Klassen Communications Blog

This blog has a new home

2009-08-11T13:17:00.000-07:00

Some weeks back, I was exchanging e-mails with someone who casually mentioned that this blog should really be a part of the Klassen Communications site instead of existing separately on Blogger.

Ideally, this blog would have been a part of my site from the beginning, but I started this blog on a whim just to see what Blogspot was like and, well... over 100 posts and two years later it just seemed easier to keep things the way they were.

But as I looked into it more, I found I could easily incorporate a blog on my own site, and import all the articles from here to there.

So, to quote a bit of the lyrics from a popular TV show, I "loaded up the truck and moved to Beverly."

In this case, 'Beverly' is http://mikeklassen.com/blog/.

There's still work to do on the new blog, but it's to a point where it's ready for readers. And like virtually everything I do, the new blog will continue to evolve as I find the time.

If you're a regular visitor to this blog, please bookmark the new blog site.

Because articles on this site are linked from various sites, the past articles will remain here for the foreseeable future. All new articles (in addition to all the old ones here) will be on the new site.

I will leave you with one marketing tip...

Because I touch on a number of different topics on this blog within the realm of design, marketing and freelancing, it gets a decent amount of search engine hits from people who otherwise would have never found me.

As you know, hits are good. And that's why the gentleman I was talking to mentioned that this blog should be on my own site... so I'm getting the benefit of people who will not only see my articles, but are a bit more likely to see what I actually do.

Plus, it was a chance to learn something new (a new blogging system) which is always a plus.

See ya in Beverly...

8 Reasons Why You're Not Making as Much as You Could as a Freelance Graphic Designer

2009-08-02T16:41:00.000-07:00

I want to introduce you to Jeremy Tuber. I found him through Twitter and glad I did. Jeremy is a freelance graphic designer and author. I'm going to talk a bit more about him after this article. Jeremy and I did a "blog exchange" where he used one of my articles and I'm using one of his. But after today, you're going to want to bookmark his site and follow him closely.

So more on Jeremy in a moment. For now, here's what he has to say about why you're not making as much money as you could...

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From talking with designers over the years I've found a direct correlation between how much they make and several undeniable factors - many of them aren't related to their design prowess. Recently I'd see a post on another blog that listed the "Top 10 Things They Don't Teach In Design School", it inspired me to put this together.

If you asked 10 designers if they aren't making the money they want to be, 9 out of the 10, or in some cases 10 out of the 10 are going to say, "No". This got me thinking, "If they're not happy with the money they're making why don't they do something about it? Do they not have the talent? Are they just lazy, or are they uncertain what to do about it?"

In this post I'll address the later: designers that want to bring in more money but aren't sure why they aren't. For those designers who really (I mean really) want to start to bring in more money, the process starts with looking at what's going on now. Here are my non talent-based reasons why designers don't bring in the money they want:

They:

Weren't taught, don't care about or are scared how to market and sell their services. Can't market or sell? Better learn to do something else.
Don't understand that being an expert in Photoshop won't by itself bring in business. They don't get that clients don't care if you're a Photoshop expert.
Mistakenly feel like everything they need to know about freelancing they learned in school, can learn online for free or will just be able to figure it out themselves.
Invest way too many resources in "fun" things: picking up the latest Adobe CS, checking out the latest free tutorials, IMing, Twittering, etc... instead of focusing on expanding their business. They are unwilling (not unable) to invest any time, money or energy in growing their business...but they'll spend an extraordinary amount of resources if they are being entertained.
Don't have a mentor or someone that is willing and able to provide sound advice for the specific situations, challenges the freelancer runs into (no, buddies and freelancers on the chat rooms don't count...if the chat room freelancers were that good, why aren't they working on projects instead of wasting time in the chat rooms?)
Weren't taught and don't know how to communicate with clients in an effective, compelling way, so they end up working with the wrong clients, spending way too much time on them, not getting fairly paid for their talent and giving away free services.
Have difficulty understanding what clients truly want from them (it's not "good design"), so they end up talking about things clients don't care about...and the client decides not to hire them.
Fool themselves into thinking someday "it'll just happen". Here's an exact copy of a tweet I pasted directly from a designer on Twitter, "Being poor sucks, but... it... builds character????? I'm a "starving artist" myself. 1 of these days I'll be tattooed & rich!" What do you think his chances are?
Bonus one here that happened after I initially wrote this entry - on the 15th I had a user (both in the figurative and literal sense of the word) systematically went through every single page of this blog trolling for free information. Not only is this a snarky thing to do, it's really not going to help him/her become successful. In doing my own research on what's out there I've just found the free information I stumbled was stuff I already knew...and overly simplified as well. If freelancers really think they're going to find the secret to their success by rummaging the Internet for free tidbits are just fooling themselves...I should know, I tried this approach early in my career. I went through a marketing expert's blog and copied all of his entries, thinking I hit the jackpot...in the end, I didn't spend a lot of time on them and they didn't do a damn thing for me.

Pretty harsh stuff I know, almost like getting a cold bucket of water tossed on you. But for those of you out there that are thinking about freelancing, just starting out or in need of a boost, I would rather be honest with you rather than try to sugar-coat it, I hope that makes sense.

I know that most freelancers that read this will ignore it - that's cool. Over 75% of freelancing businesses don't make it after 2-3 years...and someone has to make up those statistics. But I also know there are a few of you who will see some wisdom in this and take action.

You can listen or you can ignore, the choice is all yours, my role is just to show you where the water is...your role is to decide to drink it or not.

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Thanks, Jeremy.

For the rest of you, head over to Jeremy's site, Being a Starving Graphic Artist Sucks.

Once you're there, bookmark the site. Next, do I like I did and spend a few hours pouring through all of the past articles. I like that Jeremy is brutally honest about things. I appreciate straight talk. But more important than reading the information is finding ways to apply it.

There are plenty of designers out there with blogs, but not so many have content that we as direct market design freelancers can relate to. Quite a number come from designers and artists who seem to be in the word of agency work and projects that are outside the realm of some of things followers of this blog are into.

After you've seen Jeremy's blog, do what I did... buy his book, his iTunes "album" and any of the other items that you feel will help you at this point. I just started reading Being a Starving Graphic Artist Sucks which I ordered from Amazon.com. It's 500 pages of good information, especially if you're totally new or relatively new and not sure what to do next.

As soon as my Kindle arrives this week, the first purchase is going to be Jeremy's book, Verbal Kung Fu for Freelancers. (You can also buy a non-Kindle version.)

OK... it's up to you now. If you're serious about building your freelance graphic design business, you're going to look into what Jeremy is offering and find ways to apply his advice to your own situation.

My response for low-bid requests from clients

2009-07-16T15:46:00.000-07:00

Some time back, I met a person through a forum who liked what I had to say on some topic. Turns out she needed a graphic designer for an upcoming project. Since she liked my attitude, she wanted to give me the job.

(For the record, I would hope she actually looked at my samples. I'm flattered that someone might hire me on personality alone, but that's a dangerous way to make decisions about freelancers. Anyway, back to our story...)

Just one thing... she had already chosen a designer for the job. But if I could beat his price by, literally, just a few dollars, I could have the job and she'd yank it from the other guy. (I'm not kidding... I think I just needed to beat the price by $5.)

The price the other designer had quoted was pretty low to begin with. But I declined the job for a number of reasons. Those reasons led me to keep handy an explanation that I can give when someone asks me for a low price, to compete against another quote they've already received, or when I get asked to lower the price after they see my quote.

I can cut and paste as required for the situation.

I'm going to share that with you now. If it's something you want to adapt for yourself, go right ahead.

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I respect your desire to get the best price possible. However, I will not be able to match/beat a lower price from another designer for the following reasons:

1. I don't compete for projects based on price. If you look hard enough, you'll eventually find someone to do your project for free. There are plenty of designers who are just starting out. For them, a portfolio piece is more important than being paid. I'd go out of business quickly if I were bidding just on price considerations.

2. While I could probably undercut any other designer just to get a project, ethically speaking, I don't feel that's the right thing for me to do. While the the quality of work I do is extremely important, it's equally important to me that my business maintain the highest ethical standards possible. Taking a job away from another qualified designer simply by under-cutting his or her price by a few dollars does not meet those standards.

3. Because of the standards I just mentioned, it's important to me to develop a trusting relationship with clients. I never view my clients as "disposable"... hopefully a first project is the start of many projects in the future. Over time, I want to know your business well enough to provide useful opinions that will help you reach your goals. But if I give you what I feel is a fair price for the work you need done, and then lower the price if I find resistance, we have eroded a certain level of trust before the project even begins.

4. Finally, a general thought about design. Quality design, like anything else of quality, takes time. And the tools used to create these projects - such as InDesign, QuarkXPress or Photoshop - require a skill level that many clients don't have. If they did, they'd simply do it themselves. Understanding design considerations like kerning, leading and tracking and host of other things come with time and experience. Since I do have that experience, I'm very comfortable with the rates I charge.

Having said all that, let me say again that I fully respect your desire to consider all your options. I would be thrilled to work with you on this project. But if it doesn't work out this time, hopefully we can work together on a project in the future.

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Let me be clear on a few points:

I'm not opposed to a true bidding process, and may the best designer win. I am opposed to playing the game where one person is pitted against another to whittle down the price. Some clients like to play that game, and that's fine. It's just not for me.

In fact, it's rare I even bid on projects if I know lots of other designers are also bidding. Nothing wrong with joining a bidding party, it's just not my thing.

I'm also not opposed to lowering my price if the client lowers the scope of the project. That happens when clients aren't initially realistic about what's involved. If they're willing to rethink the project, I'm willing to update my price based on that.

If you're just starting out and need work, you may question the wisdom of taking any sort of stand that might chase away a paying project. I understand and respect that. Always do what's best for you and your situation.

I simply share my opinions and hopefully give you some things to consider before you find yourself in similar situations. I can tell you there are clients out there willing to pay a fair price to a solid designer. You don't have to work for peanuts.

My "canned response" is really targeted toward the clients who are looking to play people off each other for the lowest price. That is the client's right, so I'm not complaining about it. Just explaining how I deal with it.

Article Writer - What might have been

2009-07-14T09:30:00.000-07:00

This year, I had an article published in a national magazine. The experience confirmed my decision way back when not to pursue article writing as a career.

When I decided that I didn't want to spend the rest of my working life at Microsoft, I tried to come up with a new career. I loved writing, and was working as a tech writer at MS, so I figured I try a career as a writer.

I was obviously familiar with technical writing. And I knew you could write books as either a fiction or non-fiction author. But I thought the only other type of writing career available, and most realistic to me, was writing articles for various publications.

I didn't know much about article writing, but what I did know was through stories I heard: You submitted an article or an idea, hoped someone would pay you for it, then saw how little money you made vs. the amount of effort you put in.

Thank goodness I stumbled across The Well-Fed Writer book and AWAI around that time. That got me pointed in a better direction where you'd write copy for marketing material and make more than "pennies per word."

Obviously, my career took another turn when I jumped over to design, but to this day, I still enjoy writing.

Between this blog and other outlets, I've developed an "article library" that I can offer to publications or other blogs. And since I don't depend on article writing for my income, I don't follow any "submission requirements" that a publication may have.

I simply send a quick e-mail with a pointer to the article library. If they find something they like, we take it from there. If they don't accept submissions in that manner, fine... I'll move on to someone else. I don't have the time or desire to go through a formal process.

As I said earlier, a magazine decided to run one of my articles. The process gave me a brief taste of how my life might have turned out. The folks at the magazine were fine, it's just that the article kept getting pushed back month after month due to space limitations or other issues.

After a while, I began to doubt whether it would ever get printed. It also illustrated what a full-time article writer must go through, at least in a small way. Can you imagine being at the mercy of so many things outside of your control just to get a small check whenever your article eventually ran?

I realize there are some article writers who make a good living because they've taken the time to establish themselves as one of the top few for their writing niche. But that leaves a lot of folks somewhere down where I was, battling against a lot of people willing to provide content for little or no money. No thanks!

I don't have any real lesson or take-away for you... just thinking "out loud" about how thankful I am that I ended up where I did. And also thankful that I was open to other opportunities that might not have been obvious in the beginning.

Twitter... The Journey Continues

2009-06-27T12:58:00.000-07:00

As I mentioned here, I joined Twitter earlier this month, albeit reluctantly.

I also mentioned that I would keep you updated because I know others are in the same position I'm in: Wondering if the hype can translate into work for a freelancer.

I'm certainly aware this is a process that takes time, so you're not going to read about all my job successes via Twitter today because there aren't any yet.

But I have learned a few things about how I need to approach Twitter and how some of my early assumptions were off-base.

One of the reasons I joined Twitter was not just because people I knew were having success finding work there, but also because I realized my beliefs about Twitter were not based on personal experience. Since Twitter accounts are free, it was easy enough to create an account and see things up-close for myself.

Remember, I'm doing this strictly for business reasons and there's a certain level of professionalism I want to maintain.

For that reason, one of the first things I wanted to do was ditch the horrid backgrounds Twitter offers, and create an icon that was useful.

First, the background. I did a search for "twitter backgrounds" and came across a great site that had Photoshop templates that you could alter. So this is what I ended up with: http://twitter.com/dmdesigner

I saw that other people did something similar. Sometimes the results were stunning, sometimes embarrassing. In my case, I wanted to provide useful information like how to contact me, my websites, what I do, and what my focus on Twitter is. (More about that last point later.)

It did also occur to me that making professional backgrounds for companies is a potential income source. When you see how simple a background template is, anyone with even minimal knowledge of Photoshop could crank these things out.

For my picture icon I created something incredibly simple that tells people what I do and clarifies my Twitter name: dmdesigner which is short for direct market designer.

Most people seem to use their personal picture which, in this case, isn't such a bad thing. But because most people seem to do that, easily readable text as an icon with a white background actually stands out in a stream of tweets that someone is looking at, filled with personal photos or complex images.

Based on numerous recommendations, I downloaded the free TweetDeck to manage my account. It's a separate program that runs independent of your browser. For me, it's far more efficient.

I'm still trying to find the best folks to follow. I do follow some colleagues and other "names" in the industry. I'm still a bit shocked over how some big names seem to pass along rather useless information, like what they had for breakfast that morning.

If my family and I, scattered all across the country, were following each other on a personal level, what everyone ate would be fine. But for business, I'm not so sure.

I was following one person whom I thought was going to be providing a solid stream of design-related info. He didn't. He seemed to have an obsession with one topic in particular. After about a week, I stopped following him.

I'm not sure, but I may be breaking protocol in not automatically following people who follow me. I do take the time to check out the people who follow me. If I see that they have something to offer that I can learn from, I'll follow them back.

But some people following me are simply on a mission to get others to sign up for their "get rich" product. I'm OK with a little selling, but when just about every message from you is a sales pitch, no thanks. Or, they seem to look at Twitter as a sport in that they want to have as many followers as possible.

I couldn't help but notice that some big names follow far, far fewer people than the number that follows them. Some type of lesson there, perhaps?

For some people who follow me, I have no idea what their Twitter purpose is. That's not such a great sin because there's no law that says you have to have a purpose. But if I'm going to follow someone, I want some sense of their focus.

That's why I include a "Twitter Focus" on my home site... I want people to know what to expect from me so they can make an informed decision about whether they want to follow me. I might be inclined to follow some of these followers if I had a clue as to what they're using Twitter for. (Although, it wasn't hard to guess the purpose when "hornie hottie" started following me. Thankfully, the account had been banned before I could even block that account from following me.)

One thing that I had originally wanted to stay away from was non-business chit-chat. However, I think this is an area where I was wrong about how to use Twitter. A great lesson I learned (which I'm sure you've heard before) is that people like to do business with people they know. And, frankly, some of this non-business chatting is one way of doing that.

So I've made some comments totally unrelated to business, but certainly useful in just bonding with people on a personal level. That is a good thing. And, honestly, it's a fun thing, especially for those of us who work from home and don't have much face-to-face interactions like people who work in an office.

Like most others, I'll still post links I find of interest, or some quote I find interesting. I wish I was providing something deeper, but I'm still new to this and can't say I've found my comfort zone yet. If you're just posting links and quotes, I think it's a little harder to build meaningful connections. At some point, you're going to want/need to actually have conversations with people.

Bottom line: Still learning, still finding my way, still finding the right people I want to follow, still trying to contribute something useful, no longer thinking Twitter is a complete waste of time, but not yet convinced it's as amazing as others do.

To be continued...

5 ways to deal with late-paying clients

2009-06-15T08:30:00.000-07:00

As is the case with just about everything I write, my advice today needs to be filtered through your own experiences, how comfortable you are dealing with client problems, and your specific needs when it comes to being paid on time. What works for me might not work for you and your situation.

One of my goals for this blog is to give you something to think about if you haven't experienced certain aspects of freelancing yet. Or to give you a different spin on something that you previously thought about in another way.

Today's topic fits into that mission.

It doesn't take long as a freelancer to run into some sort of payment issue with a client. Sometimes the client is being dishonest, but more often than not I've found that these issues occurred because of circumstances the client never intended to be in. Unfortunately, that can still be a problem for you.

I'm really only interested in "late-paying" here... "non-paying" is a more serious matter and an entirely different topic. (And, frankly, one that's probably better to discuss with a lawyer.)

And to fine-tune it further, let's say "chronic late-paying." Every client is going to have issues from time to time where payment is late. Try to give them some slack because chances are you're going to need some slack at some point when a project ends up a little late or you make a mistake that causes the client a little pain.

We all make mistakes and we all have bad days. You want to look at the big picture with the client. Solid clients are worth keeping and they're worth the benefit of the doubt when problems creep up from time to time.

However, when those problems seem to be the norm and not the exception...

1. Discuss the problem

I always like to assume the best. As I mentioned, this problem could be occurring because of things the client can't control. But it's still worthwhile to explain your position.

Sometimes, I'll address the issue like this: "I've noticed that recent payments are coming later than expected. I know you're slammed on your end, but is there anything I can do to help make the process a little easier for both of us? Like you, I've got financial obligations on my end and once I get the final project into your hands, I'd like to clear the account so we can move on to the next project and keep things rolling efficiently."

OK... you come up with something similar in your own words. My point here is to keep things positive and try to be helpful. And I'm hoping you actually have payment terms outlined in your client agreement or at least on your invoice. That prevents the client from saying, "Oh... I didn't know I had to get payment to you by _________."

2. Charge a late fee

I know late fees are common, but I hate them and never do it. It's probably just me, but my feeling is that if the client doesn't respect your "payment due" date on a regular basis, how likely are they to respect the late fee? And if you're having to charge the late fee on a regular basis, maybe you don't want them as a client.

I'm not convinced a late fee is worth the stress of having to confront the client over it and waste more of your time to collect. Again, that's just me.

3. Require full-payment upfront

I've had clients who started out as "prompt payers", then started getting a bit lazy. For some, I had not been requiring a partial payment up-front, so late-payment on top of that wasn't sitting well with me. I was feeling a bit taken-advantage of after being the nice guy and not requiring the partial up-front payment. (This issue of not requiring a partial up-front payment is something I'll tackle on its own another time.)

If ideas #1 and #2 don't work for you, consider requiring full payment up-front. The risk? Losing the client.

But I didn't care if I lost the client. You might not be in that position, so take this step after considering the worst-case scenario.

Believe it or not, some clients don't mind paying up-front. They know they have a habit of not doing things on time and feel bad about it. So not starting their project until you get paid is something they can understand.

4. Fire the client

Despite your best efforts to solve the problem and give the client all the help you can, nothing changes... payments are going to be late. There are two things you can do and the first is to simply part company with the client.

You don't have to be mean about it. When the next project comes in, say, "I'm sorry, but I'm not going to be able to work on your projects any longer. Like you and your business, I need to be paid promptly for my services and that hasn't been happening. I enjoy working with you on your projects, but I need to put my time into projects where I'm being paid promptly."

Hopefully, the client snaps out of it and starts paying you on time. In the worst-case scenario, you get cussed out and the client tells everyone he knows that you're a dishonest business person. Hey, it's rare, but it happens.

What might happen, instead, is that the client is ticked off, but moves on to some other unsuspecting freelancer and treats him/her the same way. But at least he's out of your life.

5. Choose not to worry about it

This is the other side of the coin to idea #4.

There are some clients who will never be on time or prompt about anything. Why they are that way is a mystery. But I have had clients who see the "payment due" date on the invoice as unintelligible black ink and pay you when they get to it... usually about a month after you were expecting it.

These people are often solo operations where they're doing everything that should probably be done by a team of people. It's not that he wants to cause you stress, it's just the world he's in day in and day out.

If you eventually get paid for your projects, you enjoy the work, and the slow payment isn't causing you financial stress, you might simply decide not to worry about it as long as the check eventually gets to you.

To be honest, I can't say I recommend that. You deserve to be treated with respect and prompt payment is part of that. But it's a valid way to deal with the problem. If you're the non-confrontational type, this is something that probably appeals to you.

We could brainstorm and come up with more than five methods for dealing with this issue. But this is enough for now.

The main thing I don't want you to do is to get stressed when this happens. It's really easy to run it over and over in your mind, getting more and more worked up, but not taking any concrete, thoughtful steps to solve the problem. This is especially true with beginning freelancers who are hesitant to rock the boat and potentially lose a client.

But if you let clients take advantage of you, you suddenly find yourself with a calendar full of clients like that. It's just not worth the aggravation. Coming to some sort of final resolution, whatever it might be, allows you to move on and focus on building a successful career with high-quality clients.

Despite many doubts, I'm on Twitter

2009-06-04T10:24:00.000-07:00

It's not lost on me that in my previous blog entry, I said I have limited time, yet here I am telling you I'm on Twitter.

If there's an award for "Biggest Sucking of Time on the Internet", surely Twitter would be among the nominees.

However...

One of the things I love about freelancing is being able to dabble in a variety of things related to building a successful business. I can try just about anything and keep what works and discard what doesn't.

It's difficult to ignore the success some people are having on Twitter. I've been involved in a few discussions that have focused on the success angle rather than the "I just wasted an hour" angle. So I finally decided to stick a toe in the water and try it out.

But in my mind, just going on this adventure alone would be a bit wasteful. I might as well share what I learn along the way right here. So I'm going to explain today why I joined and what my goals are. As the months roll on, I'll provide some updates on this blog where I have more than 140 characters to explain myself.

First, let me give you the link: http://twitter.com/dmdesigner

I debated what "name" to use. My own name would have been the obvious choice, but it was taken. My business name, Klassen Communications, would have been the next logical choice, but it's too long. Instead, I went with my occupation: direct market designer, or dmdesigner.

For everyday folks, dm doesn't mean much. But for the people I want to talk with and market to, dm is well-known as direct market or direct marketing.

So when I get involved with people on Twitter, my feeling (hope?) is that dmdesigner will instantly signal what I do.

As of this moment, I'm only following one person. That will grow, but I want to be careful. One of my hesitations about joining Twitter is all the useless information that I've seen when I poke my nose around different Twitter accounts. I guess it is useful for someone, but I'm not there to socialize with family and friends. I'm doing this purely for business reasons.

So maybe your cat, Snowball, is sick and you're going to be late for work. Sorry to hear that, but I'm not really interested from a business point of view. Likewise, if I'm a little under the weather, do I really need to share that with the world? Probably not.

That led me to a handful of guidelines for using Twitter:

1. Maintain a professional image

If I'm posting original material, for now it will probably be links relevant to either designers, copywriters or marketers since that's the business I'm in. If I have something to sell (which is rare) that's OK, but I don't want my posts to be a stream of commercials. Like this blog, part of the reason for me being on Twitter is to help people. That's simply in my business DNA.

But this Twitter account is an extension of my business. I don't send e-mails to my clients telling them, for example, that my kitchen sink backed up and I needed to take apart the pipes to clear it. So why would I think it's OK to do something similar on Twitter? (Again, we're just talking about using Twitter for business, not personal Twitter.)

Some clients now spend a bit of time researching a freelancer's contributions on the Internet before hiring them. So I want to be able to stand behind the things that I say and have them reflect my beliefs about how I operate.

2. It's mainly about enhancing and generating business

As much as I enjoy helping people, I do have a business to run. For the most part, activities like LinkedIn and Twitter must have a business value for me. The people I've been talking to recently have been telling me about the business they're generating from these social media avenues, so I'm willing to give it a try. But if I find it's not holding any business value for me, away it goes. (That's basically what happened with my forum participation.)

3. Follow people that I can contribute to professionally

One big concern about jointing Twitter was that I'd have nothing to say on my own that would be relevant amongst all the other Twitter accounts. What value I can bring in my own original postings remains to be seen.

But the other side of the coin is contributing to what others are sharing. That, to me, seems far easier. This will be a bit of trial and error. Sometimes I won't know how useful my contributions will be until I've followed someone for a time. That might mean adding and dropping people I follow with more frequency in the beginning.

4. Use keywords

If there's one thing I've learned over two and half years from this blog it's that keywords bring more traffic to this site than people who know me from somewhere. And that's a good thing... I get people to this site that I'd never know to invite because they're not in the circles I normally run around in.

I want to transfer that keyword philosophy to Twitter. One of my first tweets (ugh... I hate that word) included a link to some really good free fonts. I happen to know that "free fonts" is a fairly popular search term.

So when possible, I want to make sure I'm using words that will generate relevant search hits to my Twitter site. That should help expose me to new people that I might not have met otherwise.

5. I won't get my feelings hurt if people stop following me

The thought of people following me and then dropping me after a few days makes me laugh... worth someone's time one moment, not worth it the next.

I don't pay much attention to how many people read this blog. It's here if you want it and if no one wants it, I'll keep writing anyway. It's just what I do as someone who needs to write.

But on Twitter, it's very clear how many people are following you and will be easy to see if people stop. In other words, how interesting you are is a bit more in your face and harder to avoid.

No matter, though. This is a bit of an experiment. I don't intend to take it personally. But if you're thinking of joining Twitter for business purposes, it is something to be aware of.

I guess that's it for now. I'll add more "guidelines" if necessary and will update my progress (or lack of it) here on this blog when appropriate.

AWAI's Graphic Design Success program

2009-05-23T09:00:00.000-07:00

A bit of an explanation is in order before I get into today's topic.

I'm not famous by any stretch of the imagination. But for various reasons, my name is known a bit related to AWAI and their Graphic Design Success program. I'll tell you why in just a moment.

Because my name is out there in connection with the GDS program, I get contacted a lot by people who are considering buying the program. When I was just starting out, it was no problem to answer questions about my journey to where I am now because I had the time.

For anyone who knows me, I'm not very good with short answers. My feeling is that if someone is sincerely asking for my help, I want to give them all the information I have. Thus, e-mails from me could be very long as I took a lot of time to address all the issues someone would ask me about.

Again, that was no problem when my schedule wasn't filled with projects. But that's not the case these days. My schedule is packed, so I can't get as involved in things like forums or e-mail conversations where I'm addressing the same questions over and over again.

That's one of the main reasons for this blog... to share when I can based on my schedule and hopefully reach a lot of people all at once. It's also why I wrote a book about going freelance... to address the same questions I was getting month after month.

That leads us to today's topic. One of the top questions I get asked is whether AWAI's Graphic Design Success program is worth the money. I'm going to lay it all out here, then when I get asked the question in the future (or when someone is doing a search related to the GDS program) I can send them here.

Full Disclosure: I'm now connected to AWAI in a variety of ways. I'm an affiliate for the GDS program, I do layout work for them, I'm on their Wall of Fame, I'm listed on their Meet The Pros site for the program, I've helped with a little bit of the content of the updated GDS program, I've been a teacher at their Bootcamps, etc.

You'll either read all that and think I'm as biased as anyone can be, which is a bad thing in your mind. Or that I probably have more useful knowledge about the program than lots of other people, which is a good thing. If you think I'm biased, fair enough. I completely respect that.

