Being a Starving Graphic Artist Sucks

What to Say When You Send in Your Client's Artwork to Advertising Publications or Printers

There really isn't any great secret to sending finished artwork to the publisher or printer, and it's not something you need to be scared of either. You just want to be polite and succinct, and offer the opportunity to contact you if they have questions or issues.

I've worked in a prepress environment before and found that the freelancers that assumed that their files were perfect (the ones with an attitude) were often the ones that very poor support and attention if there was actually something wrong with their file(s).

"Hi Jenny!
Here’s the ad I’ve been working with the folks over at BUSINESS NAME on their ¼ page ad for the NAME OF THE PUBLICATION. If you have any questions or concerns please feel free to contact me directly at PHONE NUMBER, I’d be happy to talk with you. Thank you in advance for your help!

When you have a moment would you drop me a return email or call me to let me know you received this communication? I want to make sure you received it and that your prepress department is okay with what I have submitted."

By the way, if you're not offering to send your finished advertisements or collateral materials to the publication/printers for your clients - you should be. Let your clients know that you want to handle this so it takes the work off of their plate.

PS - Thanks to Phil in ND for dropping me a line and letting me know about a web site called ShareRanks. Apparently the "Verbal Kung Fu for Freelancers" book was listed 5th on the Top Books for Freelancers.

Thanks for the 411, Phil and good luck with your current sticky client situation...hit me up with an email if you need some additional advice on it.

These guys ranked Verbal Kung Fu as just 5th though...come on man :)

Guest Graphic Design Expert, Trish Schaefer: When You Love Your Work More Than Your Client

Graphic design is art... but it is also advertising. It is not simply being creative, it is about knowing your clients and their industries in order to sell them the most effectively. In order for you to successfully advertise your client’s product, business or services, you have to KNOW it and their customers as well as they do... more so. There are few careers where this is the case. You should also have a good grasp of history, culture, sociology, psychology, and technology.

What? Did someone say graphic design is easy?

That is a perception designers fight every day. There IS a difference between a professional designer and someone’s teenage nephew who just got PhotoShop.

Learn the rules and guidelines to great design, but don’t be constrained by them. Learn what it takes to create, not just beautiful design, but, highly effective, highly saleable design. If you have the creative talent, the ability to be creative no matter the constraints (brand guides, time, money, etc.), AND the drive to be constantly learning, this is the career for you.

Just remember rule #1:  NEVER, EVER, fall in love with your own designs...      

Love them, but let them go. For some potentially great designers, emotionally they cannot separate themselves from their art. They cannot give a design the client's personality or allow a client to take possession. For true artists every design has a piece of their soul in it. This is true, but being a starving artist is not fun or romantic. You have to decide if you want to design as a career... then you have to be able to let go. In the end the client owns the design, not you. Not all design is high art, intelligent or clever. Not all clients are artistic, intelligent or clever. Such is the way of BUSINESS.

For those working their way up, you will get to a place where you can exert more and more control. Your education, training and, above all, experience (and hopefully body of work), will back you up when dealing with clients. If you continue to learn, pay attention to trends and technology, if you know the business... it will show. And more and more people will seek you out for your particular brand of design. Then the control will all be yours and you can love all your designs as they deserve. 

Special thanks to Patricia R. Schaefer (Trish) over at www.contemporary-native.com  Trish is a published logo designer, found in "The Secret Life of Logos" by Leslie Cabarga, and was also featured on www.graphic-design.com.

With regards to this post, I agree with Trish, she's spot on. Designers working their way up will eventually get to a place where they can influence the design and client more, but it's important to remember the freelancers work for clients and not themselves.

There have been so many times in my career that a client when completely in the wrong creative direction (at least in my opinion), it's hard to put so much time and effort into a design only to have your client say, "Nah, I kind of liked it the way it was..." Trish is right, "Not all design is high art, intelligent or clever. Not all clients are artistic, intelligent or clever."

A Tongue and Cheek Look at Why I Make More Money than You as a Freelance Graphic Designer

Over the last few years I've talked to a number of freelance designers in the US and even abroad, our discussions eventually turn into, "Say, how much do you charge?" And, "How is business really doing?" In comparing notes I typically found myself in the position of making more than most of my colleagues (many who were really struggling deep down). I wondered why this is, why am I able to bring in more clients and more business than most of the freelancers I've spoken to over the last 10 years.

