Comments on: A Designer’s Guide to Pricing

By: Christopher Hennis

Christopher Hennis — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 04:25:03 +0000

Yeah, nice article and I completely went through the same type stuff. It was refreshing to see someone being a bit personal with their articles, and flat out saying “Yeah, I was making $5/hour.”

I enjoyed it.

By: Jennifer

Jennifer — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 15:43:21 +0000

Great article. Note, pitching can also be perceived as spec work, which we as creatives are against. Doing spec work simply undercuts you and your colleagues. Be careful when you walk the pitch line and avoid if at all possible. Real clients will pay you for your time.

By: Paulo Canabarro

Paulo Canabarro — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 17:43:30 +0000

Great post Bill, thank you for sharing such good content from your experience.

By: Tamara

Tamara — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 03:43:20 +0000

Thank you for your insight!

By: Francisco Galárraga

Francisco Galárraga — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 19:20:53 +0000

Yep, I now have one of my best friends that’s feeling that I ripped him off, with my flat fee for designing his companies branding. Even worse, it’s an economical friendly fee. Turns out that he has a cousin that’s advising him that what he’s paying for design seems too much… damn it i hope he plays. I hate to have been put in this situation – i should’ve read this article last year…

By: derek

derek — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 15:10:08 +0000

What a great thread.
Just wanted to add- the best antidote to the ‘you should be cheaper than this other guy’ demand- is quality art, and quality customer service. Even if you are just starting out, show and tell your potential client how you are better than the cheaper options.

Even when I’m responding to a simple email solicitation – “Saw your cover art for such n such, what are your fees?” I always answer with my fees, and then add something like- “I work hard to understand my subject, researching the history, the themes, the appropriate trends so I will deliver the right image. I’m a team player and I’m dependable.”

Many artists are missing the customer service part.

By: Chris

Chris — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 18:03:47 +0000

Man! This was awesome. So many questions answered about things I’ve never had to deal with like contracts. Really help to demystify some of these things as I start my own freelance business. Thank you!!!

By: william A. Beachy

william A. Beachy — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 14:31:05 +0000

@ TheNetGuruz

I frequently hear the bargaining tactic of: “I can get the same service at XYZ cheaper – so you need to do it for me for less.”

All this accomplishes with me is that I get annoyed. Well, I think to myself, if you can get the SAME work cheaper at XYZ design firm – great! Now leave my office, go over to XYZ design firm and hire them! What are you doing here?

Obviously – they’re in MY office because it’s NOT the same service. This is Go Media!

The same way you can’t walk into a fancy restaurant and ask for them to reduce their prices because McDonald’s sells food for much less. The quality is not the same.

Of course, it’s OK to negotiate. And if I’m slow I’ll certainly give price breaks for jobs that I want. But the “someone-does-it-cheaper” argument never held any water with me.

As far as customers that hire you for one job, then expect that you should do a second job for free – as if you owe them – sounds like a jerk of a customer. You don’t owe them ANYTHING. Each deal needs to be negotiated and agreed upon regardless of previous deals. Each new job a customer gives you needs to be billed at the rate you think is fair.

Now, if a customer has been giving me tens of thousands of dollars worth of projects for three years straight, and one day he comes to me and says: “Business has been horrible this year. We’re on the brink of bankrupcy – I need 5 more designs to launch this year’s apparel line, can you help me out?”

Will I give him some free design services? Absolutely. He has shown me that he is not a buster by paying for years. We’ve formed a mutually beneficial relationship; I provide designs, he sells them – and he’s shown that he’s good at it. And now he needs my help to keep the relationship working. It’s in my best interest to keep his company alive. We are now living in a symbiotic relationship. I need him and he needs me.

That’s why international business is good for world peace! Nobody wants their government to bomb their overseas business partners!

By: thenetguruz

thenetguruz — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 12:44:57 +0000

Nice article, it was something I wanted to read about. As a freelancer, I do web design work everyday. Some clients are good and pay what I ask (I am still at the stage of using flat rate) but few bargain, like they show me that they are getting same work done for this much which is really annoying. Some clients will pay for work x then want to get another work y to be done free and even wont pay for work z well. What to do of these clients ?

By: Sarms

Sarms — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 15:30:36 +0000

When I started my clothing company a few years ago, my partner and I designed, printed, and marketed everything. Since then we’ve worked with a few designers/ friends of ours. We always envisioned expanding our company to a artist collective but most of the designers we sollicted were only interested in getting paid, which we were happy to do. It was a little disheartening though. Reading this post has helped me understand where designers are coming from.