OK, time to get into it. (See? Look how much I've written just as a setup for this topic. Brevity: It's just not my gift.)

As many of you know, my plan was not to be a graphic designer. It was the writer's life for me. I outlined all that in the book. But I thought I might make more money as a copywriter who also had some design skills to offer.

I already knew of AWAI because I owned their copywriting program. Because of that, I knew they also sold a graphic design program. So a few years back when a potential job came up that needed both design and copy, I bought the Graphic Design Success program to learn about a topic I knew nothing about. I was fine when it came to writing, but totally clueless about direct market design.

I love to learn new things, so the GDS program was a lot of fun for me. Just about every page was teaching me something new. And when I'm into something new, I really try to throw myself into it. For example, the same day I ordered the GDS program, I made a trip to the bookstore to buy whatever books and magazines might be relevant.

On that note, here's one of those questions I get: Is there anything out there cheaper than the GDS program that I can buy to learn about direct market design?

Well, when it comes to things that teach "direct market design", it's pretty thin. I've lost count of the number of clients who have said something like, "I need someone who understands direct market design. I'm tired of getting burned by designers who can do all sorts of fancy stuff, but don't understand direct marketing." So it's certainly a specific skill-set and direct market clients know it.

In this case, I was probably lucky to know nothing about design because all the knowledge I was gaining from the GDS programs was just related to direct market design. In other words, I didn't have to "un-learn" the types of things they teach in college design programs. It's all good stuff, just not terribly relevant to direct marketing.

No doubt there are other resources out there, but I haven't run across much. And it is something I look for. There is a wonderful, out-of-print book called Designing Direct Mail That Sells. And there are good books that cover basics like setting up a grid. But an indepth look at direct mail design principles? A bit of an untapped market if you ask me.

There are books covering advertising, but they're more of what we call the "Madison Avenue" type of advertising. It's the type of stuff that is harder to track results for (something direct marketers hate) and seemingly designed more to get awards for the ad agency than actually making sales. That last point may be a bit harsh, but that's just my opinion.

So I'm not saying there's nothing else out there that covers this specific topic. I'm just saying there's not much that I've run across or that covers things so thoroughly.

Another "sub-question" is this: Does the program teach you how to use the software direct market designers use? Not really. Nor could it if you stop and think about it. Some DM designers focus in different areas such as print, illustration, website design, etc.

So consider all the software one might use: InDesign, QuarkXPress, Photoshop, Illustrator, Dreamweaver, Expressions, Flash, CorelDraw, Painter, Publisher. And then there are programs no longer made, but still on plenty of hard-drives and valid tools for DM designers: Adobe GoLive, MS FrontPage, Freehand and many more.

No program could cover every possible title someone might have. And if it did, you'd need a forklift to move the binder around.

(Quick Note: You don't need to learn every piece of software out there. I don't want you thinking you have to be an expert in everything. You don't.)

My suggestion to people in this case is to get a subscription to Lynda.com. It's not cheap, but for one price you get access to every program they cover and they cover a lot!

Here's another question I get: I have some design background, so is the program just going to teach me things I already know? Sorry, but I have no idea. Even if I had the time to hear about what you know, I wouldn't know how well you know it. Know what I mean? (But you can solve that dilemma on your own. I'll mention how in a minute.)

For a short time, I taught a continuing education class on copywriting at a local college. You teach the same content to a room full of people and some are going to take away more than others. So, for example, perhaps you did take a course on design, but I have no idea how much of that you really have a good grasp on.

Finally, when people tell me they're hesitant to buy the program because of the cost, I remind them that AWAI offers a 30-day, money-back guarantee. So you buy it, look through it, and if it isn't for you ask for your money back. I know getting a refund for anything can be a little inconvenient, but if you're not willing to exert some effort to get started in a new career, maybe you need to reassess whether you're ready for a new career.

Starting a new career is a challenge. I've worked hard to get where I am now. I didn't just buy the program and wait for something to happen. I soaked up everything I could from it while at the same time picking up information from any other source I stumbled across. Then, I applied that knowledge to what clients need. But at least with the GDS program, I had a solid foundation to build upon.

Notice how I italicized 'applied' in that last paragraph. I can't tell you how many people I've talked to who read everything in sight, but never apply it. They confuse information gathering with true progress. Part of making progress is gathering information. But if you never apply it, what's the point?

There's a popular saying: "Knowledge is Power". But that's wrong. Some will say the use of knowledge is power. That's wrong, too. It's the use of accurate knowledge that's power. Of course, that doesn't work as nicely as a pithy saying. And in our case, power should probably be restated as career advancement.

In other words, you could buy the GDS program (or something else) and read it from beginning to end. But if you don't apply it, it's not going to do you any good.

I know I've sounded like a shill for the program. But here's the bottom line for me: The program got me started on the right foot and changed my life for the better. Simple as that. I'm writing this in the comfort of my own home-studio, living where I want to be living, working on projects that I enjoy, not projects that some boss tells me I have to do. I set my own schedule and while I have those moments where I'm working long hours, it really is my choice to do that.

I have bad days where it seems things aren't going right, but they're few and far between.

I'll end with my favorite quote from a freelancer in Daniel Pink's book Free Agent Nation:

“Working when, where, how much, under what conditions and for whom I want.”

As they say, That's the life for me!

(Now, for your own good, get up and stretch your legs a bit.)

Designing outside the box

2009-05-07T10:45:00.000-07:00

I've grown to dislike the phrase "thinking outside the box." When I was at Microsoft, that phrase was tossed around constantly, especially when it came to the type of people we wanted to hire. ("Mike, when you're interviewing people for our team, make sure they can think outside the box.") Like any over-used phrase, hearing it over and over begins to annoy you after a while and it loses it's impact.

But the phrase popped back into my head recently as I was reading an article about creativity. The article made reference to that classic 9 Dots puzzle which literally forces you to think outside the box to find the solution.

Like most people, I've known the solution to that puzzle for a long time. But for whatever reason, the article I was reading, along with the puzzle it referenced and the discussion about "thinking outside the box", hit me in a fresh way.

As designers (or copywriters) it seems a luxury to have any decent amount of time to really think through a new project before digging into it. Most clients, especially in the direct market arena, need it yesterday.

But I've been making an extra effort to come up with at least one "outside the box" idea for a project. It doesn't mean I'll use any of the ideas I come up with. I just want to enforce the habit of thinking of possibly off-the-wall ideas for each project I do.

Let me give you a simple example. I've been working on some sales letters for various clients. On a recent one, I tried to think of something different to do. The first thought was to lay out the sales letter horizontally. In other words, instead of a traditional 8.5 x 11 inch sales letter layout, why not make it 11 x 8.5 inches?

Well, here's why not: It's a rotten idea!! And it didn't take more than a second to figure that out. But that's OK. The exercise is to come up with ideas. Some will work, some won't.

If you've ever been a part of a group brainstorming session, you understand the goal. Everyone tosses out any idea that comes to mind without filtering it for fear that other people will think it's a dumb idea. Smart brainstormers know that a bad idea can be just the nudge that someone else in the group needs to mold it into a better idea.

As a freelancer typically working alone, you'll need to not only come up with some "dumb" ideas, but also be the one to take the time to shape them into something that will work.

While the idea of a landscape layout sales letter wasn't good, the idea could work for something like an annual report. In fact, as I investigated it a bit, there are quite a number of annual reports that have been done in landscape mode.

So my idea wasn't going to fly for the sales letter, but it was an idea worth filing away for another type of project. The point here is to get yourself into the habit of coming up with at least one new idea (if not more) for your projects no matter how much of a rush you're in. Then see how it might work into current or future projects.

.Tel me about yourself

2009-04-12T17:46:00.000-07:00

With the exception of the technology related to my work as a graphic designer, I'm usually a bit behind the technology curve when it comes to the big trends of the day.

For example, I have no desire to Twitter and I don't feel I need a Blu-ray player. I did jump on the iPhone bandwagon so I could claim to be cool at least once in middle-age, but that's about it.

However, I did do something this weekend that either makes me a "cool" early adopter or one of a handful of suckers who failed to see this will be a gigantic waste.

I registered my business on the new .tel domain. You can read more about it here.

In a nutshell, here's the idea behind it straight from the source:

The .TEL is a new top-level domain that allows the .TEL domain owner to store, publish and manage contact information and keywords directly in the Domain Name System (DNS), the global and powerful system that stores locations of all the websites in the world. This is the first service of its kind that enables anyone to use the DNS to store information other than the location of websites. It provides an exciting new use of internet infrastructure that will completely change the way we communicate and keep in touch with others.

That last sentence amuses me... a bit of hype in my opinion, but who knows?

Anyway, based on what I know about cybersquatting, where people buy a domain with the purpose of selling it to someone who might actually have some claim to it, I decided to buy: http://klassencommunications.tel/

I found a cheap, annual price for the domain (prices can vary from company to company) and I don't actually have to maintain the site design. Everyone's .tel site will look the same since you're just plugging in data. The design is kept simple so people on mobile devices can load it quickly.

I can see I'm not the only one who has done this. Some major companies like Google and Apple appear to have bought .tel domains. And I see cybersquatters have already grabbed "whitehouse" and "god". (God is apparently residing in Canada these days and filling his days by selling domains.)

There is a little part of me that thinks .tel is a dumb idea. Beyond .com, .gov, .edu, .net and .org, very few of the other top level domains are in the public consciousness, at least here in the states. And frankly, by this point if I needed Apple's contact info, for example, I'd type in apple.com without thinking about it.

Yet I can see a need for it. I've given up on printed phone books, but many businesses in my area don't have a website. So I'm left with the online Yellow or White pages and am not always thrilled with the results or how much time it takes to find what I'm looking for.

If businesses could easily set up a simple .tel site, a quick Google search should get me the contact info I might need. Of course, that assumes businesses (and individuals since it's also marketed to them) even know about .tel. Heck, I didn't know about it until I read about it in a magazine from the U.K.

I point all this out just in case you want to look into it. I don't know how these .tel sites will rank in search results, but I can't imagine it hurts. I was able to buy my domains (I bought two) for about $5 each for a year, so it's a small investment. Better to buy it now than find out later a cybersquatter has beaten you to the punch on your own business name.

What to do before hiring a mentor

2009-03-30T10:00:00.000-07:00

When starting a new career, like graphic design, or trying to get to the next level in your career, there's nothing like talking to someone who has already traveled the path you're about to travel. Learning from someone who has "been there, done that" is going to make your life far easier.

Sometimes, you can get that information for free from someone. Other times you might actually hire someone for mentoring sessions. I hired someone a few years back and it was money well-spent.

I've also offered mentoring sessions, but I try to talk people out of it first. Here's why...

What I've found is that beginning graphic designers often don't do what they know they should do. Or they're simply looking for someone to encourage them or give them a kick in the rear-end. But do you really need to pay someone to do that for you or could you do it yourself?

Let me give you an example that I run into often:

Beginning Designer: "I need some help... I'm not finding any clients. What should I do?"

Me: "How many calls did you make to potential clients yesterday or how many letters did you send out?"

BD: "Uhh, none."

Me: "OK... how about the day before?"

BD: "Well, part of the problem is I'm not sure who I should be contacting."

Me: "What did you do yesterday to figure out who you should be contacting?"

BD: "Well..."

Now here's a really quick answer to this particular problem. You need to do an inventory of what you're able to offer as a designer. Maybe you love doing brochures. Who needs brochures? Well, anyone who puts their brochures in a brochure rack at your local airport needs them along with quite a lot of businesses in your local area. But you're not going to know who needs you until you call these folks, let them know what you do, then see if there's a need now or maybe in the future.

You do not need a mentor for that insight. It's Business 101: Knowing what you do well and then leaving no stone unturned finding the people who need what you offer.

The other big issue is motivation. People want a mentor to help motivate them. I've got some bad news: If you need someone else to motivate you to push forward in a new career, you're in trouble.

You have to ask yourself: If I need someone else to motivate me or help push me along, is this something I really want to do? Or am I just in love with the idea?

I don't want this to sound too harsh, but some folks are expecting a little too much hand-holding when a little bit more individual effort on their part could propel them forward.

My theory is that a lot of us (and I do include myself in this) got used to being told what to do as employees. Someone told us what hours we'd work, what we'd do during those hours, how much we'd be paid, how much vacation we could have, etc.

Now, as freelancers, we're completely on our own to map out everything. But we've sort of lost that ability to think things through on our own when it comes to business because we had so many years of those decisions being made by someone else.

It's not that we're stupid... we've just gotten a little soft in areas. So as you're moving forward, don't get overwhelmed by all the decisions that may be in front of you. Just break it down into manageable pieces and start with the most basic thing you can do right now to move forward. Don't make it more complicated than it has to be... quite a bit of this is simply going to be common sense.

Once you've got all the common sense issues out of the way and you know you've done everything you can possibly do on your own, go ahead and get a mentor if you feel you need one. Mentors can help you refine some of your ideas and tell you what has and hasn't worked for them.

It's at that point where you're really getting the most out of a mentor relationship and the push you need to get to the next level of your career.

Adobe's Share My Screen feature

2009-03-05T16:11:00.000-08:00

Slowly but surely, I'm working Adobe CS4 into my workflow. I think I've mentioned before that for CS3 users, I don't necessarily view CS4 as a "must have" upgrade. Certainly there are lots of useful new features, but if your finances are tight, I wouldn't break the bank to get it.

That said, there are some new things in CS4 that designers will find valuable. One such feature is Share My Screen. This works in conjunction with Adobe's ConnectNow feature which you can read all about here.

In a nutshell, you can go into a CS4 application, such as InDesign, and choose File | Share My Screen. This connects you to the ConnectNow site and provides you with a URL to give to other people so, via their browser, they can see what's on your screen.

I did a quick test on my own, sharing my main monitor while watching what was happening in a browser window on my second monitor. (And I was happily surprised to see the ConnectNow app was aware I had two monitors and asked me which one I wanted to share.)

The whole thing was pretty slick. Whatever I was doing on my main monitor was showing up in the browser window.

There are actually a number of services for screen sharing, so it's not like Adobe has come up with an original idea. But for us designers who spend most of our time in Adobe products, being able to launch this feature straight from the CS4 apps is convenient (and free, at least at this moment).

And while I didn't confirm this myself, from what I read on one of Adobe's blogs, the URL that ConnectNow provides to you to give to other people is always the same based on your Adobe account name. (And Adobe accounts are free.)

I probably don't need to tell you how you could use this feature, but what the heck... you're here now, right?

There have been times where I've been creating a simple website for a client and it gets to be a mild pain making changes, then uploading them for the client to see in a browser. Or zipping the files to e-mail so they could see the complete site offline. Far easier to share out your screen and collaborate with client live if time is tight.

Or maybe you're wanting input from a number of people at once. There's nothing worse than getting conflicting feedback from everyone involved and having to somehow incorporate everyone's vision into the design. Perhaps it would be easier to get everyone together online and let them agree on changes while you incorporate them right there on the spot as they're watching. If everyone thinks blue would be a better color than green, you could change it and they could all decide for themselves right on the spot.

Heck, even sharing out your screen with another designer can be useful if you're trying to show them something that would take far too long to explain in an e-mail.

Again, it's not that there's anything new going on here with screen sharing. It's just nice that the feature is so easy to use within the programs I'm already using every day.

The myth of "working for yourself"

2009-02-12T10:56:00.001-08:00

The freelancer's life is a great thing. It's not that you're totally free of problems, but compared to the typical employee's work, the average freelancer does enjoy many more benefits.

But just a word of caution for those thinking of becoming freelancers: You are never simply "working for yourself."

Sure, you have more control over how you structure your time and career. But unless someone is hiring you, you're not exactly working, much less working for yourself.

So, obviously, freelancers do answer to "bosses", known as "clients" in this case.

In fact, one could argue that traditional employees have things a little easier if they're just having to answer to one person at work. A successful freelancer is answering to multiple bosses, all of whom have little interest in what your other bosses want or need at any given moment.

That can create some stress on your part as you try to juggle multiple projects. I experienced that first-hand late last year when I had about nine projects going at once. While it's nice for any freelancer to be that busy and in demand, you certainly come to a clear understanding that you are working for other people.

If you want to stay a successful freelancer, you'd better know how to keep all those bosses happy. And just to keep things interesting, each boss may define "happy" a little differently.

See what I'm getting at? You're not exactly "working for yourself" the way people think of it when say the word freelancing... you're still working for other people.

That comes as a shock to some people who go into freelancing thinking they can do things exactly how they want without taking into account the needs and expectations of clients.

Like I said, the freelancer's life is a great thing. Just be aware that you're still working for other people. And those people play a big part in whether you're successful or not.

Quick Tip: Archiving Web Sites

2009-01-20T09:00:00.000-08:00

Before today's Quick Tip, a quick note about my last post on chamber networking events and why they're a waste of your time. I'll talk more indepth on this in the future, but for now I'll just say how interesting it was to see who was hitting this site.

Boeing hit the site in under 48 hours. (You'll recall I mentioned Boeing on how they're probably pretty smart about how they network... a lesson we could all learn.) Then there was a chamber in MN. No doubt they're wanting to publish my thoughts in the next issue of their newsletter. ;)

What I'll be talking about in the near future is tracking visits to your site and why you should be doing it.

OK, on to today's topic...

Some years ago, when CDs were becoming popular, I really wanted to buy an import CD from the U.K. But it was a bit pricey for a high school kid on a tight budget. My mom said, "Don't worry... it will be there when you have the money."

Turns out, she was wrong. The CD went out of print and didn't become available again for another decade or so. Suddenly, I had the money, but the CD wasn't available. (And this was pre-Internet, so finding it used somewhere in the world wasn't an easy option.)

I've relived that experience in my business when trying to find information on a website I bookmarked only to find that information is gone. Don't buy into the myth that once something is on the Internet, it never goes away.

If you're anything like me, you buzz around the Internet, finding great information for your business, and then bookmark it for later. More often than not, that works fine. But Murphy's Law says the bit of information you want most is the bit that someone is going to remove.

I solved this by making PDFs of sites that have great information I may want to refer to later.

In Adobe Acrobat, this is really simple and there are multiple ways to do accomplish it. Here's how I do it:

1. Copy the URL of the site you're wanting to save.

2. In Acrobat, go to File | Create PDF | From Web Page (I'm using Acrobat 8 Professional)

3. Paste the URL in the URL field and click Create. I don't bother with any other settings beyond the default, but feel free to play around with it.

4. Once the PDF is create it, save it with a descriptive filename and place it in a folder that you have easy access to.

This has solved a couple of problems. The most important is "disappearing information" I talked about earlier. The second is an out-of-control list of bookmarks.

So my suggestion is to either take my steps, or come up with your own, and start archiving some of this information yourself so you can find it when you need it.

Chamber of Commerce Networking Events Are a Waste of Your Time

2009-01-01T00:01:00.000-08:00

Honestly, with my hand over my heart, I do not hate chambers of commerce.

In fact, my interactions with various chambers have been incredibly positive over the years. But note that I said "with chambers" and not "with chamber networking events."

Going back to my career in a small-town radio station newsroom, chambers were my lifeline to just about anyone you could think of when it came to putting together news stories.

Years later, when I became a freelance writer, I had the some of the best times of my professional life volunteering as a chamber Ambassador and getting involved in the community in ways I had never done before. Some of the people that I worked with on various committees remain good friends even though I'm no longer a member of any chamber.

So, again, I have nothing against chambers in general.

Having said that, I'm now going to say something that chamber folks won't like:

In my experience and the experience of other freelance colleagues, typical chamber networking events are not the most worthwhile use of your time if you're heck-bent on earning a great living as a freelance writer or designer. In fact, I'd go so far as to say that they are a waste of your time.

So now that I've pretty-much ended any chance of being hired by a chamber, let's continue...

Your local chamber is a business, just like you. Don't ever forget that. And like any business, they need money to keep going. They need to pay their staff, provide health benefits to the staff, pay rent, pay phone/electric/trash bills, keep the copy machine running with a continual supply of toner and paper, rent out a facility for special events, pay for food and drinks at various chamber events, produce marketing material for potential chamber members, keep the office computers running, pay the annual cost of the chamber website... the list is pretty long.

The money they bring in, besides covering their costs, are often used for things that help the member businesses... seminars, marketing opportunities, lobbying your local or state government on behalf of local business, etc.

You're helping pay for these things not only with your annual dues but also with other costs throughout the year. In fact, if I were being really cynical, I might say that becoming a chamber member simply gives you the "privilege" of spending more money to get full value of all the "opportunities to promote your business" that they'll throw your way.

And that's one of the things they'll try to hook you with as you consider becoming a member: you'll get lots of opportunities to promote your business. Unfortunately, that often means you'll be paying more than just your annual dues for those opportunities. That includes getting you to sponsor events, attend seminars, place ads in the monthly newsletter and, yes, attend the traditional monthly chamber networking event.

Keep in mind that there's nothing wrong with this setup. It works out just fine for lots of businesses and that might include yours. And if a chamber provides value to your business, there's nothing wrong with them making money for their efforts.

But let's not lose track of our very narrow focus here: the chamber networking event and whether it's the most efficient way to market yourself.

Obviously, I haven't attended every chamber networking event. In fact, given the number of chambers in the world, I've been to just a miniscule percentage of chamber events. But after years of working with chambers in different capacities, and talking with colleagues, I'm very comfortable with my observations.

The hook to get you to show up to the traditional chamber networking event is that you can market yourself and make sales. That's great because that's what you want... to make sales. But think about it for a minute. How is the event being marketed to everyone else? As a chance to buy your services? Nope... it's marketed to everyone as a chance to - say it with me - make sales.

Some chambers might go so far as to mention that you may meet people who have services you need. But in order to get you to pay for the event, and maybe even pay extra to have a table full of your materials, the selling point to everyone is primarily on selling, not buying. And that's the mindset most people have when they walk through the doors.

As a freelancer, I was a member of a chamber in a city of about 100,000 with even more people in neighboring cities. The city was home to a naval base, Boeing and Verizon. As a freelancer, any of those three would have been a great client. But do you know how often they showed up to the chamber "cattle-call"? Never.

And who could blame them? What is Boeing going to sell at a chamber event? A fleet of airplanes? Obviously they want to make sales, but they know where they need to focus their marketing efforts and it's not at a $12 breakfast once a month. (That alone should start to tip you off about how you should approach your own marketing.)

If I want to land Boeing as a client, for example, what should I be doing? More on that in a bit, but you probably know by now what the answer isn't.

So who does typically attend a chamber networking event? You can put most attendees into two categories.

The first is commissioned sales people. These are the folks who will leave no stone unturned to find a buyer. And while they might be able to recommend you to their boss or marketing department, your typical salesperson is not the person you really need to talk with to land a freelance job. Once the typical salesperson determines you're not a buyer, he or she is going to want to move on as quickly as possible.

That's not an insult to salespeople... it's actually smart business. To quote a line from the TV show MASH, "It's nice to be nice to the nice", but it's not the most efficient way to hit your financial goals. So you can't expect a salesperson to stand around shooting the breeze with you when they're trying to earn a living and there are other prospects in the room.

(Side note: One of the reasons beginning freelancers don't make it is because they don't take their business as seriously as they should. Successful business and sales people have learned that while networking is a good thing, they can't waste a lot of time on activities that clearly aren't making them money.)

The second category you tend to see at chamber networking events is small business owners or employees of the business. In fact, you can probably relate to them being a small business owner yourself. So it's easy to put yourself in their shoes. In their minds, if money were no object, it would be great to hire a team of marketing folks to write and design marketing material. Wouldn't you like to have that luxury yourself when it comes to enhancing your business?

But chances are your business isn't flush with cash. That's why you're attending networking events in an effort to drum up business. And that's the same situation most of the small business folks are in. They'd love to hire you, and they even understand the value of what you do. But money is tight and you're seen as a bit of a luxury. After all, most small business owners are smart enough to put together some basic brochures and business cards. And the local newspaper is more than happy to help them put together an ad. It might not be the greatest piece of marketing, but in their minds it's something and it will have to do.

Here's something else to keep in mind. For a number of small business people, the monthly networking event is simply a chance to socialize with friends. They know virtually everyone in the room and are realistic about their chances of making a sale that day. Personally, I enjoyed talking with my friends at these events. For some of us, it was about the only contact with non-family members that we got. But after a while, coming home without the prospect of a meaningful sale got old.

With that in mind, what are you left with after months of events like this?

More than likely, with very little hope for lots of high-quality sales. Maybe you'll get a few small jobs and that's better than nothing. But is it putting you on the fast-track to earn the income you want?

There is actually a third category of people who attend these events... the people who show up for the first time, quickly evaluate that the other two categories of attendees aren't what they need to be successful, and never return. It's not that they're anti-social or snobs. They're just very clear on what they're after will only stick around if there is sufficient value for them.

Let's consider a better way to network.

I mentioned before that my chamber had a membership that ranged from solo businesses like myself to big name companies with thousands of employees. While those large companies weren't represented at the monthly networking event, there was another chamber function where you could find them: the Board of Directors.

My local chamber board of directors included members from city government, Boeing, local banks, the local naval station, Comcast, one of the leading health and hygiene companies in the world, the area hospital, the local public utilities district... the list of names is a Who's Who of important people and companies in the community.

These were the people I needed to be talking to! But while my small business colleagues and I were eating a breakfast of questionable origin, the Who's Who group was either already hard at work or serving on boards and committees with other high-powered people.

Sadly, in my own case, I didn't wise up to this soon enough and squandered some great opportunities. And perhaps your chamber isn't such a hotspot for big business. Even more important, your chances of getting on a high-power board of directors might be slim.

But here's the important take-away: To network efficiently and to land projects that will help you reach your financial goals, you need to be where your best clients are. My guess is they're not sitting next to you at a chamber breakfast once a month.

Earlier I asked the question: If I want to land Boeing as a client, for example, what should I be doing? But let's replace "Boeing" with " "my ideal clients". You can define "my ideal clients" however you want, but I define it as clients whose projects will help me reach my targeted income and whose projects I actually enjoy working on.

The basic answer to the question from a networking perspective is that I should be at the same events my ideal clients are at. The answer is not, "continue going to the same events that aren't gaining me any real business."

Unfortunately, it's very easy for a beginner - not only in freelancing but in business as a whole - to naturally gravitate to a local chamber and their networking events. But there's a whole world of networking opportunities available if you'll ask questions and keep your eyes open.

Let me give you a couple of examples.

I was in the technology field prior to becoming a freelancer. In the local business journal, I read about a group that got together once a month to talk about technology and stay up-to-date on what each other was up to. The attendees were all folks from local tech companies. The event wasn't to do what I call "drive-by marketing." That's what you see when people network by giving out their card, spewing out their 30 second elevator speech, and then moving on to the next person when they sense you're not a buyer.

Instead, the technology networking event was primarily to share knowledge and talk about a similar passion. Since it wasn't a blatant marketing event, people were more relaxed and you had more time to learn about each company and what their needs were. It was also a group that had a better appreciation for the value of marketing material since their products usually cost a lot of money.

A colleague of mine was a website designer. She took things a step further and went out-of-state to an event that taught people how to develop products and then market them online. All these people had one major thing in common... they were going to need a website. As the only website designer in the room, she left the event with not only highly-qualified leads, but a handful of immediate jobs.

My point here is to illustrate that efficient networking happens when you put yourself in the position of meeting people who actually need you or at least are better qualified to need you. That often means digging a little deeper, or traveling a little further, to find these events.

It also requires you to think a little more creatively. Not everything is going to say, "Networking Event." Maybe it's a free talk about trade issues for importers and exporters. Maybe it's a seminar for CEOs. Speaking of seminars, you might check out SeminarInformation.com. Maybe you'll find something there, maybe you won't. But it's part of the process of researching what else is available to you beyond the obvious.