Here's what I came up with (take this with a grain...I mean a pound of salt, it's supposed to be humorous):

Pretty easy to figure out, I am smarter than you
That's got to be it, right? It's tough to compete with someone who gets straight A's in school...although I don't remember getting straight A's. In fact, in a true but embarrassing Jessica Simpson moment, for some inexplicable reason I hadn't figured out that tuna fish was actually a fish until I was about 12 years old - Mom broke the news to me...come to think about it, maybe I am not smarter than you but I probably bring in more clients.

I am more creative than you
Well actually I was once told by a boss that I "wasn't very creative and I shouldn't try". Straight up - that's what the guy told me, thanks for the encouragement Alan...you jackass. Okay, so maybe I am not as creative as you but I probably bring in more revenue than you.

I have more artisan schooling than you
Ah yes, I have a much better schooling background than you do than you - being trained at one of the finest academic institutions in the US by renowned artists and craftspeople. Okay that's not true either. The fact is, I went to a state college that had a much better soccer team than artistic program (I played for the soccer team). And I didn't graduate with a degree in design, in fact, I didn't even take one class in design. Somehow I am probably still able to bring in more business than you.

I just design better than you
To prove this, I've included some of my earlier works (see right, this was from 2002) - try not to be jealous...wait strike that, try not to get sick or fall out of your chair laughing.

Okay, I sucked but it's hard to argue with my results nowadays.

I know more people than you
Nah, won't even try this one. When I moved to Phoenix I know a total of 5 people - all of the were relatives. You probably know more people now than when I started

I have better clients than you
Hahah, that's laughable. Sure, I've had some great clients, but I've also had some "Grade A" jerks as well. I'd like to think I have advantage in this category but I don't.

Still all jokes aside, the fact is that I do bring in a lot more money than most freelancers out there, and I haven't had to reduce my rate or try spec-work just to try to make ends meet. All of this has got to make you wonder, "What they heck does this guy know that I don't?!?"

Simple, I wrote what I know down in the books I've created.

PS - Off the subject, but I wanted to let you guys know about monoprice.com. No, I don't work for these guys but they have good deals on cables, etc, and I like them. I recently bought a charger for my iPhone and the darn thing didn't work. I emailed these guys and not only were they willing to replace the item but they didn't make me send back the defective one I have - nice. Too bad many online printers don't have the same policy for established freelance professionals.

Career-long Wisdom for Freelance Graphic Designers Shouldn't be Without

Just a few things I've tried to live by, feel free to drop a comment if you can add to the list...

• When I can't seem to find the right words to type in an email, I see this as my first clue that I should be making a phone call instead.
• Client's...and the world for that matter, will never tell you that you're not charging enough.
• If you don't get excited about marketing, promoting and selling your talent, who will?
• In negotiations, he who cares least wins.
• Rarely if ever will your friends/family tell you that your logo, collateral materials or web site needs improvement - seek out experts who will be honest and upfront with you.
  
• If you want to freelance but don't want to have to sell...well perhaps you consider farming instead.
• Under promise and over deliver.
  
• As long as you're giving, clients will take - be careful how much you give (freebies, etc.)
  
• Whenever you hear a client start with, "You know I was thinking we can do...", run!
• Take however long you think it will take you to complete a project and multiply it by two.
• If you don't truly believe you should be getting paid more than you are, your clients won't believe it either.
• No matter what you charge, some clients will feel you're too expensive.
• If you're not sure you can do the project, be honest with the client and with yourself - if you both still decide to move forward, you're at least covered.
• When talking with clients talk more about to what you're worth (in terms of benefits to them) rather than what you charge.

Aspiring Freelance Designers: Nothing Will Make You Successful if You Refuse to Let It

A while back a designer approach me with a pressing problem: he told me that while he couldn’t afford my book he was in desperate straights with his business and he was fearful that his dream of being a freelancer was slipping away. After talking with him on the telephone, I felt badly for him, but I also felt the Being a Starving Artist Sucks book would help him out, so I sent it to him.

