#freelance-talk

Sorry that you’ve been struggling! While social comparison (aka the feeling of not making as much) sucks, maybe the report’s data can also give you some hope in knowing that you, too, can average above $100k/year?

That’s my takeaway from it. I’m planning on using the data as a benchmark for how much I could earn so I can price my services more strategically.

I think it depends where in content you work. I’ve been making six figures as a freelancer working part time (had a non content day job) for years because I was working with Fortune 500 companies who pay well via agencies. And now I do freelance b2b tech thought leadership and research report writing via agencies. Randomly getting recruited by agencies who then booked the majority of my content income for me has been a game changer. But not replicable as many agencies pay badly or don’t have consistent work. But that gave me a lot of clips for all sorts of topics so it’s easy for me to pitch new clients n a variety of fields now.

And now I do content as day job and I work in developer focused B2b tech (so highly technical stuff where fewer people are qualified). All jobs in that niche basically are over 6 figures. But I focused on well funded startups in my job search as they tend to pay best.

But I think the point about pricing yourself well is good too. My minimum is $500 for a barebones SEO article with no edits. I make $2,000+ per thought leadership piece with some other clients too. Or up to $13,000 per research report depending on the deliverables. Though my fees for things vary depending on the work flow and the size of company (I give startups discounts vs large companies). I miss out on some clients with a $500 minimum but if I took them on I’d be too busy to find the ones who will pay my fee.g

I have not been succesful in getting work from agencies. I don't even send LOIs to them anymore.

I have never pitched agencies. The ones I've worked with (Contently, Forbes' content program, a small B2C agency and a small B2B agency who subcontracts a lot with bigger agencies) have all found me. But the main editor I worked with at Forbes got fired or switched jobs and suddenly I got no more work BUT one of the freelance editors remembered working with me 3-4 years later and recommended me to one of the B2B agencies that has become my biggest client.

I've tried reaching out to agencies twice. One paid less than I would take but was interested in me and the other never contacted me after an interview. Once I got into one agency (Contently) though editors or former contently clients (with permission) kept bringing me on to projects they worked with. I had a lot of clients originally who wanted my byline on the work and that's led to work too.

So yeah. I don't think most agencies take writers on without referrals or finding you through other work you've published online.