There is a saying from Paul Scriven about pricing that targets freelancers & designers:

I think there is much truth in it, because even a cheap price has it´s price. Sometimes cheap can be good to get you some reward as a beginner, but the hardest part is then to climb up the ladder.

The illustration below pretty much sums it up:

Thats specifically the way I work and what I suggest to students.

The question always is how to raise a price with a client, once you are good enough to actually charge more?

There is not one universal key answer to that question, but first off, it is important to know what keeps you in the game of freelancing in the first place?

See an interesting chart of that pie below:

Neil Gaiman has put it right in a speech once and someone else made a nice interesection sketch about the essence of that particular part of the speech which can be found here: [link]

You either get work because you are good, easy to get along with or because you always deliver on time. The key is that you only need to fullfil 2 of these 3 criteria to stay in the game.

However, if you are keen on raising your prices you do better to concentrate on doing all three.

When I have to discuss pricing with a new client it all depends on the communication and wavelength. And actually one key criteria for me to either give a discount or charge more, is the factor time.

And time is the only factor I use to raise or lower a price. But it is crucial to know exactly how long you need to finish your work otherwise you can miserably fail.

One solution is to get faster. Optimizing your workflow and productivity gets you further but sadly only to a certain degree, that degree that is the agreed upon fee, which will not get magically more just because you need only 2 hours to finish the job instead of 10 hours.

So the only way to increase the sum is to charge more for less time.

If you can give a discount to someone who has time and don´t need an illlustration or artwork the next day, you can definitely do the opposite with clients who want an illustration yesterday.

If in a negotiation you present yourself as expert and show that your usual turnaround time is one week at that price, this always will look professional. If your prospective clients hesitate because of the higher price you can always give a discount for two weeks, three weeks turnaround time, but people learn that you know exactly that your value is time and that you exactly know what your time is worth.

If all else fails you can ask yourself if the client or target audience is right, every market has their own roster, editorial illustration for magazines have turnaround time of 2 days and less hence pay more than your average book publisher.

Most people will argue that copyright is a law to protect artists and has nothing to do with perception, but this is just half the truth. This post will shed some light about common misconceptions*.

First off, this topic came up in a conversation about copyright, artwork licensing and a debate on how to solve issues with a client. Actually the essence of my thoughts are packed into the following post.

To begin with, I´d like to state that I´m an artist and have a sincere interest to protect my work as much as anyone else, but I don´t trust copyright or Creative Commons for that matter, the lines are too blurry and the jurisdiction is often very incomprehensible.

There is a German law that states:"The freedom of any person is untouchable", I´m sure every federation, regardless if Europe or rest of the world have something similar in their book of laws. But what does this mean besides the right of free expression? For one person freedom means to fly with a paraglider, for someone else this means to drive the highway on a motorcycle with 300 kilometers per hour, the guy next door will argue that traveling through the whole world means freedom, while someone else is just happy to have a flat and a job.

You see, we are talking about law AND perception.

When it comes to copyright there is no real difference, people used a cassette recorder and tapes to record songs from the radio in the early 80´s and are used to share albums as mp3 to their mediaplayer of choice now. Did anyone felt guilty by pressing the tape recorder onto the speaker, back in the days? Hell no, that was actually hard work!

This is all a matter of perception, if the education in schools would make kids aware that downloading copyrighted content is one of the mortal sins, it might have an impact, but maybe even not.
The general public perception of what copyright is, does look for the majority of people like there is something to protect the artists work. So far, so good. But in reality no one knows how this should work. Try to ask random people in your town about Creative Commons, funny times guaranteed.

Here´s one example of how fuzzy CC (Creative Commons) still is. 

It might make sense to dive into Fair Use, but before you rely on that, learn from Andy Bajo´s case because there are monsters out there...

The majority of lawyer specialized in copyright are working in legal departments of entertainment and media companies, making a living by making the life of corporate competitors harder every day.

Are they protecting artists work? No, I don´t think so, they are protecting corporate interests.