He contacted me a couple weeks after and says he likes the book (but he hadn't read a lot of it) but has some additional questions on getting his first clients on board. No problem, I gave him a call and during our 1/2 hour conversation we discussed 5 clear strategies/approaches he could start doing to bring in clients immediately.

Several weeks later he emails me again and says, "It's kind of frustrating, I just can't seem to bring clients on board, nothing seems to be going right." After providing some encouragement, I asked, "Since we last talked on the phone, how have you been doing in implementing the strategies we talked about?"

He never replied back to my email - it's pretty safe to assume his answer was, "I haven't done anything."

My point in sharing this story is not to embarrass a colleague but to make perfectly clear that if you aren't willing to work on making your dream of becoming a creative freelancer a reality, no amount of training, books or even magic beans are going to help you.

I'm hoping this wasn't a pep talk, or a lecture for you but just a reminder of what it's really like out there as a freelance designer. It's tough sometimes, I know.  am rooting for you guys, but you have to put in the time and effort to be successful, it's not going to just fall into your lap.

PS - Just wanted to thank Steve over at the Logo Factory for taking time out of his schedule to review the BASAS book. Check out his site here: http://bit.ly/gn9rG, you can also follow him on Twitter at @TheLogoFactory.

This guy's a veteran in the industry and has some outstanding insights on what's been going on in the world of design/freelance, as well as where it's headed - he also knows a crap-load about designing first-class logos than I ever will...and lastly the guy isn't afraid to tell it like it is (and kick some arse along the way) - if you're not following him, you should be.

Guest Graphic Design Expert, Mike Klassen: 5 Reasons You Might Want to Turn Down Freelance Work

I used to dream about the day I’d be so busy with work, I’d be able to turn down projects. Not because I wanted a client to feel bad, but because it would signify to me that I had reached a certain level of success.

As I’ve gone along, that dream is no longer important. I try not to turn down projects and I’m certainly not at a point where I’m turning down a project every day. But I have said no a few times and thought I’d share some of the reasons why so you can be prepared for it when it happens to you, or at least give you some things to think about for the future.

1.
The project is offensive in some way. Actually, this is one that hasn’t happened to me yet, but it will happen to every designer or writer at some point. Whether it’s for political, moral or religious reasons, there are projects that just don’t match with your own views. Sometimes it’s tempting to take the money and do the project anyway. For me, if in doubt, I try to picture showing the project to someone at church. If that thought makes me uncomfortable, that helps to tell me that perhaps the project isn’t a good match.

2.
The project is not one where I feel I have the skills or desire. I’ve said before that I don’t care to do logos. Of course, as soon as I said that, I started getting requests for logos. I’ve done one since it was just a variation of a prior logo a company used, but other than that, I’ve said no. The reason? I simply don’t think I’m that good at it. Maybe that’s how you feel about certain design or writing niches.

While it would be nice to think I can do every type of project, the reality is that it would take a lifetime to become an expert in every aspect of design. Instead, I like to focus on the things that I enjoy and think I’m good at, then slowly build up new skills in different areas as time allows.

There’s a temptation to say yes to everything so you’re not leaving money on the table or so you can stretch yourself. But there’s no shame in admitting that, for some projects, you’re not going to be the best match with the client, whether it’s due to skill level or a lack of passion for the type of project

3. 
The project requires an on-going commitment. I once bid on a project to do the layout for a monthly newsletter. It would take about a week out of each month dedicated just to that project. Thankfully, I didn’t get the job. As I think back on it, I should have never bid on it to begin with.

I enjoy the freedom of not being tied down to ongoing projects. I have no problem with projects that last weeks or months, but that’s different. With projects that are, for example, every second week of the month, you start losing the freedom to do things like schedule time off for family vacations when it’s best for your whole family. Plus, all other projects then need to be planned around that one regular job and, for me, that’s not something I care to do.

4.
The client isn’t being fair to another freelancer. About two years ago, a client was impressed with something I said on some marketing forum. She said that she had just given a project to another designer, but would pull it from him and give it to me if I could beat his price by mere a few dollars.

There were probably a number of reasons to turn that one down, but the reason that I felt strongest about was that the other designer, who had already landed the job, had apparently done nothing wrong to lose that job. I saw no reason to rob another designer of a job simply because I could beat his price by a few dollars. (If he and I had been bidding on the same project, that’s different... may the best designer win.)

