Pricing Freelance Projects
Pricing Freelance Projects is the story of how I priced myself to a six-figure yearly freelance career from scratch.
Everything that I've learned in over a decade of pricing real-world freelance work is in this book.
"All freelancers should read this"
– Toby Osbourn (@tosbourn), Software Engineer
"By far the best book I’ve read about pricing services"
– Aleyda Solis (@aleyda), SEO Consultant
"Reading this book will save you time and earn you money"
– Tom Hoadley (@Thomas_Hoadley), Freelance Front-End Developer
"An essential read for any freelancer"
– Andra Zaharia (@AndraZaharia), Freelance Senior Content Marketer
"I thought I had pricing my work figured out.
Turns out I didn’t."
– Jordan Gilroy (@JordanGilroy), Freelance Graphic Designer
"Every freelancer who wants to maximize their income should read this today."
– Paul Metcalfe (@pauldm), Freelancer
If you want to know:
- What to charge for your work
- Which pricing methods work best
- How to get paid what you're worth
Then Pricing Freelance Projects is for you.
Backstory
I posted a Twitter thread summarising my expertise in pricing freelance projects and it went viral.
At the time of writing, the thread has received 37,100 likes and 11,200 retweets.
My message has been seen over 3,000,000 times by people.
Its content has been re-worked and re-posted around the world.
I’ve had countless messages of thanks and praise for sharing my super-condensed version of 11 years+ in pricing freelance work.
I’d already thought about writing a book on pricing for freelancers, but this response was the catalyst. I had to write this book.
I’ve made it my mission to understand pricing deeply to get paid what I’m worth throughout my career and this makes me a great living from freelancing year on year.
Pricing Freelance Projects is not "just another value-based pricing system".
This book shows you how to understand, raise and retain your value on a per-project basis.
This book teaches you how to apply value realistically to know what to charge and get paid what you're worth.
This book expands heavily on the Twitter thread that freelancers loved.
This book contains everything that I know about pricing freelance work and there's a ton of value in it for you.
You'll Learn
- How to get a handle on pricing your work with confidence
- About the real-world projects that helped forged my success as a freelancer
- Why typical approaches to pricing aren't always the best
- The methods that I use to earn more money in less time
- How to start thinking with a value mindset when giving prices
- How to increase, raise and retain your freelance value
- What clients are thinking when they look for valuable freelancers to hire
- The pros and cons of every popular pricing methodology for freelance work
- The system that I use to protect myself from giving bad prices
- How to use value to know what to charge
- How to use value to get paid what you're worth
Book Sample
Click here to see a 13-page sample from the PDF version of the book.
Contents
Synopsis
Introduction
The Problem With Pricing Freelance Projects
The Fallacy Of Pricing Freelance Projects
The Truth About "Value-Based Pricing"
A Focus On Value
- The Meaning Of Value
- The Benefits Of Using Value To Price
- Obtaining A Value Mindset
- Gauging Value
- How Value Informs A Freelancer's Price
Value For Freelancers
- Increasing Baseline Value
- Increasing Differential Value
- Providing Added Value
- Value Retention
- Value Detection
Value For Clients
- Business Outcomes
- Bought Time
- Value Indicators
Pricing Starts With Positioning
Perceived Value
Actual Value
What's Fair
Pricing Methodologies For Freelancers
- Hourly Billing
- Daily Billing
- Fixed-Pricing
- Value-Based Pricing
- Retainers
Pricing Progression
Supplementary Pricing Assets
- Estimates and Quotes
- Proposals
- Pre-Projects And Discovery
The Best Method For The Job
Beyond The Method
- Your Bottom Line
- Outsourcing
- Deposits
- Knowing Your Market Position
- Assessing Your Circumstances
- Understanding Your Prospect
- Risk And Price
- Trust
- Safety Money
Getting Paid What You're Worth
- Justifying Your Price
- Credibility
- Confidence
- Knowing Your Worth
- Negotiation
- Raising Your Price
- Experimentation
- The Right Price
Pricing Preferences
- Rules From A Decade Of Pricing Freelance Projects
- Setting Your Pricing Preferences
The Secret To Higher Prices
The Reality Of Pricing Freelance Projects
Acknowledgements
References
Appendix
Optional Extra: Scenario Sheets
I asked 100s of new, aspiring and experienced freelancers for the toughest scenarios they were facing when pricing their projects. Here's a snippet of what they asked me:
I have no idea what to charge for my services. Where should I start?
I want to give a fixed price for a project but my prospect can’t provide a detailed scope of work. What should I do?
How can I approach raising my price with an existing client? When is it the right time?
My client always complains when I go over my estimates. How can I move away from this problem?
I want to increase my perceived value to clients by raising my profile. How can I find the time?
In total, there are 20 detailed solutions in Scenario Sheets handling the most common pricing problems freelancers face each day.
All scenarios are answered candidly from 12-years of experience pricing real-world freelance work for my clients.
Learn how to handle tricky pricing situations with confidence using techniques that work with this 10,000-word extension of the main text.
Praise From Readers
"This book is full of gems of information that are otherwise difficult to find without learning them the hard way.
Reading this book will save you time and earn you money so if you're an experienced freelancer or even considering freelancing this book is well worth the investment."