If you come to the conclusion that copyright law can´t help you in some very complex situation, you are not alone, here some examples I´ve encountered and heard from other artists which also led to this post:

1. Artists work got ripped from the internet, painted from chinese traditional painters and sold by eBay
2. Many artists work got ripped from deviantArt and sold under the artist name Chad Love Lieberman
3. Artists work appeared on the web, other artist made airbrush on car with the image from the web, car won prize on show and was featured on a flyer for a custom car convention in another country

These incidents have something in common, copyright law can help you if your name is famous and if you can afford a specialized attorney. If that is something you can´t financially afford, there´s a rare chance to get something out of it, other than experience.

Another objection I have with copyright is that it can also be a chain for artists, especially when dealing with publishers (ie.: total buy-out). The most important thing is to make clear what your values are and add points to a contract that gives you all the rights you need without giving up too much. Negotiation is the key. Make your values clear upfront, not afterwards. An exclusive copyright license is not a total buyout! It is important to be clear about these definitions. Educate your client if necessary!

There is always a fine line between what you can do and what you can´t do when signing a contract where copyright is transferred to someone else. More often than not, artists walk on this thin line inbetween, without even knowing it.

I only work with two specific components when licensing artwork; exclusive or nonexclusive, but never a buyout. Even exclusive means I can submit my work to call-for-art competitions and online portfolio sites, while non-exclusive allows me to even sell prints of my own work.

Artists can walk on a very thin line...

You post your work on facebook, deviantart or any other site powered by ads? Think about the following: These websites/services make money through advertising and displaying your artwork which is eventually licensed to someone else. Are you infringing on copyright? Yes and No, Yes, because the company is profiting from your artwork, but No, you don´t get any money out of it...tricky situation.

Same goes for fundraising platforms such as kickstarter or other proposals where you have to pay a fee for promoting your work (annual Art Books, fairs, etc.where other people benefit from your work)...

What can I do when my image was used without permission?

When it comes to a use without given permission, the answer is simple: Write an invoice!
This is the first thing that should come to mind. It´s quite and doesn´t hurt. Professional businesses reply with a cheque. It is common practice to take-and-wait-for-the-invoice in many industries, especially magazines.
If that doesn´t work there is not a simple solution at all and it requires strategy to get something out of a case, but at least you know you are not dealing with a professional if that happens.

Here some first aid:
Communication is the first step, finding a specialized lawyer is another.
There are some important questions everyone should ask themselves:

1. Are you member of any association that can help or provide information?
2. Can a DMCA report help?
3. Can the act be described as Fair Use?
4. Is it possible to settle for a Win/Win situation?
5. Is it rightful to get monetary compensation, or is it just your ego?
6. Do you really get hurt if you don´t resolve the issue? 
7. Does it hurt anyone else? 
8. Do you rather bark at other people but can´t stand when someone does to you?

Below are some examples and a great documentation about copy / copyright that can inspire ideas and show that nothing is really new and that even nature does infringe copyrights. More information and the other three parts on this site: [link]

 

My personal experience is that it is always easier to ask in advance, I once had a nice commission that turned into a nightmare because the initial concept was screwed and the agency presented a comp that was just resembling my character photoshopped together with a painting from another artist. I really did not had a good feeling and asked the agency to settle with the original artist prior releasing the book and they did. Actually I´m glad how it turned out, the artist is Gerhard Haderer a wonderful German cartoonist and he replied that the illustration was great and that everything is fine.
Here´s the image in question(left), and the inspiration work from Gerhard Haderer (right):


Actually you know, if it doesn´t feel right, it probably isn´t right and it is time to do something about it.

Other than that, no one is perfect. It can happen that we forget to mention someone, credit wrong or forget to ask for permission in advance, all these things happen, day in and day out, because we are humans! This is not the problem, trying to understand why something happened making clear where we come from in order to settle for a win/win situation is something also humans can do.

My personal conclusion is that all things have karma, everything comes back to you.
I also have to admit that I have recorded songs on tape from the radio in my teenager years, but I paid my dues and I do so daily, by writing useful blog posts, sharing my artwork and knowledge with the world.

