Exceptionally readable and practical guide for arts-related freelancers
937638
A GRAPHIC DESIGN STUDENT'S GUIDE TO FREELANCE is specifically written for graphic design students preparing for graphic design careers which, at least initially, involve freelancing. In this regard, it is exceptionally thorough, readable and practical.

Its usefulness, however, is not limited to current graphic design students or recent graduates. I am neither. But as a freelance instructor and tutor of Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator (as well as web designer), I work frequently with beginning graphic designers, and also deal with the multitude of tasks related to having an arts-related business. The audience for this book is significantly larger than the title may imply - it is likely to be valuable to readers who like me are freelancers in related fields, and with a variety of levels of experience.

Divided into sections related to tasks facing beginning, intermediate and advanced stages of developing a freelance business (my only criticism of this division is the author's relegating the task of creating a web site to the advanced level) author Hannam discusses just about every topic his readers are likely to want to address. His book answers all of the following questions (and more), and gives helpful examples:

How best can you define your business, choose a name, create your logo?

How do you create a business plan for yourself?

What kinds of projects are most suitable for a beginning freelancer? An intermediate or advanced freelancer?

What helpful tips can enable you to improve your resume?

In what different ways might you prepare portfolios for freelancing, agency work or graduate school?

How do you attract clients - and determine the best clients for your skills?

How should you inquire about a job, prepare for an interview, and negotiate an offer?

How do you most effectively your ideas to clients?

How do you determine fees, bill clients, and set up a billing system?

How do you estimate your work time, and plan for the time and cost of revisions?
What equipment do you need?

What you must do legally and to satisfy tax requirements?

How can you most effectively promote yourself through designing your business card and web site?

What should you do to effectively organize your business - creating a master client list, and system for saving,  retaining, organizing and accessing files?

Personally, I found the author's tips for organizing a freelance business to be particularly useful, as well as some of the features he includes at the end of the book - nine pages of valuable tips from graphic design professionals, and an annotated list of approximately 50 web sites recommended to graphic designers and freelancers in related professions.

All-in-all, this is an outstanding book - not only practical, but beautifully designed, and a joy to read. No beginning graphic designer or arts-related freelancer should be without it.
1727585
If you are looking for practical tips, you hit the jackpot with this book.  There is so much useful and instantly usable information here that I happily read it cover to cover several times, each time gleaning new ways I could apply the info to my own budding musical career.

This book is a godsend for independent musicians, for aspiring songwriters, for frustrated singer/songwriters and for anyone who has been unable to break into the traditional, mainstream music biz.

It's inspiring to hear how Jana took control of her own musical career and she shows how we all can do it, too.

It's rare when a book about 'making it' in the music industry doesn't either promise too much (while overlooking the harsh realities of the business) - or - goes too far the other way, focusing on doom and gloom.  Jana's book is a fair and balanced look at the nuts and bolts of making and selling your music.

I often go to this book as a reference for the practical tips, but always come away inspired by Jana's unique way of looking at life.
1217965
What a helpful book! I would suggest skipping or skimming the generic beginning, where were told to have the usual Vision-Goals-Action. When Kolari gets to the second chapter, Business Plan, things firm up and there are clear items and questions and guides for making a plan that works. Targeting ideal clients is another solid, detailed suggestion, often forgotten, as is focusing on your nichethese discussions are pure gold! With the freelancer foundation set, Kolari gets to Upwork with how-to, advice and examples that are concrete and plentifula valuable road map. Your profile and client proposals are given in-depth explanations and examplesKolari gives precise ways Upwork deals with these and how to make them work for you. Unexpected and very welcome is the online-interview advice! Little hints are explained so well, like it is always the clients responsibility to call you for an interview, and always assume you are going to have a video call so you look good and have a professional background in the video. Time management, mindset and procrastination are more generic freelance advice sections, followed by welcome solid examples of financial-management advice. These were detailed and helpful! Client management was a bit vague, though. Then the final icing on the cake got back to using Upwork to the max. Giving details on the Top Rated program is a great incentive for those new to Upwork, as is the short section on Upwork Pro and how it works. Six of the twelve chapters are rather generalized, but necessary-to-remember background. The other six are excellent guides to Upwork and how to use it for success. Presented in clear terms, these are the essentials and the value of the book! Overall, its a readable guide in a friendly tone, full of solid nuggets that will make you a prosperous and satisfied freelancer via Upwork.
331668
This was one of the best colored pencil instruction books I have encountered thus far! Ms Krutch provides so many crucial tips and techniques that make this book really invaluable, and she keeps the instructions accessible while providing a real wealth of information.

