Sellers, how did you determine the price of your gigs?

[gina_riley2]

I am curious to know how or what factors were involved in your gig price?

• Experience
• Timing (how long it takes)
• Your software
• Other

I am curious because I am in the market to buy some gigs that I haven’t bought much of and would like to know what is a reasonable amount. I need to do some touch up on several photos. Aside from the fact there are about a zillion gigs, its hard to find the right person.

When it came to your gig, regardless of the area, what was your factor in your pricing?

[vickiespencer]

My proofreading gigs are based on time and experience. I like to make $20 per hour before Fiver fees. I timed myself on how long it takes to proofread every 1000 words and charge accordingly.

[misscrystal]

Hi Gina, always nice to see you here! My prices are based on how many per day I and my associates can process, based on demand and supply.

[smashradio]

I follow a simple set of guidelines when setting my rates. This is based on:

• How much do I need to earn per hour to pay my bills and live the lifestyle I want.
• How much do I need to save in my rainy-day-fund?
• How much is the client willing to fork out for my service
• How much I have invested into my skills and work environment.

So, let’s say I calculate that my bills + total living cots in a month is 2000USD per month. If I want to work 40 hours per week, I would need to earn (after tax) 12.50USD per hour.

I also want to set aside some cash for bad times. My goal is roughly to set aside 500USD per month for this rainy-day-fund. That means I would have to earn (after tax) 15.60USD per hour.

I then have to calculate my investments. I’ve spent roughly 5000 USD on my setup to produce voice-overs over the years. I’ve earned that back, so the “investment part” of my income now goes toward improving my skills, and for marketing purposes. I calculate roughly 500USD per month for marketing and learning.

So that brings me up to 18.75USD per hour needed to fulfill my income goals, when working 40 hours per week.

Naturally, I do like profit, and I’ve set myself a goal of having roughly 20% profit (fun-money - or you can be smart, which I’m not, and save them for something you really want to buy down the road.)

So, adding 20% profit on top of my needed income, I end up having to earn roughly 22USD per hour.

With that out of the way, I can calculate how much time I spend on average, doing an order. Let’s say a 100 word voice over (with prep, editing, and customer service) will take me on average 30 minutes. Then, that 100 words has to cost 20USD if I’m rounding up to make this simple. Fiverr takes 20%, so I’m left with 16USD. Paypal/banks/currency exchange takes a bit in fees, so I’m left with roughly 15USD.

Add to that my 30% income tax, 10.50 USD for 30 minutes of work.

That means I’m making 21USD per hour (on average) after tax with my current gig pricing.

(I suck at math, so my numbers aren’t perfect, but you get the idea).

[gina_riley2]

My proofreading gigs are based on time and experience. I like to make $20 per hour before Fiver fees. I timed myself on how long it takes to proofread every 1000 words and charge accordingly.

I like to make $20 per hour before Fiver fees

I think proofreading is one of those subject where nonfiction (including articles) take longer to do and of course, ESL are usually a mess. If you get one of those, do you charge more for it?

I’m sure you’ve found some things for challenging and time consuming than others? :thinking:

y prices are based on how many per day

I’ve always been kinda curious about your gigs, Miss C. You’ve certainly been here long enough to have earned your dues. 🙂

[gina_riley2]

I follow a simple set of guidelines when setting my rates. This is based on:

• How much do I need to earn per hour to pay my bills and live the lifestyle I want.
• How much do I need to save in my rainy-day-fund?
• How much is the client willing to fork out for my service
• How much I have invested into my skills and work environment.

So, let’s say I calculate that my bills + total living cots in a month is 2000USD per month. If I want to work 40 hours per week, I would need to earn (after tax) 12.50USD per hour.

I also want to set aside some cash for bad times. My goal is roughly to set aside 500USD per month for this rainy-day-fund. That means I would have to earn (after tax) 15.60USD per hour.

I then have to calculate my investments. I’ve spent roughly 5000 USD on my setup to produce voice-overs over the years. I’ve earned that back, so the “investment part” of my income now goes toward improving my skills, and for marketing purposes. I calculate roughly 500USD per month for marketing and learning.

So that brings me up to 18.75USD per hour needed to fulfill my income goals, when working 40 hours per week.

Naturally, I do like profit, and I’ve set myself a goal of having roughly 20% profit (fun-money - or you can be smart, which I’m not, and save them for something you really want to buy down the road.)

So, adding 20% profit on top of my needed income, I end up having to earn roughly 22USD per hour.

