Are you a good negotiator when it comes to writing fees? If you’re a writer trying to make a living, you’d better be.
WritersMarket.com just posted a blog entry by Robert Lee Brewer, which gives some great negotiating advice. To his comments, I would add just one more of my own.
When someone makes you an offer, ask the million dollar question: “Is that the best you can do?”
It’s surprising just how that single question will often prompt editors to bump up your fee. This strategy has proven so successful that I’ve started using it outside the writing arena. I recently sent in a pair of Maui Jim sunglasses for repair. The model had been discontinued, so there was nothing the company could do to fix them. “We would like to send you a $75 coupon toward a new pair,” the customer service representative told me.
“Is that the best you can do?” I asked.
Before I could blink, the $75 coupon had morphed into a $100 coupon. Not a fortune, I’ll grant you, but significantly more than I would have gotten if I hadn’t asked the question.
So next time you’re about to accept an offer—whether you’re negotiated long and hard or not at all—ask those seven little words and see what kind of return you get.
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