Asking for more money as a freelancer isn’t something I’m particularly good at. Often, I’m just excited to get an assignment — especially if it’s one of my ideas — and publications typically present their rates as non-negotiable (“We pay $1 a word” or “The fee for this assignment is $400”). With more outlets shuttering and others watching their budgets shrink, it can feel out of touch to ask for something you presume an organization doesn’t have.
But Andrea Javor, a marketing executive by day and freelance writer by weekend and night, told me I’m thinking about it all wrong. She recently wrote a story for Business Insider about how she learned to negotiate for better pay, and regularly mentors younger people in her field on doing just that.
Javor — who’s written for the New York Times, the Guardian, the LA Times and other top-tier publications — shares her best advice for freelance journalists wondering if, when and how they can ask for higher compensation.
First, Javor said, don’t waste mental energy considering whether a publication can afford to pay you more. “You don’t need to manage their budget; they need to manage their budget,” she said. “All you can do is ask.”
Stay in your lane
In my observation and experience, staff writers and editors get raises over the course of their time at a publication — even after layoffs or trimmed expenses. An extra $100 or $500 may not be out of reach as you assume, so it’s worth asking. “Even if you’re increasing your income by 10, 15, 20%, that adds up really quickly,” Javor said.
Practice using these words up front
In about 75% of cases, Javor responds similarly when she gets an assignment: “When they say, ‘Here’s the word count. Here’s the deadline. I can pay you $250,’ I will respond and say, ‘Amazing, so excited to work with you. The word count works. The deadline works. Can you do any better on the rate? Thank you, Andrea.’”
Sometimes the editor says yes, and sometimes they say no. And sometimes they even say, “I love that you asked!” But never do they rescind the assignment altogether.
Don’t over-explain
It’s important to make the ask simple and straightforward; the employee on the receiving end doesn’t need to know how a higher base pay will help pay your rent or your kids’ back-to-school supplies. The request alone implies your value — both to the editor and yourself.
“When I hit send on an email, it’s like I’m declaring that I know that I’m worth more,” Javor said. “And that’s really worth something in my own head.”
Request a ‘raise’ from return clients
Another strategy is not to (just) ask new-to-you editors if they can offer a higher fee, but to ask for more if and when they come back to you with more work. Editors come back to freelancers for a reason, and may be willing to pay for the quality you’ve proven.
“If you’re a jerk about it; if you send some kind of nasty note about the negotiation, that could ruin the relationship,” Javor said. “But if you’re professional and you’re straightforward — especially if it’s somebody you’ve worked with in the past and they know your work, and they’ve commissioned a second piece from you — I think it’s crazy not to ask.”
Consider other ways to get ‘more’
As I wrote in a Lunch & Learn recap about advocating for yourself as a freelance journalist, if an editor can’t technically offer a higher rate but does want to support you, they may be able to find a workaround.
For example, maybe they assign (and pay for) the story at a higher word count than what you actually deliver. Or, maybe they can assign a sidebar to the story that wouldn’t require additional reporting but would bump up the word count. Finally, it doesn’t hurt to ask for something — like more time or assistance from a staff research assistant — that’s not monetary but does make your job easier.
Ask for more if the story’s scope changes significantly
It’s on you to speak up if the scope of an assignment exceeds the original plan. For instance, if you’re on a third round of edits, enduring intensive fact-checking or asked to include more sources — and your contract indicated the work would be more minimal — don’t hesitate to ask for more pay.
Javor would word the request like this: “Yes, I will go interview this other expert and go find this cultural argument. Given that the scope of the piece has expanded a bit, can you do any better on this rate?”
Know what you’re worth — and what you’re not
If you’re brand new to freelance writing, pushing back on every fee is unreasonable. Or, if you find an offer to be fair off the bat, don’t force higher pay just out of principle. But if you have a proven track record, asking for more than the standard rate just makes sense. “[If] you are showing up as a stellar candidate who’s in the top 10% of your game,” Javor said, “you are saying, ‘I demand more for this work, because my work is actually better.’”