5.
The project doesn’t pay enough. In the beginning, I was ready to take any project at any price just to build my business. While I’m not always at maximum capacity, I’m not concerned about losing a job because my price isn’t low enough.

You’re not going to see the income you want until you’re being very realistic about the rates you charge and walking away from projects that don’t pay what the job is really worth.

Obviously there are more than five reasons to turn down work, but these are the ones that stand out most for me. Freelancing should be fun, so doing projects that aren’t enjoyable or a good fit for some reason or another reminds me too much of working for some company, Monday through Friday, 9-5 and that’s no longer for me.

Mike Klassen runs Klassen Communications, a direct market layout and design company. He shares his experiences with other designers through his blog at: http://mikeklassen.blogspot.com. Mike's got some great articles and ideas that are not often covered in typical design blogs, so you'll definitely want to take a few moments and check out what he's writing about!

Thanks for the great article, Mike. If you other guys want to share your experiences and articles, check out the Guest Blogging section - I'd love to hear from you. 

Freelance Graphic Design Humor: 10 Ten Question Bombs I'd Like to Drop on a Demanding Client

Getting ticked off and or squabbling with clients is never the answer (that's why I came up with Verbal Kung Fu for Freelancers)...still, I often think it would be funny to drop a bomb on a client that's clearly trying to get the best of me - just to see the look on their stunned face.

Here are a few things my brain's thought up but I've never said to a client:

1. If it's so easy to do, why don't you fire Photoshop up and get to it?

2. You don't question your dentist or mechanic while they're working, so why do you presume to think you know more than me when it comes to design?

3. What would you say to one of your customers that contacted you and said, why don't you do the work for me and I'll pay you if I like it? Why then would you ask me to do it?

4. If your past designer was so good, why aren't you still working with her/him?

5. I know you like your logo but I've got to ask, did your son or daughter design it?

6. What's more important to you: bringing in customers/sales or getting your way?

7. Why would you hire an expert like me and then tell me exactly what to do instead of letting me do what I do best?

8. You mentioned that this shouldn't take much time to finish, how exactly do you know how long it will take?

9. If you don't want to put any money down up front that's okay - I'll take your wedding ring or car as collateral, which one would you rather leave with me?

10. If your business idea was that good, why would it make sense to partner up with someone...why wouldn't you just pay the designer and reap ALL of the profits when the idea takes off?

Please RT this post if it made you laugh :)

PS - Stumbled on these reviews for Verbal Kung Fu for Freelancers.
Thanks guys!! 

PPS - This was an interesting article I stumbled on in the NYT about freelancing (it was a while back but still relevant): http://is.gd/ndNo.

Blogs - Mad About Design, and Why Freelancers Should Stick to Their Word

I received an email from a publisher in Spain a while back: maomao publications.

They asked me if I wanted to feature this "Being a Starving Artist Sucks" blog in a sort of "who's who" of graphic design blogs called, "Blogs - Mad About Design".

Sure, I said - not really knowing what I was agreeing to...and not all that confident that the book would ever be published.

Months passed and I never got any word but a few days ago I saw on a tweet that the book did get published - my free copy came today.

I really was surprised:

• The book did get published
• They would honor their commitment and send me a complimentary copy for being featured in it

As I've gotten older in age and in my freelancing career I've become all too skeptical of people. I've run into too many folks that said they were going to do something and they didn't. They'll make excuse after excuse, but in the end it boils down to a lack of integrity (by the way for you new or aspiring designers, this is a MAJOR complaint clients have with freelancers).

Make sure you take care of your reputation and do what you say and say what you do...even if it means taking it on the chin a little bit. You might not see the immediate effect of not honoring your word, but it has a way of coming back and biting you in the butt. Okay, lecture's over, I guess I just wanted to thank maomao publications for coming through. 

By the way, it's actually a pretty darn good book (a lot fricken' bigger than I thought it would be too), there are some nice resources out there, and it's an honor to be placed among them - I am on page 90 if you pick the book up.

PS - I also wanted to thank webdesignerdepot.com for allowing me to share one of my articles over there. Walter's one of the good guys - not only does he have a great resource (be sure to bookmark or grab a feed) but he's got loads of integrity.

If you haven't checked the article out you can view it by clicking the screen to the left.

