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The one client who told me my first quote was too low
I was pricing my first freelance writing gig for a small coffee shop owner in Denver. She looked at my $50 blog post quote and said, “You're worth more than that, I'll pay you $100.” Honestly I almost cried right there at her counter. That moment made me realize I had no clue how to value my own work. Anyone else have a client who actually talked them up instead of down?
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kimdixon17d ago
Whoa, hold up. Honestly I see this differently. A client paying you double sounds amazing on the surface but it's also kinda sketchy. Like, what if she just felt bad for you or wanted to look generous? I've had guys offer me way more than my bid for landscaping work and it always came with strings attached - they expected me to drop everything for them or do extra hours for free. Ngl, that $50 quote might have been totally fair for a short blog post, and she might have just been trying to make herself feel like a big shot. Plenty of folks inflate prices to seem legit when the real value is what the market says.
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kevinw9417d agoTop Commenter
Have you ever tried setting clear boundaries upfront and then watching how they react? I had a client do something similar once - offered me way above my rate for a simple project. I took the work but made sure to spell out exactly what was included and what wasn't in an email before starting. When they tried to push for extra revisions later, I just pointed back to that original agreement. They backed off pretty quick. A lot of times people paying double are testing to see if they can buy your flexibility along with the work. So take the money but lock in the scope first. That way you're not left guessing whether the extra cash has strings attached.
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carr.luna17d ago
Used to be right there with you on the skepticism side. Had a client talk me up once and I spent the whole project waiting for the other shoe to drop, reading into every message like it was a trap. But over time I realized some people just get it, you know? They see the hustle and they want to be part of building you up, not tearing you down. Her paying double might've been her way of investing in a writer she wanted to work with long term, not some power play. Your mileage may vary but I think sometimes we overcomplicate genuine kindness.
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