Kat Koh’s guide to pricing
Fanette Guilloud. Currency project. Death By Stock.
Written September 2026 and will be updated. This guide was written in part using research and structural queries to Perplexity.ai.
Pricing your creative work is not only a business decision; it is a boundary around your time, attention, artistry, and life.
The right price is one you can name clearly, deliver against without resentment, and sustain without making your work consume the life it is meant to support.
This guide is for accomplished creative professionals—artists, writers, filmmakers, musicians, designers, directors, and public figures—whose external success does not necessarily make money conversations easy.
You may have credits, recognition, or prestigious clients and still feel uncertain about what to charge, how to discuss money, or whether your rates reflect the real value and cost of your work.
Start with the real problem
Most pricing anxiety is not caused by a lack of arithmetic, rather It comes from trying to use one number to answer several different questions:
- What is this project worth?
- What do I need to earn to live well?
- What will this client accept?
- What does saying this number imply about me?
- Will the work still feel meaningful once it becomes a transaction?
- Am I charging for the deliverable—or for the years it took to become capable of making it?
A price cannot answer all these questions. But it can do something essential: create an agreement that is clear enough for both you and client, plus sustainable enough for you.
Identifying a universally “correct” rate is not the point. Choose a pricing structure that matches the work, the client’s use of it, the uncertainty involved, and your capacity that you want to protect.
TLDR; / the shortest answer
Price your services by considering:
1. Your financial floor — what you must earn for the work to be viable.
2. The scope — what, specifically, you are making or doing.
3. The value and use — what changes for the client, and how extensively they can use the work.
4. The risk and complexity — ambiguity, revisions, stakes, speed, coordination, and emotional labor.
5. Your desired life — the hours, recovery, creative space, and relationships you refuse to trade away indefinitely.
Your rate is not a reflection of your worth. It is the cost of entering a specific professional agreement with you, under specific conditions.
Price from a floor, not fear
Before you decide what a project costs, know what your business needs to bring in.
A useful starting point is:
Minimum annual revenue =
{personal compensation} + {business expenses} + {tax reserve} + {profit / contingency}
Then divide that number by the realistic number of billable hours or billable project days you can work in a year.
Minimum hourly floor =
{minimum annual revenue}/ {realistic billable hours}
The word realistic is key. A creative professional does not get to bill every working hour. Outreach, preparation, administration, invoicing, editing, professional development, unpaid pitches, recovery, and artistic practice all require time.
If you want to work 40 hours a week, that does not mean you have 40 billable hours a week.
If you can sustainably bill 15-20 hours a week, build your pricing around that truth rather than treating the invisible work as a personal failure.
Here’s an example
Suppose you need:
- $120,000 in personal compensation
- $25,000 in annual business expenses
- $45,000 for taxes and contingency
Your annual revenue target is $190,000.
If you have 900 realistic billable hours in a year, your minimum viable hourly floor is roughly $212 per hour.
That number is not necessarily the price you quote. It’s the information you need so that you don’t agree to work that quietly costs you money and energy.
Separate price from worth
Creative people often absorb the idea that charging more means claiming to be more talented, important, or deserving than someone else. That is a painful and unhelpful equation.
Your rate / fee is not a measure of human worth or artistic merit. It reflects a commercial agreement:
- The labor involved
- The skill and judgment required
- The client’s timeline
- The degree of uncertainty
- The rights or usage being granted
- The commercial stakes
- The cost of turning down other work
- The level of access the client expects
You may make work you love that never needs to pay for itself. You may also make commercial work that allows you to fund your art, family, rest, or freedom. The important question is whether you have arrived at the agreement honestly.
