I read it when you wrote it last week. I decided to re-read it today because I received an offer for a blogging job found on the site. Unfortunately, it is for less than my normal rate but they are looking for a total of 60 articles in 30 days.

The decision is in my hands and I have to make up my mind today to either take the job or not. Taking in consideration that large volume for the month, the total pay would be sufficient, but then by doing so, I am lowering my rates per article/hour.

Well needless to say, re-reading your article has helped make my decision. I am declining. Thanks again for putting the question of rates in the correct perspective.

Sometimes we tend to say, well maybe this once because I do not see anything on the horizon for the week.

They advise to listen to the client’s first offer, then try to negotiate it up. It’s not something I’ve ever been able to do myself, I incline more towards offering a rate up front – but it certainly would spare that sinking feeling you get when you hear the client say, “Oh, that sounds extremely reasonable”, and you know you’ve accidentally lowballed yourself…

I’ve also come to the conclusion that it’s important to charge what’s right for me even if the writer “down the street” is cheaper.

The fact is, there will always be someone cheaper and that is not a reason to lower your own rates.

I try to make quality my distinctive rather than price.

@Lisa – It’s true though. We all joke about fast food, but fast food pays more than a lot of writing jobs.

@Spike – There are so many reasons webmasters charge what they do. If you visit Digital Point or Warrior Forums where they’re all talking about how the going rate for writing is a couple of dollars an article,it’s kind of scary. But why do they think this is so? There may be a lot of factors but the bottom line is that if writers didn’t accept the rate, clients wouldn’t be paying it.