Hi Reader,

Happy Friday!

You might have noticed that there was no Friday Freelance Tips last week, and that's because I'm on the other side of the world in Australia. I'm flip-flopping between being WIDE AWAKE at random times of the night and wanting to go to bed at 6pm, so it's all fun and games.

The best part is, I'm still working (a bit) while I'm here.

I'm forever grateful to younger Lizzie for building a life where I can get on a plane with my laptop and work from LITERALLY the other side of the planet.

P.S. This week on Instagram, I shared a post about why you already have a personal brand (even if you don't want one). See it here. And don't forget to give me a follow for regular tips and tricks!

Here's what I've been up to this week work-wise:

👉 I wrote 1 piece for a client (an influencer marketing tool)

👉 I refreshed 2 pieces for Shopify

👉 I edited 3 pieces for Klaviyo

⏱ Approx hours spent on client work this week: ~10

⏱ Approx hours spent on non-client work: ~0.5

💰 Total revenue this week: £2,100

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Friday Freelance Tip​​ ✨ ​

I've had maaaany, many a client describe their project as "simple".

It might be a landing page rewrite. A sales email sequence. A short-form video script. A quick consultation. And on paper, these all sound like one task or, at least, something you can tick off in a couple of hours.

But what clients don’t always see is that the visible output is only a fraction of the work involved.

Take a “simple” website copy project.

The brief might say 3 pages of copy: homepage, about, and services. Sounds manageable.

But here’s what that actually requires on my end:

First, there's the onboarding process, including reviewing the scope, identifying red flags, assessing timelines, agreeing on deliverables, and issuing contracts and invoices.

Then comes research.

Reading through brand documents, analysing competitors, immersing myself in the client's tone of voice, figuring out how their audience talks and what they care about, and reviewing every piece of content the client has already published so I can make sure this new work fits and is functional.

Then there’s the thinking time.

Deciding why this page needs to exist, who it's speaking to, what message we’re leading with, and how we’re going to make a visitor trust your business enough to convert. I’m not just writing words here, I’m making HUNDREDS of decisions before the cursor even moves.

Writing is the middle part.

That usually flows quickly because of the hours spent up front. But once the copy is written, there’s another layer of review, editing, fact-checking, formatting, QA, and delivery, often with notes to explain the thinking behind the choices I’ve made.

And that’s before we get to revisions, communication, file management, meeting prep, internal admin, follow-up, and post-project wrap-up.

None of this is charged separately.

It’s not a surprise line item on an invoice. It’s bundled into the flat project rate because I’ve learned to price based on value, outcomes, and the real scope of the work.

So when I say a “simple” project is £1,500, it’s not because I’m trying to inflate the number. It’s because that’s what it takes to do it properly. To deliver something strategic, effective, and high-quality.

If any of this sounds familiar, and you’ve been undercharging because the writing itself feels quick, here are three ways to protect your time (and your margin):

Stop pricing based on output.

PLEASE.

Instead of charging per word, per page, or per hour, start pricing based on the full scope of what it takes to complete the work to your standard, from research to delivery.

You’re not just selling the end product here. You’re selling the process, your judgment, and your ability to make decisions that move the client’s business forward.

Write out your hidden steps.

Make a checklist of everything you do to complete a “simple” project.

Seeing the full process in black and white helps you justify your pricing (to yourself and to clients) and shows you where you might be doing work that should be included in your onboarding doc or retainer model.

Communicate the value early.

Many pricing objections come from clients not understanding what’s involved. Instead of defending your rate after the fact, be proactive: explain how your process works, what’s included, and why it delivers better results.

It sets expectations and builds trust, and makes it easier to say no to people who don’t value what you bring.

I have what I call a "welcome packet" that I send to new enquiries that gives a bit of insight into my process. This includes the prep before the writing and helps set the scene and expectations around rates.

This week, we have a B2B writer from Spain.

Where are you based? Spain.

How long have you been freelancing? 4 years.

What do you do? Medical writing.

What was your 2024 revenue? €57,000.

This person freelances full-time, and this was not their highest-earning year.

How much did you take as a salary?

€2,500.

How much did you pay in taxes?

24% (includes VAT, solo-trader income tax and government social contribution).

What were your business expenses?

Approx. 300 EUR a month (including trainings and professional association memberships)

Do you contribute to a pension or investments?

Government scheme (but I should start a private pension account soon).

Do you have any hot money-management tips?

• Always keep in the bank, readily available, an amount of money enough for you to survive at least 6 months with zero income (wish for the best, prepare for the worst).
• Set money aside for your taxes quarterly, so that it does not come all at once (this is compulsory in Spain, which is great).
• Track your numbers to be aware of your financial situation and spend money accordingly (both in the personal and business spheres).

We need more Freelance Money Diaries submissions!

As you know, I'm on a mission to bring more transparency around rates in the freelancing world. And, to do that, it really helps to see what other freelancers are earning. I'd absolutely love it (and be eternally grateful) if you share your finances with us (you can do it totally anonymously!).

As always, happy freelancing :)

Lizzie ✨

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