Choose a pricing model
There is no single best way to price creative work. Different structures are appropriate for different kinds of projects.
| Model | Best for | Strength | Watch for |
| Hourly | Open-ended support, consulting, unclear scope | Protects you when time cannot be estimated reliably | Clients may focus on hours rather than outcomes |
| Day rate | Production, facilitation, shoots, rehearsals, direction | Simple and familiar for project-based work | Clarify overtime, prep, travel, and turnaround |
| Fixed project fee | Defined deliverables with clear boundaries | Gives clients certainty and rewards efficiency | Scope creep can make it unprofitable |
| Retainer | Ongoing strategic or creative partnership | Predictable income and a deeper working relationship | Availability must be clearly limited |
| Value-based fee | High-stakes work tied to meaningful client outcomes | Better reflects impact than time alone | Requires discovery, confidence, and a clear value case |
| Licensing or royalties | Work with ongoing or scalable use | Aligns compensation with usage | Requires specific rights, terms, and legal clarity |
Hourly pricing
Hourly pricing is useful when the scope is genuinely uncertain. It can work well for advisory work, editorial support, creative direction, research, revisions beyond the original agreement, or projects where the client needs flexible access to you.
The downside is that hourly pricing can encourage a client to buy time rather than seek a defined result. If you use it, state a minimum engagement, establish a cap or range, and communicate when you are approaching it.
Day rates
A day rate is often a cleaner fit for production-based work: directing, photography, filmmaking, recording, workshops, rehearsals, on-site consulting, or creative intensives.
Define what a “day” means. Is it eight hours? Does travel count? Is prep included? What happens after ten hours? A day rate without a definition can become an invitation to give away time.
Fixed project fees
A project fee works when the outcome, deliverables, process, and revision limits are sufficiently clear. Clients often prefer it because it offers predictability. You may prefer it because it lets you be paid for expertise and efficiency, not merely duration.
But fixed fees require strong scope. If the project is “create a campaign,” “help us find the story,” or “make it feel more compelling,” you may not yet have enough definition to quote responsibly.
Retainers
Retainers work best when they purchase a defined level of access, output, or strategic capacity—not unlimited availability.
For example, a monthly retainer might include two planning meetings, editorial review of up to four pieces, one priority-response window per week, and a set number of production or consulting hours. A retainer should make the relationship easier, not turn you into an on-call employee without employee protections.
Value-based pricing
Value-based pricing asks: what is at stake for the client if this work succeeds, fails, or is delayed?
This model can be appropriate when your work influences revenue, reputation, fundraising, audience growth, launch success, investor confidence, or a major institutional decision. It does not mean extracting the maximum possible amount from every client. It means understanding the commercial context rather than pretending that all work is interchangeable.
A filmmaker helping a company shape a flagship brand story, for instance, is not selling footage alone. They may be influencing how the company is understood by customers, funders, recruits, or press.
Licensing and royalties
If your work will be reproduced, distributed, broadcast, adapted, used in advertising, turned into merchandise, or used indefinitely, the price should account for usage—not merely creation.
A commission fee pays for making something. A license defines how, where, for how long, and in what media the client may use it. Conflating the two can leave you underpaid for work that continues generating value long after delivery.
For substantial rights agreements, consult an attorney or an appropriate professional organization in your field. A clear contract is not a sign of distrust; it is a way of preserving the relationship by reducing ambiguity.
Price the scope before the client does
Many underpriced projects begin with a vague request and an eager yes.
Before quoting, get enough information to distinguish a small, contained project from a large, high-stakes one. Ask:
- What is the desired outcome?
- What exactly will be delivered?
- Who is the audience?
- What is the timeline, including approval deadlines?
- Who has final decision-making authority?
- How many stakeholders will provide feedback?
- What materials, access, or preparation will you need?
- What does success look like?
- What happens if the project expands?
- Will the work be used publicly, commercially, internationally, or in perpetuity?
- What budget range has been set aside?
Asking about budget is not gauche. It is a practical way to establish whether there is a fit. You do not need to ask, “What can I get away with charging?” You can ask:
“To recommend the right scope and approach, could you share the budget range allocated for this work?”
If a client refuses to discuss budget but expects a detailed proposal, proceed carefully. You may offer a paid discovery phase, provide tiered options, or choose not to invest unpaid labor into a process with no evidence of alignment.
Build a scope that protects the work
A good scope makes the project better. It gives the client a shared understanding of what they are buying and gives you room to do the work well.
