Creative Freelancers Share Strategies for Pricing Time and Expertise

In a frankie magazine advice column, three creative professionals—florist Briony Wright, photographer Bec Shaw, and designer Amanda Magill—discuss how freelancers can determine the monetary value of their time and when to transition from free work to paid engagements. Wright, founder of Crushes Studio in Melbourne/Naarm, suggests emerging freelancers spend three to six months building a portfolio with strategic free work before raising prices. She emphasizes that undercharging can devalue an entire sector. Shaw, a freelance photographer in South Australia’s Riverland with over 11 years of experience, still takes on selective free projects but now charges based on a detailed hourly rate that accounts for admin, editing, and other behind-the-scenes tasks. Magill, who started in magazine design 20 years ago, recalls working for free to break into the industry, including designing her CV as a magazine to land work experience at Cosmopolitan in London, which led to a job at House Beautiful. Later, in Australia, she volunteered at Bride to Be magazine in Sydney, which opened doors to launching Prevention magazine. Magill now uses fixed project pricing based on an hourly rate that factors in business costs. All three stress the importance of clear contracts, setting boundaries, and communicating additional fees for scope changes. They also note that clients pay for expertise and results, not just visible hours, and that pricing confidence grows with experience.