Hi,

I'm a freelance artist. Freelancing for a living involves many hours of work (hard work/easy work/looking for work) each week. It requires confidence, patience, organization and motivation. Some clients Have a very clear vision of their job and can describe it precisely. Others are a bit disorganized or unmotivated requiring extra effort (and some should be avoided completely). When you make the decision to start freelancing, it can take a while to get the ball rolling, so if you are living with your parents, in school, or working a regular job, that can be good arrangement because you probably don't have the pressure of being completely self supporting. The basic principles of freelancing are pretty simple, but it seems like there's always more to learn.  If you are thinking about doing any kind of freelance art work, or you have been trying unsuccessfully to take the first step, these tips may help you get started.

Here's a basic checklist. In order to sell art, you generally need:
1)a reasonable level of artistic skill
2)a good product idea (for example "pet portraits" or "hand made bracelets")
3)a clear and simple pricing plan
4)a target market (clients somewhere in the world who want what you are selling and can pay for it)
5)a way to interact with the clients
6)a way to convince the clients to buy from you and not someone else
7)an agreement or contract to exchange their money for your product
8)the ability to deliver the product as agreed
9)the ability to receive payment
10)the ability to keep track of all projects and payments
(and the ability to pay taxes if applicable)

These are 10 things that you can continue to improve in order to bring in more money (especially 1-6). If you absolutely can't get past number 6 then you might need to really focus more effort on step 1 or 2.


1)Your Skill level: Learning how to "DO" art is just like learning to speak a language, or play music or perform surgery. You can learn a little bit with a little effort or you can really excel at it with focused study, observation, practice, feedback, analysis, access to tools and resources, interaction with more advanced artists and plain old hard work. Be obsessed with learning, never stop striving to improve. A person of average skill can probably freelance reasonably well by properly addressing the other items in the list. You may or may not get work immediately, but work on each list item and eventually you'll get going.

2)Your product: In my opinion , a good product has some combination of the following elements:
-People want it. (If no one wants it then none of the other elements matter.)
-The people who want it can afford to buy it. (we'll deal with pricing later.)
-You can sell it for more than your cost (time, effort, supplies) to make it.
-You enjoy making it (that enjoyment will help keep you motivated.)
-You can produce it consistently with good quality. (happy customers can lead to more business.)
-It is marketable. (More about this in sections 5 and 6.)
-It is better than the competing products. (If you are providing a product that other people provide, then you need to be more skilled than most of your competitors. If you can do something that few other people can do, you will have less competition and may be able to charge more.) Don't be afraid to consider new product ideas that might open up a new paying market for you.

3)Your price:
The subject of pricing can often lead to heated debates. This guide is directed at artists with zero or nearly zero freelance experience, no specific skill level, and no established client pool, so I will not be recommending the same pricing used by established freelancers. Personally, I have an hourly rate in mind, and for each job I estimate how much time the work will take and I provide the client with a fixed price quote. Whatever you choose as a starting rate, your goal will be to increase it over time and as you address each of the 10 items listed at the start of this article. Your base price is an hourly rate that YOU choose multiplied by the number of hours it takes to make the product, plus the cost of any materials used and shipping cost if applicable. If you have no idea what rate to choose, then I recommend at least minimum wage as a starting point for your hourly rate. (If there is no minimum wage where you live, try to figure out the hourly pay rate for an entry level job.) If you know you can charge more than that, then charge more.

If you are able to bring in more work than you can handle, you may be able to increase your price. If you are well known, you may be able to increase your price. If you have very little competition, you may be able to increase your price. If you are more skilled than your competition you may be able to increase your price. If your client wants a rush job you may be able to increase your price. If you are already fully booked or you know a particular client is difficult you may want to quote a higher price for that particular client instead of just declining the job.

If you are just starting out, it may take more than a few adjustments to find the right balance price/volume of work. If you are quoting each job individually, test out a higher price on a handful of jobs and gauge the response. This is best done with new clients who will not be expecting the old price. Maybe you'll only be awarded 5 jobs this week instead of 8, but if the price increase allows you to make the same amount of money with fewer jobs and the clients are still happy, then you've made progress.