Note: As I mentioned last month, this is my 100th blog post and the blog's second anniversary. Thanks for reading!

A little bit of Sherlock Holmes can come in handy

2008-12-01T07:00:00.000-08:00

I've had a strange experience happen to me a couple of times regarding corrupted files that were sent by clients.

By putting on my Sherlock Holmes hat, I came up with what I think is the solution, but I still can't be sure I'm 100% correct.

But knowing this solution may save you, and the people you're working with, a lot of grief.

I was working on a lift note for a sales letter package. The lift note was going to be written by a third party and include their logo (and EPS file) and the author's signature (a TIF file).

The third party sent the files to my client and the client forwarded the files over to me, all via e-mail.

The trouble was, I couldn't open the files. Illustrator griped that the files weren't in a format it could read. I know Illustrator can read EPS and TIF files, so something was up. I tried opening the files in Photoshop as well, but no luck.

Well, it's not impossible for files to get corrupted, so I contacted my client to report back to the third party that there was a problem so we could get a resend.

On the resend, again through my client, the third party said they were using Illustrator CS3 which is what I use. They said the files were fine on their end. But again, I got the same error messages when opening the files.

I started to think of workarounds... maybe they could send the files in their native Illustrator format (an AI file) or maybe send them as JPGs or PDFs just to see if those would work.

But then I had a "lightbulb over the head" moment. I asked my client to ask the third party to e-mail the files directly to me so my client wouldn't have to forward them.

The third party did just that and the files opened on my end without a hitch.

So what was the difference?

When I got the forwarded files from my client, there were three files... the two graphic files plus a text file from some sort of automated virus checker. The text file simply said the files had been scanned and there were no problems.

But when I got the files directly from the third party, there was no anti-virus text message.

My theory is that my client had some sort of anti-virus software on their e-mail server. The third party sends an e-mail with attachments, the client's e-mail server scans those files, then passes them on to my contact.

Had my contact saved the attachments, then started a new e-mail to me and reattached the saved files, I think we would have been fine.

Yet somehow, the process of forwarding that e-mail after the attachments had been scanned corrupted them so that I wasn't able to open them.

It's just a theory on my part, but I had something similar happen a long time back where there seemed to be some corruption when files were forwarded. At that time, I didn't consider any type of anti-virus software getting in the way.

I tell you this story just in case you run into something similar. Maybe that will save you some grief and lots of back-and-forth with your client. (And this type of thing usually happens when you're right up against a deadline.)

Note: I suspect that between an extremely heavy workload and the holidays, this will be my last post of 2008. If that's the case, next year's first post will be both my 100th and the second anniversary of this blog. I've got something in mind for that post and I'll tell you now that your local Chamber of Commerce isn't going to like it. It's a topic I've touched on before in other places, but I'm going to expand on it in this space where I can rattle on without anyone editing me.

Building an efficient and useful swipe file

2008-10-29T09:58:00.001-07:00

A couple of months ago, I was reading a note by InDesign guru David Blatner. He was raving about a portable, dual-sided sheetfed scanner he was using.

While I have a single-sided flatbed scanner, it's a pain to have to manually put things down one page at a time. Thus, I wasn't using it that often.

So I've always been on the lookout for a good sheetfed option. There are tons of multi-function devices that do scanning, copying and faxing, but I didn't care to go that route. I don't need another bulky item for my work space.

So after the glowing review by David and the supporting glowing reviews by the folks at Amazon.com, I took a chance and bought the scanner David was talking about.

Wow! Really... Wow!

(I've put both the Mac and PC versions of the scanner in my Amazon Store in the Hardware category.

For someone using a huge flatbed all these years, moving to a simple sheetfed that only measures about 11 inches wide by 5 inches deep completely changed how I manage my swipe file.

First, a word on swipe files. Quoting Clayton Makepeace's Direct Response Glossary (which you should bookmark), a swipe file is, "A collection of successful promotions, ads and sales letters you use to get ideas from."

Every successful copywriter and designer I've met has a swipe file. So naturally, I started building mine long ago. (One of the shortcuts to success is to see what the successful people in your field are doing and do it, too.)

But what you find with a swipe file is that all those promotions take up space. It's not long before you can have a file cabinet overflowing with this stuff. And if you're a little sloppy about how you categorize the material, things get hard to find to the point where your swipe file is useless to you. You're simply not going to use it often if you have trouble finding what you're looking for.

Digitizing your swipe file helps to solve that. Mind you, I still keep some hard-copy material. And some of the larger size promotions are almost impossible to scan with a sheetfed.

But the majority of my swipe file is now digitized and can fit on a single DVD for backup purposes.

Now I want to go beyond telling you that I have a digital swipe file. I want to tell you exactly how I manage all the information.

1. On my hard drive, I created categories for various types of marketing material. I currently have 40 categories including obvious ones like sales letters, magalogs and envelopes to less obvious categories like tables of content, lift notes and subscription cards. I'm pretty much scanning anything that a designer might need to design because you never know what a client might need you to do.

2. With the scanner I'm using (and most scanners for that matter), the result is automatically created as a PDF, color or B/W depending on the setting you choose.

3. If there is some personal information on the material I'm scanning, like my name and address, I'll open the PDF in Acrobat and use the Redaction function to remove it. If you don't own Acrobat, no problem... you can use a marker to cover up the information before you scan. (Or, maybe you don't care if the info is there.)

4. The PDF is given a file name starting with a code (like SL for sales letter) and the name of the product or company that the material is talking about. From there, it's placed into the appropriate folder on my hard drive.

5. When I want to do a quick scan of my swipe file, I use Adobe Bridge. You can use something else but the key is that you want to use something that will show you an actual thumbnail of the material, not just the generic Adobe PDF icon. For example, if you were looking at a folder full of photographs, you'd want to see thumbnails of the actual photos, not some generic JPEG icon. By using something like Bridge, it makes it very easy for me to zero in on what I'm looking for.

And that's basically it. By making it so easy to see categories of my swipe file at a glance, I'm much more likely to use my swipe file. And more importantly, I'm much more likely to find what I need quickly.

A side benefit to having a scanner so easy to use (it doesn't have to "warm up" like my flatbed, so it's ready when I'm ready) is that I digitized important articles and tutorials in all the magazines that were piling up on my shelves.

Here's a perfect example...

I've been a subscriber to Photoshop User Magazine for a number of years. Each issue has great tutorials and tips. But after a few years, there's no way you're going to remember where a specific tutorial is if you can even remember about a tutorial you saw a couple of years ago anyway.

And, frankly, do you really need to save all the content in each magazine you get? Do you think you'll want to re-read product reviews for things that aren't even available any more? Unlikely.

So what I did was go through each magazine and pull out only the things worth keeping, mainly the tutorials and tips. Then, I can scan them and put them in folders on my hard-drive with descriptive file names that make it clear what the article/tutorial is about.

When you tear out only the articles worth saving long-term and compare it to what parts of the magazine you don't really need to save, you'll be amazed at the space you free up in your studio. I was awestruck by the pile "to be scanned" versus the pile "to be recycled."

So that's how I manage that aspect of my business. That scanner is one of the best purchases I've ever made for my business. If it broke down, I'd immediately buy a new one without giving it a second thought. If you have a swipe file that isn't digitized, you might want to consider finding a scanner that works best for your needs, and then start scanning.

Random thoughts on random topics

2008-10-22T12:00:00.000-07:00

If you didn't know how old you were, how old would you be?

I like questions like this. (A related one is, If you didn't know what day it was, what day would it be?)

The idea is that, if you didn't have the facts in a given situation (or relied on the opinions of others), what would your interpretation of that situation be based only on your gut feeling and personal experience?

The reason I've been thinking about this question is because, if I didn't know (through the media) that times were tough economically, would I know it based on how my freelance business is going? And the answer is no. I'm about as busy as I can be at the moment.

That's not to dismiss the true suffering people are going through in certain areas. But there is a lot to be said for creating a career where there's generally always some sort of need for your services, and where you have more control over the decisions that create success.

Sites you should know about

I've always had an appreciation for people who freely share some of their knowledge and experiences with others in their field.

Two blogs I've stumbled across recently are:

Direct Creative Blog - http://www.directcreative.com/blog/

ProFreelancing Blog - http://profreelancing.com/

Both are worthy of being added to your bookmarks.

Is the (design) world telling me something?

In the space of a couple of days, I've been talking to separate people about new ways to present material online that go beyond presenting that same material as PDFs.

This isn't new, just interesting that it has come up so often in recent days and may soon affect how I do some layout projects.

Sites like BlueToad and WebIOB offer reading experiences that, when used properly, can make reading material online more interesting and interactive. At the same time, it might help with some security issues that direct marketers have with PDFs they sell that can be easily passed around to people who didn't buy them.

There's a lot more that can be said on this topic. But my point is that, as a designer, you've always got to be ready to see how these technologies will affect what you do. Not to mention being tuned into what people are talking and thinking about in terms of different ways to present content.

To me, that's part of the excitement of this career... there's always something new to learn which means you'll rarely be bored.

And suddenly, five years have passed

2008-09-30T09:00:00.000-07:00

September 30th marks my fifth year as a freelancer. I've written about my journey from "employee" to "freelancer" in my book, but I'd like to reflect a bit as I judge things at this particular moment.

Despite seeming like a crazy idea leaving a "secure" company, becoming a freelancer gave me more job security. The reason is that I control everything. While I may part company with a client from time to time, there's never a situation where I have work one day and I'm totally out of work the next. That's the risk you run when you only work for one company. (And on a related note, the current economic situation as I write this actually confirms my decision that I did the right thing by taking more control of my career.)

I have far less stress in my life. This goes back to the issue of control. When too much of your working life is under the control and whims of other people, you're bound to have a bit more stress, especially these days given the economic situation. And that's to say nothing of the hours you might be forced to work, the traffic you might have to battle, or the location you might be forced to live in to work for some company.

There's never really any boredom with my career. Every job is a bit different and I'm always free to pursue new skills so I can take on new types of projects. Some companies offer this, which is great, but it often has to be approved in some way, or you can't dedicate the time you want to it because of your other responsibilities.

Honestly, there has yet to be a downside to freelancing. That doesn't mean there aren't challenges and frustrating days. But you certainly deal with them much better when you know that you're ultimately in control of the situation rather than some employer or market forces outside of your control.

Adobe CS4: Should you upgrade?

2008-09-24T12:04:00.000-07:00

This week Adobe gave a preview of the new Creative Suite 4 (CS4) which is due in October. One question I often get is whether a direct market designer should upgrade. They want to know whether the new features are worth the expense.

The "direct market" part is important since we traditionally don't need lots of fancy features. It's kind of like Word. For many years Word has been more than capable of handling your word processing needs. So the task for Microsoft is convincing you with each new version that there's some new feature worth upgrading for.

To a degree, that's Adobe's dilemma as well. To their credit, each new CS4 product has at least one really neat new feature. But whether it's enough to drop some serious money on is another matter.

It wasn't very long ago at all that CS3 came out. And it suffered a bit from not initially playing nice in some areas with both Leopard and Vista operating systems.

This time, that shouldn't be an issue... CS4 should work great with both operating systems right out of the box. But you really need to look at the list of new features for your favorite applications to see if an upgrade is worthwhile on release day.

This year, more than any other, I've been struck by how much I need to retain my ability to work with older versions of the Adobe titles. For example, I have one client who needs my files to be available in CS2 format. I create them in CS3, but I then have to save them as an INX file, reopen them in CS2 and save them as CS2 files. (Yes, I know... the client should be able to open the INX files in CS2, but it hasn't worked like it's supposed to.)

Thankfully, when I upgraded from CS2 to CS3, I was allowed to keep CS2 on my computer. And I expect that when I upgrade to CS4, I'm going to want to retain CS3. Also, you never know when some smaller print shops will get around to upgrading. So giving them files that include features their version of the software can't handle is going to be a pain.

I say all this just as a caution not to jump into the CS4 pool immediately. It's always tempting to get these new applications and start playing with the new features. But these days I tend to think it's better to sit back and see what the "early adopters" have to say and decide objectively whether the new features are ones you'll actually use as a direct market designer.

Personally, I see lots of great new features in Photoshop and InDesign (my two main tools), but I'm not seeing a lot that is going to significantly change the way I work. I'll eventually upgrade, but I highly doubt I'll be a "Day One" user.

How not to approach a potential creative partner

2008-09-15T11:00:00.000-07:00

It's always a good idea to make connections with other creative professionals. If you're a designer, find ways to meet copywriters and vice-versa.

Just as important, if you're a designer, find ways to meet designers who do what you don't do. For example, I don't do logos, but I have had requests for logo work in the past. Rather than simply say, "Sorry, I don't do that," I'd prefer to refer the person to someone who does do logo work... someone I know and trust. (Or maybe you take the job but outsource the work to someone you know while collecting a project management fee.)

Same thing applies if you're a copywriter. Maybe you just focus on financial writing but you get a request for some form of technical writing. If that's something not up your alley, be willing to refer that person to someone in your network who can handle that.

What got me thinking about this topic was the following e-mail I received from a copywriter. This is how not to approach a potential creative partner:

"I was impressed by your website, and I'd like to work with top copywriters like you to create direct mail control packages. Please take a minute to visit my new [...] website."

This person was referring to my main business website... the one that says "Direct Market Layout and Design." In fact, one line of copy on my site reads, "If you're in need of a writer, I can put you in touch with someone who will handle your copywriting needs."

So based on the e-mail and apparent visit to my website, I was curious how she got the impression I was a "top copywriter."

I can only guess, but the e-mail comes across as a form letter sent to people without much research into whether they're copywriters to begin with much less "top copywriters."

My intent here isn't to mock anyone, but to point out what can result in this sort of approach. I can only tell you how I felt about this, but I'm guessing I'm not alone. The e-mail didn't inspire me to want to work with this person. Fair or not, I'm doubting her ability to write great copy and put in the research that goes into great copy when she didn't really do much research into me and my business before contacting me.

And I really have no idea if she's only looking for copywriters, or was also looking for designers but forgot to change the copy in her e-mail to reflect that.

Let me give you what I think is a better approach if you're going to blindly solicit for creative partners.

1. Be clear in your own mind on why you're contacting people. Are you just desperate for work and hoping someone will throw some scraps you're way? Or are you genuinely trying to create a network that will benefit everyone involved?

2. Be clear in what you're looking for. Say you're designer and you're looking to connect with copywriters. Based on your own work, what types of copywriters might your clients have a need for? If you're working on magalogs, you may want to meet health and financial writers since that they are two of the biggest fields that use magalogs.

3. When you find a potential partner, take the time to really look at their work and read what they say on their site. Is this someone who, at least on the surface, appears like someone who has the skills they claim to have?

4. When you do make contact, refer to specific things they said on their site and work they've done. That shows you're paying attention.

5. Be clear to them why you're making contact. Understand that this person may have contacts who do the same thing you do. But extend the offer for them to look at your work or ask any questions they might have. You might also mention that they're under no obligation to respond.

That's just my ideas for a proper way to approach this. You might have a better way or do things slightly different.

The main point I want to get across is that with just a little extra time, you could be approaching someone as a professional yourself, and not someone who is blindly contacting everyone in sight. Not only does that usually fail to gain you anything, it can actually hurt your business and how potential partners perceive you.

What does work/life balance really mean to a freelancer?

2008-08-24T10:40:00.000-07:00

I was talking to someone who asked about work/life balance as a freelancer. It's something that's usually seen as a worthwhile goal, yet people aren't sure how to achieve it consistently, nor are they completely sure when they've achieved it.

Even a regular employee for a company faces this balancing act. But the challenge is usually assumed to affect freelancers more. The thought is that if you're a freelancer working from home, you'll have more difficulty separating your work life from your home life.

Of course, this assumes you actually want to separate it. I'm going to go against the conventional wisdom which says that, as a freelancer, you should set aside time only for work, and set aside time that is only for family or personal endeavors.

Balance is absolutely necessary. But I think some people take it a bit too far and stifle what should be one of the most important parts of being a freelancer, especially one that requires creativity like design and copywriting: flexibility.

For me, it's more of an easy flow between the things that I do whether it's working or spending time with my family. I might move back and forth between the two multiple times a day. That kind of goes against the usual advice of having fixed hours for your working time at home. And once you're done for the day, you don't come back to it until the next day.

But that's part of the joy of freelancing... moving between work and personal life as needed and on your own terms, not putting things into fixed hours or a set schedule. That's just a normal job where you're an employee.

I'm not a designer for X number of hours a day and a husband/parent for another set of hours a day... I'm all those things all the time and I focus on each aspect of what I need or want to do as appropriate. For some reason, that solved any problems of chasing after some undefined goal of "work/life balance".

I think people end up feeling too guilty (or made to feel guilty) if they can't have their life broken down into these very clear sections of time where they're either working or they're not.

I'm all for saying 'no' and not taking on more than is reasonable when it comes to work. I'm definitely not someone who over-books himself. And if you feel you're most productive by spending fixed time or hours handling certain tasks, by all means continue to work that way.

But as someone who works with people in different time zones or countries - and gets inspiration for projects at unexpected moments - I don't get hung-up on thinking that I should only be a business owner at fixed times of the day or only on specific days.

As the saying goes, "Your mileage may vary."

Designers: You're not a restaurant!

2008-08-01T08:10:00.000-07:00

Not unlike the views I shared about rush fees, today's topic is likely to tick some people off.

A question came up in a discussion forum about whether designers should give clients their source files. For example, you do the layout of a magalog. The client approves it and you send it to the printer for printing. Then, the client asks for the files used to create the magalog. That might be your InDesign or Quark files, and any Photoshop or Illustrator files.

What do you say to that request?

Surprisingly, to me at least, some designers say no. I've tried to figure out why they say no, but I have yet to come up with anything other than fear.

Even worse, they use this "logic" as justification: Does a restaurant give you their recipes just because you bought the meals?

This has got to be one of the most baffling reasonings I've ever heard. Here's a little secret for designers... you're not a restaurant. You're not a mechanic either. Or a bank teller. You're a designer. So don't buy into this notion that what is done in some other occupation is what you're required to do.

If you're going to compare yourself with another occupation, you're obligated to take it all the way. Do you only offer some design services at certain times of the day like restaurants that have different menus for lunch and dinner? Do you offer Happy Hour pricing for your services if people hire you between at certain hours of the day?

Honestly, I think any excuse for not handing over your source files to a client is, bottom line, fear. Fear that the client will take those files and use them to do future jobs without you based on your work. Fear that they'll take those files and mess something up.

One of the joys of freelancing is not having to work with people again if they do things you don't like. So if they take your source files and mess things up before it gets to the printer, don't work with them again or have a clear understanding that source files are just for their archiving purposes, not to make changes.

Even worse than the "no source file" policy is when designers actually hand over the files if the client pays more to get them. So much for standing by your beliefs that source files are sacred.

Let me give you some reasons that I think you should be willing to hand over your source files.

1. With some jobs, you'll have to give the source files to the printer. You can't always just provide a PDF. At that point, if you've given the files to the printer, what is your justification for not giving them to the person who paid you to create them? Plus, your client could just get the source files directly from the printer if you're not going to provide them.

2. There are times when the client wants you to do about 98% of the work with the rest being handled internally. Are you going to turn down jobs like that? I've worked on a number of projects, totaling thousands of dollars, where I'm doing the majority of work with some details handled later by an in-house design team. Wouldn't it be silly of me to refuse to hand over the files? And it's not a valid argument to say that it's a different situation if you're hired to only do part of the work.

3. I've worked on many projects where the original designer is no longer available or has lost the files, yet the project needs to be updated. If I don't have the source files, I have to start from scratch. If you were in that position, wouldn't you hope that the original designer had made the files available to the client?

4. Sometimes, last minute changes need to be made to the layout once you've sent them off. This happens frequently in the financial arena. You've done the work for some project where the numbers being quoted in the copy are time-sensitive. Right before printing, the numbers need to be changed. These changes may need to be changed by the printer or the client. How often do you think the client is going to want to work with you if you have a "no source file" policy?

5. Your time is valuable. Let's say you do the layout of a book. A year or so later, the book needs to be reprinted with a different printer. Wouldn't it be nice if the client could forward those files to the printer instead of contacting you, making you stop whatever projects you're working on, dig up those files and get them sent off. A surprising amount of time can be spent revisiting past projects. (A topic I hope to tackle here on the blog in the future.)

Now there is at least one area to be aware of when it comes to handing over source files: font copyrights.

It's generally accepted that you can send the fonts with source files to a printer. It's not so clear-cut when it comes to sending those fonts to a client. So if you're going to provide source files, you'll either need to exclude the fonts, or make sure the client has the fonts you used on their own computers. You might even buy the fonts for the client and add that to the cost of the project. If there are other parts of the project that are copyrighted by a third-party, don't ignore those copyrights.

If you're going to have a "no source file" policy, fine. Just do yourself a favor and have a legitimate reason to give the client if they ask for the files. Please don't embarrass yourself by responding, "Do restaurants give you the recipe just because you bought the meal?" That kind of answer appears to make sense on the surface until you dig a bit deeper and realize that the two situations aren't the same in any way.

And if you have a reason for not providing source files that don't translate into fear, e-mail me. I'd be happy to include your thoughts in a future article here.

Standing out from other freelancers the easy way

2008-07-17T10:05:00.000-07:00

One of the first jobs I got as a freelance designer came about when, on a whim, I e-mailed someone whose website I stumbled across. He sold PDF informational products.

Since the only thing I knew how to do at that point was 3D book covers in Photoshop, I figured I had nothing to lose in introducing myself and explaining that I could handle his 3D book cover needs. (Those are the covers you see on websites that illustrate downloadable products.)

About a day later, I got a phone call from him. He liked the samples on my website, but here's why he decided to hire me instead of someone else: I had my phone number and my address on my website.

He said that it bothered him that some people he might use for design and copywriting didn't include that information. There was usually an e-mail link, or an e-mail form, but from his experience very few sites he visited listed a phone number or mailing address.

Sure, he might get that information after he e-mailed or hired the freelancer. But he felt that having the phone number and mailing address on the website said something about the freelancer. To him it said that you weren't afraid to be accessible if someone had an immediate question prior to hiring you.

Maybe he was old-school... not one who wanted to type out long e-mail messages and then wait around for answers or wonder if the e-mail got through a spam filter.

Of course, his feelings on the matter were just his opinion. Not having a phone number and address on your site doesn't mean you're an untrustworthy designer and it doesn't mean you'll never get jobs. It just meant that, in this particular case, I stood out simply because I had that information on my site.

If providing that information on your site could land you a few extra jobs here and there, would it be worth it to you?

And that's my point... sometimes we don't do the easy things that might sway a potential client in our favor. Was it hard to have my phone number and address on my website. Not at all! But we do have to take the time to thoroughly think through what potential clients are looking for when they visit our sites. It's not always just about displaying your design skills.

As I was writing this, I was contacted by a freelancer who was requesting some information. I went to his site and didn't see a phone number, address or even some indication of where he was located. That says nothing about his design skills, but there are people out there who want to see that information before they contact you. No, it doesn't completely make sense, but it's a reality for some clients and you'd be wise to take that into consideration.

Here's something I did a long time ago and I'd recommend you do the same. I looked at my website, my home page in particular, and asked, "What information is missing that a potential client may want to know?" And, "What information is currently there that really doesn't need to be there?"

In the end, I restructured my whole site to make it as lean as possible. My contact information, instead of being on a Contact page, is at the bottom of every page. I also knew that people thinking of hiring me would be in a hurry. So I made sure my home page had all the important information:

1. An overall view of what I do and my Unique Selling Proposition
2. A list of the types of projects I handle
3. A few samples of my work
4. My contact information

Now let me tell you a piece of information that I removed from my home page that I used to think had value: a list of some of the design tools I use. What I found was that, for the type of clients I target, there's already an assumption that I'm using professional-level tools and not doing something like magalog or book layouts in Word.

While the list of tools I use only took a sentence on my home page, it didn't meet the criteria of what I thought was the core information my target clients would want if they only had time to look at my home page.

These days, if they only look at the home page, they have a pretty good idea of what I'm all about, what my skills are, and how to reach me. If they need more information, a larger portfolio and testimonials are on sub-pages. Or, they can pick up the phone and call me.

Is your home page providing only the most useful information to your potential clients? Or are you spilling your guts and overloading people with more information than they initially need at first glance?

4 Ways To Increase Your Design Income

2008-07-05T08:14:00.000-07:00

Sometimes we get too complicated when it come to building our graphic design business. (And just so you know, what I'm going to talk about today applies equally to copywriters.) Instead, let's try to strip things down to some foundational ideas to increase income.

Here's a common scenario...

You actually get your business off the ground, but so far you're only landing small jobs or you make the rookie mistake of setting your fees far too low. You soon realize that you're not making enough money.

Combining some ideas from both Jay Abraham and Jim Rohn, here are four basic ways to increase your income.

1. Increase your fees.

This sounds so easy, but I don't say it without realizing that it's more difficult to do than it sounds for a lot of people. It shouldn't be difficult, but sometimes we worry about upsetting current clients or worrying that we'll never be able to land new ones at a higher rate.

Remember, you're a business and you need to operate like any successful business. To be successful, you need to set appropriate fees. We generally know when we're working for less than we should. And from my own conversations and personal experience lots of rookies under-charge. In fact, I'd be willing to bet that most beginning freelancers who under-charge could double their rates and still not be higher than other freelancers out there.

If you increase your fees with current clients, you do risk losing them, so it's not a step to be taken without a lot of thought. You could keep their rates the same and charge higher (and more appropriate fees) to new clients that hire you. But you don't want to get caught wasting a lot of your time working on low-fee projects when you have other people willing to pay you a higher fee.

At some point, you may have to fire your "low-fee" clients. (If you do decide to fire a client - a decision not to be made lightly - try to help them find someone to replace you so you're not leaving them in the lurch.)

The thing to always keep in mind is your financial goals and whether your clients and your fee structure are helping you to reach those goals. If not, you should probably consider making adjustments.

2. Increase the frequency that your clients need you.

This is the one thing that is the most out of your control. If you have a client who only needs a designer once a year for an annual report, you're not going to convince him to produce two annual reports just so you can make more money.

But with more projects from the same client who already knows and trusts you, the more money you make. And it's not costing you from a marketing perspective.

As it happens, many beginning designers leave money on the table, so-to-speak. I've written about this in the past about not being clear with your clients on all that you can do for them. Believe it or not, just because you did a brochure for a client doesn't mean they realize you could just as easily do a sales letter for them.

So while you have no control over the amount of projects clients have, you have total control over making your clients aware of all you can do for them.

3. Increase your client base.

Increasing the number of clients you work with on a regular basis not only increases your income, it helps protect you when other clients either have a long gap between projects or when they decide they no longer need your services.

Be careful... adding new clients at low fees leads to problems with you hitting your financial goals. The smart thing to do is add new clients at fees that are both fair to you and the client.

How do you increase your client base? First, you should be marketing to the types of clients that are compatible with your skills and your financial goals. Second, you should be seeking referrals from your current clients. A good word on your behalf by a trusted colleague is worth more to a potential client than your own unsolicited marketing efforts.

But until you're hitting your financial goals, you can't afford to leave any stone unturned. So continue to market on your own while seeking referrals from your current clients.

4. Increase your skills.

To put it simply, the more you know and can apply to a client's problems, the more money you can earn.

Let's say you love package design and have some clients in this design niche. Might you be able to earn extra fees by learning how to do product photography?

This is something I'm toying with since I do a number of projects that include a product photo. Unfortunately, in some cases, the product shots are taken in poor light or with some strange background, making it difficult to extract the product to place in my layout. I'm discovering that it would be much easier for me to take the photo myself just for my own sanity. But the added bonus is a higher fee for the photography.

