogant, according to new research.
It points out that people are much more comfortable with self-presentation that also highlights others — e.g. collaborators, sources, or inspirations. And indeed, if you follow successful freelancers on social media, they often do it exactly like that.
By the way, kudos to Sarah Duran for sharing the article in her awesome newsletter 😉
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Happy International Freelancer Day — and night! 🌠
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If you happen to be in Belgium this week, check out the Freelancer Summit 2023 that takes place on October 19 in Gent.
The event, co-organized by Unizo, NextConomy, and GigHouse, follows last year’s Day of the Freelancer conference, bringing together 250 freelancers to network and get inspired by 9 great speakers.
What a great way to celebrate the International Freelancer Day, which also happens to be October 19!
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Freelance Business Month presents an online Q&A session on freelance pricing and business negotiations with Robert Vlach, author of The Freelance Way and founder of Freelancing.eu.
The Q&A is scheduled for Friday, October 20, from 18:00 (CET) and you can sign up to this meeting for free via Zoom:
“Pricing and business negotiations are two essential skills for independent professionals. In this deep-dive Q&A session, Robert Vlach will take your questions and give comprehensive answers that will broaden your understanding of freelance pricing and negotiation strategies. This is crucial because pricing isn't just a one-off matter. There are no universal rules applicable to all the hundreds of industries and thousands of professions where freelancers offer their services. In essence, freelance pricing is a process of gradual improvement and this is also why debates like these are super-useful.”
Our tip: You can also register for the whole Freelance Business Month with free access, or get full access with a 25% discount.
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Do you create and publish professional content? If so, you shouldn't miss the outstanding book How to Take Smart Notes, which focuses on the zettelkasten method.
While Sönke Ahrens primarily wrote it for students, academics, and non-fiction authors, professional content creators will also find it highly valuable — whether they write, lecture, or even just produce short videos or social media posts. The book is concise, engaging, evidence-based, and utterly practical. If you're unfamiliar with the zettelkasten technique, you're guaranteed to learn much from it.
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Just a quick reading tip: If you enjoyed the groundbreaking book Genius Foods written by Max Lugavere (with Paul Grewal, MD) about foods and lifestyle choices supporting long-term brain health, there’s an equally good sequel.
The Genius Life broadens the picture by focusing on overall health and longevity, while sticking to solid, well-researched scientific foundations. Once again, the book is pretty dense, so expect a deep-dive with no fluff — a perfect read for any busy freelancer.
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