How to raise your rate for 2027 and tell your clients

Most artists wait too long to raise their rate, and then do it in a hurry. The new year is the cleanest moment to change it: clients expect prices to move in January, and you have a natural line between the old rate and the new one.

Decide what is changing

Be specific before you say anything to anyone:

• Your hourly rate, if you quote by the hour
• Your minimum, which is often the one that matters most for small pieces
• Your flash prices, if you run flash days or keep sheets up
• Your deposit, if it is a set amount rather than a share of the quote

You do not have to change all four. Raising the minimum and leaving the hourly rate alone is a common, gentle first step.

Pick a date and give notice

Choose the day the new rate starts, usually January 1, and announce it in November or early December. Six weeks or more is fair notice. It also tends to fill your December, which is a nice side effect for a month that can be slow.

Honor what you already promised

This is the part that protects your reputation:

• Quotes you have already sent stay at the price you quoted
• Multi-session pieces in progress finish at the rate they started at
• Deposits already paid hold their booking at the old price

Saying this clearly in your announcement answers the first question every existing client will have.

Say it plainly

No apology and no long explanation. Something like:

Starting January 1, my hourly rate is $X and my minimum is $Y. Any quote you already have from me stays as quoted, and pieces in progress finish at your current rate. Thank you for keeping me busy this year. I am excited for what we make next.

Post it, add it to your FAQ, and update your booking form the same day the new rate starts. Then stop explaining it. The clients who value your work will book at the new rate, and that is the point.

Update everything at once

Old prices hiding in a highlight, a pinned post, or a booking page are where confusion starts. On January 1, change your rate everywhere a client can see it.

On Etchra, your hourly rate and minimum live in your settings, and your rate shows up right on the quote form, so the new number is in front of you the moment it starts. Quotes you sent before the change stay exactly as you sent them, on each client's own link.