Or maybe you're a print designer but thinking about adding web design skills to the mix. Wouldn't that open up new opportunities for you? Of course! Granted, adding a new skill takes time. But again, I'm going to recommend that you stay focused on your goals. Learning something new takes time and won't be a quick-fix.

Remember, this isn't a hobby... it's your career! If your current plan of attack isn't helping you hit your goals, you need a new plan. Use one or more of these four ideas to help lay a fresh foundation to reaching your goals.

And the book winner is...

2008-07-01T10:15:00.000-07:00

...Michelle from eastern Washington.

Thanks to everyone who took the time to send in their name.

As you can, try to find time each day to learn something new about the design tools you use, whether it's in a book like the one I gave away, or through a podcast or newsletter.

This week I learned something new about InDesign that totally changed how I do certain projects. It wasn't any type of hidden feature or "trick", it was just something I wasn't aware was available to me.

The trouble with some of these programs is that there are just so many options, some are buried a bit out-of-sight or it's not clear exactly how you'd use a given feature.

But if you learn how to use them (or even that they're available), it can really save you time on projects.

I'm giving away a design book

2008-06-05T09:29:00.000-07:00

This is kind of embarrassing. I recently bought a book that had been getting some good reviews for a number of months. It's Scott Citron's Professional Design Techniques with Adobe Creative Suite 3.

As I started reading the book, parts of it seemed awfully familiar. Yesterday, I found out why. Turns out I had bought the book months earlier and started it, but had put it in a pile to finish later. That pile had grown to the point that I finally had to go through it this week and there it was... the first copy of the book I bought.

So, that leaves me with two copies of the same book. I could simply throw one copy in the trash, but that would be a waste of knowledge. I could sell it on eBay, but I have no desire to go through that process. I could travel a couple of counties over and sell it to a used bookstore, but the amount of money you get for computer books wouldn't cover the gas to get there and back.

Instead, I'm going to offer it as a give-away here on the blog. The details are pretty simple:

1. From now until the end of the month (June 30th, 2008), I'm going to collect e-mails from people who want the book. Go to www.mikeklassen.com, click on the e-mail link and send me an e-mail with the heading "Free Book Giveaway".

2. Your e-mail should contain your name and shipping address. If it doesn't, your e-mail gets dumped. And sorry to say, but this offer is only for U.S. addresses.

3. I will not be confirming your e-mail, so don't expect a response. I don't mean to be anti-social about it, but I'm juggling a lot of things at the moment and need to stay focused on some high-priority tasks.

4. On July 1st, I'll take all those e-mails (which will be in a folder on my computer), close my eyes and use the mouse to point at one of the e-mails. That's the person who will get the book. Not a fancy method to pick a winner, but it'll work.

5. I will tell the winner via e-mail that they're getting the book, but make sure my e-mail address isn't considered spam on your end. If you miss the e-mail, you'll probably get the sense you won when a book arrives in your mailbox.

6. The book it completely free... I even pay the shipping. If, for some reason, the post office loses the book, sorry. But since I'm covering the costs, I'm not going to bother with insurance and what-not.

Just so you know, I'm not collecting e-mails for any other purpose. I'm not going to market to you, I'm not going to put you on some e-mail list, and I'm not going to sell your e-mail address. Once I have a winner, all the e-mails get deleted.

I'd prefer that you only send an e-mail if you feel you can use the book. I'd like the book to go to someone who can put it to use.

Here's a link to the publisher's site where you can learn more about the book and see the table of contents so you know what's covered. (Note that Adobe Press also sells a PDF version of the whole book. The one I'm offering here is a print version.)

Speaking of books...

I've updated and trimmed my Recommended Book List. I got rid of most books that were specific to a single software title. The list is now down to 18 books covering layout/design, the print process, and motivation.

Related to that, this blog now includes some quick links to those books. You should see those links on the right.

These are all books that I own or own a previous edition. (In fact, the list includes the Citron book I'm giving away.) I don't take book recommendations lightly and I realize a "great" book to one person may be a "waste" to another. But these are all books that have helped me to be successful as a direct market designer, so I'm letting you know about them.

How does a young designer approach a company for contract work?

2008-05-23T13:18:00.000-07:00

Recently, I responded to the question above. There was more to the question... in particular, how to tell a company that, based on what you can see of their marketing material, you could do a better job. In the designer's words:

Is there a tactful way to tell a company you could do things better?

Here's how I responded:

Here's the rub... how do you know what "better" is in the eyes of the client?

The bottom line is results. I work mainly with direct marketers and in some cases I'm stunned by what they've used in the past... some of it the ugliest stuff you've ever seen. Yet, it has worked tremendously well for them and that's what they care about: results

I've learned not to presume that I can do something "better" for them until I know what they've done in the past and what results they're getting from those efforts.

My quick advice is to introduce yourself to your local companies and start asking them about their marketing material. One question in particular to ask is: Is your marketing material getting you the results you want?

If they say yes, congratulate them on their success, let them know what you do and that you're available, ask them to put you in touch with anyone who needs help with their marketing material, etc.

If they're not totally pleased about their marketing results, offer to look things over and give your advice. At this early stage, simply try to be a resource for them. If you're providing useful info (and they can afford to hire you) they'll let you know when they're ready for you to work on their material.

Until you know their background and what results they're getting, I don't believe you're in a position to tell them that you could do something better. Sure, you could make comments from a technical standpoint, but you're not at the point that you could accurately evaluate their marketing process.

Sad to say, I started off the writing portion of my freelance career giving "how to make it better" advice without asking about how the material was performing. It's an easy mistake to make, especially if you've been reading books and going to seminars to learn how to do design and copywriting "right".

Just remember... "right" is often defined in the mind of the client as "what works". Sometimes it won't be the prettiest thing to look at and the grammar may not be perfect. But fixing those things doesn't guarantee that the material will actually be "better" when it comes to generating results.

Cold-calling: Waste of time or path to success?

2008-05-08T10:05:00.000-07:00

In my first real career, I worked in radio and eventually became news director of a radio station. Since I had multiple half-hour newscasts to fill each day, I had to put together lots of stories. That often meant calling people who had no idea who I was. It was a form of cold-calling and I got pretty good at it out of necessity.

When I became a freelancer, one of the suggested ways to gain clients was to cold-call businesses. Despite my comfort level with picking up the phone and making calls to people I didn't really know, I decided that, for me, cold-calling wasn't the approach I wanted to take.

I have no doubt cold-calling can work, because I know people who have found lots of success that way. My success as a freelancer came a different route.

I mention this because I read an article today on Clayton Makepeace's site. It was written by Bob Bly and titled The Trouble With Cold-Calling.

I read a lot of Bob's books when I started my freelancing career, so I have a lot of respect for him.

What makes his article interesting is the responses, one of which is by another guy I have a lot of respect for and whose books I've read: Peter Bowerman. Peter is pro-cold-calling. (As a useless aside, try saying "pro-cold-calling" really fast five times.)

It's great to see these two, and others, debate this issue. That's why I'm pointing you to the article today.

As I said, cold-calling wasn't for me, but I'm not anti-cold-calling. I'm a "whatever works for you" type of person. I'm also a "if you don't have any clients, you can't afford not to try everything you can to build your business" type of guy.

But if you're not sure if it's something you should do, read the article and the responses... it might help sway you one way or the other.

Become a Slave to Master Pages

2008-04-22T12:25:00.000-07:00

Right off the bat, the title for today's thought, Become a Slave to Master Pages, is probably one of the hokiest titles I've ever come up with. Apologies for not being more clever (or original considering it's probably been used a thousand times in the past.)

With that said...

I almost got caught making a layout task much less efficient than it needed to be. Fortunately, a better solution came to me before I wasted my time on the less efficient solution. The incident illustrates what can happen when we forget just how amazing our layout tools can be.

I'm doing the layout for a book and the client wanted to add 36 pages of lines so that the reader could keep a journal in the back. Each page would have the same heading, then about 20 lines for the reader to write whatever he or she wanted. In other words, 36 pages exactly alike.

My very first thought was to create the first page, then copy/paste the text box with the heading and lines into the 35 other pages. Not smart! Why?

If the client wanted any change, like a different heading for the page, or a change in the spacing between the 20 lines, I'd have to change the first one, then do the copy/paste routine over again 35 times. And imagine the fun if the client decided on another change after that!

Instead, I created a new Master Page, something you can do in both InDesign and QuarkXPress. On this Master Page, I created the header and lines once. When I added the new pages to the layout, I indicated that the new pages should use the new Master Page I created.

In an instant, I had 36 pages of lines. But the real beauty is that if the client wants a change, I only need to make it on the Master Page and it will be applied instantly to all 36 pages.

Master Pages are nothing new for me... I use them on just about every project. But I don't often have a need to use multiple Master Pages and that's why I almost got tripped up. I had gotten so used to not using multiple Master Pages, I had forgotten just how valuable they can be.

One reason I bring this up is because it's so easy to forget (or never learn!) everything our design tools can do and how they can make things easier for us. That's why I always encourage beginners to spend time learning how their design tools work. Take advantage of those slow moments as you're building your direct market design career and see what's hiding in all those menus and sub-menus.

Sites You Should Know About:

I've been stumbling across some great sites recently... it's not that they're new, I had just never seen them before.

All Graphic Design - A lot of great content here. Two recent articles - Designing A Catalog From Conception To Completion and Logo Design Creation Process from Start to Finish - are among many useful tips you'll find on this site.

LogoBlog.org - Speaking of logos, many long-time readers here will know that logo design is not something I feel I'm good at. But I am fascinated by the process because, to me, it requires a different type of thinking. If logos are your thing, this site is for you. I really liked the article from April 9, Magic of the First Letter. It's amazing how something so simple in a logo can still be very effective.

A Brochure Design Mistake Many Beginners (and Even Pros) Make

2008-04-10T13:35:00.000-07:00

I'm going to point you to an article I wrote for Inside Freelance Design. I'm always a little too lazy to include graphics here on the blog, but IFD actually took photos I shot and included them with the article.

In this particular case, the photos really help illustrate the point I was making.

You can read the article and see the photos here.

Elsewhere, Adobe has just announced Adobe TV. Some of the content comes from sources outside Adobe, like Layers TV, but between that content and Adobe's own content, this becomes a must-see site for Adobe training. (I'm particularly fond of Caffe Fibonacci.)

How many e-mail accounts do you need?

2008-03-23T12:06:00.000-07:00

Apparently the answer to that question, for me, is eight. That's right, eight e-mail accounts. Some are business accounts, some are personal accounts.

I did a count of my e-mail addresses after reading about Google mistakenly taking down some customer e-mail accounts some time back. For some people, not being able to access their e-mail account, even for a short period time, was devastating.

I feel for people in that position. As I've mentioned before, I'm very dependent on e-mail since that's the way I communicate with most of my clients.

So just a piece of advice: Have more than one business e-mail account. Maybe your main account is tied to your website domain while a back-up e-mail account is with your ISP. Maybe you have a third account with Yahoo or Google.

By having multiple e-mail accounts with separate companies, if one account goes down, you can still contact people through the other and let them know you're having some problems if you find that it will last more than a day.

I had kind of assumed people in business had something like this in place, but after reading about some of the people who were affected by the Google problem, I'm not so sure anymore.

Since e-mail accounts are so easy to get, make sure you're covered.

How to take advantage of clients

2008-02-20T19:35:00.000-08:00

The other day, I was looking at a freelancer's site. He explained that if a project is a "rush job", there will be a "rush fee" that will increase the client's price by 50% to 100%.

Not bad money if you can get it, I suppose. After all, the work involved for the project is the same whether it's a rush or not. But if it's categorized as a rush job, you're just having to do that same work faster.

So assuming that you're going to do a great job whether it's a rush or not, the end product will be the same. The difference is in how fast you get it done. (And if you argue that rush jobs generally result in layouts that aren't as good because they're rushed, you'd have a hard time justifying an extra fee for inferior work.)

This reminded me of my start in graphic design. I wrestled with this issue of whether or not to charge rush fees. I asked the few design pros I knew what their opinions were, then came up with my own policy, which is...

I don't charge "rush fees" because I don't accept "rush jobs."

This policy requires a little explanation because there is a philosophy behind it as well as, perhaps, some semantics.

First off, I operate under the belief that most clients don't intentionally set out to create rush jobs. It's certainly no fun for them. Usually something outside of their control happens. My own personal experience running my business proves to me that "things happen." So why punish a client for something that he would have preferred to avoid?

Second, if you do run into clients who are just bad planners and turn even the most simple projects into rush jobs, perhaps they're not worth keeping as clients. Once you've trained a client that you'll take every job as a rush, you're certainly not helping him break out of a cycle that isn't doing anyone any good. Plus, it just creates more stress in your life. As a freelancer no longer tied to a 9 to 5 job, I'd think you'd want to avoid stress and enjoy the control that freelancers have over their lives and career.

But I also look at this a little deeper...

As soon as I acknowledge the term "rush job" when a client calls, I've allowed their panic to become my panic. Yes, it's a rush to him, but it's not a rush to me unless I allow it to be. To him, getting a project complete in two days may be a rush while to me two days is normal.

In other words, I don't let the client's vocabulary and terminology affect how I look at and evaluate any project.

I look at this way... if the client calls and claims he has a rush job, either I can do it in the time specified or not. Him throwing more money at me in the form of a "rush fee" doesn't magically create more minutes in the day if I don't have time to do the project.

But someone who does require a rush fee is saying that he can make the time to do the work and, in my opinion, takes advantage of the client by doing so. If you can do it in the time specified, why charge an extra fee? Answer: Because you can get away with it... which I don't think is a good reason to do something.

Sure, by accepting a rush job you might sacrifice your personal time or time with family. Maybe you get less sleep for a while. But that's the designer's choice. No one is forcing the designer to do it.

So when I get a call about a rush job, I never think in terms of how much extra I can squeeze out of a client. I only consider whether I have time to get the job done according to his schedule, and what my normal fee is.

Having said all that, I can respect that some freelancers feel a rush fee is their right even when I totally disagree with that stance.

I just don't think it inspires a lot of loyalty on the part of the client. Personally, my goal is to be a partner with my clients. That doesn't mean I allow them to walk all over me, but it also means I don't try to gouge them with extra costs for something outside of their control.

I know my feelings that rush fees take advantage of clients will be a bit controversial. If you're the "rush fees are OK" type, carry on and don't mind me.

Just some food for thought if you haven't made up your mind one way or the other.

Bottom line: What does every client want?

2008-02-01T09:19:00.000-08:00

I just got Peter Bowerman's excellent Well-Fed ePub in my inbox. I've mentioned Peter before on this blog. While he mainly deals with freelance copywriting, so much of what he says applies to freelance design.

He was talking about using some common sense when in doubt about your freelance business. From personal experience, I know how easy it is to either get overwhelmed when you're just getting started, or to over-think things.

One of the issues you'll face is figuring out what clients want or need so that you can market to them properly and deliver what they want if they hire you. It's always a good idea to dig deep and figure out what is motivating the client and every last detail about what they want design-wise.

But there's also a level at which you need to keep things simple and not be overwhelmed by deciphering the mind of the client. As Peter said,

"Clients want what anyone who hires someone wants: to simplify their life, spend less time doing that task, and have the desired end result when promised and for the fee promised."

If you know nothing else about what clients want, the previous sentence, in all its simplicity, is a great starting point. Even after you know the gory details about a project, it still comes down to making life easy for the client and doing what you'll say you'll do.

By all means, continue to probe and get details about clients and their projects. But when a client believes that you understand that one of your main jobs is to simply make his or her life easier, you're a lot further along than a designer who comes across as only thinking about himself/herself and cashing that check.

One client's "Yuck!" is another client's "Perfect!"

2008-01-12T12:28:00.000-08:00

This idea comes under the category of, "I wish someone had recommended this to me earlier." So if you're at the "earlier" part of your career, I'm recommending it now.

Normally, when I'm doing a cover design for a book or special report, my intention is to come up with about three different designs for the client to choose from. Sometimes the covers are radically different from each other. Other times the client has been pretty clear what he's looking for, so the cover options will be slight variations of each other.

After a number of jobs like this, you're left with a lot of unused ideas that the client rejected. Of course, rejection of an idea doesn't mean the idea was bad, even if the client said something to the effect of, "Yuck!".

It didn't take too many jobs before I had lots of left-over ideas. If I had been smarter, I would have organized these rejected ideas. But it actually took a couple of years before it dawned on me that I could probably save time if I kept all the rejected designs in one file to pull from when necessary.

So let's say you design a cover for an eBook and give the client three very different options. The client picks a favorite and that leaves you with two unused covers.

If you're comfortable with the client, try to probe why they liked one and not the others. In some cases there might not be any logical reason, but there's a chance that you might be able to fix something in the rejected covers so they stand a better chance of being chosen by another client in the future.

Now, take those rejected covers and place them in a new file in your layout program whether it's InDesign, QuarkXPress or Microsoft Publisher. I call my file "Cover Ideas."

Every time you have rejected cover ideas, copy and paste the layouts into your "Cover Ideas" file. The next time you need a cover design, start first in your "ideas" file to see if something there is either a perfect fit, or could be a perfect fit with a little modification.

I've had a number of instances where a rejected design by one client was a design that put another client over the moon with happiness that I had "nailed it." Go figure.

Believe me, it might not seem worthwhile now if you've only got a couple of jobs under your belt, but I've been doing layout for a few years now and even in that short amount of time you quickly build up a lot of rejected designs.

Trying to pull these ideas from individual files scattered across your hard-drive is a pain. When you're in a hurry to put together a layout, you're going to be thrilled that you can look in just one place for ideas that might just be the perfect fit.

Here's another piece of advice... don't go too nuts with presenting a lot of cover ideas to clients. There were times early on when I was on a roll and ended up with about 8 or 9 ideas to present to the client. That probably wasn't a good idea, but it's a common mistake for beginners. You're almost desperate to ensure the client has something that they'll like, so you throw in everything you can come up with. But, in most cases I believe you'll find that clients don't want that many to choose from.

I think an ideal number is 3 or 4... maybe 5 if you really feel you have solid ideas.

By the way, there are times when a client says, "Yuck!", or something close to it, and they're actually right... the design is bad. One of my earliest jobs was designing a cover for an individual's eBook. Being the ultimate design rookie, I designed a cover that probably incorporated just about every Photoshop filter available.

I sent it off to the client and a short time later got an e-mail back that simply said, "My wife hates it." That was it... end of e-mail. To cut a long story short, the second version of the cover, after I asked better questions about what the client wanted, was a winner. (Remember, the copy is the star in direct market mail. Don't let your design overwhelm the copy.)

And the fact was, the client's wife was right. The initial design was one that should have been hated by all who dared lay eyes on it. But that's part of the process as you're just starting off... you'll design some clunkers. Don't get too down about it. Learn where you went wrong and keep moving forward. You will get better at it.

Finding design work in unusual places

2007-12-04T12:34:00.000-08:00

One of the top questions I hear is, "Where should I look for freelance work?"

Responding with, "Anywhere and everywhere", really isn't a satisfying answer to anyone, even though it's true in a very broad sense.

Frankly, the most helpful answer would be specific to the skill level and personality of the person asking the question.

But I find that if you keep your eyes open, you begin to see areas that need a designer, even though the work may not be as exciting or high-paying as a brochure, book or magalog.

Let me give you an example.

This summer while I was on vacation out-of-state, I was in a small cafe for breakfast. You see places like this in every town... seems like just about everyone eats there and everyone knows everyone else's name.

As I was waiting for someone to take my order, I noticed that I had a "place mat" in front of me. You've probably seen something similar before... a sheet of paper with business cards printed all over it. They're normally about 14 inches wide and 8.5 inches high. Once your food comes, they place it on your place mat. And if you're a messy eater, it's likely the place mat gets thrown away as soon as you leave. So they've got a ton of these place mats on-hand.

If you've got nothing else to do while you're waiting, chances are high you're going to look at that place mat and scan the ads. As soon as I saw this one at the cafe I was at, I knew I'd want to write about it here, so I pulled out my mobile phone and snapped a picture of it.

Looking at it now as I write this, there's nothing fancy about the place mat. There are about 20 ads on it, mostly business card size (and mainly just replicas of each company's business card), and only two colors used... blue for all the ads with a red border around each one. In other words, they went with two-color printing.

This place mat is something just about any beginning designer could put together. I imagine the designer of this place mat got digital versions of the ads, or scanned in the business cards, then arranged them in a layout program. If any ads were full color, the designer would have had to convert them to a single color (blue and tints of blue in this case), and add a red border around each card. After that, off to the printer.

Ok, so now you see this opportunity... how do you take action on it?

Using this cafe as an example, you'd probably want to see if the owner or manager was around. Small cafes are often locally owned, and if you're in there during a peak time, like breakfast, it's likely the owner will be there. So ask to speak to him or her.

Say something along the lines of, "This is a clever marketing device. How has the response been from people who are advertising on it?"

Notice that you're not hitting the owner with a sales pitch right off the bat. Places like this are about relationships which is why they normally have very loyal customers. So take some time to listen to what the owner has to say and get a good conversation going.

At some point, compliment the layout of the place mat and ask who did the work. Follow that up by giving your business card to the owner and saying something like, "I do design work myself. If for some reason you need another designer in the future, or know someone who does, please give me a call."

By phrasing it like that, you're not coming off as someone who is blatantly trying to steal the job away from another designer... you're simply saying that if he or she needs a designer in the future, you'd love a call.

As I said, there's not going to be a lot of "design glory" in laying out place mats. But my point is that (a) there are lots of basic design jobs out there, and (b) you need to keep your eyes open for opportunities to use your skills for even the most mundane tasks, especially if you're starting out and don't feel your ready to tackle larger, more complicated projects.

The work really is out there, it just might not always be where you expect it.

Q&A: What hardware and software do you use?

2007-11-17T11:41:00.000-08:00

One of the questions I tend to get a lot falls along the lines of, "What software / hardware do you use?" Since I've recently made some changes since the last time I addressed this, I figured it was time for an update.

Computer: While I've had an iMac for awhile, it's now the primary machine I work on. I still have a PC and will use it when required, but about 98% of my day-to-day business is done on the Mac.

Operating System: I'm still using Tiger even though Leopard is now out. Leopard has some issues and I don't foresee making the move to Leopard until after the new year.

Design Software: I think I have just about every design title out there, but the ones I use most are InDesign, Photoshop, Illustrator, Acrobat and Dreamweaver. And since most copy I get comes as a Word document, I also use MS Word.

Anti-Virus Software: Not quite decided, but I'll probably go with VirusBarrier. I'm currently trying out ClamXav, but as mentioned, I'm not quite committed to any title just yet.

Business Websites: They were originally done in FrontPage, but since I'm trying to work as much as I can on the Mac, I just switched it over to Dreamweaver which gives me some practice as I try to incorporate more mini-site design jobs.

Accounting Software: I'm using MS Money on the PC until the end of this year, then I'm probably switching over to QuickBooks for the Mac. It's not the cheapest title out there, but based on the tutorials I'm watching, I like what I see.

Back-up Software: SuperDuper. I use SuperDuper to maintain a clone of my hard-drive on a bootable external firewire drive. The idea is that if my internal hard-drive bites the digital dust, I can boot from my external drive. At the very least, all my files are backed-up every night.

Back-up Drives: Western Digital MyBook. I've got two of them. One is the clone of my internal hard-drive. The second just maintains a back-up of client and business files.

FTP Software: Fetch. I had been using CuteFTP which I really liked, but it was having issues with my firewall that Fetch wasn't. I still think CuteFTP is superior to Fetch, but I haven't got time to figure out what the firewall issue is.

Skill Training: I have always been high on Total Training DVDs, but this year I started a subscription to Lynda.com. I think it's a better value financially, plus their range of titles is far superior to any other company. Going this route has also cut down on the number of printed books I buy related to the software I use. I generally still believe it's good to have at least one "bible" type of book for reference. But in terms of actually learning how to use the software, these online training videos are as good as anything else out there.

Marketing Material: I rarely do any marketing that requires printed material, but when I do I use either VistaPrint or AmazingMail.

E-Mail Client: With some regret, I'm using Entourage which is really a step-down after getting used to Outlook on the PC. A new version of Entourage is coming in the first part of the year, but I think I'm going to switch to Apple Mail. I've been playing a bit with the new Leopard Mail on another Mac and it seems to do what I need it to do.

Cell-Phone: iPhone. I mention this only because, when using a Mac, syncing my e-mail accounts with the iPhone is a breeze and I can easily check mail when I'm out of the office. You can do that with other devices, but as I become more of a hardcore Mac user in business and personally, the iPhone easily integrates with all of it.

Printer: HP 5650. Nothing fancy here.

Scanner: HP ScanJet G410. Again, nothing fancy, but it does the job.

Magazine Subscriptions: InDesign Magazine, Photoshop User, Layers, Dynamic Graphics, Before & After

Obviously, there are tons of options in each of these categories, but if you're just starting out or looking to make a change, consider this my 2-cents.

Don't let OS upgrades slow your business down

2007-10-29T11:00:00.000-07:00

When you run a graphic design business, you feel both the excitement and fear of upgrading your computer software. Over the last number of months (and in the next couple of months), we've had a number of software upgrades to consider.

For PC users, there has been Windows Vista, Office, QuarkXPress 7 and Adobe's CS3 products.

For Mac users, QuarkXPress and CS3, along with Leopard that was released last week, and Mac Office which comes out early next year.

When I worked for Microsoft testing Windows, I knew what to expect by the time a new version of Windows was available. That made upgrading a much easier decision. Now, as both a PC and Mac user, and one that has no ties to Microsoft (or Apple for that matter), a new operating system is something to be carefully considered.

Already, there are scattered reports of Adobe CS3 not working 100% with Leopard, so I guess it will be some time before I upgrade my Mac.

But let me give you a little advice to help you make operating system upgrades go a little smoother. (And this will also save you lots of time if your hard-drive crashes and you have to start from scratch.)

1. Create an inventory of all the software you use or depend on for your business. That includes any font management programs, FTP programs, etc. Sometimes we forget programs that we don't use often, or third-party plug-ins that aren't obvious. Any one of these might not work after an operating system upgrade, so you want to have an accurate inventory or what you use so you can investigate how it might work after you upgrade your operating system.

2. Next to each software title, note the serial number. This is especially important for software you downloaded where the serial number is sent separately in an e-mail. It's easy to misplace these serial numbers if you haven't come up with an organized way of keeping track of them. If you have to reinstall software, you'll want those serial numbers handy.

3. If the program lends itself to it, take screenshots of your settings or preferences, or export the settings if possible. For example, if you have lots of sites configured in your FTP program, make sure you have that information in a separate place.

Take all that information and either make a hard copy, or an electronic copy, and keep it in a safe place.

4. For your downloaded software, collect all the installation files and put them somewhere easy to find on your hard-drive or burned to a disc in case you have to reload them later. If you installed from a CD, put all those CDs together so they're easy to find. Unfortunately, a common solution for software that doesn't work after an operating system upgrade is to reinstall the software. If that's the case, you don't want to waste time tracking down all your installation discs or files from various locations.

5. In your browser, bookmark the specific website support pages for your key software. This way, you can quickly find out if there are any updates or what information is available when you're planning to upgrade your operating system. There's nothing worse than upgrading your operating system only to find, for example, that your FTP software won't work with the new operating system and a fix won't be coming for a couple of months. This is something you want to investigate before you upgrade. And don't forget to export your bookmarks and keep them in a safe place in case something ever goes wrong with your computer.

Admittedly, it's a bit of pain to go through all this. But after having upgraded numerous times over the years, I can tell you that taking these steps and keeping your information current is easily worth the up-front time it will take.

When you're running a freelance design business that is so dependent on your computer, you can't afford any more downtime than is necessary.

