Switching to Freelance, or Just a Freelancer?
While not dedicated to freelance photography, FreelanceSwitch has an interesting blog entry - Top Ten Signs You May Be Charging Too Little. A sampling:
Number 10:
Your client mistakes your daily rate for an hourly one.
Number 9:
You’ve won every job you’ve ever pitched for.
Number 6:
Clients pay your invoices in cash from their wallet.
Number 5:
Other freelancers regularly send you hatemail.
Other great articles include:
- Working For Free – Is It Ever a Good Idea?
- Hourly vs. Fixed Pricing
- The Price Is Right
- Figuring Out How Much To Charge
- Taking Care of Your Internet Persona
Please post your comments by clicking the link below. If you've got questions, please pose them in our Photo Business Forum Flickr Group Discussion Threads.
4 comments:
I'm a great believer in luck, and I find the harder I work the more I have of it.
Thomas Jefferson
In reality, serendipity accounts for one percent of the blessings we receive in life, work and love. The other 99 percent is due to our efforts.
Peter McWilliams
I never feel age...If you have creative work, you don't have age or time.
Louise Nevelson (1900 - 1988)
Blessed is he who has found his work; let him ask no other blessedness.
Thomas Carlyle (1795 - 1881
Hard work spotlights the character of people: some turn up their sleeves, some turn up their noses, and some don't turn up at all.
Sam Ewing
Real success is finding your lifework in the work that you love.
David McCullough
Decide what you want, decide what you are willing to exchange for it. Establish your priorities and go to work.
H. L. Hunt
This became a credo of mine...attempt the impossible in order to improve your work.
Bette Davis
When your work speaks for itself, don't interrupt.
Henry J. Kaiser
I learned a bit from this blog but was surprised you refered us to a recource that uses photographs purchased from iStock Photo after calling all photographers that use this business model traitors. Aren't the purchasers then traitors? http://www.istockphoto.com/file_closeup/who/emotions/happiness/2225052_honest_businessman.php?id=2225052
Sadly, I can't think of any major publication that hasn't obtained images from iStockphoto, The Washington Post, USA Today, Time, Newsweek, and so on. Anyone who does so is, even tangentially, supporting that business model, which I do not support. Because The Washington Post does this, should be dismiss the rest of their news content?
No I do not think we should dismiss anyone for doing business with microstock. I am just trying to find out where to draw the lines for myself. I am having a hard time finding a consistent view on the use and sale of photographs in the microstock environment. After reading your book and blog I removed my photographs from the microstock market but quite frankly I am having second thoughts because I miss the income(small to you but significant to a new start up) and it seems like this model of image distribution is here to stay. I have little chance of being accepted at one of the large RM agencies so what should I do? The thing I find lacking in all of the discussion of this issue from established pros that hate us for my selling on roalty free sites is the real information to help us find other stock business models that will work in todays market. I have learned a lot from you and did not mean to sound testy but I am frustrated with trying to find the honorable path to better business practises.
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