Just like a doctor or lawyer you went to school for your profession. You probably did internships, got your MFA, taught classes, and worked in industry for years. You have tons of experience. Yet unlike a doctor or lawyer people question your rates, your value. You're creating work that becomes the face of a company, images in a book, or graphics on a website. These are the visuals that generate business and income for these businesses yet they don't want to pay. This is when it's important to understand the value of your creative contributions so that you can come to the negotiation table well prepared. Here's how:
Share information.
Why
are we so secretive? A fellow designer asked me about my freelance
rates and before I answered I hesitated. Why? I have no idea but there
really is no reason not to share. She's a friend and we're both trying
to navigate the whole freelancing path, so we should be open to asking
questions and sharing information.
Ask your creative friends how they price, do they charge per project or per hour? Do a survey with creative people you know and respect to get an estimate of what the going rates are. Don't have friends to ask or need more info? Do some research. Contact your professional organizations and ask about income surveys and other resources related to getting paid. Look for articles online or go to the library. When you know your industry income standards you can make an educated adjustment to what your rates should be. It's not only about getting what you deserve but also about being fair, you don't want to radically overcharge either. When we're all on the same page our salaries can only go up. Companies and individuals won't be able to get drastically cheaper services elsewhere.
On a side note, it's good to share stories and experiences period. We can help each other get through rough patches and bad situations by sharing what we've learned.
Protect yourself and know your rights.
Unless
you are designing or painting something for your momma you need to be
using contracts and invoices for every project. It's
a good way to keep track of what you worked on and of course a great
way to protect yourself. This also shows your professionalism. Don't be
afraid to tell your best friend's aunt that she needs to sign a
contract for her wedding invitations you're designing. It's business and if she
can't respect that then you don't need to work with that person. For
designers, the Graphic Artists Guild Handbook: Pricing & Ethical Guidelines
is a great resource for contracts and other business information (as
well as industry rates). For other professions, do a search on
Amazon.com or visit your library for books that offer the same info.
It's okay to say no.
Sometimes
we think, "oh I'm so lucky to have this opportunity even if I'm not
getting paid, or even if it requires me to drop everything else." Sometimes there are great projects that come along that you can't
resist and that's cool, but also follow your gut. If you don't feel
comfortable about a project because of some warning signs then you can
say no. Before you do make sure you ask all your questions and state
all your concerns upfront. This way you can create a pros and cons list as to
why you should or shouldn't consider the collaboration. Be educated
about your decision to say no and know that you can.
As creative people our talents are needed like every other profession in the world. We have skills that are important and took time to acquire. Unfortunately, because we are also artists people think we're okay with the "starving artist" lifestyle. People think that as long as we're being creative we're happy making pennies. No, this delusion needs to stop. Develop your business attributes and know your value to help change this perception.
Design*Sponge has a great business resource called Biz Ladies. You can also go there for information on rates, copyright protection, and other helpful notes. Definitely check it out.