One source of apprehension (and guilt) for beginning freelancers is learning the fine art of price quoting. While most websites have a set payrate and aren’t willing to negotiate, you’ll occasionally run across a job where the editor will ask the magic question “How much do you charge?”. It’s frightening at first. After all, you’re being asked to give a number that says how much your work is worth. Bet no one asked you that when you were bagging groceries.

When quoting a price estimate, there are literally dozens of factors you can throw in the mix. There are even websites that offer complex formulas and web forms to help you determine an hourly rate. My advice for new freelancers: forget all of that. There are a few basic things to consider when sending out a price quote. Making sure you’re turning a good profit can come later, for now, you just want to break even!

• How long will it take? – Don’t forget to factor in research, editing, and playing the game if it’s a review. You don’t want to charge a small price when you spend a lot of time working.

• Your experience – Are you just starting off or do you have a robust resume to back up your work? Editors can usually get a feeling for how experienced you are, and it’s a common freelancing mistake to over-quote when first starting out. If you’re new, keep prices low until you’re more confident and your resume is thicker.
• Your market - If you’re writing for a small website, don’t quote a big price they can’t pay. And if you’re being contracted by one of the big guys, don’t be afraid to ask what you’re really worth.
• Quote high – Always, always, always quote a little higher than your initial estimate. Most clients will try and talk you down, and if they don’t, you just scored a little more cash.
• Don’t be vague – Send a solid number, not a price range, and be confident about it.
• Base pay – Ideally, US-based writers would pull in $1 per word. But when you’re writing about video games for websites, that number has to shrink considerably. Instead, start with a base price of $0.20 per finished word and adjust (usually down) as you feel necessary.

Even taking all of this into consideration, it’s still more of an art than a science to quote a fair price. Half the time I find myself going with “what feels right”, which is as subjective as what I want for breakfast today. In the end, put a number out there and stick to it. You’ll learn to raise or lower it as needed, and no one will deny you work because of a high quote. They’ll just talk you down.