#freelance-gigs

Yeah please don't do that.. it impacts and devalues the industry as a whole and I have a feeling this is happening on a bigger scale with so many freelancers flooding the market desperate for work. Not saying that's you, but know that it effects everyone.

Out of curiosity, any idea why you were doing that?

I believe it is the pressure. Many people are providing high-quality work with less money than they should. Take the risk for a period of time and keep your rate high.

I haven't had to talk money for a long time. After leaving a media job, I worked freelance for a few US tech agencies. One offered me a full-time role and after two years I was hit by the tech downturn and let go along with six other people. Someone who I'd worked with at an old client recommended me, so I found myself scrambling to come up with some numbers for a strategy and rolling content gig. I'd been applying for permanent roles in the UK and hadn't thought that much about freelance work. Basically, I'm not very good at the money talk and I've not had much practice.

@Chris Thornett that makes sense! It definitely takes some practice

@Chris Thornett I come from a tech media background, too. Definitely haven't been used to negotiating rates and I confess I'm still not very good at it. I'm sure you'll figure it out, though!

@Chris Thornett I definitely used to do this too! One trick I've found - aim to start getting "no, too expensive" on your prices. If you've already mentally accepted that the goal is to be too expensive, then the no doesn't sting so much! I am now too expensive for about 50% of my leads - and that's awesome! The other 50% pay me well to do work I love. Much better than closing them all and then being snowed under with tedious, poor-paying work (I know this from experience!)

@Chris Thornett As you begin to get a feel for how long different types of tasks take you to complete, it gets easier to set a fee. Track your time and word counts, research time, etc. for each project so you can make comparisons.
Regarding wanting to low-bid yourself, this isn't uncommon. I think it's particularly tempting when the market is down. You don't want to lose a gig that could be beneficial for your progression and pay your bills. Plus, imposter syndrome starts to kick in.
If you find yourself consistently coming down off what you've mentally set as your baseline, try a little self-deception. Raise that mental baseline. (e.g., If you goal is to earn $100 p/h, set your mental baseline at $150) It's a cheap trick but may help you achieve your goals.