At minimum, put these details in writing:
- Deliverables
- Timeline and milestones
- Number of revision rounds
- Feedback process and decision-maker
- Payment schedule
- Deposit or initial payment
- Expenses and what they include
- Usage rights or licensing terms, if applicable
- Kill fee or cancellation terms
- Late-payment terms
- Overtime, rush, or out-of-scope rates
- What the client must provide, and by when
One of the most protective sentences in a proposal is:
“Anything outside this scope can be added by mutual written agreement and will be quoted separately.”
That sentence is not hostile. It tells both parties that new work deserves a new conversation.
Do not hide the revision policy
Unlimited revisions are rarely a sign of generosity. They usually signal that the project has no agreed decision-making process.
A more workable structure is:
- One discovery or alignment phase
- A defined first presentation or draft
- One or two consolidated rounds of feedback
- A clear deadline for feedback
- Additional revisions billed at an agreed rate or quoted separately
Ask the client to consolidate feedback through one decision-maker whenever possible. Ten stakeholders sending separate notes do not create ten times the insight; they often create confusion, contradiction, and unnecessary rounds of work.
Account for complexity and urgency
Two projects with the same deliverable may not deserve the same price.
A project costs more when it includes:
- A compressed timeline
- Unclear or evolving strategy
- Multiple decision-makers
- High visibility or reputational stakes
- Sensitive subject matter
- Extensive research or discovery
- Travel or production coordination
- Complex rights, approvals, or legal review
- An expectation of frequent access
- A client with a history of disorganization or delayed feedback
You do not need to apologize for a rush fee. Urgency changes your calendar, increases risk, and may require you to decline other work or compromise recovery time. Name the fee plainly.
“Because this requires prioritizing the work within a compressed timeline, the project includes a 25 percent rush fee.”
The exact percentage will vary. What matters is making urgency visible in the agreement rather than absorbing it silently.
Create three options
Offering three options can make a proposal easier to evaluate, but only if each option is real.
A helpful structure is:
| Option | Purpose | Example |
| Essential | Solves the immediate problem with focused scope | One strategy session, defined deliverable, one revision round |
| Recommended | The approach you believe gives the work its best chance | Discovery, core deliverables, collaborative review, implementation support |
| Expanded | Adds depth, access, or long-term value | Additional deliverables, workshops, ongoing advisory, broader license |
Do not make the lowest option so thin that it cannot succeed, and do not include things you do not want to do simply to make the middle option look appealing. The goal is informed choice, not manipulation.
Know when hourly is better
“Never charge hourly” is popular advice, but it is too absolute.
Hourly billing is sensible when:
- The client cannot define the scope
- You are entering an exploratory process
- You are providing ongoing access or advisory work
- The work depends on external variables beyond your control
- Revision volume is unpredictable
- You are troubleshooting or stepping into an existing project
Fixed pricing is generally stronger when:
- The deliverable is clear
- You understand the production process
- You can estimate the required effort
- You can specify limits around revisions and responsibilities
- The client is purchasing an outcome rather than open-ended access
The issue is not whether hourly pricing is inherently bad. The issue is whether the chosen model puts all uncertainty on you.
Know when value pricing is not appropriate
Value-based pricing can be powerful, but it also has limits.
It may be less appropriate when:
- The client is a small nonprofit, artist-run space, or emerging individual with a limited budget
- The project’s financial upside is unclear or indirect
- The work is primarily exploratory, personal, or cultural rather than commercial
- You cannot reasonably assess the business stakes
- The client is seeking a standardized service at a transparent market rate
In those cases, a day rate, fixed project fee, sliding scale, or clearly defined package may be more ethical and practical.
You can choose to offer reduced rates, pro bono work, or community pricing. The key is to make that choice intentional. If every client receives an unofficial discount because you are uncomfortable naming your fee, it is not generosity; it is an unsustainable business model.
Use discounts deliberately
Discounts should have a reason, a boundary, and a name.
You might reduce your fee because:
- The work aligns deeply with your values
- You are supporting an emerging artist or community organization
- The project offers unusual creative freedom
- You are building a new body of work
- The client is committing to a longer-term engagement
- The project has a meaningful non-financial exchange that you have consciously chosen
If you discount, show the full fee first.
