A Word About Pricing
Well, two words, actually: It depends.
Some projects are simple. Others are anything but.
In general, the more we can know in advance about a project, the easier it is to come up with a price.
For example, here are some things it's nice to know about a writing project, if possible:
- Clearly stated objectives and success criteria
- Expected length of the finished document
- The state of the project prior to my involvement (has anything already been researched, written?)
- Deadlines—desired, non-negotiable, interim
- Resources that would be available in support of the work
- How many people will be involved in developing it
- What the review and approval process will look like
- Other, related, deliverables
So, if you know you need a 2,500-word article on the best way to handle paying invoices in foreign currencies, for which I would need to interview two people and read one other article, and you are the only one reviewing and approving it, and you need it by the end of the month, I can give you a very accurate price.
However, what happens if you have an idea for a book, some notes from your years of consulting work, and maybe a rough outline—but are not sure how long you want it to be, what additional sources you'll need to tap into, how you want to publish it, or by when? In that case, we'd need to get creative in structuring the work and the pricing so you progress toward a concrete, finished product in a way that fits your budget and mine, as well.
There are three basic ways my work gets structured: hourly rate; fixed project pricing; monthly retainer. Each of these has its uses and advantages. With an hourly rate, you know exactly what costs are being incurred day by day as I put in hours on your work. With fixed pricing, you know upfront what the overall project cost will be, barring any changes to the scope of the project. A monthly retainer allows both parties to plan and budget an expected monthly amount for as long as the project takes.
In the early stages of a client conversation, I try to learn as much about the intended work as I can, so we can arrive at the approach that is most appropriate for the situation and managable for your budget.