[jcmurrayii]

10,000 times this.

I do freelance work, and THIS advice is the advice that has helped me the most.

Be, act, and appear a consummate professional at every front. Quality of clients, size of projects, it all depends on acting the correct part.

Might drop the term freelancer as well, although thats a little more controversial. It has appeared to me lately, that freelancer has begun to give the impression of cheap roll-of-the-dice...where as something like 'consultant' tends to be more in line with stable, experienced, professional, and yes, more expensive.

[tormeh]

This. Be a consultant. Bill by the hour.

[ivanhoe]

No, even better bill by the day or even weeks if projects are big enough. It's silly mind trick but seems to work fairly well with clients, everything is more relaxed because they don't feel like having to pay for every minute of your work, it's much easier to negotiate the good price that way (at least for me, since I'm from southeast Europe, my rates are probably on a cheaper side here)