Showing QuarkXPress a little love

2007-10-15T14:15:00.000-07:00

First, note that I said a "little" love in the title. I still feel that for a solo designer, QuarkXPress is inferior to InDesign in just about every way and I only use it when the job demands it.

But that's just my view of QuarkXpress based on my own experience and my needs in a layout program. There are many people out there happily using QuarkXPress and it does exactly what they need it to do.

But I do sometimes feel guilty (for only a second or two) that I talk more about InDesign (and by extenstion, Adobe) than I do QuarkXPress.

The trouble is, there are not a whole lot of QuarkXPress resources to get excited about in terms of podcasts, third-party magazine tutorials, etc. In fact, I just looked at Amazon to see what QuarkXPress 7 books were available. Not a lot, at least not by the major publishers. I'm not sure if that means anything or not, but it does make me wonder how popular QuarkXPress is with the general public these days.

So, it is nice to see that there's a new site out there dedicated to QuarkXPress: Planet Quark

If you're a QuarkXPress, take a look at the site and even send a note of thanks to the folks who put the site together. Since there's not a lot out there, anyone dedicated to serving the QuarkXPress community deserves a pat on the back.

Respect and the freelancer's mindset

2007-09-25T21:21:00.000-07:00

As some of you know, I started my freelance career as a writer. And one of the books that was really important to me in getting off on the right foot was Peter Bowerman's The Well-Fed Writer.

If that name sounds familiar, it might be because I've mentioned his newsletter before.

Even though I now do layout, I still read Peter's excellent Well-Fed ePub each month. His October 2007 issue started with a great article. So good, in fact, that I asked Peter if I could reprint it here. And since you're about to read it, you can guess what his response was. ;)

So, over to Peter...

*****

I was working on a project recently for a financial services firm that involved several interviews with client personnel. It was my fourth project with this client, so I’d proven my value to them. I called one of my interviewees at the designated time, and he asked if he could call me back in five minutes. Sure. Thirty-five minutes later, he gets back to me. He was apologetic, I was understanding, AND I automatically, and with zero thought about it, added the 30 minutes “waiting time” to my final bill.

Later, I contemplated what it means to be a professional. It all starts with a mindset. Undoubtedly, there are clients out there who, if they’d kept their hired writer waiting for half an hour, would think, “It’s just a writer. I’ll get back to him/her when I’m done.” Translation: my time is more valuable than yours.

Now, while that attitude is, well, unfortunate, what’s far sadder is that many writers would not only accept that sort of treatment without a peep, but it wouldn’t even occur to them to charge the client extra. Unthinking acceptance vs. unthinking billing (me).

I know that my main client, by the fees he pays me, his repeat business, and yes, his respect for my time, considers me a fellow professional. If he knew I’d been kept waiting for 30 minutes for a set interview, he’d expect me to charge for it, and would likely think less of me if I didn’t. Seriously. And with that acknowledgement of my professional status comes trust: on this project, he didn’t even ask me for an estimate. He knows I’ll deliver a quality product at a fair price.

But, I pick my clients carefully. I work with only those people who will value my time as I do theirs, who value excellent writing, AND have the resources to pay for it. Yes, I realize, that not everyone, at every stage of their careers, has the luxury of being as discriminating. That said, whether you’re making $25 an hour (if you are, don’t tell me, unless you want a scolding) or $125+ an hour, you can absolutely decide to ONLY work for people who respect you and your time. Or, at the very least, if they don’t respect your time, they’re willing to pay for disrespecting it. Here’s to respect.

*****

As a designer, you may not spent much time, if any, interviewing people. But I trust you can still see the value in what Peter has written and can even think of some areas where you should be applying his advice.

I'll be honest with you...I'm not always as good about this as I should be, although I'm getting better. But that "mindset" that Peter talks about is really key. Design (or copywriting) isn't a hobby or something that we play with to keep ourselves occupied. It's our profession and we need to treat it as such.

Perhaps that means that you mention in your client agreements that certain things will result in an extra charge. This might require you to think back on some of your projects and see where you were giving away your time when you should have been charging for it. And if you come up with items like that, work them into your agreements.

That's another reason why I advocate a "buddy" system...finding another designer that you share victories and failures with. I'm fortunate to count another designer as a close friend. We share just about everything when it comes to the lessons we're learning so that we both improve and get the respect we deserve as professionals.

Peter's Well-Fed ePub is a free, monthly newsletter. You can subscribe and check out some of the back issues here. I highly recommend that you do. As I've stated in the earlier blog post, I think it's important to know what copywriters know. And as freelancers, what we designers go through isn't too different than what the writers are going through and that's something Peter focuses on quite a bit.

Respect what the copywriter is doing

2007-09-01T00:01:00.000-07:00

For whatever strange reason, most of my layout jobs don't involve direct contact with the copywriter. I end up working just with the client and if there are any issues with the copy, the client talks to the copywriter, not me.

Some clients prefer that method because they're concerned that if they're not always the go-between, the copywriter and designer may make a change and forget to tell the client and, ultimately, it's the client holding the bag when it comes to success or failure of the promotion. Fair enough.

But despite not having the one-on-one contact with the copywriter, I strongly encourage my clients to bounce last minute ideas or changes off the copywriter even if his or her work is complete and they're, in the mind of the client, out of the picture.

Let me give you two examples.

1. I was working on the layout of a newspaper ad. It had a bold, one word headline at the top. The client suggested to me that we include a photo at the top of the ad that illustrated that one word. I found a great photo, but because the photo included the same word that was in the headline, I felt that having both right next to each other was redundant.

So I asked the client to bounce the options off the copywriter. The options were to have both the photo and the text headline together, not use the photo at all, or use the photo and remove the text headline.

But great copywriters don't throw in words or do things without reason. For all I knew, that one word has tested favorably in other marketing projects, so including a photo next to the headline might decrease response. And for better or worse, if an ad bombs, it's often the copywriter who takes the hit whether justified or not.

So since we'd be tampering with the copywriter's vision of the ad with the possible inclusion of a photo, and even though the client felt the copywriter's job was done, I felt strongly that the writer should be brought in to give his opinion, especially if he felt it might affect response.

2. Similar situation, but this time with envelope copy. A client needed an envelope for a sales letter. The client never talked to the copywriter after envelope copy, but was contacting me about putting together a basic design.

Again, I suggested the client talk with the copywriter about the effects of copy on the mailing envelope vs. no copy. Because if the envelope isn't doing its job in getting the recipient to open it, the sales letter won't get read and then we're back to the copywriter getting the blame for a failed promotion.

I had my own opinion on whether or not envelope copy was necessary in this particular case, but my respect for the copywriter meant that I wanted her to be brought in for her advice based on her experience with other promotions she had done.

And you know what? She wasn't asked for her opinion. I don't know why. I did give the client the pros and cons of envelope copy and based on that, and despite my suggestion he talk with his writer, he made the decision without her.

So there are probably two lessons to take from this. First, respect the copywriter and suggest the client talk with him or her if changes are being made that seem to take things in a direction that they writer wasn't planning. Second, familiarize yourself with the marketing process beyond just the design. Because at some point, you're probably going to be giving advice on matters that are not just design-related and you'll want to be speaking from a position of confidence and authority.

Turning down work...and why I do it

2007-07-31T11:08:00.001-07:00

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 and built my business, that dream isn't so important. I try not to turn down projects and I'm certainly not to 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.

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. About a year or so ago, I 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. (I do have one project that is monthly, but it only takes me a day or two to do it, so that one is ok in my book.)

4. The client isn't being fair to another designer. 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 a few dollars. (Literally!) There were probably a number of reasons to turn this 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 totally busy now, I'm not concerned about losing a job because my price isn't low enough, if I feel my price is fair. 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 5 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.

New Adobe Illustrator podcast available

2007-07-26T11:08:00.001-07:00

I continue to be amazed (and thankful) at the quality training podcasts that are available for free.

A new one dedicated to Adobe Illustrator has surfaced called Gradient Mesh. As I write this, the podcast is only two issues old, so time will tell if this is a podcast that direct market designers will get some use out of that they can directly apply to their projects.

But as someone who has been having to spend more time in Illustrator recently, I welcome anything like this that's going to make me more comfortable moving around in the program. (Side note: I'm seeing a Lynda.com subscription in my future very soon to get some extra training.)

Gradient Mesh is presented very professionally by Justin Seeley. It reminds me a lot of one of my favorite podcasts, The InDesigner which is a similar style in terms of solid information without what my kids call "silly business". "Silly business" is what you see a lot of in Photoshop User TV, another great podcast, but one that I find myself fast-forwarding through a lot these days to get past the silliness and on to the tips. That type of silliness gets old quickly and, frankly, I don't have time for it anymore. (Still, it's free so I hate to complain too much about it.)

Justin also has a Photoshop podcast, but I have yet to check it out.

In my mind, this new Illustrator podcast fills an underserved arena. I just haven't run across many Illustrator podcasts that are updated consistently. Of course, when people are doing these podcasts and offering them for free, you want to cut them some slack. But I'm hoping Justin steps into this void with lots of great tips and hints.

Bye Bye Windows, Hello Mac

2007-07-14T18:39:00.001-07:00

My very first computer was an Apple 2e (or ][e for those of you old enough to remember they way they wrote it out back then.) But over time, I moved over to a PC and eventually ended up working for what some people humorously refer to as The Evil Empire. (That would be Microsoft.)

As a designer, I work on both a Mac and PC, with the PC being my primary platform. Until now. As the years have gone on, I've grown weary of battling Windows for control of my computer. And I have a high tolerance since I'm a bit more familiar with making Windows run smoothly than the aveage user.

But as I've had a Mac and PC running side-by-side on my desk, I've noticed something: The Mac works better. There are some aspects that I don't think are as good as a Windows machine, but those reasons are dwindling.

So, this weekend, I started migrating my files over to the Mac, including my mail. I've still got some projects I started on my PC that I want to finish there, but I think I'll be starting all new projects on the Mac.

Now, I'm not telling you this just to share my personal life. There's a design aspect you should be aware of.

When it comes to software, the main tools of the design trade (InDesign, Quark, Photoshop, Illustrator, Dreamweaver, etc.) all work on both PC's and Mac's. And in most cases, a client doesn't care if you're using a PC or Mac.

But...

I've never had a client require a project be done on a PC, but I have had the requirement a few times that it be done on a Mac. If you're a PC user, don't worry. There's still plenty of work for if you're only using a PC. But if you're at that stage where you can go either way, go Mac.

This is just my own experience, plus a little inside knowledge from my time as a Windows tester at Microsoft, but the Mac operating system is more stable than Windows, and it doesn't even matter which version of Windows you want to talk about.

I'm not saying OS X (the current Mac operating system) is perfect. I am saying that, by and large, it has fewer problems and will get in your way less often.

There are some downsides to using a Mac, so in fairness I'll raise those issues.

First, if you depend on Office like I do, the current Mac version of Office is inferior to any of the recent PC versions, especially when it comes to Entourage (the Mac version of Outlook.) While a new version of Office for the Mac is due later this year, based on a few things I'm reading, I'm not entirely confident of what we'll get or if it will be vastly improved. I hope I'm proven wrong on that.

Second, I always advocate a back-up system in case your main system dies. PC's are so low in price I wouldn't be surprised to see them given away in cereal boxes if they could fit. But Mac's are another story. They're pricey and not something you can find easily at Costco or some discount computer store.

If you're running your business off a Mac and it dies, how easily can you get it replaced and be up and running again? A lot of people who use PC's actually have more than one in the house, so temporarily moving to another PC if your main one dies isn't as big a deal.

So those are a couple of potential downsides to be aware of. I'm sure there are more. But for me, I've had it. I've been battling Windows since version 3.1. I've served my time. The main design software I use runs just as easily (if not better) on a Mac than it does a PC, so there's nothing holding me to Windows except old habits. I'll still have a PC on hand for projects that require it and for non-business software that is PC only. (And, no, I don't intend to run Windows on my Intel Mac.)

So the next time you read a post here from me, it will have been written on a Mac and I will have cast aside the daily shackles of Windows!! (Ok, that's no big deal and it won't make any difference to you in how you read this blog. I was just trying to end on a dramatic note because this is a really geeky topic to be discussing.)

Quick Tip: Combining Client Notes on One Page

2007-06-27T10:32:00.000-07:00

This might be a little too basic, but I'll pass it along anyway.

Sometimes for a project, I'll get notes from the client in a number of different e-mails. This happens on a project where we don't have all the info at the start, so more instructions come as time goes on.

What I've started doing is taking those notes and pasting them in a Word doc to print out. Then I have all my notes for the project in one place where I can refer to it instead of searching through various e-mail messages to piece things together.

Maybe you take those notes and put them in some software organizational tool you have instead of on paper. But the point is, you have all your information in one place to refer to not only as you do the project, but also when the client calls to discuss the project.

When you start dealing with multiple clients and/or projects, you're going to want some system that allows you to easily move between them at a moment's notice.

At least for me, this "combine and print" method has been working pretty well to keep me organized.

Your time is your manufacturing cost

2007-06-18T16:30:00.001-07:00

While the following scenario hasn't happened to me, it has happened to others I know.

When you're a beginning designer (or copywriter), you may run across a potential client who responds to your proposal price with: "Since you're new (or since we've never used you before), we'd only like to pay you (a significantly less price). If it works out, we'll raise the rates back up for future jobs."

Sometimes this scenario is a test...to see how confident you are in yourself or if you can be pushed around on price.

While I'm not sure I'd ever say this out loud to a new client like this on the phone, here's something to consider. Would the client walk into a grocery store, take a box of cereal to the check-out stand and say, "I've never tried this cereal before, so I'd like to pay only 50% of the price. If I like the cereal, I'll pay the full price next time."?

Of course not. He'd be laughed out of the store.

You say, "Yeah, but there's a cost to get the cereal to the market...there's the actual cereal production, the packaging, the shipping...the whole manufacturing process that a designer doesn't have sitting at his or her computer."

But to me, your time is your manufacturing cost. Without your time, the end product doesn't get made. Unless you feel there's a really good reason, you shouldn't discount your time because once it's gone, you aren't getting it back. And you run the risk of continuing to discount your time on future project if the client gets comfortable at that lower price level.

If you're brand new with no samples to your name, you may feel the need to give in if you really want the job. Or maybe you take the advice of copywriting master Bob Bly who said, if I'm remembering correctly, that when you break into a new area, don't worry so much about the money on the first couple of jobs...just make sure you're walking away with samples and testimonials. After that, charge full price.

However, while not impossible, I think you'll generally find it difficult to significantly raise the price on a client for a particular type of project once the level has been set at a discounted price, even if they've said they expect you to raise it in the future. So if you accept the "first-time discount", be prepared for the worst-case scenario of staying right around that price for a while.

Here's my advice. Whatever you claim you can do on your website, be it sales letters, magalogs, postcards, etc., have sample of them on your site. It doesn't need to be from a paying project...just take some copy and turn it into a variety of great samples. Even then, you'll still run into clients who want to see tons of samples. But at least you're in a better bargaining position with a single sample in a variety of categories.

So when the client calls and isn't sure if you can handle the job, point him or her to your samples that relate to their type of job. If that's not good enough and they still want a lower price, you have a decision to make. My point here is that if you accept a lower price, be prepared if that's what the client is going to expect from that point on.

Just because you can, doesn't mean you should

2007-05-31T09:38:00.001-07:00

One of my earliest design projects was a cover for an eBook. I did the design in Photoshop and managed to throw in just about every filter and effect I could find.

It seemed like a good idea at the time, but I was brand new to design and... well... it wasn't a good idea. It was a nice showcase on what you could do with Photoshop, but a rotten cover for the client's book. The client's wife said, "I hate it."

My second version of the cover was much better... toned down and completely appropriate for the project.

At that moment I learned that just because I could do something with software didn't mean I should.

I'm (painfully) reminded of that story as I look at a brochure that was sent to me. I'm taking a family vacation later this year and we'll be staying a couple of nights in a Bed & Breakfast. We put down a deposit last week. This week, we got a brochure and a statement of what we've paid and what we owe when we arrive at the B&B.

For the record, I have great eye sight. No glasses necessary. But this brochure is painful to read, even with the great eyes.

The main copy in the brochure and "room description" insert card appears to be Monotype Corsiva. It's a common font and one you probably have on your computer. I've even used it myself... as a headline. For body copy? Ouch!

Go ahead and try it...type out two pages of text using Monotype Corsiva at about 11-points. As you read it, think of the potential customers for a B&B...it's going to be all over the map. You've got young couples, older couples...just about the entire age range who may want to read the brochure, not to mention people from other countries where reading English is not an everyday thing for them.

I have yet to even try to read the whole brochure, it's that much of a challenge.

But it gets worse.

The insert card which lists the rooms and the rates also uses Monotype Corsiva for the body copy, but now the font size is smaller because they're trying to pack in a lot of information. For the heading for each room which lists the room name, they use a font that I have never seen and can't even come close to identifying.

I'm not making this up... it looks like a font used in one of the Star Trek movies from years ago. Maybe it's Klingon.

Making it even worse is that fact that they've come up with clever names for their rooms. So between words that are partially made-up and a font that seems from another galaxy, it's exteremely difficult to read the room names.

Why would anyone do this? My guess is that someone thought the "fancy" fonts added a touch of class and elegance to the brochure and would make their B&B appear the same. Yes, it's just my opinion, but that someone was wrong. This is a common case where the design is getting in the way of the message in the copy.

As direct market designers, our job is to support the copy, not show off what our software can do or what obscure fonts we've found.

I had to laugh at the statement they included, showing what I owe. Did it use fancy fonts? No way! You don't want people to be confused over what they still owe, right? So my statement is a mixture of a more traditional Times New Roman and Arial. While I have no idea what the name of my room is based on the insert card, I sure as heck know how much I still owe them for that room because that font is perfectly clear.

So here are the take-aways for you:

1. Is the audience for your layout/design able to clearly get the message? For example, seniors typically wouldn't want a small font. If you're doing a design that will reach a wide demographic, take that into account as you make choices, especially when it comes to fonts.

2. Can you justify every design decision you make? In other words, are you doing something just because you can, or because it enhances the overall product? I get the feeling that if I asked why the B&B folks used the Klingon font, I get an answer like, "It looked neat/different." Uh-uh...there needs to be a better reason when it comes to your marketing material.

3. When in doubt, get an outside opinion. Sometimes we need an objective outsider to give us their impression of our work and tell us something isn't working like with think it is.

4. When not in doubt, get an outside opinion anyway. The B&B folks probably thought that everything was fine. An objective outsider might have given them reason to consider other options.

To be fair, the bad font choices for the B&B brochure may not be hurting their business one bit. But I'd be willing to bet it's not helping them either.

I tell the story so you avoid that type of thing yourself when you're working on a direct mail project and feeling a little too creative.

Learning from Copywriters

2007-05-22T19:56:00.000-07:00

Having started my freelance career as a writer before switching to design, I'm familiar with the challenges that are specific to writing. These include such things as writing in the client's voice or quickly getting up-to-speed about a topic or product you may know nothing about.

But as designers, we do share some challenges with our copywriting colleagues such as getting a freelance business off the ground and running smoothly, dealing with difficult clients, and ensuring that our work reflects the image the client is trying to portray.

In one area, though, I really envy the copywriters. They seem to have no end to the free newsletters that focus on direct market writing. Sure, we designers can find all sorts of design newsletters, but good luck finding a bunch of free newsletters that focus exclusively on direct market design.

But then it hit me...there's actually a lot of great, free newsletters that cover direct market design. It's just that they're camouflaged as copywriting newsletters.

Let me explain...

As someone who still writes from time to time, I subscribe to a variety of newsletters that focus on direct market copywriting. If you read those newsletters long enough you'll pick up lots of great writing tips. But if you're really paying attention as you read those newsletters, you'll pick up lots of spoken and unspoken design tips.

One of my favorite newsletters, Success Margin, is written by master marketer Ted Nicholas. While his newsletter seems targeted toward copywriters and direct marketers, designers can't help but pick up a tip or two.

In one issue, he wrote about writing copy for order forms but also offered some hidden design advice. See if you can find it:

"Restate a powerful money-back guarantee. The longer and more prominent, the better. For example, 30 days will pull better than 10 days; 60 days pull better than 30; 90 better than 60; 180 days better than 90. One year pulls better than 180 days. A lifetime guarantee is the most powerful of any time period."

If you're laying out a letter for a product that has a lifetime guarantee, and an expert like Ted Nicholas is saying that it's the most powerful of any time period, you'd better make sure to highlight that fact in the design so the reader can't miss it. You always want to highlight a guarantee, but if it's a lifetime guarantee, perhaps you should be calling extra special attention to it.

That's what I mean about really digging for the unspoken design tips. I think Ted's advice was intended for copywriters and direct marketers, but it also a tip-off to designers.

One of our jobs as designers is to complement the copywriters. When we make them look good, we look good. That makes the client happy and that leads to more projects coming our way. One of the ways we can help copywriters is to learn what they're learning and understand the issues they face when writing copy.

So go ahead and crash their party and subscribe to some non-design-specific newsletters.

Here's a list of some great, free copywriting-related newsletters that should be making themselves at home in your inbox:

The Well-Fed E-Pub

Copy Protégé

Alan Rosenspan's Improve Your Response

The Levison Letter

Copywriter's Roundtable

For Copywriter's Only

Success Margin

Another website no-no

2007-05-03T10:02:00.000-07:00

One of the reasons I comment so much about websites is because, for freelancers, a website is usually your main, 24-hour-a-day marketing tool. It's also the first impression many potential clients will get about you.

So here's another one of my "DON'T DO THAT!" ideas.

Have you ever visited a site and, as you're clicking on the links, hit one of those "Under Construction" or "Check Back Soon" messages? Or even worse, you get one of those helpful icons that show a construction work busily working away in case you're not bright enough to figure out what the words "Under Construction" mean.

Ok...we get it...your site isn't done. But here are the problems that go along with pointing it out to people. (And by people, I mean clients and potential clients.)

1. By having links that lead to an unfinished page, you're wasting other people's time. Don't do that. Respect the fact that clients and potential clients visiting your site don't have time to waste.

If you're fearful that someone will think you're forgetful by not including pages that you simply haven't had time for, put a small note at the bottom of your landing page that says something like, "This site is currently undergoing an upgrade. If you don't see a particular bit of information you're looking for, feel free to contact me at _______."

2. At least in the cases I've seen where there was a page with "Check Back Soon", the word "soon" seemed to have a very broad definition. What does "soon" mean to you? Should I check back next week? Next Month? I can think of one case where a year later the site owner was still telling visitors to check back "soon".

If people actually take you up on your offer to waste more of their time by continually checking in with you, you look bad when days turn into weeks and months, and you're still saying "soon" or "later". The fact is, despite our best intentions, if we didn't get those pages done in the beginning, it gets easier and easier to keep putting them off as we're off doing other higher-priority tasks.

Remember, your website is supposed to do everything it can to convince a potential client to either hire you or at least make contact with you. Get rid of anything that doesn't help you with that goal, including those "I'm not finished yet!" pages.

I'm pretty firm in my belief that if it's not helping you, it's hurting you...there's no middle ground.

Great books to add to your reading list

2007-04-21T19:47:00.000-07:00

I've added a few more books to my Recommended List.

The first is Thinking Creatively: New Ways to Unlock Your Visual Imagination. I've actually read a couple of books related to design creativity, but this was the only one I felt was worth recommending.

This one helps to show how different types of designs come together and is a big help if you're feeling a little design-challenged.

One thing in particular I like about the book is the exercises at the end. Normally I'm not too keen on exercises at the back of a book (too much like high school, I suppose), but these are actually fun.

For example, in the section about type and images, the instructions state: "Design a word so that its connotative meaning is the same as its denotative meaning...Design the word whisper to sound like a whisper. Take a word like stable and find five typefaces that would convey the appropriate meaning for it."

You'll find that book listed in the Business / Motivation section of the Recommended List.

Also in that section you'll find A Whole New Mind: Why Right-Brainers Will Rule the Future. This was written by Daniel Pink. His other book, Free-Agent Nation, is also in that section and has been there from day one. To me, Free-Agent Nation is mandatory reading for people who are thinking of freelancing. So when Pink's A Whole New Mind came out, I put it on my reading list and finally got to it a couple of weeks ago.

I think copywriters and designers will relate to what Pink says and maybe get some confirmation that they're heading in a strong career choice at a time when as many things as possible get out-sourced overseas. And as the title alludes, the book covers how the hemispheres of our brains work and how we need them to work in order to excel in our careers. (Don't worry, it's not a dry read.)

The next book is more of a reference and you might not need it now, but it's the type of book that you'll be glad you have handy when you suddenly need it. It's called Forms, Folds, and Sizes. You'll find that one in the General Layout Books section.

There's a little of everything in this book: measurement conversion charts, info on paper types, envelope sizes, postal standards, bar code standards, print bindings and a lot more.

Last but not least, I created a new section called Adobe CS3 Related. With the Creative Suite 3 now out, I was looking to see what, if any, books were available for my library. It's probably not surprising, but most books aren't quite out yet, but they are listed as pre-orders. So, since I was looking anyway, I tossed them all into this new section.

While I state it on that section of the Recommended List, I'll repeat it here: Those books are ones I don't own, mainly because they're not out yet. It's just a convenient list if you're a CS3 user and want to see what's coming.

By the way, I am using CS3 now...at least InDesign. I started using that this weekend for a new project. As I mentioned in a prior blog post, it's the little improvements that I like that will help me be more efficient.

And kudos to Adobe support. I was having trouble installing the software yesterday (Friday) and knew I'd need some tech support. It was ten minutes before 5pm Pacific which was when they shut down for the day.

I called the toll-free number and actually got through to a human. Reaching a human was impressive enough, but getting one ten minutes before quitting time for Friday and the weekend really impressed me.

The guy told me what I needed to do to fix the problem and it worked great. (For the computer geeks among you, it was a folder-level permissions issue with Windows.)

Not to state the obvious, but...

2007-04-13T09:32:00.000-07:00

...The look of this blog has changed. One thing led to another, and now it looks like this. I shouldn't complain because it's free, but the templates that are offered on Blogger aren't so great...functional, but not great. And I don't have time now to create something more original.

Related to that, I'm swamped with work at the moment. The jobs are out there and it doesn't take more than a few before you have as much as you can handle.

Not sure if I mentioned this before, but in 2006 (which was a good year for me) I only had about six different clients. Of course, they gave me multiple projects. But the point is, it doesn't take a lot of clients to fill your schedule.

This year, if the jobs aren't coming from existing clients, they're coming from referrals from those existing clients like the one I got about a week ago: "Hi, my name is ______. You don't know me, but _______ gave me your name." Ya gotta love when that happens.

Changing subjects...

Being someone who loves to read, I love lists like this. If I didn't already have a stack of new books waiting on my shelf, I'd probably start picking up a few of the titles on their list.

When I have more time, I'll tell you about a good book I just read dealing with design and creativity. Actually, I found two books, but one was much better than the other.

Changing subjects once again...

Never underestimate the value of being easy to work with. This is another topic I'll probably address in more detail at a later date. For now, let me just say that how easy you are to work with is probably equal (give or take) to your design abilities when it comes to a client making a choice on a designer.

I know of a couple of recent cases where some good designers got scratched off the clients' "call back" list because they were a pain to deal with. So keep that in mind when a project isn't going as smoothly as you'd like...do your best to ride it out and keep a high standard in your conduct.

Adobe CS3 - Do you need to buy it?

2007-03-27T10:02:00.000-07:00

On the day I'm writing this, Adobe has just let the world in on what to expect with next version of the Creative Suite due toward the end of April here in the U.S.

Without a doubt, I'm upgrading. (I'm kind of a geek that way.) But I always hear this question from beginning designers: Do I need to upgrade? In other words, they'd love to get the latest and greatest, but it's not cheap either.

