Please send me your rates

[Lisa Troncoso]

When agencies ask me this question my mind draws a blank.  My question here is not for people to tell me what their rates are, but what do you do to figure it out?  What's a good response to this question?  I am always just happy to be working with whatever the agency wants to pay me, but sometimes when I answer this question with, "I'm okay with whatever you pay," I don't get a response.  Just curious of what others do in situations like this.  If there's already been discussions on this, I apologize for being redundant.

[Janiece Young]

Well, if you do overload in your area, what do you get paid?  If you have reporters that work for you, what do you pay them?  That's a starting place.

[Kelli Combs (admin)]

I always send the rates that I'm willing to work for, nothing less. 

[Deborah M.]

If you say that, it sort of sounds like you are desperate for work and will take anything, meaning maybe no one else uses you.  I would state what you are willing to work for -- what do you usually get?

[Mary Ann Payonk]

Do your market intelligence, as you're doing, then look around.  If you offer something others do not, and run rings around them when you do it, IOW, do it better than everyone else, why set your fee the same as the worst reporter in your town?  Seriously.  When you are happy to work for anything and don't concern yourself much with the per-page and hourly compensation, whether you're paid for travel, parking, particularly arduous work, experts, video, expedited delivery, realtime or rough drafts, if you offer those products and services ... if you'll work for whatever someone wants to offer you, and they pay the lowest rates in town, yet you're worth more than that, you help those low-ball agencies perpetuate and survive, even thrive and get more business with those low-low rates, especially when a shining star reporter lends their time, talents, and good name to them.  Kelli has a great suggestion:  Know your worth in the marketplace, in your home market, and then move forward.  Working tomorrow for less than you worked for today and last week is moving backwards.  Never go back, always ahead.  It's easy to figure out your own rates and send your schedule of fees.  If they want you bad enough, they will either accept your numbers or attempt to negotiate them downward.  Making concessions is okay, but keep in mind if you drop your price today and are happy to work for less, that will be expected going forward.  Also, I'll offer a Warning:  Beware of those agencies who are fishing for rates.  They are doing their OWN market intelligence.  If they discover that most reporters in town will work for nothing, then they will sit fat and happy and gladly pay what reporters ask for, even though their rates to the client may be far above that and they could well afford to pay more to the reporter.

M.A.

[Kyung]

I have a personal rate sheet that I've set up.  Sometimes I 'll ask them what their rates are.  If they're really low, I politely tell them the market for my area.  If they're high, I take their rate.

The funny thing about that question is that sometimes an agency is looking to see where your rates are.  And they're doing the same I'm doing in reverse.  Trying to find the cheapest reporter to take the job.