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Why I Stopped Calling Myself a “Freelance Writer”
The gift and the curse of an often-underestimated job title
Several years ago, the CEO of a prominent product development services company approached me to help out with copywriting and publicity. I had started my own editorial studio, Wonder Shuttle, and gave myself the job title of creative director. That didn’t matter much, because most of my network still knew me as a freelance writer.
After some proof of work and a small discounted project, we started talking numbers for my actual rates, and when I gave him mine ($250 per hour or so, my rate has multiplied since).
He said that was way beyond the market rate for freelance writers.
I’d heard this before, hence why I’d changed my job title. I hadn’t perfected my response, so at that moment I’d blurted out, “I’m not just a writer. I’ve worked with you on publicity and marketing. I work on strategy. My rate reflects the value I bring to the table.”
Probably working in services himself and having to do a version of that explanation (product development companies offer more expertise, and are often pricier, than offshore or outsourcing app development studios), he understood. I joined his team as a fractional marketing leader.