I'll cut right to the chase...you won't stop getting jobs if you are using older versions of InDesign, Photoshop or Illustrator. So don't feel you have to get CS3 in order to keep up with everyone else.

Having said that, if you depend on these programs, I've seen enough to know that each one has improvements that make life a little easier and will probably make you more efficient.

For example, InDesign has a new "multiple place" feature. In CS2, you can only place one thing at a time in a document. That's not fun when you have a dozen or so pictures you want to put in a document. It's just so repetitive to have to go through the process of opening and placing each file one at a time.

With the ability to place multiple items in one whack (you do have to click to place each one), you save yourself time.

That's what I mean...nothing really earth-shattering, but with so many little improvements, your life is going to be a bit easier.

Also, for you Intel Mac folks, this version of CS3 was created to take advantage of the Intel processor. You should find it runs much smoother than CS2 does on an Intel Mac.

For you Vista folks, I'm sure everything will be fine (in fact, Adobe says it will be fine), but do some research before you buy to make sure CS3 and Vista play nicely together. Being a former software tester at Microsoft, I've seen it all when it comes to a brand new operating system working with brand new software.

The web design tool, GoLive, is no longer a part of the Suite, replaced by Dreamweaver. (Raise your hand if you didn't see that coming.)

And in certain Suite configurations, Flash is now included. (There are multiple configurations for you to choose from. I'm going with CS3 Design Premium.)

I continue to stand by something I've said when people just starting out in design ask what software they should buy: If you buy an Adobe CS product, you basically get a complete design studio in one box. (Of course, it's up to you to learn how to use it.) It can be pricey, but with one purchase, you're on your way.

And, obviously, you can buy any of the software titles individually...so if you just care about InDesign, you can buy it alone.

But, again, if you're a current Adobe software user and finances don't allow you to upgrade, you're going to be ok unless you run into a client who demands you use something you don't have and I haven't had that happen too often.

A lot of people have done great work today to provide video previews of new software in CS3. I'm going to point you to those if you want to learn more.

First, for an overview, head over to the Adobe website.

Adobe Creative Suite Podcast - This is primarily a slide show overview the whole Suite, but also includes some video demos. (Watch the 3D stuff in Photoshop and Live Color in Illustrator. Waaaay cooool!)

InDesign Secrets Podcast - New features in InDesign (audio)

The InDesigner - New features in InDesign (video)

Photoshop CS3 Learning Center - Lots of videos showing off the new Photoshop

Real World Illustrator Podcast - New features in Illustrator

Total Training Videos - Despite being pricey, hands-down the best professional video training you can buy.

Yucky Websites

2007-03-22T16:00:00.000-07:00

That's right...I used the word "yucky" and I'm proud of it. As easily as I can write these blog entries, coming up with titles drives me nuts. The writer part of me keeps thinking it has to be a title that will cause a non-regular reader to want to read what I've written. (I wonder if "yucky" is a popular Google search word. But I digress.)

In an earlier blog entry, I talked about one of the things I see from time-to-time on some freelance websites that I think can cause trouble. Today, another problem area: websites that are too overwhelming with information. (That makes them yucky.)

Earlier this year, I looked at someone's website and was struck by how much information the person was trying to provide. I wouldn't have been surprised if there was a link called "Kitchen Sink" because it seemed he threw just about everything including the kitchen sink into his site.

Now only he knows best if all that information is truly necessary. Certainly the navigational structure was a mess...it really wasn't clear where you were supposed to go to access the sublevels of the site, of which there were many.

When designing your own site, I think you have to base the design on a a couple of questions:

1. What do you want someone to do once they're at your site? Seriously, if you're a freelancer, what do you want them to do? Call you? E-mail you? Is it clear to the visitor what they're supposed to do?

I may have told this story before, but I was once talking with a website specialist who asked me what I wanted people to do when they visited my site. One of the things I said was that I wanted people to call me. His response was along the lines of, "Then why don't you have your phone number on your homepage?" It was on my contact page, but his point was that if a person only looks at your landing page, will it be enough for a visitor to do what you want them to do? Make it as easy as possible for them.

2. Does the information throughout the site help the visitor in accomplishiing the goal you set in step #1? In my mind, if the information isn't clearly helping you, it's hurting you. Potential clients don't have time to separate the useful from the non-useful, so while it might be nice that you live alone with your cat, Snicker-Doodle, is it really so important to mention it on the site that attempts to sell your services? I would argue that it isn't.

"But what about showing my personality so I stand out from the crowd?", I hear you say. First, I'm not against showing your personality on your website. But there's a big difference between showing your personality and telling things about yourself that says nothing about your qualifications.

And if you want to show your personality, start a blog or a newsletter. For example, regular readers of this blog can figure out quite a bit about my personality. But when clients are in a hurry to find someone to do a job, they want to get to the facts that will help them decide if you're up to the task. And quite a lot of the personal info I see on many freelancer's sites get in the way of that.

While I think my website accomplishes the goals I've set for it, I'm going to point you to one of the best freelance websites I've run across. It's the site of Eileen Coale of Coale Communications. (You could even say it's not yucky.)

I've loved Eileen's site since I started my freelance career as a writer some years back. It has a clean layout. It uses colors I don't often see, so it stands out visually. It keeps the content simple so you're not overwhelmed with information.

Eileen's "About" section is a masterpiece. It manages to make it clear that writing is her thing, while being entertaining and *gasp* showing personality.

In a nutshell, a potential client visiting her site can easily determine if Eileen is worth a phone call because she's keeping things simple and not trying to cram every last bit of information down everyone's throats.

Now, Eileen will be the first to tell you that she didn't design the site. (A link to the designer is on her landing page.) But credit Eileen for investing the money to make sure the first impression people have of her (at least on the Internet) is as solid as it can be.

Can the same be said about your website?

Buy now or buy later?

2007-03-11T06:16:00.000-07:00

This is kind of an exciting year for major software releases. First, Windows Vista is out. Later this year, Apple will release it's latest operating system.

For designers, the new Adobe Creative Suite 3 will be out, probably before Summer. (Actually, more info is going to be released about the next Suite on March 27th.)

The reason I bring this up is because you may want to hold off on some software purchases.

For example, if you've been thinking of buying the current Adobe CS2 in the next few weeks, you may want to wait until CS3 comes out if possible. No point in getting used to CS2 - and spending money on it - only to feel the need to upgrade to the new CS3 a few months later. (And from what I'm reading, CS3 is going to be worth the wait.)

Also, if you own, say, Photoshop and you're thinking of buying some plug-ins for it, again you may want to wait since some plug-ins may not work on the upcoming Photoshop, assuming you plan to upgrade. You want to make sure the plug-in makers are going to make your favorite plug-ins compatible with the design tools you use.

Those of you who have upgraded operating systems in the past know the challenges of getting all of your old software and hardware to work on a new operating system. So it usually pays to plan upgrades as best you can and ensure the software you need will still work. (And that the operating system you choose is stable.)

It's hard to recommend to people what they should buy without knowing a lot about them and their goals, but I will say this: If you are totally new to design and don't have ties to any type of software or operating system at this point, hold out until Apple releases their next OS (Leopard, I think) and then get Adobe Creative Suite 3 and a new Apple computer. (I use an iMac.)

With the Apple computer and OS, you'll get a solid system. With CS3, you'll get virtually a complete design studio with on software purchase. (Learning to put it to good use is up to you.) Yes, the whole thing will be pricey...Apple computers aren't inexpensive nor is any Adobe Suite.

But I've got PCs and Apples and just about every design software that's popular. If I had to strip it down to the bare minimum, I'd go with Apple and the Adobe Suite and be confident that I could run a successful design business.

Be careful what you claim on your website

2007-03-01T09:16:00.000-08:00

I've spent a lot of time recently looking at websites of freelancers...not just freelance designers and copywriters, but freelancers of all types.

Over time, I'll share various thoughts, but I'll just focus on one area today. This one is kind of specific to designers and copywriters. It may be a bit controversial, but just take it as one person's opinion. (I guess it's only controversial if you disagree with me.)

It's not uncommon for a freelancer to list clients he or she has worked for. I don't, for no reason in particular. But I have nothing against other people listing their clients on their website.

But that's where we run into potential problems. How do you define a client? You'd think that would be easy enough, but not quite.

I've seen some beginners list companies they've done spec assignments for as clients. This is a gray area, but I don't believe that just because you did a spec assignment for someone, that qualifies them as a client.

If that were the case, and I wanted to create an impressive list of "clients", I could do a bunch of unsolicited spec assignments for Microsoft, Boeing, Ford and any other well-known name you could think of. I could even send my work off to those companies. Whether or not I got a job from them, or even a response, wouldn't matter much because my main goal would be to list them as "clients."

Does it make a difference if the company was actively soliciting for spec assignments? In my mind, it doesn't.

Here's how I define a client for my business: An individual or company that uses a design or layout I have created.

Notice there's nothing in there about being paid. Although all my jobs are paid, my only criteria for being considered a client is if they used something I created based on their request for my services.

So what's the big deal of listing spec work as "client" work? To me, it's an issue of trust. As I've said before, the difference between you getting a job and not getting a job is often due to very minor, subtle things. And part of your job is to eliminate as many "red flag" items as possible.

I think, and this is just my opinion, that most potential clients interpret client lists as people you've done actual work for and that the work has been used.

If they ask you to provide details about your relationship with the clients on your list or about the projects you worked on for them (perhaps the potential client knows some of the people you've listed), you might find yourself in an uncomfortable position having to explain the true nature of your relationship with the names on your client list.

That could be enough to send the potential client to someone else. Never underestimate the importance of clients feeling they can trust what you say and do. Those initial feelings they get about you often seal the deal, for better or worse.

You might be asking, "So how do I catch someone's eye if I'm not using recognizable names?" Simple...stick with samples that show the quality of your work. Highlight the fact that you know how to use your design tools by showing samples that make it clear. Focus your attention on a compelling message on your homepage that helps convince people to at least contact you for more information or to look at your samples.

While I'm against listing spec jobs as "clients", I think it's fine to show on your website the work you did on spec or the work you've made up. (As long as your samples page doesn't say "This is work I've done for clients.") That's because you used your tools and skills to create it, whether anyone used it or not. And that's the main thing clients want to know...whether you have the skills to do the job.

If you get asked about whether your samples are made-up or spec, or if they were for jobs in which you got paid, be honest and tell them. That helps you build trust.

I think the bottom line to all this is that you seriously consider the impression you're giving people when they visit your website. You need to question how you phrase everything you say on your site and whether what you've included on your site is helping or hurting you.

You want to be completely confident that your site is the truest representation of you, your skills, and the way you do business.

-----

Forgot to mention that the first issue of the new Adobe Magazine is out. (It's a free digital magazine.) Boy, was I disappointed! I was hoping that the magazine would be full of great tips on how to use Adobe software like InDesign, Photoshop and Illustrator. After all, who better than Adobe would know how to squeeze the most out of their software?

No such luck. There are some tips, but it feels more like a bunch of stories about companies and people who use Adobe software...almost like case studies. The magazine is free, so I suppose I shouldn't complain, but I was so disappointed. For tips about getting the most out of Adobe software, stick with Layers Magazine or some publication that is specific to the Adobe software you use.

The Hardest Question to Ask Your Client

2007-02-23T06:50:00.000-08:00

Here's an article of mine that appeared in Inside Freelance Design.

The idea in the article is really challenging to do sometimes, especially when you know the project didn't go as well as you would have liked.

Simple design ideas you can implement

2007-02-11T19:05:00.000-08:00

As I continue to advance my design skills, I've been trying to pay more attention to design decisions that are made in various publications I run across.

Today, I'm going to point you to two examples that are basically the same type of content, but done different ways. The key to remember is that each example is very effective, yet really easy to create.

Both examples come from X-Ray magazine which is all about QuarkXPress. The magazine is available for free on their site, so I'm going to give you direct links to the PDFs so you can see exactly what I'm talking about.

In both examples, go to page four of the magazine and look at how the designer handled the Contributing Authors section.

First up is issue 4.2. (http://www.xraymag.com/pdfs/xrv42.pdf) Like a lot of magazines, X-Ray includes photos of their authors, commonly referred to as headshots. What we're going to focus on is how the designer is tying those pictures together with the bio text. We're not going to concern ourselves with color or font choices.

As a background for the author bios, the designer used a rectangle with curved corners. Anyone with even minimal knowledge of their layout program could create that in a few seconds.

The pointers that come out from the rectangle point to the author headshots. My guess is that the designer created a small square, then rotated it 45-degrees and positioned it so half the square couldn't be seen since it's using the same color as the rectangle. So you're left with half a square visible giving the impression of an arrow or pointer. Even if the designer used some other method, what I just outlined would work and could be done pretty quick.

Next up is issue 4.4. (http://www.xraymag.com/pdfs/xrv44.pdf) The designer used a different approach for the Contributing Authors section this time. The headshots were placed in a circle with a line connecting the photo to the author's bio. The right side of the line ends with a solid circle.

Designing a magazine takes a lot of skill, but this designer used very simple, yet effective techniques to add interest to what could have been a visually boring page. To me, that's the mark of an very good designer. Not surprisingly, that's often the same type of design that direct marketers are looking for.

When you're starting out it's easy to get overwhelmed by the decisions you need to make on projects. But as you've seen in these examples, keeping things simple and using shapes that you can create in just a few seconds is often an excellent starting point when you're not sure what to do.

If there's any "trick" to this process, it's how to take the different things that you know how to do - like how to create a circle, square, line and rectangle - and combine them into something useful for your projects. That's why it's important for you to pay attention to what's being done by other designers, break it down into pieces, then rebuild it into a layout or design that's all your own.

Ask a stupid question...get the right answer

2007-02-01T13:27:00.000-08:00

I remember a TV promo for ESPN years ago where Chris Berman is playing the role of a college professor. A student in his class raises his hand and says, "Professor Berman, I have a stupid question."

Berman replies, "There are no stupid questions...only stupid people who ask questions."

The promo is (uncomfortably) funny because we've all been there...having to ask what we feel is a "stupid question" while trying not feel stupid for asking it.

As a freelance designer, you better accept that you'll have to ask what you feel may be stupid questions. Otherwise, if you fake it or make assumptions, you're bound to have the situation backfire on you. And that's when you'll go beyond feeling stupid...you will have provided some facts to back it up for the client.

By definition, as a freelancer you're not an official, full-time employee of your client. That applies even if the client is always providing you work. So stuff that is obvious to them since they live it day in and day out is not always going to be obvious to you.

So, when instructions or feedback come your way, you're eventually going to have to ask "the stupid question" because something wasn't clear.

Here's a scenario. You've done a number of special printed reports for a client. They've all been 8.5 x 11. You get a request for another report, but this time they didn't specify the size. In your mind you think, "Well, every other one to this point has been 8.5 x 11, so this one probably is, too. And if I ask, they'll probably respond with something like, 'Hasn't every other one been that size?!' (Said with a very clear, sarcastic sigh), so I'll just do it like I always have and not bother them."

While it's likely that the report would be the same size, ask anyway. There's nothing worse than doing a job, only to have to redo it because you weren't in-sync with the client.

In the early stages of a career, we sometimes allow ourselves to create worst-case scenarios...you ask the question, the client thinks you're a idiot, they never send you another project, they tell everyone else not to hire you, your freelance business crumbles to the ground, your family leaves you, you're stuck having to take some job at lower than minimum wage, you eventually die, and your tombstone reads, "At least he won't be bothering people with his stupid questions anymore."

Ok...maybe that's just me. ;-)

Seriously, a lack of confidence might prevent you from doing the very thing that will help you build confidence. When you're unsure, asking questions is the quickest way to becoming sure and getting the job the done exactly the way the client wants it. Happy client = happy designer. Fretting over whether or not you should ask certain questions is a waste of your time and raises your stress level.

I'm happy to say I finally got over the fear of asking a stupid question. It only takes getting burned once to push you in the right direction. These days I don't care if the client thinks it's a stupid question or not...if I'm not sure, I'll ask. If they think I'm an idiot for asking and don't want to work with me anymore, so be it. That's probably not the client I want anyway.

In fairness, some questions are "stupid" because, perhaps, we rushed a bit. So here are some tips to help avoid putting yourself in that situation.

1. Read e-mail from your client carefully...reading what it says, not what you think it says. This is hard to explain, but as our attention is pulled in many directions, we sometimes see stuff in e-mail that really isn't there. Or we miss stuff that is there. Basically, we're in a hurry and our brain fills in blanks.

The flip-side is that the person who wrote the e-mail was probably in a hurry. So it is possible that something isn't clear. But take the time to read your e-mail carefully and see if the answer to your question(s) aren't buried in there somewhere.

I've had that happen to me a couple of times...I read an e-mail, then later asked a question that was already addressed in the e-mail. How could I have missed it?!?! It's like those times where you're reading a book only to realize you've read a page or two and you have no idea what you read. You started thinking about other things and went on "reading auto-pilot."

Slow down. If in doubt, re-read a couple of times to make sure you're not missing something obvious.

2. Have a checklist ready when a client calls. A lot of questions don't get asked when you're caught off guard by a phone call from a client or potential client. Maybe you're working on another project, or you rarely get a call so you're overly excited. Having a checklist of basic questions to ask will help you focus and get the core information you need up front. Better to get it now than get it later when it might cause headaches and delays.

3. What's the potential answer to the question? One of the lessons I learned from my managers at Microsoft is that if you came to them with a problem, you had better be prepared with a possible solution. It didn't even need to be the right solution...they just wanted to know that you were thinking things through and not rushing to them the instant you hit an obstacle.

Clients do appreciate when, if you have a question, you present what you think are possible answers. It shows you're spending time thinking about their project and valuing their time when you do contact them.

The bottom line: Accept that you're going to have to ask what you think are stupid questions from time to time. It's ok, and your freelance career won't come crashing down. But do follow the advice I outlined above and it will make asking those questions less frequent and a little less painful.

One year already?

2007-01-19T00:01:00.000-08:00

Today marks one year since I started this blog. I never intended to start one, but I was goofing around with Blogger and within a few clicks, the blog was created. Sometimes these tools are way too easy.

Anyway, I hope you've learned something from this blog along the way and will stick around for year two. There's so much out there on the Internet trying to get your attention that I'm pleased you make your way here from time to time.

A possibly amazing InDesign plug-in on the horizon

2007-01-11T17:14:00.000-08:00

At this week's MacWorld Expo, Recosoft Corporation announced an upcoming utility to convert PDF documents into InDesign files that can be edited.

Check out the news release, then come back and I'll tell you why this has great potential for designers.

First, I don't expect this tool to do a perfect conversion. I would think it's virtually impossible for certain things to be translated. And I can't imagine that the conversion process will create the individual character and style sheets that might have been used to create the PDF in the first place.

So as long as we're not expecting perfection, we're ok because I doubt it's possible.

However...

If the conversion can get you "close enough," that could be enough to save you loads of time.

Here's a not-too-uncommon scenario that a direct market designer encounters where a tool like this will be useful. The client calls and says, "We've got a 300 page book that we need to make some changes on. We have the completed PDF, but the designer has the original files and we can't get access to them."

In some cases, it's almost better to start from scratch, but that's not always practical or cost effective.

Imagine, instead, that you could use this plug-in to do most of the dirty work, then go back through and fix the things the conversion couldn't handle. How much time might that save you on a large project? What kind of hero might you be to the client?

Well, the bottom line is we won't know how useful this plug-in will be until it's released. But it's definitely something you'll want to keep on eye on if you're an InDesign user.

Rookie Design Mistake #17

2007-01-08T00:01:00.000-08:00

Ok, you caught me. There is no official list of rookie design mistakes. But if a list existed, this mistake would be on it.

While waiting to pick up someone at the airport the other day, I looked at the brochure display. These displays can hold dozens of 8.5" x 11", landscape oriented, tri-fold brochures.

Because of the design of most brochure displays, you typically only see the top third or fourth of each brochure.

In just about any display, you're bound to find a brochure that makes an almost fatal design mistake. Can you guess what it is?

The mistake is when the designer doesn't realize how little of a brochure cover can be seen in a display. I already mentioned that you only see the top third or fourth of the brochure. But there's always at least one brochure where the eye-catching copy or graphic is in the middle of the brochure...which can't be seen in most displays.

In the brochure display I was looking at, most were designed properly. For example, the whale watching tour brochures featured a picture of a whale on the top portion of the brochure. That's a good way to catch people's attention as they scan the display for something of interest. For brochures promoting a city, the city name was prominently displayed at the top of the brochure, as it should.

But one brochure towards the bottom of the display showed nothing but a dark brown color. No text. No bright colors to catch your eye.

The designer in me got curious enough to grab the brochure. Sure enough, the headline was in the middle of the page, totally invisible when placed in a brochure display. While I picked up the brochure for "professional" reasons, I'd be willing to bet very few others bothered. Since there was nothing to pique their interest, why would they?

Lest you think only travel brochures should follow this rule of putting important information on the top, many Chambers of Commerce use brochure displays to promote their members no matter what business those members are in. And trade shows may use brochure displays, too. The point is, you never know where a brochure you design might end up.

In design we talk a lot about choosing the right font and font size based on who is reading the material we're laying out. For example, if the target audience is seniors, you'd want to use a font size that is easy for older people to read. Something just as important that isn't talked about as much is under what circumstances people will be looking at your work.

When you land a brochure project, ask questions about how the brochure will be used. Perhaps the only use will be in a direct mail package where placement of cover elements isn't as important as it is when the brochure is intended for a display.

But if there's even a remote possibility that the brochure will end up in a display, you'll want to design for that right from the start. At the very least, you'll score points for raising the issue with the client. Clients love when you think of something they might have missed. That's the point at which you're adding extra value to your services beyond just design. And that's one of the reasons clients will keep calling you instead of someone else.

My favorite podcast

2007-01-02T00:01:00.000-08:00

The Christmas/New Years holiday allowed me to get caught up on some podcasts that I had fallen behind on. And in one case, it allowed me the chance to watch all the podcasts of one title I had mentioned here, but never had the time to watch. (It was put on the back burner during my recent move.)

WOW! Was I ever missing out by not watching it sooner.

The podcast is The InDesigner .

Again, allow me to say WOW!

As you might guess from the title, the podcast is about Adobe InDesign. The first few episodes were audio-only, but it's now video and what a difference it makes.

Unless you consider yourself an InDesign expert, you're going to learn something. And unlike some of the Photoshop podcasts I subscribe to (which are excellent) each InDesigner episode is going to give you something that you'll probably be able to put into use immediately.

Host Michael Murphy is an Adobe InDesign Certified Expert and works as a designer for a what I'm guessing is a trade magazine. When you see samples of his work that he uses to illustrate InDesign techniques, you're going to understand just how amazing InDesign can be.

I subscribe to about eight design-related podcasts, all of them valuable and full of stuff I can use in my business. But The InDesigner is the only one of these podcasts that I actually save on my computer so I can refer back to it if I have to. (Some of this stuff is easy to forget unless you use it everyday.)

The podcast is free, so if you're an InDesign user and not subscribed to it, you're flat out missing the boat. Get yourself started on the right foot this year, download all the "back issues" and then keep up with the new ones.

I tried finding a podcast related to Quark since I do have to use that software from time to time, but came up empty. If you know of something, let me know.

Goals, Goals, Goals

2006-12-20T09:30:00.000-08:00

This post took an unexpected turn. I was going to recommend you get serious about your goals for the new year by pointing you to a book that was a big help to me when I started freelancing.

I mentioned the book in my own book, I Still Can't Draw Good Stick Figures.

The book that was such a big help was Goals! by Brian Tracy.

I was going to add that to my Recommended List with a link to Amazon as I do for the other books I recommend.

After a few clicks, I had this. So that's my list of recommended books in a variety of categories. I own every book listed there in the main window. Actually, I own far more books than that, but the ones you see on that site are the only ones I recommend to other people. (The books listed under Similar Items are not necessarily ones I own, but based on purchasing habits, Amazon includes those as possible books you might be interested in.)

On a totally different note, I'm working on a client project that requires me to use QuarkXPress 7. While I prefer InDesign, there are times when a client or project requires Quark. After using Quark 7 for a while, I still think InDesign is a superior layout tool, but I'll give Quark credit...they actually included two printed books in the package.

One book is just a quick look at the new additions to version 7. But the other book is a 400+ page guide to using Quark. That's a big deal. Those of you who have been around for a while remember the days when you actually got a printed manual with your software...especially software that you're shelling out a lot of money for.

But to save costs, software makers either started putting together PDF books or created a separate user manual that you could buy.

For me, it was just nice to see a company put together a thick manual to go along with their software.

Talk to you in the new year!

New magazine from Adobe

2006-12-11T12:20:00.000-08:00

Some time back, I may have mentioned Proxy, Adobe's free online magazine. Turns out they're relaunching the magazine as Adobe Magazine for Creative Professionals.

The magazine will come out online quarterly, and still be free. You can sign-up now so you get the word when the first issue comes out in January.

You can sign-up here. That site also has links to the prior issues of Proxy.

Decimal Equivalents for Fractions of an Inch

2006-12-01T10:50:00.000-08:00

Here's a handy little conversion sheet. While you could use a calculator to figure out decimal equivalent for fractions of an inch, this is a bit quicker.

While some layout programs will allow you to work with fractions, I find it easier to work with decimal. Yet most printers I seem to work with always give me certain measurements in fractions. Thus the need for me to convert.

The conversion sheet is free, so grab it and keep it handy.

What do you need to learn?

2006-11-24T20:47:00.000-08:00

Wherever you're at with your freelance business, I think it's a safe bet that you have at least one or two areas where you consider yourself weak. Maybe it's sales, maybe it's marketing, maybe it's time management, maybe it's something else.

Do yourself a favor...figure out the top area where you're weakest and do something right now to go about fixing it.

This is advice I just took myself. There is an area where I want to be stronger with my business, so I've been searching for books on the topic and came across two that I think might help. So I just ordered myself two early Christmas gifts.

Perhaps you learn better in a classroom setting or through a video. Whatever method helps you, look for something that covers your weasest area. Then get active on making that weak area one of your strongest. Once you've conquered it (or at least have a good handle on it) repeat the process with another weak area.

You'd think this would be a common practice among freelancers, but it's not. It's easy to get so wrapped up in things that you never take the time to study up on your weak areas. Often, spending time there is not a lot of fun. If it was, it probably wouldn't be a weak area to begin with.

Here's a rough outline on how to proceed:

1. Identify your weakest area with your business. Sure, you might have more than one, but pick the top one for now.

2. As soon as you figure out what's "number one", find a popular book the topic or a class you can take at your local college. (Most colleges have their course catalog online, so there's no excuse for not looking it up right now.)

3. Buy the book, check-out the book from the library, sign-up for the course...whatever it takes to started getting that knowledge into your head.

4. As you're learning, decide how you're going to put your new knowledge to good use.

5. Put the knowledge to good use to the point where this area no longer tops your list.

6. Repeat with each weak area you feel you have.

Like I said, that's a rough outline. You know how you learn best, so adapt these steps to your style.

But...

Don't wait until January 1st to make this a "New Year's Resolution." It's a bad idea to hold off taking action on good ideas based on what the calendar says. Do it now.

Using Your Portfolio Properly

2006-11-16T07:39:00.000-08:00

Today, I'm going to point you to an article I wrote for Inside Freelance Design. It's called Using Your Portfolio to Make the Strongest Impression Possible.

I wrote this after an unexpected experience I had while showing my portfolio to a potential client.

Saving the best for last?

2006-11-11T16:44:00.000-08:00

I think I'm back to a more normal blog update schedule...the move is done and the trip to AWAI's Graphic Design Bootcamp is over.

At Bootcamp, some of us talked about presenting designs to clients and which one ends up being the design they pick. I've found that the design my clients like best is often the design I had never planned to make.

