Biding rate

[g_verreault]

I have the opportunity to bid for a voice work contract, but it would be my first. I don't have any clues to what is the rate per minute for this kind of job. Is there a website or any ressources I can use to give me an idea for what is a reasonnable offer?

[petra_r]

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@gabrielle V wrote:

I have the opportunity to bid for a voice work contract, but it would be my first. I don't have any clues to what is the rate per minute for this kind of job.

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 What do you usually charge for that kind of work?

Charge that.

[g_verreault]

I never did it before, that's why I'm asking.

[petra_r]

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@gabrielle V wrote:

I never did it before, that's why I'm asking.

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 I am a bit puzzled... Why bid on jobs that require skills you don't know you have, to do something you have never done?

Otherwise charge your hourly rate and work hourly, but it might be an idea to do work you know how to do and have experience doing...

[versailles]

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@gabrielle V wrote:

I never did it before, that's why I'm asking.

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Then maybe you shouldn't bid on things that you don't do. People who do voice-over have often gone through acting, or radio or that kind of stuff. It's not a hobby that everyone can do, it's a set of skills that you learn and develop.

Also, voice-over requires a studio and sophisticated and expensive gear that you don't have.

You don't ask clients to pay you for trying out stuff.

[prestonhunter]

The other poster's here have provided some blunt and important advice.

If a client really is offering you a voice-over gig right now, and if you think you have the necessary equipment and technical capacity to actually pull this off in a way that meets this client's needs, but you don't know how much to charge, I would advise charging a modest fee, while being honest with the client that you are doing this for the first time. You could even ask the client to tell you how much she wants to pay you.

For the future...

Even if you do bid on voice-over jobs, you should be aware that you are competing with many very serious professionals with impressive work history and portfolios filled with high-quality samples.

This is not a field to go into in a casual manner.

If you are serious about doing this, study the field. Study the profiles and portfolios of top freelancers. Work with experienced pros. Consider hiring some people with experience to provide you with advice or mentoring.