Freelance Writer

I’m a first-time freelance writer working on a textbook for a large, well-known scholastic publisher. I’ve had to purchase some books for my work, and I’m wondering if it would be reasonable for me to bill my employer for these.

Are expenses like these implicitly included in my hourly fee (which I could understand) or might I ask for separate compensation? Thanks so much for advising me.

I’m a graphic art student at college and we used "11th edition Graphic Artist’s Guild Handbook of Pricing & Ethical Guidelines ISBN: 0-932102-12-3"

This is a good book. I recommend you get it.

Graphic Artists Guild Handbook: Pricing & Ethical Guidelines, 11th Edition is the industry bible, containing information all graphic artists and their clients need to buy and sell work in a totally professional manner. This edition has been revised and updated to provide all the information you need to compete in an industry moving at lightning speed.

Book includes the following:

1.) The latest pricing surveys and terms for both buyers and sellers
2.) Model contracts and terms to adapt to your needs
3.) Revised salary information with expanded job descriptions
4.) A chapter chock-full of additional resources and references to enhance and expand your career efforts
5.) Copyright information
6.) An updated chapter on digital media and web design to help you keep pace

Chapters include:
1. Professional Relations
2. Legal Rights & Issues
3. Professional Issues
4. Technology Issues
5. Essential Business Practices
6. Salaries & Trade Customs
7. Graphic Design Prices & Trade Customs
8. Web Design & Other Media
9. Illustration Prices & Trade Customs
10. Cartooning Prices & Trade Customs
11. Animation Prices & Trade Customs
12. Surface Design Prices & Trade Practices
13. Standard Contracts & Business Tools
14. The Graphic Artist Guild
15. Resources & References

Book Design

A basic fee has always included an initial consultation with the publisher, packager (firm that sells a finished book to a publisher) or other contractor to discuss the project; analysis of the manuscript or designing representative sample pages; preparation of layouts or manuscript markups; and presentation of completed design (also called layouts).

Extra Charges
Supervision or art direction of an art program, including hiring and coordinating illustrators or photographers, extra conference time, trips to the publisher and time spent doing other production work, is billed at an hourly design rate. The cost of specially commissioned work and other supplies is traditionally a billable expense.

Billable Expenses for Graphic Designers
Graphic Designers traditionally bill clients for all expenses involved in executing an assignment, while textile designers and illustrators often absorb expenses for such things as art supplies because those costs tend to be modest. Necessary costs related to producing a job, such as model fees, prop rental, research time, production or printing, shipping and travel expenses are routinely billed to the client separately. These expenses, even as estimates, are generally agreed upon and set down in the origional written agreement. Often a maximum amount is itemized beyond which a designer may not incur costs without the client’s authorization.

Fee for Textbook Design

College Text
Complex: $5,900-$13,000
Average: $3,000-$6,500
Simple: $2,725-$5,000

Each additional trade in series (% of fee; College Text)
Complex: 100%-300%
Average: 100%-200%
Simple: 100%

Elementary-High school Text
Complex: $4,875-$9,000
Average: $2,000-$5,000
Simple: $2,700-$3,500

Each additional trade in series (% of fee; Elementary-High school Text)
Complex: 50%-100%
Average: 50%-100%
Simple: 50%-100% (% of fee)

"Complex" designs requires special treatment for each page, 2-4 colors of text, or other books of greater complexity than average format. Usually foreign language texts, complicated workbooks, catalogs or illustrated books.

"Average" includes front matter, part opening, chapter opening text comprising from 3-6 levels of heads, tables and/or charts, extracts, footnotes, diagrams, illustrations, photographs and simple back matter. Laid out on a grid system.

"Simple" includes title page, chapter opening, double page spread of text and spreads for front matter. Mostly straight text with up to three levels of heads, simple tables and/or art.

Hope this helps.

I’d like to see what is involved in becoming an internet based freelance writer, part time mostly. All I can find on the internet is a bunch of phony advertisements and get-rich-quick schemes. I want real information, not a bunch of BS.

Write something relevant that people want to read about and try to sell it. You can also blog or start your own website. If you submit your work around everywhere, someone is bound to buy it if it’s good. Make sure you register it with the writer’s guild first.
Hope I helped and good luck.

I found an opening on a site for a non-fiction writer, is there any place I can apply to write fiction? Also, does anyone know of any other sites to do so?

So I assume I found the web site you are talking about.
http://writingfiction.suite101.com/

Click the top right corner "Write for Us" and it gives you the application and asks for a bio of yourself. Is this not actually your question? It seems pretty straight forward on the site, although I didn’t go through the whole process to see what happens since I’m not applying to write for them.

Here are some things I found by searching "amature freelance writing jobs", but you may have to try it to narrow the criteria to where you live. Are you looking for something strictly online or a local publisher, etc.

http://search.yahoo.com/search?ei=UTF-8&p=amateur+freelance+writing+jobs&SpellState=n-935452163_q-itnj.M9Sz1aTDZ3pWqJ1JgAAAA%40%40&fr2=sp-top

I’m a university student in the third year of my Bachelor of Arts degree with a major in English. I’m looking to build up a writing portfolio and get some articles/stories etc. published. I really am not sure how to go about doing this. I’m considering doing some freelance writing while I’m finishing the degree. Any help or even small tips would be appreciated Thx

Go on-line or to your public library and research small-town newspapers and niche’ magazines. Study what kind of articles are published in them and then select a dozen or so to "query" about writing an article for them, pro bono (for free). Write and polish a "sample" article before sending it to them. As you gain experience and a portfolio writing for small newspapers and magazines for no pay, you can approach larger papers and mags about writing articles for pay.

