Like any other relationship, the relationship between writer and client needs to make both parties involved feel that they are being treated fairly, at least, in my opinion.  A good friend of mine, a freelance web developer, once told me that as freelancers, it is not our job to make our clients see how hard we work and why we should be paid a certain amount.  We just need to do our work and in return, they need to pay us.

With those words in mind, I spend little time, if any, justifying my price to a client.

In general, I’m easy to work with.  I turn in works on time (with few exceptions) and always communicate if I’m going to be late on a project.  In exchange, I expect the same communication and courtesy from my clients.

With all this said, I have compiled a list of tips for both freelancers and clients that will help to keep your working relationship happy:

1)  To freelancers: Charge a price that you feel fairly compensates you for your work.  If you are lowballing yourself, chances are that midway through the project you will feel frustrated and resentful and provide a substandard representation of your work because you just want it to be over.

2) To clients: Don’t expect [good] writers to work for nothing.  If you pay us a good price you will feel good about it. You will also feel that you deserve the best quality work possible, not hesitate when asking for revisions, and know that you have now bought the right to e-mail me twice a day until your project is delivered.

3) To freelancers: It’s ok to have questions and problems with the work.  As a French to English translator, I often e-mail back and forth to make sure that I am translating a word or phrase in the correct way.  With a lot of my scientific writing, I ask the client for the most detailed outline possible.  If I run into any issues, I e-mail the client ASAP, not 24 hours before the work is due.

4) To clients: Understand that just because we are paid to do your work, does not mean that we will not have questions or make mistakes.  Answer our questions.  Guide us in the right direction.  Even scientific writing projects can be interpreted incorrectly.

5)  To freelancers: The project is done and now it’s time to get paid.  If you’re working via a site like Elance or Guru, it’s easy because you can just request the money (which has usually been funded in Escrow).  In real life, however, this is different.  I rarely ask for money up front unless the client is new or my credit card is due.  If the client has been referred by a person I trust, they can also pay upon completion.  Most of my clients don’t pay until the project is completed with some exceptions.So how do I ask for money?  Simple.  I don’t.  My [good] clients know that once the project is delivered, the check goes in the mail.  If we’ve agreed on a certain date, I can usually expect payment on that date.  If too much time elapses, I usually send a gentle reminder via e-mail.

6)  To clients: There is a general rule of thumb, at least for me.  Receiving payment should not take more than the time it took for me to complete your project.  If I have to harass you to pay me I will only work with you in the future if you pay me up front, partially up front, or pay a retainer.  If I deliver my work on time, you should deliver your payment within a reasonable timeframe.  This will make me trust you and like you more.

If you have any tips or experiences you’d like to share, send me an e-mail.