c/first-gig-pricing

My first logo job turned into a money pit because I didn't set a revision limit.

I agreed to design a logo for a local coffee shop for $150 flat. The owner kept asking for 'just one more small change' over email. I ended doing 23 rounds of revisions over three weeks. I basically worked for less than $2 an hour. Has anyone else learned to put a hard cap on revisions the hard way?

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kevin_williams•1d ago

My first client offered $200 for a full site audit, but I see people charging $50 for the same thing.

I think that lowballing just to get work makes the whole market worse for everyone. Has anyone else had to argue for their price against a 'cheaper' competitor?

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the_julia•2d ago

I just found out the average hourly rate for a new freelance writer is way higher than I thought

So I was looking at some old forum posts here, trying to figure out what to charge for my first blog post job... and I stumbled on a survey from a writing group. It said the average starting rate for someone with no portfolio is around $50 an hour. I was honestly shocked... I was going to ask for maybe $15, thinking that was fair since I'm new. The survey had over 500 people answer, which seems like a good number. It made me realize I was selling myself way short just because I haven't done this before. I guess the skill itself has value, not just the years of experience. Now I'm rethinking my whole pitch email. Has anyone else had a moment like this, where a simple stat totally changed your starting price?

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alexpalmer•2d ago

Just saw a guy at the coffee shop in Austin charge $50 for a logo, but his work looked really good.

I was getting coffee and the guy next to me was showing his friend a logo he made for a local bakery. He said it was his first paid job and he only asked for fifty bucks. The logo was clean and professional, way better than I expected for that price. Should you charge low to get that first job on your resume, or does that set a bad price point from the start?

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kim268•3d ago

Warning: My first logo job for a local cafe went way over the 5 hour estimate

I agreed to $200 for a simple logo, but the client kept asking for tiny changes after I sent the first draft, like moving a coffee bean 2 pixels left. That turned into 3 extra hours of back and forth last week. Do you charge more for endless revisions or just stick to the original quote to keep them happy?

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price.linda•3d ago

Pro tip: My neighbor, a freelance writer for 10 years, told me 'your first price is an anchor for your whole career, not just a one-off deal' over coffee last Tuesday.

That hit different because I was about to ask $50 for a full website rewrite, and now I'm stuck wondering if I should charge by the project or the hour for my first client in Phoenix.

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rosecarr•4d ago

Appreciation post: My old boss's cheapness taught me to charge fair rates.

Ngl, dealing with their cheap ways showed me my time has value. I'd rather say no to a job than begin my first gig paid too little.

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the_julia•5d ago

Figuring out my fee for a friend's podcast art was tricky

I almost did it for free since we're close. Checking what similar artists charge saved our friendship and my wallet.

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robert_owens69•6d ago

TIL my quote for a community solar map might be way off...

A town group wants me to chart best roof spots... I have no clue if my hourly rate is fair for this kind of work.

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adamw15•8d ago

Charging real money for my first freelance edit made some people mad

I see all this talk about doing your first job for almost free to build a portfolio. When I got asked to edit a short film, I gave them a price based on the hours it would take. A lot of folks in my circle said I was greedy and should do it for exposure. The director agreed to my rate, and I worked my tail off to make it perfect. That one paid job gave me more confidence than any free work ever could. Now I tell new freelancers to know their worth from the very beginning, even if it feels risky.

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jamesc79•8d ago

My first community festival photos left me confused about pricing

I just finished my first paid photography job for a small community festival. I spent the whole day taking pictures and edited fifty shots for them. They paid me $200 flat for everything. I was so happy to get my first real money from freelancing. But now I'm looking online and see other photographers charge per hour or per image. I never wrote down my hours, so I have no clue if $200 was good for ten hours of work. How do you guys figure out what to charge when you're just starting? It's a big step for me, but I want to get better at pricing for next time.

3 comments