Negotiating Right: Get What You Deserve

When it comes to negotiating you have to stand up for your rights. Everybody is looking out for themselves, so this means you must as well. It doesn't mean you have to bully your way to a fatter paycheck, do that and you may just bully your way right out the door. It does mean, however, that you have to know what you are worth and prove it to your potential employer.


Before you even begin to negotiate, check around and see what other writers are getting paid for doing the same work you are doing. You don't want to overprice yourself, if they can get a good writer for less money they will. But, you don't have to roll over and take a pittance when everybody else is making more either. If they seem reluctant to give you what you think you deserve convince them of the reasons why they should.


Make a list of your previous work and how much you were paid for doing it. Show this to them when you explain why they should pay you more. Get a list of references, if they see their contemporary's are paying you more, they be willing to reconsider. Remember to never be too aggressive through this process you may be insulting the people who can provide you with future work. If they don't seem willing to budge on how much they pay you for your work, there are other ways you can negotiate a better deal.


When a publisher accepts your submission, they will tell you the rights they expect to get with it. These right can range anywhere for exclusive, meaning once you are paid they own your piece and it can never be printed or published elsewhere again, to one time rights. One time rights are best for writer because it means you retain ownership of your piece and you can submit it again anytime and anywhere you wish. This means you can potentially be paid for the same piece hundreds of times, (that may be pushing it but you get my meaning.) So, if a publisher doesn't want to pay you more cash you can negotiate what rights they are going to have.