– Tom Hoadley (@Thomas_Hoadley), Freelance Front-End Developer
"With his empathetic stance towards the everyday challenges we face as freelancers, Tom shares wonderful insights and equips us with the necessary tools to become successful "bosses of our trade".
Give this book a read! The wealth of knowledge shared is applicable to you - wherever you may be in your freelancing journey."
– Anyi Ndongko, Freelance Creative Designer
"I started freelancing after 5 years in agencies.
Using the advice from this book I made more money in my first month freelancing than I did from my last month of salary.
And it's still growing.
This book is a must read for any freelancer, no matter how experienced you are."
– Dan Spratling (@dan_spratling), Freelance Web Developer
"Wow! By far the best book I’ve read about pricing consulting services.
I wish I read this book when starting, and even after consulting for 6 years, I've learned so much.
If you're a consultant or freelancer, I can highly recommend it.
Congrats Tom for such great work!"
– Aleyda Solis (@aleyda), SEO Consultant
"After 3 years of freelancing, I thought I had pricing my work figured out.
Turns out I didn't.
This book by Tom has opened my eyes, detailing different methodologies of pricing that you can apply to where it works best.
Game changer."
– Jordan Gilroy (@JordanGilroy), Freelance Graphic Designer
"This superb book isn't just about how to price your work as a freelancer, but also how to know your worth as a professional in general.
Get your worth and value in order.
My dude is helping so many of us more than he knows."
– Reiz Ariva (@ReizHale), Freelance SEO and Web Optimiser for Education
"I'm very cautious about resources like these and I tend to be extra picky. I went all-in when it came to Pricing Freelance Projects because it is an essential read for any freelancer.
Tom makes excellent points and provides tons of truly actionable tactics to figure out, not just pricing, but also how you build your freelancing business in general (since pricing always triggers deeper questions than just the financials of it).
Happy reader here, 10/10 would recommend!"
– Andra Zaharia (@AndraZaharia), Freelance Senior Content Marketer
"A great, great lesson on value, how to break it down and why it's important to do your homework on it.
I'm highly recommending this read not only to freelancers but to every value-creator out there!"
– Daniel Zettl (@DanZettl), Senior Animator at Riot Games
"I purchased Pricing Freelance Projects because I wanted to learn more about retainers, day rates and value-based pricing.
Most clients first ask 'What is your hourly rate?' and I'm realising that this is very limiting.
The book did a great job at explaining the pros, cons and common use cases of these methodologies.
I highly recommend this book to any freelancer looking to build confidence in their pricing structure."
– Jacob Lett (@BootstrapC), Freelance HubSpot CMS Developer
"Pricing Freelance Projects is a well thought out explanation of asking for the price that you're worth.
Even when you feel comfortable with what you charge, this book will give you the insight to improve.
If this book increases your value to your clients, then it's worth more than what you'll pay for it."
– Gaya Kessler (@GayaKessler), Freelance JavaScript Developer
"If you're a freelancer and struggling to price your services, go and buy this book by Tom. He's legit and the book is gold.
I personally recommend it!"
– Suganthan Mohanadasan (@Suganthanmn), SEO Agency Owner
"Tom nails it in this book.
I love how he presented and explained this topic in an easily understandable way for such a complex subject matter.
Every current and beginner freelancer should invest in this book.
I highly recommend it!"
– Kyle Prinsloo (@study_web_dev), Freelancer and Educator
"I wish Tom's book had been available 7 years ago when I started freelancing.
It would have saved me from many mistakes.
Now, it helps me focus on the best way to differentiate and price my offerings.
The book is simply invaluable!"
– Burkhard Stubert (@wittyelk), Independent Systems Consultant
“Tom has created a fantastic guide to pricing freelance projects from his 10+ years of experience.
This book will arm you with the tools to take the guesswork out of pricing your projects, no matter the situation you find yourself in.
Every freelancer who wants to maximize their income should read this today."
– Paul Metcalfe (@pauldm), Freelancer
"One of the most comprehensive books on pricing I've read.
It's well worthy of its 5-star rating and wild acclaim.
I genuinely believe all freelancers should read this."
– Toby Osbourn (@tosbourn), Software Engineer
Free Updates For Life
Purchase of Pricing Freelance Projects comes with free updates for life.
Any time I make an edit or addition to the book, you'll get it at no further cost.
Money-Back Guarantee
I only want your money if Pricing Freelance Projects provides you with value.
If within 30-days of your purchase you find no value inside, send me an email and I'll refund you.
FAQ
Who is this book for exactly?
Pricing Freelance Projects is for freelancers, people thinking about going into freelancing, consultants, companies of one, entrepreneurs, people running small agencies, graphic designers, animators, illustrators, web developers, software engineers, writers, journalists, marketers, SEOs and more.
It's for anyone who does client work, anyone who sells services or products and anyone with an interest in how value informs price.
Does buying this book guarantee success?
Pricing Freelance Projects is the story of my experiences and I don't guarantee that you will see the same level of success.
Applying this knowledge requires individual effort and is dependant on your specific circumstances and other external factors.
Have a specific question?
Send an email to hello@tomhirst.com with the details, I'll be happy to help.
What Now?
Now's your chance to get a decade's worth of knowledge for a fraction of the cost that the lessons learned could earn you.
If reading this book gets you a higher price on your next project, it pays for itself.
Click the "I want this!" button now to learn how to use value realistically to know what to charge and get paid what you're worth.