With that out of the way, I can calculate how much time I spend on average, doing an order. Let’s say a 100 word voice over (with prep, editing, and customer service) will take me on average 30 minutes. Then, that 100 words has to cost 20USD if I’m rounding up to make this simple. Fiverr takes 20%, so I’m left with 16USD. Paypal/banks/currency exchange takes a bit in fees, so I’m left with roughly 15USD.

Add to that my 30% income tax, 10.50 USD for 30 minutes of work.

That means I’m making 21USD per hour (on average) after tax with my current gig pricing.

(I suck at math, so my numbers aren’t perfect, but you get the idea).

Hum, :thinking: wow, you are complicated on your pricing. Isn’t it kinda tricky for you as a freelancer since you never know how many orders you will get in a month. I’m sure some months you’ve gotten crazy amounts of orders while in other months were slow.

Anyways, the pricing in the Photoshop area varies so widely. I know some are better than others and the price doesn’t seem to be a factor in a seller’s ability in that particular category.

I wonder a $20 or $40 is reasonable for a touch up on a photo (alteration).

[smashradio]

Hum, :thinking: wow, you are complicated on your pricing. Isn’t it kinda tricky for you as a freelancer since you never know how many orders you will get in a month. I’m sure some months you’ve gotten crazy amounts of orders while in other months were slow.

Anyways, the pricing in the Photoshop area varies so widely. I know some are better than others and the price doesn’t seem to be a factor in a seller’s ability in that particular category.

I wonder a $20 or $40 is reasonable for a touch up on a photo (alteration).

Well, I don’t think it’s complicated. The short version of it is: I find out how much I have to earn per hour if working 40 hours per week, and I then estimate what my gig have to cost in order to cover that.

My orders have been steady (until now with this damn virus), so it hasn’t been that difficult to calculate. Basically, my goal is to never work for anything less than 21USD per hour, and to have at least 40 hours of work per week. That includes my other income sources, such a writing gigs, web design (outside of Fiverr), and a local newspaper that I’m running. If, at the end of the day, I have worked 6,5 hours, I will have made at least 136.50 USD that day.

If I have made less (on average) in a month, I have a sit-down with myself and a very large mug of coffee to assess why I have made less, and how I can improve upon that.

But you’re right. As a freelancer, it can be difficult to estimate how much you need to charge per order, since you never know for sure how much business you’ll have in a given month.

But it’s the average that counts.

If I get a 900USD order that includes some extra services like video sync, I end up making a lot more than 21USD per hour worked on that order, and that will make up for a lost order or work that will pay less.

Let’s say you have 10 orders per week on average, and that is your only income.

You then have to calculate how much you need to earn each month, and that will give you the price. But it’s never 100% sure. Some months are slower than others - and that’s why everyone should keep a rainy-day-fund! 🙂

[smashradio]

So you need to do some research, because an important point is how much the clients are willing to pay for your services. If you have a rate that would give you (in theory) a good hourly earning, that doesn’t help you much if nobody buys your service.

So there’s a balance. But I think the best place to start is to figure out how much you actually need to earn.

[frank_d]

Hey Gina.

I work with value based pricing when it comes to my Premium offerings, so my price is determined by the overall value I bring to the client. Usually when the client needs to pull out all the stops, the stakes are higher, so we are not talking about just design and animation. Strategy is involved and I need to lead the project.

When it comes to my templated offerings, I factor in how big the problem I am solving for the client is and how easy I make the facilitation for them.

On your end of things you may need to start at where your budget is at for this specific task, and then consider what you would pay a premium for (speed, quality, feeling safe that the task will get done on time) and what you can live without.

That way when you start evaluating qualified candidates you know how much wiggle room there is, as well as who can actually justify any additional cost.

Edit:
Since you are looking specifically for PS retouching/editing you need to most probably find someone who has mastered the specific task. So an artist and not a “PS expert”.

You need someone who is amazing at photo manipulation and not someone who is good with the tool. If that makes any sense.

So let’s say a good PS guy costs $20 and a great photo editor costs $40. That’s a good baseline -hypothetical till you start talking to sellers individually- to see which one you are most comfortable hiring.

[gina_riley2]

So you need to do some research, because an important point is how much the clients are willing to pay for your services. If you have a rate that would give you (in theory) a good hourly earning, that doesn’t help you much if nobody buys your service.

So there’s a balance. But I think the best place to start is to figure out how much you actually need to earn.

important point is how much the clients are willing to pay

Thank you. 🙂 I am actually trying to buy and not sell. I’m not sure what a reasonable amount to pay for Photoshop on a touch up would be. I thought I’d ask here to get some advice.

[gina_riley2]

Hey Gina.

I work with value based pricing when it comes to my Premium offerings, so my price is determined by the overall value I bring to the client. Usually when the client needs to pull out all the stops, the stakes are higher, so we are not talking about just design and animation. Strategy is involved and I need to lead the project.