“My standard fee for this scope is $X. For this project, I can offer a community rate of $Y.”
This preserves the actual value of the work and makes the concession visible. Avoid calling it a “friends and family discount” if what you mean is that you are supporting a mission or making a strategic decision.
Raise your rates before resentment does
Rate increases are often delayed until a creative professional feels exhausted, underpaid, or quietly angry. At that point, the increase can feel emotionally loaded.
Review your rates on a predictable rhythm—once or twice a year, or after a meaningful shift in demand, expertise, cost of living, or the level of work you are taking on.
Signs it may be time to raise your rates:
- You regularly book work at your current fee
- You are turning down projects because of limited capacity
- Your projects have become more complex or higher stakes
- Your skills, reputation, or responsibility have materially expanded
- You cannot meet your financial floor without overworking
- You feel recurring resentment toward projects you once welcomed
You do not need an elaborate justification. Try:
“Beginning [date], my rates for new projects will reflect the scope, level of involvement, and current demand for my work. I’m happy to discuss the right approach for your project.”
For existing clients, give reasonable notice and honor current agreements. If you want to preserve a relationship, offer a transition period or a smaller scope—but do not indefinitely maintain a rate that no longer works.
Don’t overexplain higher rates
The way you present a price affects how it is received. State it clearly, then stop talking.
Instead of:
“I know this may be more than you were expecting, and I can probably make it work for less if we need to…”
Try:
“For the scope we discussed, my fee is $X. This includes [brief list of the most important elements].”
If the client says it is beyond budget:
“I understand. We can either reduce the scope to fit the available budget, adjust the timeline, or decide that this is not the right fit.”
This keeps you out of a false binary between accepting any fee and losing the project. Scope, timeline, access, rights, and deliverables are all variables. Price is not the only one.
A script for budget conversations
Use language that feels direct and calm:
“Before I build a recommendation, I’d like to understand the scope, timeline, decision-making process, and budget range. That will help me determine whether I’m the right fit and what level of engagement will serve the work.”
If a client presses for a number before giving enough context:
“For projects of this kind, fees typically begin at $X and increase based on scope, timeline, usage, and level of collaboration. Once I understand those variables, I can provide a precise proposal.”
If their budget is lower than your minimum:
“Thank you for sharing that. My fee for this level of work begins at $X. If that is outside the available budget, I can suggest a smaller scope or refer you to someone whose structure may be a better fit.”
Normalize deposits
Deposits are not a sign that you expect trouble. They allow you to reserve time and begin work without financing the project yourself.
Common structures include:
- 50 percent to begin, 50 percent on delivery
- 40 percent to begin, 30 percent at a midpoint, 30 percent on completion
- Monthly invoicing for retainers
- A paid discovery phase before a larger project is scoped
For longer engagements, avoid waiting until the end to invoice. Milestone payments keep the financial structure aligned with the actual work.
For projects that require substantial scheduling, research, or preparation, the initial payment should be due before work begins.
Protect your intellectual property
If you are an artist, writer, filmmaker, photographer, musician, designer, or creator, distinguish between payment for labor and permission to use the work.
Clarify:
- Who owns the final work
- What rights are being licensed
- Where it can be used
- For how long
- In which territories
- In which media or formats
- Whether the work can be altered
- Whether you retain portfolio rights
- Whether exclusivity is involved
- What happens if the client wants expanded use later
A client may reasonably need broad rights. But broad rights should be named and priced accordingly. “Work made for hire,” perpetual usage, exclusivity, and buyouts can materially change the value of an agreement.
For legal questions, use a qualified attorney familiar with creative contracts in your jurisdiction and field. General guidance cannot replace legal advice tailored to your situation.
The emotional side of charging more
For many high-achieving creatives, the hardest part of pricing is not the negotiation. It is the moment after sending the proposal.
You may notice an urge to soften the number, add free extras, preemptively discount, or make yourself smaller so the client will not leave. This is often less about the client’s actual response than about the vulnerability of being seen as someone who expects fair exchange.
