Estimating Question for Freelancers

[Kelly Thompson <thompsonkt -at- RAPISTAN -dot- COM>]

I'm currently reading Hackos' book Managing Your Documentation Projects and have some questions related to freelancing.  She recommends both an information plan and a project plan before you really have a cost estimate.  These plans take a good-sized chunk of the project time.  If you are bidding on a per-project basis, how do you somewhat accurately estimate the cost up front, particularly if you have only a small database of projects of your own to draw from?

 

Any perspectives you can give will be appreciated.

 

Thanks,

Kelly Thompson

thompsonkt -at- rapistan -dot- com