The Easy 1-2-3 Graphic Designer's Guide to Borrowing Someone Else's Logo and Claiming It's Your Own

1. Scour the Internet for designer's portfolios, you can even use contest web sites for "inspiration", I even googled "free logos" and a bunch of stuff came up. 
2. Use Adobe's Live Trace in Illustrator to get a vector copy of the logo. You may want to bring it into Photoshop first to clean it up a little. Okay, maybe this takes a couple of hours or so.
3. Tweak it just a little bit so people can't accuse you of blatantly ripping off someone else's work.
   Present the work to the client as if it's your own - collect the accolades and the check! Another 30 minutes here and your grand total is still well under 5 hours!!!!

Sweet. It's that easy - 1, 2, and 3...isn't it? Well yes and no.

There are of course a couple of inherent risks taking this approach to designing logos, but that's okay, it's worth it if you're really in need of cash and don't have a lot of talent as a designer.

Here's what you'll want to be aware of if you've "borrowed" someone else's work for "inspiration":

1. Don't hit the same site over and over for "inspiration", you never know when they'll get wise to it - spread it around and "borrow" from everyone...that way it'll be harder to track you.
2. Make sure your client DOESN'T hit it big. If your client actually becomes successful, there's a good chance the "wrong" people are going to see your work and that's not good for you. Good news for your client = bad news for you. Your hope then should be that your client goes out of business as quickly as possible.
3. Avoid any inclination to display this new logo on your online or printed marketing collateral - especially your web site or blog. You never know who'll be snooping around. My advice would be NEVER to include it in your portfolio...which would make having a nice portfolio kind of difficult, but you can worry about that later.
4. Make sure you've got a decent stash of cash in case someone does find out that the borrowing you did is closer to stealing. The designer you borrowed from will probably come after you, and your client may also. Remember, lawyers are expensive, so $2-$3k is a good start.

I suppose the easy solution would be not to steal other designer's work...but that kind of makes too much sense, doesn't it?

All jokes aside, if you're borrowing looks more like stealing to the design community, you don't have to become a monk or hide in shame - just stop doing it.

PS - Just wanted to thank Gareth over at www.downwithdesign.com for inspiring this post with his post, "Are your logo designs being used for more than just “inspiration”?" I had initially misquoted him in his post. I've apologized to him and I apologize to you as well for not getting this right the first time. If you do have a moment check his site out - good stuff!

If You Don't Have the Fire, if You Don't Have the Swagger, Don't Expect Your Client's to Find It for You

If you sat me down at Starbucks and asked me, "Honestly, what do you feel about the resources I've created for creative freelancers?"

Here's what I'd say back to you...

• I agree with a lot of my reviewers - these resources SHOULD be passed out to every design school graduate. I know they don't teach you this stuff in school.
• If freelancers decide, "Nah, I don't need that stuff", I think their foolish and in the end they'll end up paying for it by not having to do more work for less money.
• Freelancers that feel they can't drop 15-30 bucks on a resource that will save them a load of time, money and aggravation should get their heads checked.
• Whether they're an aspiring or experienced freelancer, I am certain that what I've put together will both help and inspire. And they won't be left thinking, "I already knew all this crap, why'd I buy it?!?!"
• I know that freelancers will be able to bring on more clients, charge more, differentiate themselves from the competition more and look/sound more professional in front of clients if they pick up some of these resources. The only way these resources can become useless is if freelancers don't buy them or don't use them.

Yeah, I know you're thinking, "Dude, I am visiting the blog to read, not be sold to." You'd be right too...but I did this for a few of reasons: I wanted show the passion and confidence I have in my product/services, but more importantly, I wanted you to see what type of passion and confidence you should have in your own talent and services.

You might think the bullet points above are a pretty strong sales pitch, but to me a sales pitch to me is just a bunch of meaningless words that are barfed out about a product or service. This isn't a pitch to me; it's really how I feel deep down.

Do you feel like you're giving clients a sales pitch or are you really speaking from your heart?
When you approach clients, do you have the same passion for helping them?
Do you have the same confidence that they'd be foolish to hire someone else on?

It's just something to think about, clients pick up on this, and they feed on it. If you aren't passionate and confident about what you can do for your clients/customers, who will be?