Pricing your work: how to set a rate that pays you fairly

Too many BIPOC creatives are asked to work for less, or for free. Knowing your number, and why it's your number, is how that changes.

Start with whatit costs you

Add up what a job really takes:

• Your time, including prep, travel, rehearsal, editing and admin, not just the hours on stage or on set.

• Your costs: gear, materials, software, studio time, transport.

• Your experience. Years of practice are part of what someone is paying for

A simple starting point: decide what you need to earn in an hour of work, multiply by the total hours, then add your costs.

Check what others charge

• Ask creatives you trust what they charge for similar work.

• Visual artists in Canada can use the CARFAC minimum fee schedule (carfac.ca) as a baseline for exhibitions, talks and image use.

• Musicians can check union scale through the Canadian Federation of Musicians (cfmusicians.org).

Saying your number

• Say it plainly, then stop talking. "My fee for this is $600." No apology, no explanation unless they ask.

• Put it in writing with what's included.

• Know your floor. Decide before the call the lowest amount you'll accept, and when you'll say no.

• Offer options instead of discounts. If the budget is tight, offer a shorter set or fewer images, not a lower rate for the same work.

When it's unpaid

Sometimes you'll choose to donate your work to a cause you believe in. That's your choice to make. "Exposure" is not payment.

Our directory lists creatives who are available for paid work. Join the directory to be found.