Know Your Worth and Charge It: Setting Fair Freelancer Rates

Writers deserve to be paid fairly for freelance work, but how do you determine a “fair” amount? Doing a little math and practicing self-advocacy will help you figure out what your sustainable freelance rate should be. In this Money Matters event, author Erin Lowry and writer and financial planner Uchechi Kalu will discuss how to get paid more and:

• Build a fair freelance rate based on real costs
• Calculate your tax-adjusted income needs
• Negotiate with clients and increase your rate when needed
• Ask fellow freelancers how much they charge in order to set your rate

Presenters

Uchechi Kalu is a Nigerian-American writer and financial planner based in Los Angeles. Her work explores the shifting nature of Blackness, Americanness, and Africanness across borders, shaped by her experiences living on six continents. A 2024 Paris Olympics Poetry Fellow, she recently performed at Théâtre de la Ville in Paris. Uchechi is writing her first book on the Biafran War and her family’s migration to the U.S. She has received support for her work from PEN America, and her work can be found in an upcoming poetry anthology featuring fellow poets from the 2024 Paris Olympics. She holds a BA from Princeton University and enjoys learning languages, indulging in Bollywood movies, and hiking around L.A.

Erin Lowry is the author of the four-part Broke Millennial series, including: Broke Millennial, Broke Millennial Takes On Investing and Broke Millennial Talks Money and her soon-to-be-published Broke Millennial Workbook: Take Control and Get Your Financial Life Together. Erin’s been featured in The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and on CBS Sunday Morning, CNBC and The Rachael Ray Show. She has written for The New York Times, USA Today, and is a columnist for Bloomberg Opinion.