Recently, I had the chance to chat with Timmy Bauer, host of the Writing Better podcast. We discussed success, confidence, Reedsy, and how to find the right clientele for your skill set and price point. I talked about my journey from working in the publishing world to venturing out on my own as a freelancer. We also spent a lot of time discussing how much to charge clients, and I told him how I honed in on high net-worth individuals and became confident charging what I’m worth.
“I moved up to $30,000, and that felt uncomfortable. Because I was hanging out in the $10–12,000 range. I moved up to $30,000. From 30, I went to 50. Then I went to 65, 75, 95, 125, and now I’m at $150,000. It has been a gradual progression over many years. With more time in the industry, with better processes, I feel far more confident now at what I’m charging than I ever have.”
Timmy asked me how moving up in price affected my business.
“It’s also finding your niche, the clientele. When I lost a ton of people at $30,000, I had moved beyond that specific clientele, and there’s nothing wrong with that.” Losing one demographic positions you to find a new one.
One recent client told me, “I chose you because you were the most expensive that I’ve found online. If you’ve written this many books, and you charge this much, I’m expecting excellence.”
And that’s exactly what I deliver. Listen to the whole interview on Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.