*Note: This post is no replacement for any existing law, only a lawyer, court or judge can decide whether your case is a matter of copyright infringement or not. Based on contracts, terms of use or verbal agreements or even the lack theirof might be a help  or indicator for any legal action to be taken. My information here is just a summary expression of my personal thoughts about copyright and creative commons and is meant to show that communication, trust and negotiation is far more important than a written agreement.

"You can create art in a vacuum, but you´ll never generate any great ideas from there."

The mind is a muscle and it has to be trained regularly as much as any other muscle in your body.

What does this have to do with social media, you might ask?

A lot.

In times where many are forced to work alone or as freelancers, social media replaces the work space attitude you find in a usual work environment. Social media is the "global" opportunity to "show-up" and "dress up".

Working in a dull environment or in a work space that is full of people who are waiting for "Friday" to come, you know there is not a real chance to grow on your projects or in general, that is just a place to make a living, but possibly just not for long and if you´d be honest, it is not a worthwhile station in your life too.

Whenever I talk to people, I´m astounded to get asked how I manage to keep up on par with so many social networks, the answer is simple: I consider them different departments of a big office or mall and whenever I have time I check in to get the latest news on interesting topics.
The pleasant part of this, you don´t have to deal very much with people you don´t want to talk to.

This surely means there has to be a specific self-discipline to not waste too much time online, alright, that is the nitpick, it might not be for anyone. However, I found this working for me.

The following list includes networks I regularly visit and foster, in order of priority:
deviantArt, facebook, twitter, LinkedIn, Shadowness, Pinterest, behánce & Google+

Someone might ask why using three, four or more networking sites when the most people are on facebook, because most people tend to share different things on different networks.

One thing people tend to forget is the algorithm of many social media sites, which causes to decide for you what information you´ll see, depending on your connections and your data. Data-mining software and algorithm works always in the back and sorts relevant data for you, not quite the nice English kind of dealing with your information, but this is how it works.The only way to avoid that is to manually crawl through different sources to see relevant information.

If you just rely on facebook for example, you are missing one heap of input from your friends, instead you receive many unwanted and useless bits of information gathered from a software. If the software get´s better and learns it might be possible to get information you really want to receive someday, depending on what you prioritize, but this also means we can be far better manipulated, another reason to keep this habit of manual information harvesting, because it is not possible for the software to render accurate profiles of your online habits.

I usually use online social media platforms to read news about topics I share an interest with someone, or to find inspiration. deviantArt is by far the biggest network right behind facebook when it comes to art and the ability to connect with new and established talent, so it is equally important to show recent works there, to keep in touch or follow up on topics or contacts, facebook is the more adequate option. Google+ is not really the place to be, something I sadly have found out, but I guess it is still not unimportant for search rankings and profiling.

LinkedIn has more value for a polished display of professional engagement and allows to share and gather a vast range of information from twitter to behánce as also other networks, like this blog for example.

Something really great I found and nurture, is the possibility of generating ideas through networking. Sometimes it is a nice evening with friends (yes in real life!), another times it is a small post from a friend on facebook that makes you think, it is always the unparalleled input from various sources that have an impact on us and the time to think about it in the back-burner of our brain.

In fact, being connected more with people I like to be connected with, is healthy to cultivate a creative environment, since working from home for about 4 years now.
I did not felt one day to have a creative block, thanks to the valuable input and positive affirmations I read online, its really that small notes you read here and there that are shared with thousands of people at a time, that makes you smile and keeps you going. Compare this with real life work environments, when was the last time, a colleague showed you something motivating or engaging (except for the chain-mails of powerpoint presentation of lovely sunsets or kittens...)?

Pinterest is an even better source for positive sparks of inspiration, motivation and beauty, that can cheer you up in a downtime.

Sharing is caring, even if you don´t know who will benefit from your insights and outputs, karma will find a way, and it will come back to you in one or the other way, think about it.

Wouldn´t it be nice if everyone has their priorities pinned on their forehead, or better in the shape of shiny sliders floating over their head?