In a way, the book has the feel of a personal class on colored pencil art. Each section in this book focuses on a different version of colored pencil media, beginning with wax colored pencils (the most common of them), to watercolor colored pencils, and wraps up with pastels. Ms Krutch is a fabulous artist, and as such she provides examples of her own pieces of art as well as other artists to show what techniques were used, how they were used, and how they enhanced the picture. Much of the advice in the book is rooted in color theory, illustration instruction, and other such formalized artistic studies, but some of the most valuable pieces of advice she shares are things that the typical unaided artist usually gains through experience, and a healthy share of mistakes. You cant underestimate that kind of advice  trial and error isn't normally just any oh-well-it-doesnt-matter moment in colored pencil art, and you can be halfway through your latest work when one accidental error or botched attempt at something new can upset a critical element of a piece. The book throws in small tips and tricks to keep your work lightfast, safe, and looking just the way you like it.

Ms Krutch also outlines her preferences for colored pencils, drawing paper, and related materials which, for her skill level with colored pencil drawings, was very interesting to read about and made me think twice about how I decide to purchase art supplies. She showed no strong preference for any brand either, which I also appreciated  you can trust the artist that takes a third-party point of view and that you don't suspect is being paid off by some company to endorse something more strongly than something else.

Theres even a neat appendix showing all of the colors of colored pencil brands the artist owns, as well as a bibliography of other helpful colored pencil books to check out  which I will definitely keep handy in the future to continue this study.

Cons:
There was only a very, very slight bias against Prismacolor colored pencils vs all the other brands of colored pencils in this book.

Otherwise, to be honest I really have nothing to put here at the moment. Im just too happy with the generosity of this author to think of any complaints.

This book really ups the ante for art instruction books. If you are a colored pencil artist in any capacity, this book is excellent reference material.

Overall: A book I will reference in the future and keep by my side through my art journey. I am very satisfied with my decision to keep this book.

(Original review posted on my blog, thefinestwheat.tumblr.com. If you thought this review was helpful and are interested in reading more, feel free to check it out: thefinestwheat.tumblr.com.)

(FTC Disclaimer: I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review.)
4533178
I buy art and business books frequently. While many have very good and practical information, some, like this one, are treasure troves of inside perspective. Few things are as frustrating as reading advice from someone who has not actually accomplished what they are writing about. I've wasted plenty of money listening to "experts" who are really only interested in marketing their marketing materials. It's refreshing to read a book like this detailing specific plans of action and offering practical exercises to help clarify your path.

It's a very substantial review of the tried and true methods of both traditional and guerrilla marketing as well as an honest appraisal of what it takes to succeed. I like that the author suggests that every artist must forge their own artistic and marketing path and style. Additionally, she does a great job using her own challenges to illustrate the roadblocks and solutions that she and her husband discovered along the way.

I'll be re-reading this guide a few more times. I'm sure there are gems I'm missing.
4421600
A thoughtful, insightful, and useful book for writers (and creative people of all types!)
1762739
This book is useful for creative artists- especially performers who write their own material. It gives concrete and practical information to those looking for alternative methods of sourcing material that is both personal and universal. I use it as a textbook and recommend it frequently.
4693640
Mridu Khullar Relph has written a book that every freelancer needs to pay attention to. In answering the question "How can I make an extra $1,000 this month" she's realistically addressing an issue every writer struggles with: cash flow. She pushes back on the traditional notion of "get more clients" and instead offers practical steps for harvesting more value from your existing clients, negotiating better rates, and so forth. Highly valuable insights and skills for both beginning writers and veterans alike.
3496098
A successful writer of erotic literature with more than 80 titles to her name, Dalia Daudelin gives the straight skinny on this lucrative business, and how a beginner really can make it work for them. Her hard-won experience and insights on the practicalities, the work and the business of authorship and  self-publishing are invaluable.

The features on cover design and formatting are very sound and easy to follow, and the book is well worth its price for the resources in the appendix alone.
2191725
The bookshelves groan with the weight of self-help books, some invaluable, and some ordinary common sense made marketable by astute `guides'.  Though this remarkably readable new book by Pamela Skillings is subtitled `A Practical Guide to Creating the Career of your Dreams', suggesting yet another of the self help series genre, what this carefully detailed, wise, and immensely user friendly book offers is a call to the reader savvy enough to buy this guide to address not only employment and how to make meaningful, plausible changes in job situations, but also how to essentially take charge of your life in every facet of living.

Skillings uses a conversational style of writing, full of wit, insight into the unspeakable issues that crowd many of our professional lives, and practical approaches to what other authors have created as `formulas', and in doing so she manages to supportively take the reader by the hand and lead the way down the dark hall of indecision or stifling boredom to the possibility of light at the end of the tunnel of change.  `You don't have to settle' is a term she frequently inserts into this fact-filled examination of the good and the bad side of Corporate existence. The signs and symptoms of corporate burnout are detailed in lists of levels of `disease' states that provide a lot of truth as well as significant humor (monotony, control issues, workplace drama, cubiclitis, etc.).  But Skillings has the wisdom to refuse to push her readers into leaving the womb of corporate security. Instead, she offers skilled advice on how to evaluate job and life goals, and follows this with detailed methods of how to approach dreams of finding the perfect job - along with a healthy list of the possible temporary setbacks and side effects of making change.