Let me explain...

Let's say you promise a client that you'll come up with three designs for a book cover. You knock yourself out coming up with those designs, trying to manage the stress of coming up with at least one idea the client will love.

Once you finish those three designs, the pressure is off...you've done what you've said you'd do. But on a whim, you have some strange idea and toss it in as a "bonus" design. What happens? You guessed it...the client loves that fourth design.

Why is that?

My theory is that when the pressure is off, your natural creativity takes over without having to filter ideas through what you believe the client will like. Since you're under no obligation to show your "extra" designs to the client, you can do what you want. If the idea stinks, you don't have to show it to anyone.

But what tends to happen is that you come up with a design you really like, and so might the client.

So my challenge to you is this: Once you've come up with the layouts or designs you've promised a client (no matter what the number), do one or two extra versions just for fun. If decide to show them to the client, you can say something like, "...I also wanted to give you some other options...a little outside what we talked about earlier, but perhaps something that will still work for this project or another."

By and large, clients like to see your ideas about their project. It shows that they're not just another client to you and that you're spending extra time thinking about what's best for them.

Design Interns on HGTV

2006-10-28T17:19:00.000-07:00

Prior to our recent move, we got really interested in the HGTV channel. That's the network dedicated to all things about buying, selling and fixing homes. Even though our move is complete, we still watch the channel quite a bit.

There's one show that has really grabbed my attention. Right now, it's only on the Canadian version of HGTV, but perhaps it will make its way to the US version of the channel.

It's called Design Interns and is somewhat of a reality show. A number of students are competing to be an intern at a local design firm. Each week, two of the students are eliminated based on their performance in the challenges.

These students aren't doing the type of design I am...they have to design things like high-end shopping bags or furniture for a home. You can get all the details about the show from the website, but let me tell you what stands out for me.

First, just about everything these students are learning about the business (and often they're learning it the hard way) applies to direct market design. You could just as easily make the challenges direct market design related and have all the lessons fit.

Second, their teachers in the series are brutally honest. It takes some guts for the students to sit there and take feedback on their projects. It's also a good lesson of what you'll encounter from time to time. Often, a client tries to be nice but other times they'll show no mercy in their comments.

Third, the biggest problem these students seem to have is not listening well. Their design challenges often come from a big name in a particular area, like the manager of a high-end hotel. The manager will lay out exactly what they want yet the students, who are put into groups small groups with their fellow students, often lose sight of what the client asked for. When their projects are critiqued, it often comes down to, "You didn't follow what the client asked for."

And when the teams are asked who dropped the ball, you find out really quick what these students are made of.

There have been some really good lessons in this program that any designer in any field could learn from. So keep your eye out for this series...it's worth your time.

Can I help you with your direct market graphic design career?

2006-10-15T12:10:00.000-07:00

I won't waste a lot of words here because I've created a page the outlines everything.

Briefly, I'm offering some "consulting" for beginning direct market designers who have questions about this career or their skill level.

It's not free, but it's not a ridiculous price, either.

You can get all the details here.

How to Make a Big Impression...

2006-10-10T11:49:00.000-07:00

One of the reasons I maintain this blog is that I still love to write. I've enjoyed writing since elementary school and, prior to design, all of my jobs have included a heavy amount of writing.

Since design is now my career, I don't write as much as I used to, but I do have this blog and, occassionally, my articles will be used by a third party.

So today, I'm going to point you to an article that I wrote for Inside Freelance Design. The article is How to Make a Big Impression with Your Practice Exercises and Real-World Projects.

The Finishing Touch

2006-10-09T09:49:00.000-07:00

There seems to be some law that says if you buy a new house, you must buy some new furniture to go with it. With a bigger house, we had room for some new furniture and decided to go to one of those large furniture stores with items that are probably way more expensive than we need.

(Stay with me here...I'm going to tie this into freelancing.)

After picking out a number of items for the house, I wrote a fairly large check...more than I thought I'd ever write for furniture.

In a few days, some of the furniture arrived. Along with the furniture, the delivery guys gave us a 20% off coupon (labeled as The Finishing Touch) to spend at the store on something like a lamp, framed picture or end table, and a bar of quality chocolate.

The coupon didn't surprise me. We spent a lot of money at the store and with the markup on furniture, 20% is nothing to them if it gets us back in the store to buy more.

But the chocolate struck me. (Ok, not literally. That would be too weird.) We had already paid them when we were in the store, so it wasn't like the chocolate was being used to entice us to visit them for the first time. It was simply a nice, extra touch to say thanks.

That got me wondering how a freelancer could say thanks to a great client. A discount coupon is too easy and it's only a "thank you" if the client buys more from you. I call that a thanks with strings attached.

Instead, you want something that is a thank you free and clear.

To be honest, I haven't come up with a perfect idea for my best clients. I simply raise the topic here to get you thinking about how you can show your best clients (if not all of them) from time to time that you appreciate their business.

Adobe Proxy Magazine

2006-09-24T09:27:00.000-07:00

Just a couple of more days before the big move.

Wanted to leave you with another resource that, suprisingly, seems to get little publicity. It's called Adobe Proxy Magazine.

You'd think that the creators of great software like Photoshop, Acrobat, Illustrator and InDesign would push their own magazine a bit more.

Each issue is a free download and features stories and tips that you might find useful. It comes out quarterly and there are six issues available at this moment.

I'm big on free resources, especially when they come directly from the source. So check this one out when you get a moment.

Lessons in bad website content

2006-09-03T19:00:00.000-07:00

I was exploring printers on the web today and ran across a site that sent the wrong signals.

Why should you care?

Because it's a good lesson when you're designing your own website. (These comments are generally addressed to any small business, not just freelance graphic designers.)

On the home page of the printing company is a limited time offer: There's no download charge when you provide files on disk or via the Internet. The offer is good from 4/1/01 to 4/30/01. Read those dates again.

In case, you don't have a calendar handy, I'll let you know that it's 9/3/06 as I write this. That means their offer expired just over five years ago.

Ok, there have been times when I've been too busy to update my website, but not that busy. This is a real bugger with me...dated material on websites that are way, way out of date. It immediately gives the wrong impression.

I may have mentioned before that in my writing days, I was writing copy for an organization that had a press release section on their site. It hadn't been updated in three years. Nothing like giving the impression that no one's home.

Still, I figured I'd poke around on this printer's site. They have a link called "Meet The Staff" which I thought would be good. Maybe by learning a little more about the staff, I'd feel confident putting any future project in their hands.

Here's what it said on that page: "Stop by anytime! We'd love to meet you!"

Over that was a illustrated graphic of some people with large question mark over them. Can you believe that? They actually went to the trouble to have a link that leads you to believe you'll meet the staff, only to tell you, in essence, to get off your you-know-what and come into the store. No thanks.

Finally, they have another link called "Save Money". There is absolutely nothing on that page that tells you how to save money despite a headline that reads, "Here are some tips to help you work quickly and keep costs low!" You just get a meaningless bullet list that would actually be useful if they fleshed it out with actual tips.

Hopefully your site is better than this printer's site. Take some time in the next week to examine every page of your site and objectively evaluate whether it would make sense to someone visiting for the first time.

If it doesn't make sense, fix it or get rid of it before people decide that you're not the better person to do business with.

How long is your commute?

2006-08-30T17:35:00.000-07:00

File this under the category of "Another Great Reason to Freelance".

A new report was just released and is popping up around the Internet today.

The bottom line to the story is that the average daily commute to work was 25.1 in 2005 which is down from 25.5 minutes in 2000.

I just timed the commute from my bedroom to my home studio: 4 seconds. Of course, I'm moving to a new house, so that time might increase all the way up to 10 seconds.

As you can imagine, I don't get too hung up on gas prices, either.

In case you needed another good reason to freelance, a short commute time tends to be at the top of everyone's list.

I'm Still Here!

2006-08-26T11:32:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the gap between posts.

We're in the process of selling our house and moving to another city. Those of you who have gone through this need no further explanation.

When you add the move process to keeping up with design projects, you can understand that something had to give temporarily. (Hint: It's this blog.)

Here's the positive take-away, though: By working for yourself, you're free to go house hunting during the week while still having time to work on projects for clients. Clients don't generally care what hours you work, only that you get things done on time.

Plus, when you're working freelance, you increase the odds of being able to move when and where you want.

I don't want to leave you empty-handed, though. While I haven't had a chance to watch all of them, I've added this podcast to my list of great, free resources:

The InDesigner

Ok, that's no help if you use Quark. But for you InDesign folks, you can't knock free video tutorials like this.

By the way, if you're a direct market designer or on that path, you need to get yourself to AWAI's Graphic Design Bootcamp. Yes, I'm one of the presenters, but ignore that for a moment and look at the names of the other presenters. You will not get a group of designers who specialize in direct market design in one room like that anywhere else.

I know for some of you it's a financial stretch, but if you're serious about making this a career, you should strongly consider going. My career got a big kick-start when I attended Bootcamp in 2004 as a total no-nothing newcomer. This year, I'm one of the presenters. Goes to show what can happen when you're serious about making this a career.

Make time for reading

2006-08-02T10:16:00.000-07:00

If you've been reading this blog for a while, you know I love to read. Primarily, I read magazines related to design and other things I'm interested in.

But recently, I was all out of magazines and feeling the urge to get engrossed with a book. I have a stack of books related to business, marketing and history that I had bought over time with the intention of reading when I had some free time.

But you know the story...the books sat on the the shelf. No matter, though...now, I had time and was ready for a good book.

The trouble was, the books in my "Future Reading" stack were no longer of any interest to me. They looked good when I bought them, but now none of them got me excited enough to plop down in a chair for a couple of hours.

To make a long story somewhat less long, here's what I did:

1. I took those book and tried to determine if I really thought I was still interested in them. Soon, I had a stack of about 20 books ready to sell to the used book store. If I didn't think I'd ever want to read them, there was no point having them take up space.

2. I made a list of the different categories of books I thought I might be interested in. My list included Personal Development, Financial, Hobby (photography, in my case), Bio/History, Business and Spiritual.

As a designer, I already have plenty of design books, so I was set on that topic.

As I made this category list, I got excited thinking about picking a new book from each category...books I'd actually want to read now.

3. I went to Barnes and Noble and picked books from a few of the categories. If your budget is tight, replace "Barnes and Noble" with "Library."

The rule is, I can't buy a new book from any category until I've finished the one I have.

For me, it's important to be learning something new. So some of the books I picked cover topics that I'm not familiar with in any way.

If you've got a stack of unread books taking up space, I'd recommend either reading them or getting rid of them. Then, get excited about learning something new and find some new books that address your current interests.

A picture can be worth a thousand words...and not good words

2006-07-18T14:02:00.000-07:00

I may have touched on this in the past, but I want to mention it again since I saw another example of the potential for problems.

I was reading a national magazine that had a variety of ads in the back. There were two ads for copywriters and both ads had a picture of the copywriter.

One ad was in color and the copywriter, in my opinion, looked a little goofy, but still seemed like a pleasant chap.

The other ad was also in color, but the picture of the copywriter was in black & white. He looked a little goofy to me, too, but he didn't look happy. And because of the angle of the shot, there was a shadow on one side of him which was all the darker because the picture was in black & white. So, he doesn't look good in the picture and he isn't happy about something judging by the stern look on his face.

I give that same look to my kids every now-and-again and let me tell you, the look doesn't say, "You can trust me with all your copywriting needs." Go ahead, ask my kids...they'll tell you that look gives off quite a different message.

Lest you think that I'd dare to throw stones at goofy looking people in ads, I'm perfectly willing to accept that I don't look so hot in photos. In fact, most of us don't.

And that's why I generally recommend that freelancers don't include a picture of themselves on their websites or business cards. I have yet to hear any really good reason for doing it. For some occupations, it is a good thing. I'm saying it's not good for freelance writers or designers. Just my opinion.

Why? I think you risk too much. People aren't hiring us for our looks, they're hiring us for our skills. And if you do look even the slightest bit odd, you run the risk of turning off a potential client, even if they aren't sure why. More serious than just looking goofy is that some people will be judge you too much on how you look or based on things they generally don't like in other people.

For example, let's say you're young. Some people equate youth with inexperience and will rule you out on the spot if they see a young face staring back at them. On the other side, a potential client may perceive that someone young will provide copy that is "more hip" than someone who is older. Again, your "mature person" photo eliminates you before you've even had a chance to prove your worth.

I've heard people say that by including a picture, they allow clients and potential clients to feel more of a connection which is important when you don't meet your clients face-to-face. To that I say: Start a blog or some other way in which you can expose your personality.

For example, this blog will tell you more about me than any picture could.

In the case of the two ads that I mentioned, you obviously can't include a blog. But I think a well-designed ad, without a picture, can be just as effective. (Of course, as true direct market pros, we'd want to test that, right?)

Look...if you're hell-bent on including a photo, at least do some things like the first guy I mentioned: smile, have the picture in color, and have the picture taken by a pro.

The second guy's picture, in black & white, totally overwhelms everything else in his ad because the picture makes him look unhappier than people in police mug shots.

Again, just my opinion and something for you to think about.

Are your color choices killing orders?

2006-07-02T18:19:00.000-07:00

In a recent edition of his newsletter, copywriter Bob Bly passes along some information by Don Nicholas, a subscription marketing expert and the founder of a company that serves as a resource for online marketers.

According to Nicholas, a publisher did a split test of a landing page. The only difference between the two landing pages was that one had an order button that said "Order Now" in navy blue type with a dark orange background while the other had an order button with black type on a red background.

Apparently, the button with the orange background generated 27% more orders than the button with the red background.

In design, we often use red in a headline to grab attention. So why did the red background of the order button not generate as many orders as the orange?

According to Nicholas, red works against you in an online order device because, "Red means stop." So there's a conflict...you're asking for the order but the color you're using says Stop.

We'll have to take his word for it that red was the culprit in decreased sales. But it is something to keep in mind when you're designing order devices.

Q&A: Photoshop or Photoshop Elements?

2006-06-18T10:55:00.000-07:00

This question comes up a lot and I've been thinking about it again since the AWAI Bootcamp information was released. I'm teaching another Photoshop session this year and the question comes up there and throughout the year for that matter: Can I use Photoshop Elements instead of the full Photoshop?

The reason this question comes up is normally because of the price...about $600 for Photoshop CS2 vs. about $90 for Photoshop Elements. That's quite a price difference.

I remember when Photoshop Elements first came out. I wasn't even a designer then, but I remember some reviews gushing over the fact that you could get a lot of the Photoshop features in Elements for a fraction of the cost. That was great for the home user, but I don't think it will work long-term for the pro. (And that's what you want to be, right?)

This is always a tricky topic because, as they say, one size doesn't fit all. And I hate to recommend someone spend more money than they have to. So I'll give you my opinion, but please do your own research based on what your goals are.

I tried to find some sort of indepth Photoshop vs. Elements comparison on the Adobe site with no luck. I did find this comparison, but I don't know how up-to-date it is.

If you look at the bullet points on that site, the first one rules out Elements for pro-level print use: No CMYK in Elements. Most photos, colors and web graphics are RGB. We convert to CMYK for print. The printer will likely catch you if you're using RGB in a print project. Maybe it won't matter, but if the printer says something to the client and you're asked to convert to CMYK, you're stuck if you're just using Elements.

Looking at the other bullet points, I see loads of stuff I couldn't live without in my work: curves, text on a path, layer masks and more.

If Elements came with your computer, or your budget prevents you from investing in Photoshop CS2, you can get by on Elements alone as long as you're not doing certain types of projects, or you don't need some of the more advanced features.

However, my question to you is how long would it take you to save up for Photoshop CS2 if you believe you're in this for the long haul? It might be more worthwhile not to invest money in Elements, and put that money in a jar until you've saved up enough for Photoshop CS2.

So, if possible, I recommend Photoshop CS2. If you can't swing it now, it doesn't mean you can't be a pro designer. It does mean you'll need to do some research so that you understand what is and isn't possible with your software, whether it's Elements or some other program like Paint Shop Pro.

Don't ignore the "free" in "freelance"

2006-06-04T11:46:00.000-07:00

I've been reflecting a bit on life as a freelancer. I have yet to find a negative aspect of freelancing. You might say, "Isn't struggling as you're building your business a negative?" Yes, but that's a temporary negative, not something that doesn't appear to have an end in sight..

Even that negative of business building is something that you can control by putting in more effort or trying different things. And there's that magic word: control.

To a degree, I don't have total control. If a client hires me, I'm obligated to do what they're paying me for even if I don't like aspects of the project. But if I don't like working for that client, I never have to work for them again. Try that at a "normal" business..."Sorry, boss, but Stanley really drives me nuts and I refuse to work with him anymore." More than likely, it won't be Stanley who will be shown the door.

Fortunately, most of my clients are repeat clients and I love working with them...not wanting to work with them again hasn't been an issue. In fact, I can't believe how fortunate I've been with my clients so far.

But I can think of some freelance jobs I'm glad I didn't take or wasn't chosen for because, in the end, I would have lost freedom and control.

For example, I was talking with one potential client about designing a newsletter and then being responsible for laying out the content on a regular schedule every month. Sounds like a great, consistent paying gig right? Yes and no. At the time, I was ready to take the job, but I believe they either chose someone else or decided to handle things in-house. Looking back, I'm glad I didn't get that job.

Had I gotten it, about a week of every month would have been spoken for. Taking time off or scheduling other projects during that week would have been problematic.

Let me be clear: I'm not opposed to being busy with work. In fact, Memorial Day of this year, May 29th, was the first day in 2006 where I had nothing on my plate in terms of work. I was in the middle of jobs, but every job was in the hands of the client.

My issue with having a design job that requires a set schedule each month isn't about not being able to commit. It's about enjoying the freedom of not being tied to something on a regular basis. As I said, I've been busy for for much of this year. But once those jobs were done, they were done...I didn't have to revisit them month after month on a set schedule.

And I can choose whether I take the next job that comes up. Or, as is the case right now, I'm telling clients that there's a week this month when I'll be on vacation. It won't conflict with anything because I don't have a regular project I'm obligated to.

See the difference? I'm committed to my clients when we're invovled in a project. But I don't have X number of days each month being dedicated just to them for a single project that is on-going.

You may actually desire projects like that because you thrive on the consistency. That's good because clients need people like you. But I'm learning that those are probably not the jobs for me. (I say probably because you should never say never.)

So what's the point for you? First, enjoy the "free" in freelance. Most of us went this route to enjoy some freedom. Be careful when you start to give some of it back. Second, evaluate what types of jobs you like. If you're just starting out, it's hard to say no to any job. But once you get established, don't be afraid to turn down work that doesn't fit with the life you're trying to create for yourself. The words "freelance" and "trapped" should never be used in the same sentence. (Ok...except for that last one.)

Magazines taking over my space

2006-05-21T10:06:00.000-07:00

I love to read and I probably enjoy reading magazines the most. I like the fact that magazines are current and a new issue arrives in the mailbox on a regular basis.

I subscribe to many magazines, most related to design.

But here's the problem...those magazines - with all their useful articles and tutorials - begin to pile up. That has created a problem in my studio: I'm running out of space.

So I took drastic action and started tearing out the useful information and throwing away the rest. As a kid, I used to collect comic books for pleasure and investing. For the investing side, one little nick in a comic book and the value goes down. The obsessive behvior of keeping the comics in "mint condition" now applies itself to books and magazines I own.

I'm not kidding...you could take just about any book off my bookshelf, even if I've had it for a decade or more, and still sell it as new because it still looks perfect even after having been read.

Now you can understand the trauma when I considered ripping pages out of magazines.

But, I had to face facts. First, the likelihood of me finding a specific article or tutorial was remote. I simply had too many magazines. Second, there's the space issue I already mentioned. Third, do I really need old reviews of software I already own or don't care about? Do I really need the editorial column from a magazine that's three years old? Do I really need all the ads for stuff that either doesn't exist anymore or is in a new version? No.

This is what I did and it may help you.

I have a small file cabinet that had an empty drawer. I bought some hanging file folders and started labeling them with things like Photoshop, InDesign, Dreamweaver, Photography, Fonts, etc.

I started going through my magazines and ripping out everything that might be useful, mainly tutorials or articles that I might want to review later. I took those pages and stuck them in the appropriate folder, then threw away the rest of the magazine.

Now, if I want to work on my Photoshop skills for example, I simply pull out that file folder instead of going through stacks of old magazines.

At some point, if I have time, I could even scan those articles to have digital copies. But one step at a time, right?

Doing this has cleared the clutter and made me for more efficient when I'm looking for something that I know was in some magazine. If magazines are taking over your workspace, this idea is something to consider.

By the way, a big thank you to those who have already bought my first book, I Still Can't Draw Stick Figures. There's a tremendous sense of satisfaction not only in completing the project, but in having a project that helps other people. If you think you have a book in you, please pursue it.

I Still Can't Draw Stick Figures

2006-05-11T17:21:00.000-07:00

I finally did it. After months of talking about writing a book, I've completed one. Of course, it's not the one I thought it would be, but life works like that.

The name of the book is: I Still Can't Draw Stick Figures...But I run a successful freelance graphic design business. Here's how I did it.

I won't bore you with the details because if you click on the name of the book, it will take you to a page that lays it all out for you.

I'll simply say that the book is about how I went to from the corporate world to the freelance world and ended up in a career that no one would have predicted. There's a classic moral to the story: If I can do it, so can you.

The book is mainly geared to graphic designers. However, the first half of the book is about my freelance writing business where I made most of my mistakes. Actually, just about any freelancer or future freelancer will learn from my missteps and my successes.

The "Killer" Order Form

2006-05-01T05:33:00.000-07:00

During my writing days, I subscribed to lots of great newsletters, many of which I still subscribe to even though I don't write copy much these days.

One of those newsletters is The Success Margin by Ted Nicholas. I thought the latest edition of his newsletter had a lot of things that we designers can learn about order forms.

With Ted's kind permission, here is that article:

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The primary goal of any offer online or offline is, of course, to get an order.

Therefore, the order form should be the very strongest element of any customer offer.

That's why it's always seemed so amazing to me that the worst examples of direct marketing are, in my opinion, order forms.

Order forms generally are dull, boring, ugly and unpersuasive.

Today I'm actually going to show you, dear reader, an alternative--how to make yours exciting, beautiful and compelling. And even better still--far more responsive!

** First Step **

Prepare order form first!

Sequence of when you prepare the different elements of your offer, especially the order form, is very important. Reasons?

1. Keeps offer fresh and exciting. You have not yet run out of emotional gas. If you prepare the sales letter first, as do most, you may have little passion and enthusiasm for the all-important order form afterwards. You can't hide your feelings. They will show.

2. Clarity. You will be almost forced into a rare but oh so desirable result for marketers. Instead of confusing the customer, present a clear offer.

Tip: As you create, what I recommend and use myself is this frame of mind. Assume your prospect will read your order form first and not read the sales letter at all. Therefore, your order form must be capable of doing the complete sales job by itself.

3. Never use the words "order" or "form" as does nearly everyone else. These words are negative and reduce orders. "Order" suggests spending money, which absolutely no one wants to do.
"Form" is something no one wants to fill out.
Do you?

Tip: Always use a positive headline for the order form. A few successful ones I use are:

-- Free Trial Request
-- Free Examination Certificate
-- Savings Certificate
-- Membership Application
-- Privilege Invitation
-- Send No Money--Offer Expires in 7 Days
-- Free Audition Certificate
-- Free Preview Issue
-- Official Entry and Enrollment Certificate
-- Request for Free Information

Tip: Start off the copy with the word "Yes"!
It's the most underused but powerful word in all languages.

4. Restate the main benefit of the product. Often it's effective to include two to three benefits of the product. Always restate the benefits, not in your voice, but in the voice of the person responding.

Tip: Include a statement of acceptance of the offer, including the guarantee, in the voice of the buyer.

5. Restate the features of the product. A full description including the colors, dimensions, weight and material used in making the product are important in helping build credibility.

6. Include a professional photo of the product, ideally in full color.

7. Include a photo of a person--perhaps yourself, the inventor or celebrity--that, of course, fits the offer. This individual should have a warm smile, wear appropriate business attire and be making eye contact with the reader.

8. Dramatize any gifts or free bonuses you may include within the offer. Photos, strong titles and descriptions really improve response.

9. Restate a powerful money-back guarantee.
The longer and more prominent, the better. For example, 30 days will pull better than 10 days; 60 days pull better than 30; 90 better than 60; 180 days better than 90. One year pulls better than 180 days. A lifetime guarantee is the most powerful of any time period. Always include the signature and title of the most senior person at the company at the end of the guarantee.

10. Make it stand out, not blend in! Use a different paper and ink colors for the order form than the rest of the mailing or e-mail offer.

11. Use a fancy border resembling a stock certificate, which adds the feeling of perceived value of the offer.

12. Print on one side only for an offline offer.
Leave the back blank. All my tests show the response is higher.

13. For offline offers, add the words "Please Print".

14. Add a second order form offline. I've never seen an instance wherein sales didn't increase by at least 10% to 20% due to pass-along readership.

Tip: No matter how high a response you get online, your offline response percentage is usually about 400% more. Clearly, many people respond at a higher rate because they retain offers received in the mail for a longer period.

15. Multiple order options. Since buyers of course vary in their favorite order methods, include toll free phone, fax, e-mail and mail.

Tip: Don't forget to include all your company's contact information. You'd be surprised how often even the largest marketers make this basic error.

16. Test a variety of font color options for headlines and subheadlines (red, blue, purple, etc.), but keep the main body of the copy in black. Black on white is easier to read than any other combination except black on yellow.

17. Include a deadline. Build a sense of urgency to build response. Print a specific date when the offer and price expire. Or print the words "Please respond within 10 days."

Be diligent in preparing your order form using these little-known secrets.

Instead of "ugly duckling" order forms, the result will be a beautiful response mechanism with a far higher response level.

As always, here is to your increased success margin.

Your correspondent,

Ted Nicholas

-----

As a designer, you may think some of what Ted suggested is out of your control. Maybe, maybe not. Not all of your clients will be experts in this area and it's ok to make suggestions about how things might be improved. (Do it tactfully, though.)

If nothing else, at least put into practice the ideas that designers do typically control.

Ted's newsletter is free and you can sign-up at The Success Margin.

Thanks, Ted!

Japan's direct mail industry

2006-04-23T11:58:00.001-07:00

I ran across the following in Alan Rosenspan's newsletter. Very interesting...

-----
While I was in Japan, I had the chance to view the winning work in Japan's version of the Echo's.

And I noticed a real difference between their work and most of ours. Their direct mail is much more graphic, with greater emphasis on visuals.

It makes sense in a country where Manga (books written in a comic book format) is read by more adults than children, and where the language itself originates from pictographs.

But visualizing benefits and showing people actually using your product works in any country and in any language.

Remember the old rule: people remember less than 10% of what they hear, and 60% of what they see.

And no one gives a better illustration of this than Professor Edward Tufte.
-----

I didn't want to take all of Rosenspan's newsletter and post it here. You can read the rest, including the part about Professor Tufte, at Rosenspan's Improve Your Response Newsletter. That's the direct link for that issue of the newsletter. From that site, you can also subscribe.

It would be interesting to see some magalog samples from Japan. I wonder if they're radically different from what we traditionally see in North America.

Is your portfolio doing you any favors?

2006-04-16T04:54:00.000-07:00

My online and print portfolio book still contain the first mock design I did on my own to build my portfolio. I guess you could say it has sentimental value.

Other than that, some of my earlier mock designs haven't stood the test of time, or more accurately, the test of my skill level then versus now.

Some of my early mock designs make me cringe, while others I'm still mighty proud of. (And they remain in my portfolio.)

But, you do have to "thin the herd" from time to time. As I go through my portfolio, I ask myself the same question on each piece: "Is this one doing me any favors?" If not, it gets pulled.

