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Pro tip: I tried charging by the project instead of the hour and it totally backfired on me last month
I had this big content writing gig for a local bakery in Austin, 15 blog posts over 4 weeks. I quoted them a flat $1,500 thinking I'd blow through it in no time, but they kept asking for rewrites on 6 of the posts and I ended up putting in almost 50 hours. On the other side, I know a designer who swears by project rates and says hourly billing caps her earnings. So which is the bigger risk for a freelancer: getting stuck on endless revisions with flat fees or scaring off clients with hourly quotes that feel unpredictable?
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the_robin1mo ago
Oh wait, 6 rewrites on 15 posts sounds like a scope creep issue, not a flat fee problem.
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bell.jessica2mo ago
Oh no, that bakery gig story hurts to read because I've been there too. Getting stuck with endless rewrites on a flat fee is such a gut punch, especially when you think you priced it fairly. Your time is real and that 50 hours vs $1,500 math is brutal, no way around it. I think the revision trap is the bigger risk honestly, because hourly clients usually understand the cost up front and can decide. Flat fee feels safe but it leaves you totally exposed to people who treat "unlimited revisions" like a buffet. Plus once you agree to a project rate, it's really awkward to go back and say "hey, I need more money" when the scope creeps up. Hope you're able to build in some revision limits on your next project, like a set number of rounds included upfront.
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