Yes, silly idea, but it would make life so much easier.

During the last year I have deepened my understanding of psychology, marketing and social phenomena to find the most intriguing topics theoutcome based thinking and personal values.

Everyone has values or priorities, in doing freelance business I found that it is vital to learn your clients values, this makes it easier to satisfy a customer and it brings the fun back into work at the same time.

Basically everyone has a set of sliders, just the settings develop and adjust as we grow older, through experiences, through persuasion, belief and through advertising. In fact: media and advertising have a great impact to our slider settings and how we perceive the world.

When does this affect you?

Everyday.

If you learn to see the sliders besides or in relation to everyone you have -or want to deal with, be it your parents, your boss or your best friend, this will help you gain an even better understanding of their values.

And let´s be honest, to please somebody you want to convince is easy if you know what exactly they want.

The big question is how to get this information, or the "slider-parameter", especially if someone is not specific about an inquiry?

Well this is something you have to ask for. It is professional to ask questions. It is not unethical if it serves to deliver a better service or product. And it shows sincere interest in the clients needs. I can just speak about freelancing business and therefore services, but this applies to so many other businesses as well.

It just hurts to see people bothering about their colleagues or bosses or even clients, this isn´t just a problem, this shows that at some point they havn´t asked the right questions.

Value based communication is the key here.

If you know what your opposite´s values are you can´t seem to fail - theoretically, at least if you don´t intend it.

And it is definitely communication that is causing such issues.

Wrong communication methods are the first instance of a problem in most cases.
This is the reason I mostly insist of communicating through e-mail, if I have a question that might be answered beforehand, I can go back and review it, if I send a reply, its nearly a commitment, a promise to "get-things-done"! While a phone call just steals time in many cases, it is unpleasant to find yourself later with an unanswered question, and more often than not we didn´t want to bother with a follow-up call, but a follow-up e-mail isn´t such a bother, it shows interest and is proof of active listening.

So many problems could be avoided if we learn to communicate effectively. In my opinion this should be a school-subject of its own. On the other hand it takes time to find your best communication method.

I found out that I´m not really good at talking on the phone (for a first contact), my personal or direct contacts still need to get better as also the ability to speak in public, I feel most comfortable by writing, because this way I don´t forget anything that might be important.

Another noteworthy thought about that matter perfectly illustrated in the picture above, is to find out if a prospect is acquiring something from you because he wants to, or because he has to.
The latter is more promising, because time might be short, or a company is behind him but it also tells me that less creative freedom is in a project. If someone is asking because he is self-publishing and is directing the art all by themselves - less money might be an involved, but more freedom and the chance to create something really outstanding are a deal for me.

Outcome based thinking is in my opinion something that artists invented, it is being told that Michelangelo started to work on his famous sculpture of David after a year of just imagining it from the rough block of stone. This is outcome based thinking in its purest form, visualization and the feeling that it will be good in the end are the main ingredients for a great result.

Very often we effectively make use of this techniques but don´t even know it.

We also create and live in our very own reality, we feel most comfortable with people whose reality seems to be very close to ours. In terms of business this is an opportunity as also the key to rejection. Any application letter and CV will be judged to see if you fit into their corporation keyholes, if your data doesn´t fit, you will most likely not fit.

Easy as pie.

Doing freelancing business appears to be even more complex, but after 3 years of doing this successful, I can say it is not. Because no data is required to gain rapport with your clients need. Sure, data is helpful, but what is most important is the rapport and personal values.

However, there is a chance of a mismatch here and there, we all went into this trap at least one time, but what helps in a case of doubt is the simple rule: "Win/Win, or no deal at all". If there´s nothing in for everyone involved, it is better to walk away and not accept to do work continuously.

I don´t talk about money here, collaborations seem to be always a Win/Win situation if you learn something out of it. Many businesses require that you do an intern at your own cost, the only thing you can earn is to learn something.

Make the world a better place and be aware of your values and take care of others.

It is just not worth putting your face into the sand because of  failure in communication...