Build your rate floor
Enter your real costs and time. RateCraft calculates what you need to charge to break even, then builds three packages above that floor.
Your time per project
Equipment and overhead
Deliverables and scope
Platform and audience
Your rate floor
Minimum to break even on time and costs. Never quote below this.
Starter Package
Basic deliverables, limited usage, standard timeline.
Core Package Popular
Full deliverables, moderate usage rights, priority support.
Negotiation scripts
Fill in your worksheet to generate an opening pitch.
"That is outside our budget."
I understand budget constraints. I can adjust the deliverables to fit. Here is a Starter package that keeps the core value while reducing scope.
"Another creator quoted less."
Rates vary by audience quality, engagement, and usage rights. My quote includes full commercial usage for 3 months, which protects your team from needing to reshoot later.
"Can you add one more video?"
Happy to expand the scope. I will send an updated quote with the additional deliverable and timeline.
"Can we use this in a national ad?"
That usage tier requires an extended rights add-on. I will send the rate for broadcast and out-of-home placement.
How RateCraft builds your numbers
Most creators price by feel. They ask a friend, scan a Reddit thread, and hope the brand does not laugh. RateCraft replaces guessing with a worksheet that accounts for every hour and every right.
What goes into the rate floor
The floor is simple: time multiplied by your target hourly income, plus equipment depreciation, plus direct costs. Equipment depreciation spreads a camera or light purchase across the projects you expect to shoot before replacing it. A $2,500 camera you plan to use for 100 projects costs $25 per project. That is real money you already spent.
Why packages beat single quotes
One price gives a brand only two choices: yes or no. Three packages let them choose their investment level. Most brands pick the middle option. The Starter package exists to make Core look reasonable. Premium exists to capture clients who want everything and want it fast. This structure is called anchoring, and it works because it respects the buyer's need for options.
Usage rights: the hidden cost
Brands often ask for "usage" without specifying where. Your content in their Instagram feed is standard. Your content on a billboard in Times Square is not. RateCraft adds a usage multiplier based on duration and breadth. If you let a brand use your work for 12 months across all channels, that is worth more than a 30-day Instagram post. The worksheet makes this explicit so you can explain it clearly.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Forgetting prep time. Research, mood boards, and back-and-forth emails can eat half a day. Bill for it.
- Ignoring revision rounds. State how many rounds are included. Extra rounds are extra money.
- Quoting before knowing usage. Always ask where the content will appear and for how long.
- Lowering price without cutting scope. If the budget shrinks, the deliverables shrink. Never discount your hourly rate.
When to walk away
Some brands will not meet your floor. That is fine. A project below your floor costs you money and blocks a better client. RateCraft shows your floor in bold so you know the line before emotion clouds the decision.
Assumptions and limits
Benchmarks are drawn from publicly reported creator deals, industry surveys, and platform transparency reports. They are directional, not definitive. A finance creator with 30K highly engaged followers may out-earn a lifestyle creator with 200K passive followers. Niche, engagement rate, and past brand results matter more than follower count alone. This worksheet does not replace an agent or a lawyer for complex licensing deals.
Example scenario
Maya shoots product photography for a skincare brand. She spends 2 hours on mood boards, 3 hours shooting, and 4 hours editing. Her camera and lens depreciation is $40. She wants $80 per hour. Her floor is $600. She adds a usage rights fee of $200 for 3-month digital use. Her Core package is $1,200 with two revision rounds. The brand accepts. Maya knew her number before the call started.