Pause before changing a price. Ask:
- Am I adjusting the scope, or am I trying to avoid discomfort?
- Would I still want this project at the lower fee?
- Does this rate support the quality of work I want to make?
- What will this agreement ask of my future self?
- If I say yes, what am I saying no to?
Confidence does not mean never feeling nervous. It means acting from a considered structure even while you feel nervous.
Here’s a template for raising your rates
Use this sequence for your next inquiry.
1. Gather information. Clarify outcome, deliverables, timeline, stakeholders, budget, rights, and decision-making.
2. Check your capacity. Determine what the project would displace, require, or cost in time and energy.
3. Choose the pricing model. Use a fixed fee, day rate, hourly structure, retainer, license, or a combination.
4. Calculate the internal number. Estimate labor, expenses, risk, usage, and your minimum viable floor.
5. Write the external proposal. Present a simple, client-facing price and scope rather than your internal spreadsheet.
6. Set boundaries in writing. Include payment terms, revisions, responsibilities, and change-order language.
7. State the price plainly. Do not negotiate against yourself before the client has responded.
8. Adjust scope before reducing your fee. If the budget cannot support the recommended engagement, design a smaller one.
9. Review after delivery. Record actual hours, friction points, revisions, profit, and whether you would accept the project again at that rate.
That final step is where pricing becomes easier over time. Your past projects become data, not just memories.
A simple project-pricing worksheet
Before sending a proposal, answer the following:
| Question | Your answer |
| What outcome is the client buying? | _____________
| What are the exact deliverables? | _____________
| What is excluded? | _____________
| How many hours or days will this likely require? | _____________
| What preparation, administration, and meetings are required? | _____________
| What expenses will I incur? | _____________
| What is the client’s timeline? | _____________
| What is the cost of urgency? | _____________
| Who gives feedback and final approval? | _____________
| How many revision rounds are included? | _____________
| What rights or usage are being requested? | _____________
| What is my minimum acceptable fee? | _____________
| What would make this project feel generous, fair, and sustainable? | _____________
FAQ
Should I put prices on my website?
It depends on the service and your sales process. Public starting prices can qualify inquiries, reduce time spent with poor-fit leads, and signal clarity. Custom, high-stakes, or rights-heavy work may require a consultation before a precise quote.
A useful middle ground is to state a minimum:
“Engagements begin at $X.”
This communicates seriousness without pretending every project is identical.
What if I am still building my reputation?
You do not need a famous name to price thoughtfully. Begin with your financial floor, scope the work carefully, and raise rates as demand, responsibility, and outcomes grow.
Lower rates can be strategic during a limited learning period. They become harmful when they continue after they no longer support your work or life.
What if a client asks for a discount?
Ask what constraint they are trying to solve. It may be budget, timing, internal approval, or uncertainty about the outcome.
Then offer choices: reduce scope, extend the timeline, limit usage, remove extras, or divide the project into phases. A discount should be a deliberate trade, not an automatic reflex.
How do I know if I am charging too much?
A rate is not too high simply because someone declines. A “no” may reflect budget, priorities, timing, or fit.
More useful indicators are whether your price is consistent with your financial needs, whether clients who value the work can say yes, whether you can deliver without overextending yourself, and whether your pipeline has a healthy mix of acceptance and decline.
How do I know if I am charging too little?
You may be undercharging if you consistently work more than anticipated, need constant volume to meet basic needs, feel resentful during delivery, attract clients who treat your time casually, or cannot protect time for rest and your own creative practice.
Can I charge differently to different clients?
Yes, when the scope, use, complexity, timeline, and stakes differ. Fairness does not require identical fees for materially different agreements.
What matters is having a coherent rationale you can live with. Avoid arbitrary pricing based on who seems prestigious, intimidating, or most likely to reject you.
Your rates are a creative boundary.
Well-crafted pricing does more than secure income. It shapes your calendar, the quality of your attention, your artistic risk, and the kind of life your career permits.
Stop making your future self pay for a present-day fear of being perceived as expensive.
