Negotiating pay when I have been out of work - what worked for you?

I do not know whether to give a range or ask for theirs. I also do not want to sell myself short. Does giving a range hurt?

Thanks for writing this out. I went through something close to it 13 months ago, and it settled down once I kept a simple log of every call and form.

I gave a range based on local postings and said I was flexible depending on the whole package. They did not push back.