The Three Prices

An Art-trepreneur Lesson on Charging What You’re Worth - By Mr. Bill Berry

Every artist has three prices.

The trick is recognizing them before the phone rings.

When someone calls asking for a quote, there are usually three numbers that immediately pop into your head.

Price #1: The price that would genuinely make you happy.

You’d leave the event feeling appreciated, fairly compensated, and excited to do excellent work.

Price #2: The fair price.

Maybe it’s not everything you hoped for, but it’s still a solid deal. Everyone wins, and you leave satisfied.

Price #3: The “I’ll do it… but I’m going to hate myself for saying yes” price.

You take the job because you need the money, but by the time you’re loading your equipment into the car, you’re already frustrated. Every mile you drive reminds you that you should have asked for more.

Here’s an example.

Maybe your dream price is $1,000.

You’d happily do the show for $800 because that’s still fair.

But if times are tight, you’d reluctantly say yes for $500.

Now imagine the phone rings.

If fear is making your decisions, you’ll probably blurt out the $500 price.

After all, you want the gig.

But you’ve just made two mistakes.

First, you’ve undervalued your work.

Second—and this is the one people often miss—you’ve left yourself nowhere to negotiate.

What happens if they respond with:

“Would you take $400?”

Now you’re trapped.

You already quoted your absolute minimum.

If you say yes, you’ll spend the entire event feeling taken advantage of.

If you say no, you’ve lost the booking anyway.

Instead, begin from a position of confidence.

If you absolutely need the work, start with your fair price.

That leaves room for a respectful negotiation if one happens.

Even better, whenever the market supports it, ask for the price that would genuinely make you happy.

Not an outrageous number.

Not a fantasy.

Not “I’d love to make $10,000 for a two-hour local gig.”

Know your market.

Know your experience level.

Know what similar professionals in your area charge.

Then ask for the price that honestly reflects the value you bring.

You might be surprised how often people simply say…

“Sounds good.”

And if they negotiate?

You often land on your fair price anyway.

Everyone wins.

One of the biggest reasons artists burn out isn’t because they work too hard.

It’s because they spend years saying yes to work that quietly breeds resentment.

They begin every job feeling underpaid.

Every client feels demanding.

Every performance feels like an obligation instead of an opportunity.

That’s no way to build a career.

Being an Art-trepreneur means recognizing that your art and your business are partners, not enemies.

Your creativity deserves room to breathe.

Your business deserves enough income to keep that creativity alive.

The goal isn’t to squeeze every possible dollar out of every client.

The goal is to build a career where your clients feel they received exceptional value, and you leave feeling respected, energized, and eager for the next opportunity.

That’s sustainable.

That’s professional.

And that’s how artists build careers measured in decades instead of seasons.

So the next time the phone rings, remember your three prices.

Know your minimum.

Know your fair price.

But don’t be afraid to ask for the price that would genuinely make you smile when you hang up the phone.

You may be surprised how often the answer is simply…

“Great. Let’s book it.”

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