Read on Twitter
Something on Twitter made me heartsick today. A friend was named, unfairly branded a racist, and rate-shamed in public. It hurt to watch, so I want to share something related that I’ve learned in six years of running a freelance editing business. (thread)
Rate-shaming is wrong. I’ve seen it in editing circles. Someone will ask about rates, and immediately people will start railing on the OP, saying in so many words that their rates are pathetic, their rates are so low. Have they no self-esteem? How dare they.
Then comes the accusations of bringing the whole industry of editing down, stealing business by undercutting, having little to no business sense. Some have good intentions. They want to see their colleagues paid the rates they get, even without knowing whether it’s deserved.
But some think that all others MUST demand those rates, lest those others drag down their own income. Some think they’re helping but do so without considering the consequences. Or that they’re speaking with *years* of experience others don’t yet have.
Rate-shaming comes in different forms, but the outcome is the same: you end up preaching to the people at your level while making all the providers under you—the ones who cannot yet survive at those rates—feel like shit.
Freelancers battle so many things. Imposter syndrome being the big one. Clients from hell. Scope creep. Lowballing. And that’s just from prospective clients. Imagine how they feel when it comes from their business or industry idols. People they look up to.
It hurts. It hurts so much. And some people quit. And you know what? Not everyone is a good editor or beta reader. We are not all the same in quality. So why people continue to insist that everyone demand veteran or celebrity rates is beyond me.
And then there are people like me who run teams of subcontractors. Sometimes demand exceeds what we can provide, and it’s then time to grow. Not everyone can do this, and let me tell you, it’s exhausting. I basically have no free time and no life.
Yes, it sucks that businesses like me take a cut of the fee when paying subcontractors. But assuming it’s all one-sided profit is being naïve about business. People like me pour hours and hours of unpaid time into branding, marketing, advertising, and social media.
I pass on the fruits of that labor to my subcontractors, who need only raise their hand when a job is available, do the work, and send me a bill. They don’t have to worry about websites and marketing and client interaction and bookkeeping and finding work.
A lot of these things are crippling for people, especially if they don’t have experience. Is there a range of rates that’s generally accepted? Yes. Does everyone fall into it? No. And you know what? That’s their business, not yours.
Dictating another provider’s business is rude. And nosy. And trying to publicly ruin them for doing something practiced in many industries out there? Harsh and uncalled for. Not every subcontractor works for full-time pay or premium rates.
Some do it for side income. Others do it simply because it’s fun. Some do it part-time, some do it in retirement, and some just do it because finding work is *really fucking exhausting*. And blanket judgment of them for it sucks.
I tell this to people all the time: There is an editor for every budget. And often, that’s not you. Sure, you can tell Crystal from 2014 that her editing rates are sad and she’s stealing clients from you and STOP IT RIGHT NOW.
But would you say that if that’s all the budget the client had? What if they flat-out couldn’t afford you? Would you accept a third of your usual pay? Waste your time trying to convince a client that they should move mountains to pay you?
Sure, you can sometimes convince people to invest in you. But more often they’ll just go find someone else. And you know what? There is someone else. There are oodles of someone-elses. You get what you pay for, but that’s the client’s choice.
Would you tell 2014 Crystal to triple her rates if you saw she only had one book in her portfolio? Give her a talking-to about charging market value? Because while you’re saying that, she’s got authors telling her how dare she charge at all.
Today, I charge more than double what I started at, and I can do that because I’ve now edited almost 200 novels. And yet people still look down on me and judge me for not charging the same rates as editors in completely different fields.
Not everyone can get the same rate as you. Consider that while the people on your level are high-fiving your rate rant, people under you are watching quietly and battling the feeling that they’re not good enough, because all they can get is what you find insulting.
When someone offers what you perceive as a low rate—one that may be perfectly reasonable and acceptable to others—ask yourself if it’s okay to name and shame, call them predatory, or encourage a Twitter dragging.
You could just say, “I’m sorry, but my rate is out of your pay range. Good luck finding people right for you!” That’s what I say all the time. Some people come back with more money, others find someone else.
See someone undercutting you with a much lower rate? Say “You and this client seem like a good fit. Good luck.” And then move on to your own leads and clients—the ones who can afford you. Because *that’s* your business.