4)Your clients: The ideal client wants your product, communicates clearly, is willing and able to pay your price for your product, engages in an honest agreeable transaction, and leaves satisfied. Here are some tips about avoiding bad clients and recognizing good ones based on their job descriptions and other factors: [link]  Treat your clients well for repeat business and good feedback.

5)Your job leads: As a freelancer, you have to seek out job opportunities. That may mean searching for websites with job ads, and finding freelancing websites. Check out my big list of art sites, online stores, freelance sites and other resources: [link] and make a list of your own too! visit the better ones often. Sometimes the first qualified person to bid on a job gets it. You can also look for local businesses that need a steady flow of freelance work. Maybe you could offer custom bridal shower invitation designs to a local wedding planner. Maybe you could sell pet portraits through your local doggie daycare or veterinarian. Sign companies, printing companies, tee shirt companies and ad agencies in your area may be in need of freelance help.

6)Marketing yourself: Keep your profiles professional. Your avatar should be an example of your work. Using the same username on multiple website can help you establish a web presence. Avoid offensive usernames, avatars, and profile information that may deter prospective clients. Avoid making posts that might be considered trolling harassing, or insulting, as these types of posts will make you seem unprofessional. Don't apologize for your pricing. Be humbly confident and polite in your correspondence.

Put together a portfolio or several portfolios if you do several types of work. Linking to an online gallery is a quick easy way to show a potential client what you can do. When responding to a job advertisement, link directly to relevant pieces so the client doesn't have to wade through pages of unrelated work. Update your portfolio as your work improves. Remove or improve the worst pieces. If you are looking for work with local companies, you could print up postcard sized art prints with your contact info on one side and some of your art on the reverse, then give them to local ad agencies, art galleries, or whatever business might be appropriate for your type of art.  

If you have a blog or a personal website that can add to your credibility. Being a long-time member of a forum makes you seem a bit more established and also more credible (if you have been behaving yourself). Avoid trolling, rants, online arguments, and disparaging remarks.

When you apply for a job, read the description carefully and make your proposal brief, polite, professional and to the point. (There may be some cases where you need to be more casual depending on the specific needs of the client). Be clear about what you can provide, your price and your estimated delivery time. Check your spelling, grammar and punctuation.  If a client contacts you, respond promptly. If the work is delayed, let the client know as soon as possible.

7) Your contract:   Before you start working on a job, Make sure you and the client have the same understanding of the project description, the estimated delivery date(s), and the payment schedule. All of that should be in written correspondence that you both can refer to at a later time. You may not necessarily need to have a signed document for small freelance jobs, but have a written (email, notes etc) record. If you have chosen your client well and marketed yourself effectively (that usually means you have a portfolio and a long standing forum profile or an established web presence), there is a good chance that you can get a percentage of the payment for the job in advance. Clients who are willing to make a down payment are more likely to be good clients and less likely to try to scam you for free art or endless revisions. If a client asks for a revision that is within the scope of the project description, I provide it as part of the agreed price. If a revision request is clearly contrary to the original agreement or conflicts with a previously approved milestone of the work, I may or may not discuss an additional fee.

8) Your work ethic: Setting deadlines and meeting them requires organization, time management and dedication. If you are willing to do the work necessary to fulfill the requirements of the job and deliver the work on or before the deadline then you are more likely to get repeat business. If the work will be delayed, notify the client and provide a new expected delivery date. Sometimes clients will delay the work. It's a good idea to send a polite and friendly reminder that you need their input before you can proceed.

9)Your pay: Be sure that you and the client agree on the payment method before starting work on a project. Paypal is generally considered to be a reliable and safe payment method. Familiarize yourself with their payment fees and the methods by which you can withdraw or spend the money you earn. I would not recommend giving out any personal banking information for a bank transfer. Western union and cashiers checks can be prone to forgery. If the client has some reason why payment will be delayed, you should probably delay the start of the work too.

10)Your record keeping: Keep an organized list of all jobs for the year. Include the Job name, a brief description, the client name, contact information, job status (started, in progress, finished, paid etc), due date/date of completion, price, payment date and any other notes such as "would you like to work with this client again?"

When you start earning enough money to pay taxes, you will need this kind of information.


See also: "Finding freelancing work, pricing and self-doubt" [link]