My So-Called Freelance Life - Michelle Goodman [43]
In fact, if someone goes out of their way to tell you they’re paying you with PIE, they’re probably trying to convince themselves they’re offering you a sweet deal. Classy outfits don’t need to tell you how great their gig will be for you; they know you’re well aware of this fact. Some of my most hated “selling points” of these glorified volunteer positions:
• “You’ll be first in line to get paid if and when we do start paying our freelancers. There may even be an opportunity for revenue sharing somewhere down the line.” (Thanks for the, um, generous offer, but I think I’ll just go work for some other no-name outfit that actually has a freelance budget.)
• “We’ll credit you for your work and link to your website.” (Here’s a hint: Unless I’m ghostwriting, all my clients do this.)
• “You’ll be an affiliate/web partner/paid per click on the articles, artwork, or photos you provide us.” (In other words, you’re too embarrassed to write me a check for five bucks, so you’re masking the paltry pay with an elaborate yet worthless royalty scheme.)
When it comes to choosing your “exposure” projects wisely, novelist, journalist, and retired stand-up comic Lynn Harris serves up this reminder: “If you’re going into something where creativity and work intersect, you can’t let people take advantage of you. Because there’s this prevailing notion of ‘You’re doing what you love—why do you need to get paid?’”
If you’re hungry for recognition, grab a quick snack at the PIE counter of a reputable establishment. But don’t gorge on empty calories. If you want the world to take you seriously as a creative professional, you need to start bringing home the bacon.
Chapter 11
Let’s Make a Deal
How to negotiate project terms and rates you won’t live to regret
“Just as you have trained yourself (or have been trained) to be a mouse, you can
teach yourself to be a tiger (nonkilling variety).”
—Jean Baer, How to Be an Assertive (Not Aggressive) Woman
in Life, in Love, and On the Job: A Total Guide to Self-assertiveness, 1976
Let’s get one thing straight: Negotiating your price with a client won’t turn you into Gordon “Greed Is Good” Gekko, the Michael Douglas character in the movie Wall Street. And yet, too many freelancers fear negotiation like a root canal, to the point that they’re willing to accept any offer a client makes, no matter how rotten.
“I’m not the kind of person who plays hardball,” the negotiation-phobes will say. “I feel bad asking for more. What if my client gets mad at me?”
Contrary to what a handful of professors studying society’s perceptions of female mice who ask for a little extra cheese would have us think, your clients won’t dump you for standing up for yourself. They may say, “I’m sorry, I can’t go any higher.” But unless you behave like a total ass, they’ll still hire you. After all, a talented freelancer in the hand is worth two hundred unread resumes in the bush.
Besides, this is your career, not a popularity contest. If you wanted new friends, you’d make a MySpace page or join a bowling league (rather than work at home alone in your bathrobe). So forget the retro notion that negotiating is rude, sleazy, or—god forbid!—unfeminine. Remind yourself that this is your rent money, your salary, your livelihood. Men have been asking for more compensation for decades and have lived to tell the tale. It’s about time we women did the same.
Before You Do the Math, Do the Recon
In Chapter 9, I told you not to price a project until you have all the details. I’m going to assume you’ve already done the necessary detective work to ensure your client-to-be isn’t the Bride of Chucky (if not, see “How to Spot a Hell Client at Twenty Paces” in Chapter 14).