If you become a painter & decorator, a plumber or a tutor, you get to set the price. If you own a business selling anything from jewellery to secondhand books, you decide what to charge.
But if you want to sell a feature, you are told what a publication’s rates are rather than the other way around. When you’re pitching, you don’t say what the price of your article is – you wait to be told once it is accepted.
So what can you do if you don’t think it’s enough? Of course, you can try asking for more. Sometimes, a commissioning editor will be able to increase the fee if you make a good case for it, but often, their hands are tied by their budgets. Be careful about asking – if it’s a pretty standard feature for the publication or fills a particular slot, it’s nearly always a case of like it or lump it. (This is especially the case for new writers). That being said, a professional publication knows they need to pay for quality submissions, so it’s unlikely you will be offered a lowball rate; it really may be the going rate for that slot/ publication.
We suggest that you have a price in mind when you pitch based on how long something will take you. If you have a really unique story, then factor that in, too. If a publication offers you less than that, it’s fine to tell them it isn’t enough and take your idea elsewhere. But be realistic if you do that – you need to be confident you can get more for it somewhere else.