There is also something called "self-syndication" where you write a "column" on a general interest subject that you could license at a modest price to many small-town periodicals and end up making a pretty good income from one article written once a week, or bi-weekly, or monthly. You can also ask area small businesses to "sponsor" your article if the papers or mags say they can’t afford to pay you. At the end of your recurring column it could say something to the affect of "This column is sponsored by, ABC Car Repair Center located at 123 Main Street." Obviously a disclaimer should be included stating words to the affect, "…the opinions, beliefs, and ideas expressed in this column do not necessarily reflect the opinions,ideas or beliefs of our sponsors or the publisher and its agents.

Forget about journalism school. They do not teach you the "business" of being a writer. One other thing, either you can write well enough to make a living at it or you can’t. Creative writing talent is a gift from God like any other innate talent. So if you CAN then DO!

Best of luck and success,

Karl Lasky, Publisher, Ravenhawk Books

I’m thinking about becoming a freelance writer. the questions I need answers to are…

1.Where do I buy the license?

2.How do I pay taxes for my writing business?

3. How much does a business license cost?

You don’t need a business license to write. What you DO do is claim the income on your taxes it’s added in on the same line as your income from your regular job.

A business license would be needed if you were selling items, have a store, do regular physical work for someone like being a plumber, but a writer and most artists just need to put their income on the tax forms, you don’t need a separate license for it. You’re not the sole proprietor of a business, you’re THE business. There’s a difference.

After college, I want to become a freelance writer.
Any tips? Personal Experience? Advice?

Thank you!

Try the reference book/website ‘Writer’s Market’, but with newspapers and magazines dropping like flys, it’s going to be much tougher. Writer’s Market is a rundown of all the publisher’s that accept unsolicited contributions, what they were looking for, and how to submit material.

For most people, it’s more of a sideline than a way to earn a living for the first several years, and many never get to a point where they can make it a career. BUT you can’t hit a home run unless you are out there swinging, so go for it– but have a way to pay the bills in the meantime.

Writer’s Market website:
http://www.writersmarket.com/?r=wmkppcg&gclid=CJvg1dWGyZ4CFRxJagod7xJL-w

Writer’s Market book:
http://www.amazon.com/2009-Writers-Market-Robert-Brewer/dp/1582975418/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1260351380&sr=8-1

I’m a high school graduate looking for a way to make a little extra cash. I heard about freelance writing and I thought this could be it because I love writing. Do I need any special training or can I jump right in? Thanks!

With freelance, it’s really just your reputation you have to worry about. Some places might want to see examples of your writing or might even want you to provide a background in training.
Freelance is just like going door to door and asking for work. Some people will want and expect more from you, other may not.
Either way, you’ll learn quick if you’re ready to leap in without training or not.

I’m currently 17 years old and in high school but I really need a job and I want to be a freelance writer but I don’t know if I’m old enough. Also does anybody know of any newspapers or magazine compasnies that will accept my freelance writing if I’m old enough? Do these companies pay you for freelance writing? Does anybody know of any legit companies?

Actually, there are a few sites that insist you are at least 18 years old to write for them. Most have a cut off of 16 so you should be fine.

There are a few links here that might be helpful in finding work: http://www.squidoo.com/freelance-writer-tips

Also, submitting to magazines is a great idea. They pay the best and accept articles from a large demographic. Check out freelancewriting.com for a list of magazines that accept freelance submissions.

Good luck!

I currently write a little for Associated Content. I would like to make a go writing freelance articles like this full time. Does anyone know of other sites like Associated Content that pay a little more per article. I don’t mind if it’s on specific topics as long as I know I’ll get paid. Thanks in advance for any ideas and sites.

Spend some time in the library reference section with their copy of Literary Marketplace- the author’s bible. Take a notebook because you can’t check it out. You can buy one if you want but it costs 300 dollars.

Just make sure you check anyone through proper channels first – Absolute Write Water Cooler’s Bewares and Background Checks, Preditors and Editors, Writers Wall, Writers Weekly, Writers Beware, Anne Crispin’s site etc. Some of those sites also publish free lance jobs. Pax- C

Does anyone know of specific newspapers or magazines that you can send in articles for publication?

I want be freelance and get things published. Any specific magazines or newpapers would be appreciated or even a place to look on the web that would have said information.

Thanks

Other than getting work as a paid writer first, to achieve the professionalism required for free-lancing, find the market you want to write for, and tailor your writing to fit it. If you have written some articles that you think are publishable, have an active, working editor to review and critique them to find out what you need to learn. I would suggest writing in a specialty you have working experience in, getting a good writing handbook by Prentiss-Hall or some other reputable publisher, learn the standards and styles of the magazine, and, in particular, the interests and needs of the reading audience to which you wish to appeal.