You'd think it would be obvious to get rid of the runts of the litter, but I constantly see sites of beginning direct market designers where portfolio pieces aren't doing them any favors.

It's one thing when you have nothing else to show. But after you get a few solid samples, pull out the weak ones because they'll only serve to make a bad impression.

I think the reason people usually leave up every piece they've ever done is twofold.

First, they think too much is never enough. Better put, the more the merrier. Maybe they believe it makes them look productive.

Second, they're afraid the piece they pull is the exact piece that might get them a job.

Deep down, you know whether each piece is any good or not compared to others you have. Don't fall into the trap of leaving everything in your portfolio as you get better.

And if you don't have enough pieces that you think are good, you know what to do, right? (Hint: Start creating better pieces!)

Podcasts you should know about

2006-04-10T08:15:00.000-07:00

I'm becoming addicted to design-related podcasts.

It's amazing what sort of design-related podcasts you can find, but let me tell you about five that I subscribe to that are all free. Obviously these will only be useful to you if you have the software. (You can find them through whatever tool you use for podcasts such as iTunes.)

1. Photoshop TV (video) - I've already written about this on the blog. This is hosted by the National Association of Photoshop professionals. I take notes and learn something from each weekly, half-hour episode.

2. Adobe Photoshop Killer Tips (video) - Also by the folks at NAPP. This is a daily, 2-minute video showing you a quick technique. Once again, I'm frequently taking notes.

3. Adobe Creative Suite Podcast (video) - This is hosted by Terry White who works for Adobe. This one is anywhere from 5 to 20 minutes and comes out about every 3 days covering some part of the Adobe Suite.

4. Total Training Guru Lounge (video) - I'm going to write about Total Training products in the future. They produce, obviously enough, training videos for various software titles. So their podcast will focus on one of the software titles they've provided training on. But these videos are not the same as the ones they sell; these podcasts are created just for this purpose. I will say that sometimes the topics don't lend themselves to the work I do in direct market design.

5. InDesign Secrets (audio) - One of the two hosts in author David Blatner who is well-known in the design world. These podcasts run anywhere from 15 to 30 minutes. There doesn't seem to be any set schedule of when they're released. There were six in March.

6. QuickTips for Designers (video) - About 3 - 5 minutes each and similar to Adobe Photoshop Killer Tips in terms of quickly presenting you with one good tip. But in this case, Adam Hay covers more than just Photoshop.

7. Rookie Designer (audio) - Another production of Adam Hay. I was trying to come up with a good way to describe this. I'll take the easy way out and use the description that Adam uses on his site: "You host, Adam Hay will take you on a journey to better work habits, better business practices and a new view on design. Learn from the mistakes of other one-time rookie designers and avoid the common pitfalls."

My advice is to take advantage of these free resources. But once you get caught up with all the "back issues", try to stay on top of each new issue and watch them as soon as you can. First, the sooner you watch them the sooner you can incorporate anything new you learn. Second, it's easy to let it slide and then you're faced with having to plow through hours of podcasts. The tempatation will be to skip some and then you're losing out on some potentially useful information.

Q&A: Should I do spec assignments?

2006-04-02T15:23:00.000-07:00

Every-so-often the debate over the validity of spec assignments flares up. It seems people want to make an either/or situation on whether specs are of value or not. And worse, they state their opinion as fact. It may be a fact...for them, or even for others they know. It doesn't mean it's a fact for you.

The general argument in favor of doing specs is that it can get your work in front of people who might not otherwise look at it. This is especially helpful for a beginner who doesn't have a portfolio of actual work built up yet.

The general argument against specs is that you should never do any work for free because it devalues what you do. Plus, there's no guarantee that all your hard work will get you any results. Or, there's a feeling that companies who require/request spec work are using you.

Let me be very clear: You can't make blanket statements about the validity of specs one way or the other.

I'll tell you my experience, but you shouldn't take that as the absolute path you should take. Go with what feels right to you, not by what others tell you that you should believe about specs.

With that said...

I owe the start of my career to a spec assignment. And truth be told, it was a spec I didn't do a good job on. I had just started in design and had lots to learn. But I took a chance and did about three specs even though my skill level wasn't where it needed to be.

With one spec, the feedback I got wasn't very positive. In fact, there was only one positive note that the company gave me. But - and this is a big but - the company gave me a chance to try again.

Based on the feedback, I had some questions for the company. I sent the questions, but never got a response. I had two choices at that point: I could give up and move on to another spec from another company, or I could just take my best guess on the answers to my questions and do what I thought was right.

I chose the latter option and I'm glad I did. The feedback from the revised spec was very positive and led to paying work. Then it led to more work with that company. That led to my name being passed around which generated more work from other companies.

I checked through all my invoices as I wrote this. Right around 90% of every design job I've done can be traced back to that one spec. (For the record, I did about two or three other specs at that same time and didn't get anything from them.)

So, with about 90% of my work, and income, being traceable back to a spec that paid off, you can probably guess how I feel about spec work.

Do I think beginners can't succeed without doing specs? Of course not! There are plenty of ways to build your business. Do whatever feels right for you.

Do I do specs these days? Nope. After those first specs, I never did them again. Didn't need to since I was busy with paying work.

Would I consider doing specs in the future? Possibly. There is one company I would love to do work for. They do most of their design in-house, so they don't need people like me. But if that ever changed and they were looking for outside help, I'd consider doing a spec and it wouldn't bother me a bit.

I do think it's a bad idea to blindly contact businesses and ask them if you can do a spec for them. If you have the skills, contact them as a professional designer and see if you can get paying work.

But some companies have a spec program in place to evaluate new talent. If you think there's some value for you in doing a spec with a company like that, even if it's just in the form of experience, go for it. Just because I didn't get feedback from all the specs I sent in didn't mean I failed to learn anything from the experience.

But again, that was just my own experience with specs. Your mileage may vary.

So resist the temptation to let others dictate how you should feel about specs. Evaluate it for yourself, then do what's best for you, not what someone tells you is best for you.

A font you MUST own!

2006-03-31T12:51:00.000-08:00

There are a lot of products I like and recommend. And there are a few that I think are so wonderful, I'm tempted to take out an ad to tell the world. Fortunately, this blog is a cheaper option.

I was working on a project where some CD label designs were needed. I was given a JPEG of various CD and DVD logos. You've all seen these logos, but if you're not sure what they look like, go to Google Images and do a search on "Compact Disc Logos". You'll see logos like "Compact Disc Digital Audio" and other variations.

The problem with the JPEG versions I was sent was that they weren't as sharp as I wanted. And because they were JPEG, they weren't going to scale well.

Thus began what I thought would be an easy search for CD and DVD logos. It wasn't easy. Sure, I found lots of GIFs or JPEGs like you can find through Google Images, but I kept running into the same clarity and scaling problems. I even found some Illustrator versions that should have scaled well, but didn't work right.

Through blind luck, I found a site that actually had these logos, and much more, in a package of fonts called CombiNumerals Pro. Even better, the fonts were only $14.95. So I bought them on the spot and incorporated them into my design. Problem solved!

The only negative was that I bought the font package from some font site, which was fine. But then I tracked down the creator of the font and found a newer version on their site. These fonts are so good, I actually bought them again to have the latest version.

What's so nice is that these logos - and there are a ton in the package - work like any other font. Just select it, type the correct key on the keyboard, then scale the font like you would any other.

You can see the complete readme guide for the fonts at The FontSite, which is the company site that has the latest version.

In addition to the CD and DVD logos, you'll find logos for Visa and MasterCard and other logos you might need for design projects. And logos is just a part of what you'll find in that package.

This font package is going to save you time and make your project look good for the client. If you think there's the slightest chance you might need fonts like this, grab 'em now and have them ready to go.

Take advantage of down-time between design projects

2006-03-20T09:40:00.000-08:00

When you run your own freelance design business, you typically dream of always being busy and having clients call you instead of you calling them. But it doesn't always work like that, especially in the beginning.

Let's deal with one thing really quick...if you're not as busy as you'd like, it's because you're not marketing yourself enough or in the right way. That's a topic for another time.

I maintain that these dry periods can be very beneficial. Once you're "wall-to-wall" busy, you rarely have time to learn new things and add to your skill-set.

So far for me this year, down-time has been almost non-existent. That's great for the bank account, but not so good for adding new skills to the mix.

I realize that for some of you, you can't afford to go too long without a project and its resulting paycheck. But I'd urge you to take advantage of those dry periods with a mixture of effective marketing efforts and educating yourself on new areas of design.

For example, I'm pretty handy with Photoshop. But I know I probably only use 10% of its features. So, when I have gaps between or during projects, I take steps to boost that 10%. And while I don't really care to be a web designer, some of my work does fall into that area, so I'm taking steps to learn Dreamweaver. (I use FrontPage now.)

The bottom line is, I don't fear any dry periods. In fact, I look forward to them so I can continue to grow. Take all the steps you can to be as busy as you want, but don't forget to stay sharp with your design education and take advantage of any down time.

A design book that's long overdue: Design To Sell

2006-03-17T09:10:00.000-08:00

If you've read my postings on certain forums for any length of time, you'll know that I've often commented (complained?) that direct market graphic designers don't have a lot of well known designers they can easily learn from.

Copywriters have far more resources, including people like Bob Bly who has written numerous books on the subject of writing. Direct market writers also have a bunch of free newsletters written by copywriters that other writers can subscribe to.

On the design side, we don't have much. So when a direct market-related design book does come our way, it is a big deal.

Most of you reading this know Roger C. Parker. For over 20 years, Roger has been nose-deep in design and marketing, particularly related to using design to sell. Two of his classic books are Looking Good in Print and One-Minute Designer. He does a weekly, free teleseminar series and can be seen at various events speaking to people about design and marketing. (I've seen him speak twice and will do so again later this year.)

A new book is about to feature Roger's name and, in my opinion, a book like this is long overdue.

It's called Design to Sell: Use Microsoft Publisher to Plan, Write and Design Great Marketing Pieces

That link takes you to Amazon.com. It's an affiliate link so it means that if you buy the book from that link, I get a cut of the sale.

Why am I telling this? Because if you buy a book from that link, then forward me the e-mail confirmation you get from Amazon.com, Roger has been kind enough to give me three gifts to pass along to you. More on that in a moment. (And yes, I'll know whether you used the link or just bought it on your own. You need to use the link to get the free gifts.)

But let's talk about the book.

Why is a book talking about marketing design in Publisher so important?

As much as I hate to admit it (using InDesign and Quark as I do), the reality is that a huge number of people use Microsoft Publisher for their design needs. As a designer, you'll eventually run into a client who needs you to manipulate a Publisher file or they'll want you to create something in Publisher from scratch.

Publisher is a relatively inexpensive program, so it's heavily used even though there are more professional (and expensive) programs on the market.

And many starting direct market designers simply can't afford the more expensive programs and have to start with Publisher.

I still get Publisher files that I need to deal with in my business. And, frankly, I'm not totally familiar with Publisher. But take a look at Barnes & Noble or Amazon for Publisher books written specifically with marketing in mind. Good luck.

So when someone of Roger's standing and background comes out with a book like this, and works hand-in-hand with Microsoft to create it (it's a Microsoft Press book), you should take notice. I did. I pre-ordered it the day I found out about it.

You can read this yourself on the Amazon site, but here's the basics of what Roger is covering:

Even if you’re not a designer or you have no marketing experience, you’ll get expert advice and learn how to: • Develop a market empathy, think like your market, and solve their problems using their language • Format your message so it’s attractive and easy to read—by taking a crash course in graphic design • Save time and money by using Publisher to create several different types of effective marketing pieces—including postcards to promote your business and newsletters that keep you in touch with your customers • Use techniques for quickly harnessing powerful Publisher capabilities • Do it right from the start and avoid common pitfalls and design mistakes

Each chapter includes an interactive exercise as well as review questions with answers on the author’s companion Web site. Also on the Web site are downloadable worksheets and templates, more illustrations of the projects in the book, additional before-and-after project makeovers, and other resources.

Offers bonus templates, worksheets, and more on the companion Web site.

Here are the free gifts Roger has passed along to me, to pass along to you.

1. The 10 Commandments of Guerrilla Marketing Design
2. The 12 Most Common Newsletter Design Mistakes (My personal favorite)
3. The 14 Biggest eBook Design Mistakes

These gifts total about 20 pages. I don't want you to think you're getting hundreds of pages in gift books. But that's one of the things I like about Roger...he gets to the point and doesn't bog people down in fluff.

The offer for free gifts won't last long. Design to Sell: Use Microsoft Publisher to Plan, Write and Design Great Marketing Pieces is coming out soon and around that time, I'm pulling this blog entry and the free gift offer.

So how do you get your free gifts? One you've pre-ordered through the link above, you'll get a confirmation from Amazon.com. Forward that to me at the e-mail address you'll see at http://www.mikeklassen.com/contact.htm.

Once I receive it, I'll e-mail you a ZIP file with the three gifts. Make sure you white-list my e-mail address or at least check your Spam folder in case the e-mail gets dropped there.

Over the past couple of years, I've talked to a lot of new direct market designers. And it wasn't that long ago I was in the same boat. I know the challenges in getting your business off the ground and in trying to start that business on a shoe-string budget.

And that's why I know Publisher is still an entry point for lots and lots of people. That's why I'm thrilled to tell you about this book. It's a resource that's going to save you time and headaches, and get you on the road to building a base of satisfied customers. From there, the sky's the limit.

Creating Mini-Sites and E-Mail Promos with Ease

2006-03-14T11:36:00.000-08:00

I've touched on this briefly, but promised I'd write more about it when I found time. So now is the time...

When you start off in direct market design, it's tempting to try to do everything... magalogs, books, websites, etc. After all, no one wants to pass up potential business.

At one stage, I considered doing mini-websites on a regular basis. A mini-site is usually a site that sells one product or service. It's like an online sales letter.

You can see a sample mini-site that I created here.

While I had a very basic web design background, my skill-set was lacking in a number of areas which would make it hard to market myself in this area.

So I was very interested when I heard about the Mini-Site Creator program. I was familiar with the creator of the program, Jim Edwards, and thought that if I was going to take a chance on a program like that, I could probably trust Jim the most.

Good call on my part, because the program is top-notch. Having a preference for visual learning, I was happy to find out that everything Jim teaches is done through short videos. I could easily follow along with him as he showed how to build mini-sites, hook them up to popular eCommerce options, etc.

Even better, he included lots of templates that you can use with your favorite web design program (like FrontPage or Dreamweaver) or the free Mozilla Composer.

If you're not familiar with traditional mini-sites, they're not very fancy. That makes them far easier to create than a traditional business website.

But like most things, just a little knowledge on your part sets you far above people who know nothing about website design. If you can show you can do it without too much trouble, it's much easier for people to pay you to do it for them rather than them banging their heads against the keyboard trying to figure things out.

A happy bonus with the program is that I can use the templates as a starting point for promotional e-mails for clients. This is more than just raw text in an e-mail...I'm talking about nicely formatted e-mails that, again, resemble sales letters.

Here's an example of an e-mail promo I did for a client. Since it was e-mail, the plan was to keep things simple. But doesn't that look far better than plain old text?

The Mini-Site Creator program will benefit two types of people. The first is direct market designers who want to get into this area of site and e-mail design. The second is people who want to sell their own products or services and want to do the site design themselves.

If you have even the slightest interest in this area of design, do yourself a favor and look into the program.

A Great Photoshop Plug-in Resource

2006-03-13T08:13:00.000-08:00

As if Photoshop wasn't overwhelming enough, there are tons of plug-ins that you can buy to help you do amazing things. The trouble is, where do you find these great plug-ins?

One of the best places is Plugs-N-Pixels. It's basically a "one-stop-browsing" site to see different plug-ins and what they do.

So instead of bouncing all over the Internet looking at different plug-ins, try Plugs-N-Pixels first.

The site also produces a free e-zine that goes more indepth on these plug-ins and lets you see how they can be used.

For direct mail, I find most plug-ins a bit of overkill. But every-so-often, you see a plug-in that either does something automatically that you had been doing manually (thus, saving you time), or you find one that sparks your creativity and is useful for a future project.

It's just good to know what's available to you.

Track your business with Google Alerts

2006-03-08T11:38:00.000-08:00

Don't know if you've heard of the free Google Alerts feature, but it can be pretty useful.

When you sign-up (it's free) you get e-mails alerting you to when a search term that you choose is used on the web, in the news, or in groups.

To give you and example of how it works, I set up multiple alerts based on my name, my business name, and my URL.

Whenever Google finds a new site matching that search criteria, I get an e-mail with a link to the site.

As someone who submits articles to article banks, I find the alerts useful in helping me see who is using my articles.

And yesterday, an alert pointed me to a site that had some incorrect information about my business. (Nothing serious.)

Most of my business either comes through word-of-mouth or some sort of web link, so the alerts are really helpful with the latter in determining just where I'm popping up on the Internet.

If you have a site, you might want to play around with Google Alerts. You can't be the price.

You can now subscribe to this Blog...Free

2006-03-06T18:58:00.000-08:00

For those of you into RSS feeds and seeing what's new on your favorite sites from a central location, you can now subscribe to this blog.

On the main page of this blog, there are some Quick Links to the left and the top one has an icon and the words, "Subscribe to this Blog".

There are all sorts of newsreaders out there. I'm using the Yahoo reader. You can learn more about it at http://my.yahoo.com/s/rss-faq.html.

What's the advantage? Well, once all three of my blogs are setup for RSS, you can go to one spot to find out if there's something new. And depending on your reader, new updates may scroll across your screen.

Basically, it's a time saving device for you.

In addition to this blog, you can also subscribe to Freelance 101 and soon to Affiliates 101.

Have fun with it!

New Articles for Freelancers

2006-03-04T09:15:00.000-08:00

Things have been hopping, but I finally had to make the time to put up some new articles at Freelance 101.

What I love about this is learning from other people who are having success in ways I might not have thought of.

In a short amount of time, there are already a few article authors who have become my favorites based on what I learn from them. Hopefully, you'll learn from them, too. As freelancers, it's important that we not get too caught up in our own thing and take the time to learn from others who can help us be more successful.

So whether the new articles are here on the main page or in the archive section, please take a look. You will learn something new! Here are the newest articles:

How to Raise Your Fees
Is Your Why Strong Enough?
How to Find Time For Marketing
An Effective and Free Internet Marketing Method
10 Promotional Tips Using Your Business Card
Keyword Distinction
How To Get Meetings With Decision Makers

You'll also find some links after some of the articles to the Mini-Site Creator program. Absolutely one of the best program you'll ever find on creating mini-websites. It's not just a book about how to do it, it's videos that walk you through everything. It even comes with free templates to get you started.

I'm also going to write more about it here, but for now let me just say that based on what I've learned from that program, it has easily paid for itself based on fees I've charged to create mini-sites and even HTML-based e-mails.

Here's just a really quick sample of something I tossed up after going through the course: DMRT Sample Site

So whether you want to charge other people to create mini-sites, or use your new skills to create mini-sites to sell your own products, check it out ASAP! If you're in a hurry to learn more, jump to the Mini-Site Creator site.

Web Design: What Fonts to Use

2006-03-03T14:10:00.000-08:00

First off, sorry for the delay between posts. Business has been good and I'm also teaching a marketing-related course at a local college. Doesn't leave much time for other things.

I'm in the middle of compiling a bunch of new articles for my other two blogs as well, so be on the lookout here for the announcement when they're available.

The article below is something that came into play for my design work. I do a little website design, but not much. But one client has had me designing some e-mail promos that are also used as a website landing page. (The same HTML code is used for both.) The information in this article is worth considering if you do similar design.

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Copyright 2006 Mark Nenadic

As web designers, it’s difficult not to get bored by using the same old fonts day in and day out with every new – or not so new – web design. After all, web design is a creative job, but how can we let our creativity flow when we’re being held back by font restrictions. Worry no longer, there is something that you can do about the font that you use.

Though choosing a new font is a bit more complex than it may initially sound, there is a way that you can go about choosing the way that your text will appear. Essentially, there are fonts that come pre-installed in all Windows and Mac operating systems. Of course, these font sets do change over time, but there are a great number of them that have been around for a long time, and will continue to be due to popularity. This is an issue, because you will want your font to be compatible with the operating systems of your users. The same thing goes for the web browsers, such as Netscape, Internet Explorer, and Firefox, used by your viewers.

Of course, you can’t assume that every font will be visible to everyone, but there are some things that you can do to “shake things up” a little bit for the sake of your web design – and your own sanity.

Overall, there are a few different forms of fonts available to you. Usually, this consists of:

Serif (also called generic) – such as Times New Roman, Georgia, Palatino Linotype, Trebuchet MS

Sans serif – such as Arial, Helvetica, Verdana, and Geneva

Mono-spaced (also known as typewriter style) – such as Courier New, Lucinda Console, Monaco, and Andale Mono

Cursive (also known as scripts and informal) – such as Comic Sans, Brush Script, Zapfino, and Marker Felt

Fantasy – any fanciful design such as those with floral and other forms of embellishments, or those in the shape of objects.

Naturally, this is not an exhaustive list, but it gives you an overall idea of what’s out there, and how it’s classified. This is important to know, because it is required when you enter the information into your site script. Because you’ll be offering your site to different operating systems and browsers, your script must instruct your user’s computer as to how to display the type. This is the reason that a web page script is specified in CSS in a way such as:

Font family: , , ,

So you could write the following to instruct your viewer’s computers:

Font family: Georgia, “Times New Roman”, Times, serif

What does this mean? It means that while Georgia is your preferred choice for the web design, if it is not recognized by the user’s computer, it should use Times New Roman and Times instead, which are the names used by Windows and Mac for the most common serif font. Since the serif is the generic, the operating system will always have something to work with, and the text of your website will always (or at least, almost always) be visible and readable to your site visitor.

Similarly, if you were using sans-serif font styles, your specification could say:

Font family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif

Just as the serif script said, this one states that Verdana is your first choice for your web design, but Arial and Helvetica can also be used as alternatives, and if they are not recognized, then the ‘sans-serif’ generic style will do.

By using those font specifications, your script will work with your site visitor’s operating system to find a font that is already installed on their list. This also means that you can choose whatever font you want as your primary font choice, and always have a secondary and tertiary backup in case your desired font doesn’t happen to be installed on the computer of any of your website visitors.

As a web designer, this makes web designing much more appealing, as it allows for greater creativity and flexibility when creating the overall look of the web design. Furthermore, it is attractive to the website visitor, as it allows for something different to look at, and a font that has been specially chosen for that particular site.

About the Author:

Mark Nenadic
Mark is the director and face behind FifteenDegrees-North http://www.15dn.com, where you will find articles and resources to help with SEO, marketing and Web design.

Do some research before you call a potential client

2006-02-22T18:32:00.000-08:00

I received a phone call today from someone asking if my company had any graphic designer positions open. I had a similar call last week.

As a solo operation, there's just one position available in my company and I'm filling it.

It struck me, though, that when people are desperate and looking for work - or clients - they blindly call anyone and everyone without taking some time to research the companies they're calling.

If you're just starting out and looking for clients, don't call companies and simply say, "Hi, do you have any graphic design work available?" (Actually, I'm kind of opposed to cold-calling, but that's another story.)

At the very least, slow down and explain why you're calling and see if you can find out what the company's needs are.

There are probably a ton of books on cold-calling, but here's what I might do if I were going that route.

Let's say I wanted to find out if my local hospital needed a freelance graphic designer. I'd drive to the hospital and scoop up any marketing material about the hospital that I could find.

Then, I'd find out who the marketing director was and call that person. I'd introduce myself as a freelance graphic designer and talk about some of the marketing material I had seen. (I wouldn't say I was just there snagging all their stuff, though.)

Next, I'd ask if the design work is done in-house or outsourced. If it's outsourced, I might ask who the work is going to. If I felt I wasn't intruding too much on the person's time, I'd ask a little more about their design needs.

That's just a rough idea...I'd change things up as the call progressed to go with the flow of what the other person was telling me.

Like I said, I don't think much of cold-calling, but if you're going to do it, at least in my scenario you come off as someone who has taken the time to understand what sort of marketing material they produce and can speak from a position of knowledge based on what you've seen.

Of course, things get harder if you're trying to land a client who is hundreds or thousands of miles away. I'll tackle that topic another time.

An inexpensive way to market your business

2006-02-18T09:19:00.000-08:00

This is one of the most popular articles I've written judging by how many different sites it appears on. (I submitted it to a few article banks and it spread like crazy from there.)

I suppose what makes it so popular is that the advice is so easy, yet so often overlooked. Anyone and everyone should be doing this.

As you read this, consider how often your utility or phone company tucks in a little advertising along with your monthly bill. They wouldn't bother if it didn't work.

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An on-going challenge your business probably faces is ensuring clients continue using your product or service.

In other words, you want repeat business.

There are few businesses without any competition, so there’s a constant struggle to keep existing clients while bringing new clients on-board.

However, many businesses miss a perfect opportunity to sell to their most qualified buyers: current clients.

Millions upon millions of dollars are spent on brochures, newspaper ads, sales letters and a host of other marketing methods that may not be read, seen or heard.

But what’s the one thing from your company that every client reads? It’s your invoice.

Unless you have deadbeat clients who don’t bother looking at their invoice, each client has to pay at least some attention to it. That’s why it’s one of the easiest opportunities to make another sale or drum up new prospects.

For example, my invoices usually highlight some other service I offer, or remind the client that I’d appreciate being mentioned to their contacts who may need my layout and design services.

And how much did I spend on this marketing opportunity? Nothing! It doesn’t negatively impact my marketing budget.

In some cases, the person reading or paying the invoice is not the decision maker. That’s ok. Remember, it doesn’t cost you anything to make the attempt, so you’re not losing anything if the attempt fails.

In the best-case scenario, you’re going to alert the client to one of your services that he or she might not have been aware of.

Or it might jog the person’s memory and they’ll think of someone who can benefit from your product.

But don’t overdo it. The invoice is not the place for an essay. Keep the copy short. I’d suggest no more than two sentences. Save the full-blown sales pitch for a full-blown sales pitch.

And keep the design of the message simple. At most, use a highlighting marker. Another option is to use an asterisk or two to help the message stand out.

Your invoice is a free pass that gets by all the defenses people put up to avoid sales pitches.

Are you wasting this golden opportunity?

Why I don't maintain a public price list

2006-02-12T10:45:00.000-08:00

A common question I get from potential clients is, "Do you have a price list?" It's a totally reasonable request.

However, I don't have a fixed price list, nor do I even have a public list that has a range of prices. Why? It generates more confusion than it's worth.

There are a couple of things I do that are easy enough to quote over the phone or e-mail with minimal information. But for big projects, a price list can cause problems.

Even if I listed a range of prices, potential client like to think their project will be on the low end of that range. That's only natural.

But all projects are not created equal. One magalog may primarily be text with one or two graphics provided by the client. Another magalog may require an extensive search for graphics, the creation of charts or a host of other things. You don't know where the project will fit into your personal price list until you have all that information.

Also, I want someone to talk to me about their project, not look at a price list on my website and make assumptions that may be inaccurate. The only way to give an accurate quote is to talk to the client and get as much information as possible. You may not get to have that conversation if you have a list that you automatically send out to anyone who asks.

It's not that I'm trying to be secretive or find a way to make my prices as high as possible. In fact, if I see a way for a client to cut some costs on a project (including my fee) while still maintaining a high standard, I'll recommend it. This happens a lot when it comes to the use of stock photos. But I can't provide the level of service I expect when a client is off on his or her own looking at a list that can't take into account the possible variables.

And for those who don't want to use me because I don't have a list...that's probably a good thing. If they're unwilling to have a little dialog before a project starts, it's a good indication of the level of communication they'll engage in during the project and that's not a good thing.