When it comes to my templated offerings, I factor in how big the problem I am solving for the client is and how easy I make the facilitation for them.

On your end of things you may need to start at where your budget is at for this specific task, and then consider what you would pay a premium for (speed, quality, feeling safe that the task will get done on time) and what you can live without.

That way when you start evaluating qualified candidates you know how much wiggle room there is, as well as who can actually justify any additional cost.

Edit:

Since you are looking specifically for PS retouching/editing you need to most probably find someone who has mastered the specific task. So an artist and not a “PS expert”.

You need someone who is amazing at photo manipulation and not someone who is good with the tool. If that makes any sense.

So let’s say a good PS guy costs $20 and a great photo editor costs $40. That’s a good baseline -hypothetical till you start talking to sellers individually- to see which one you are most comfortable hiring.

Since you are looking specifically for PS retouching/editing you need to most probably find someone who has mastered the specific task. So an artist and not a “PS expert”.

Hi Frank,

Excellent point! I didn’t think about that. What I have are black/white photos that are revealing things that needs to be covered up. I tried doing it myself, and let me add that Photoshop is not easy to use.

I know some sellers here are not that proficient (just like me) and will deliver bad/mediocre for excess money since it took them a long time to do. I would rather pay someone who is good and fast.

Unfortunately, Photoshop is one area I have not bought here or anywhere else (at least not for a portrait). I’ve been researching.

Thanks for your awesome advice, though!! 🙂

[smashradio]

important point is how much the clients are willing to pay

Thank you. 🙂 I am actually trying to buy and not sell. I’m not sure what a reasonable amount to pay for Photoshop on a touch up would be. I thought I’d ask here to get some advice.

Ah, I misunderstood then. I thought you needed advice on how to price your own services, not what was reasonable as a buyer. Sorry about that! Lol

[frank_d]

Since you are looking specifically for PS retouching/editing you need to most probably find someone who has mastered the specific task. So an artist and not a “PS expert”.

Hi Frank,

Excellent point! I didn’t think about that. What I have are black/white photos that are revealing things that needs to be covered up. I tried doing it myself, and let me add that Photoshop is not easy to use.

I know some sellers here are not that proficient (just like me) and will deliver bad/mediocre for excess money since it took them a long time to do. I would rather pay someone who is good and fast.

Unfortunately, Photoshop is one area I have not bought here or anywhere else (at least not for a portrait). I’ve been researching.

Thanks for your awesome advice, though!! 🙂

You are most welcome Gina.

The whole design category on Fiverr is a mind-field unfortunately.

So many “Photoshop experts” who I wouldn’t trust to open Photoshop for me much less with a project.

Lots of stolen images paraded around as legit portfolio samples as well.

So try to do the following:

-narrow down the task to its most minimal/viable form

-weed out all the randos by immediately excluding anyone who is a self proclaimed Photoshop expert

-look for people who may be closer to your specific needs

-interview just those sellers and see who you click with

Once again, always go into “interviews” after you yourself have a great understanding of what you need done, so you can identify who will most likely deliver the goods.

This is not about “I’m not a designer, I wouldn’t know how long it takes”. This is about having a clear understanding of the overall scope.

[vickiespencer]

I like to make $20 per hour before Fiver fees

I think proofreading is one of those subject where nonfiction (including articles) take longer to do and of course, ESL are usually a mess. If you get one of those, do you charge more for it?

I’m sure you’ve found some things for challenging and time consuming than others? :thinking:

y prices are based on how many per day

I’ve always been kinda curious about your gigs, Miss C. You’ve certainly been here long enough to have earned your dues. 🙂

ESL are usually a mess. If you get one of those, do you charge more for it?

Yes, I do charge more for ESL then the typical text I proofread. Plus, if it looks like a google translation, I either do not take the job, or I cancel.

[cherboub]

My price is based on:

1. The quality of the service I provide.
2. The importance of the service for buyer.
3. Supply and demand.

[frank_d]

My price is based on:

1. The quality of the service I provide.
2. The importance of the service for buyer.
3. Supply and demand.

Number 1 is subjective.

How you perceive quality and how customers do is not often not inline.

And #2 - #3 are contradicting.

It’s either one or the other.

[cherboub]

Number 1 is subjective.

How you perceive quality and how customers do is not often not inline.

And #2 - #3 are contradicting.

It’s either one or the other.

I want to say that I’m pricing depends on steps, those are steps not headnotes. For example if the first step fails I will go to the next step then to the last step.

I can know the quality of my service depends on what I see on the market.

