emmalaiho.net/blog

My business cards finally came out of print. Aren’t they fab? See a more detailed view of the two variations here.

The work crisis solved. I negotiated a couple of month’s leave, starting from May. This means much needed time for design work and whatever creative pursuits rock my boat. Time for illustration, time for living!

It will be a dip in steady income though. I have a couple of small design projects coming up. And I have some emergency money stashed up (like you always should), but I’d rather not dip into that. What I most want to do is live more simply.

Lately I’ve been inspired by these things:
the ladies at Sew green
the concept of Buy nothing year, at least nothing new.

Sometimes decisions are made for you…

Ugh, this has been such an upsetting day. My steady freelance writing gig is under threat. I got offered less work (for less pay presumably), when I am already severely underpaid as it is (about one third of the industry reference). This job is sucking all my time and energy and seriously not worth it anymore. So why am I upset? Simply because I spoke up, finally.

Maybe this is the push I need.

Sometimes I wonder how the world operates. Today of all days I got picked as editor’s choice over at Illustration Mundo. It makes me feel a tiny bit better. I will crawl undercovers to read this book now.

I got a new mini moleskine, so I could get some drawing done while on the go. Love the mini format.

To return to the pricing subject…
What I strive for most is to do fulfilling, interesting work. Work I can learn from. I’d love to do more work for charities etc, but like everyone else I’ve got a rent to pay. What I hope to do is get it all in a balance.

The pricing post was mostly about graphic design work and bigger projects. Magazines most often have a policy for different size of illustrations they use. So the fee is not up to negotiation.

…….
Recent inspirations:
- Quiet stillness is a brand new blog by my illustrator friend Hilda.
- Trade Secrets is my favourite place to visit these days. Meg writes there about all kinds of practical matters concerning the trade of illustration.
- design sponge: bizladies, a wonderful resource of tips.
- 3191, a year of mornings in photographs.

new work

Last week I talked with some clients about potential projects. What I find difficult is pricing. Especially giving quotes.

I tend to underprice myself horribly. I’ve noticed that when asked for a price for a job, I instinctively think a price that is about a third of what I should actually ask. Thank god these days I think again! But I still am in a situation where I work pretty much all the time, just to make ends meet.

As part of my money/business emancipation I read this book that got me thinking about my attitudes on money. I realised I’ve never asked for better pay, even with steady jobs. I have trouble asking for a fair price, because it makes me feel greedy. Typical of women, apparently.

When hiring a freelancer/solo designer, many clients don’t consider that the price is not at all comparable to, say, their own hourly rate at a steady job. Neither do many freelancers, though.

What really goes in a price:
time spent meeting/emailing/talking on the phone with the client
looking for ideas for the job, sketches
actual time doing the job
possible corrections from the client
+
cost of equipment and materials:
computer, software, scanner, paint, stamps etc.
business maintenance time:
writing bills, queueing in a bank, making purchases.
time spent networking, getting new clients:
updating website, emailing, mailing
sick days
holidays
retirement payments

On estimate half of what you earn on a job is actually payable to you (and out of this you pay income tax). Half goes to business expenses. Off all business income you pay 22% tax (in Finland), so this has to be added to the job price as well.

Pricing for me is especially tricky. I am still a student, so some clients expect a student price. I, of course, have the same expenses as any business and am not currently eligible for student grant either. Also note: It is actually illegal to sell work that is done on student software licenses.

I have thought of doing a pricing chart. Mostly as a reminder to keep me from giving too low quotes, but maybe even to give to clients.

Resources:
How to Set Rates FAQ
Quoting to win
Pricing strategies that work
Graafisen työn hinnoittelu (in finnish)

edit: When negotiating a fee with a client, it might help them understand the pricing better if you break down all the different phases the job entails and how much time it will take to do them.