[zeus777]

Hi Gina, always nice to see you here. 😃

Back when I started 10 years ago ( dang, it’s been so long!!) I was new so I kept everything at $5 even though it was dirt cheap since I was already an illustrator back them with some experience. For translation, even though I was not a professional/certified translator, since I was bilingual I thought I’d give it a try.
For the translation gig I had NO idea how much to charge so I had to look at other Fiverr translator’s gigs to get an idea.

Over the years I raised my price based on skill, experience, and time just like you pointed it out. I’ve raised my prices for translation gig a LOT especially since I see so many fake Google sellers, and I felt like raising my price will be a good way to warn some sellers that translation ain’t cheap.

I don’t think I’ll make changes to my prices anytime soon though, I’m pretty
happy with where I am. 🙂

[imagination7413]

I’ll admit, I tend to cringe when I look at gigs in the Photoshop category while reviewing “Improve My Gig” posts. As @frank_d mentioned, you’re looking for an artist, someone who’s studied the human structure and knows that there are bones in cheeks, that gravity exists, that depth of field and perspective exist, and that “the lightest dark is darker than the darkest light”. I’ve considered making a gig in this category, but because of the ridiculous supersaturation I’ve not bothered researching prices (plus, I’m admittedly out of practice).

I guess I don’t have much in the way of advice, sorry. Maybe I can think of a few things over the next few hours.

[graphtersawyer]

I looked at what other sellers in my category were charging in correspondence with the average level of skill. In my niche, people usually charge $0.01/word if they’re okay and $0.02/word if they’re a proven professional and talented. There are those who charge more and less, but that’s the majority. When I first started, I charged a little under $0.01/word to get some orders and quickly raised prices to $0.01/word. I doubled that when I became a level two seller (since I felt to be “verified” through it), and I’ve since started charging $0.04/word for anything over 10k.

Not to toot my own horn, but my style is elevated and unconventional and maintains a crisp poeticism to it. I write so differently from other sellers that my uniqueness is something many buyers will pay extra for, especially those looking to publish. If they weren’t willing to pay me that, though, I’d lower the price.

I supposed I charge based on what everyone else is doing and my experience and client-confirmed value.

[druss22k]

Hey Gina,

I just signed up to Fiverr. As I have already a monthly income due to my professional job, I took what I would earn per hour, i.e., monthly salary (before taxes) divided by required work hours per month as a minimum amount.

Cheers

[synthguy91]

Hi sweet people! I’m newbie in Fiverr. How do you guys set your gigs price? I get it, we do need reviews and works to get started here. I was checking the average price of what i do, audio production. I was shocked to see the price starts with $5. TBH, it’s really not worth it. I’m aware of scammers who will buy your music in such price and sell it to others. This kind of scammers existed for long time in music industry, i believe it’s same here.

How do i actually get started? I couldn’t help myself but adjust my offer like what other amazing newbie producers offering. Any thoughts on that?

[imagination7413]

I see a lot of advice that encourages the freelance tropes - the idea that we’re all workaholic night owls, perpetually hunched over keyboards, waiting at the beck and call of potential clients.

Never log out…

Always be agreeable to clients…

Give free samples or mock ups…

Answer right away…

If you needed an experienced professional to give you permission, in plain words, here it is: it’s okay to be a human being.

Never give out free work. No samples. No mockups. Period. That’s what your po…

 

So many newbies are being taken advantage of here on Fiverr by a small minority of predatory “buyers”. This is my take on how to protect yourself, thereby reducing the chances of a cancellation or negative review.

 

 

 

Special shout out to @melissaharlowvo for the buyer requirements section.

Enjoy!

 

Hi, I’m new to Fiverr as a pro seller - our company has been working professionally in Music for 30 years and whilst we’re grateful not to be short of work, we thought we’d embrace the 21C and explore the wider network. However, I can’t get over the pricing situation on Fiverr - people offering to sell their mothers for the price of a coffee! I’m really interested to know what other professional composers and arrangers think about the pricing on here and whether there are any ‘real’ clients look…

 

[looseink]

Here’s what I did…BTW, I write blogs and articles for websites.

I started with a 500-word article at $5.

I did that to get some quick orders and scoop some fast business.

It worked a little too well as I found myself swamped with work.

I should point out that it did take a year before I got my first order but once I did, I was crazy busy.

I eventually raised my rates and added more Gigs.

I currently charge $25 for a 500-word article, which matches my normal non-Fiverr rate.

Every six months or so, I will either increase my rates again or delete Gigs that are not selling and replace them with new Gigs.

I see the marketplace as a constantly evolving place, so I try to evolve as well.

I hope that helps.

[devsakwib]

This price is very important part…you can research other gig…then you will take a good decision…