One of the many fine points of Skillings' mentoring is her realistic approach to the challenges that accompany change. After long chapters on how to decide what kind of job would provide personal satisfaction as well as a means of viable financial support, she outlines sensible and attainable pathways to make the `change' work. After deciding just what would make the reader's life happy in the work environment (and it follows, in the home environment), Skillings suggests seeking advice from people in the field of work being considered, doing temp work in that field, volunteering in areas associated with the goal (adding to the resume as well as to the conviction that the change will be what the seeker wishes) - all before `quitting the day job'. In other words, Skillings advice is crowned by recommending sound research and implementation of dreams BEFORE taking the leap.

Within the context of the conversational advice are numerous examples of people who indeed escaped from corporate America, lists to complete to aid the reader in defining exactly what are the goals and the steps toward achieving them, and a constant supply of warmly friendly, gently humorous, reality based supportive asides that reassure the reader that `you can do this'! In her final chapter HAVE A NICE ESCAPE, before she shares myriad contacts and resources to aid the reader, Skillings warmly states `Only you can decide if you're really ready to escape from Corporate America.  The most important thing to remember is that you always have options. You deserve an inspiring, fulfilling career, and there's no reason you can't have one.'  Dreams and Visions fill the pages of this fine book and it would be difficult to find a more informed and supportive guide to attaining those than Pamela Skillings.  Highly Recommended!  Grady Harp, May 08
2342934
This book is a delight. It's also incredibly practical. Whether you're an experienced designer, a student of design, or simply curious about why it's so hard to find the right train in Manhattan, you'll soon be engrossed.

Katz distills a distinguished career of design practice and university teaching into a compendium that combines pithy (and witty) discussions of principles with case studies drawn from his own work, his teaching, his observations, and his (sometimes surprising) critiques of famous historical models. Most of the cases come from his three cities--Philadelphia, Rome, and Paris--and part of the fun is the sense of place that permeates the pages. As you would expect the book is designed for use, and the form following that functional emphasis is graceful and elegant.

In its structure the book embodies a movement network, one of the real-world design applications in which Katz's practice has specialized. Its basic units are single-topic two-page spreads; these are grouped into thematic sections on the nature of information, qualitative issues in perception and representation, quantitative issues, structure and organization, and the effect of movement, time, and orientation on wayfinding and experience. Patterns develop naturally within these sections, but they are also like neighborhoods of ideas; the spreads form relatively self-contained nodes, like subway stops, that may be linked in a variety of sequences to create equally compelling journeys through the material. It would be possible to create at least half a dozen meaty course syllabi based on different paths through the book.

This flexibility is facilitated by well-signposted, consistently placed sidebars on each spread noting cross-references within the book and links to outside resources; a granular index; and an extensive bibliography that is alphabetized within sections representing a slightly different handful of topic divisions than those in the main text.

Illustrations are well-curated and profuse, and often funny. One of my favorite features of the book is a recurring "Every silver lining has a cloud" module, in which we see bureaucratic procedures, circumstances, and necessary compromises undermining effective designs, often after they have left the control of the designer. Learning to expect and deal with such infelicities should be part of every young designer's training; one hopes the examples would also inform every potential purchaser or specifier of design services.

Katz is generous in crediting other practitioners and modest in his presentation of his own exemplary work, but the book carries the unmistakable stamp of his personality. That in itself is worth the price of admission. What other design writer would include a red sidebar that reads in its entirety, "Students: Your other instructors will never tell you that the size at which type looks its most elegant is just a little too small to read comfortably"?

Inevitably there are one or two wispy clouds in this silver lining of a book. In my copy the registration on one spread was slightly off; a couple of copy-editing hitches slipped by. For some, the elegantly set body type may be just a little too light to read comfortably. And the web addresses to fascinating related material are sometimes unrealistically long and convoluted to type into a browser (in this regard an ebook version would be a real asset). But these are quibbles, which only show that the book was produced by humans and that I am not a paid shill.

As others have said, Designing Information is destined, deservedly, to become a classic in the field. More important, its common sense and humanity are destined to influence young designers for years to come. Surely that will make it a little easier for all of us to find our way through the world.
2030466
This book is a fantastic resource for anyone interested in improving their abilities with nature photography or increasing their appreciation for this art form.  The prose is clear and engaging. (I was compelled to read it cover to cover in a few days because it presents the information in such an interesting narrative format.)  The photographic examples are so nicely laid out and evocative that this book is a worthwhile purchase simply to view these works of art.
Arbabi covers a wide range of topics, from practical discussions about how to pack for a nature photo outing to aesthetic guidelines about composition to technical information about equipment, exposure, and editing.  Arbabi even included very helpful suggestions for how to get good results when trying to take technically challenging photos, such as night shots or other situations with difficult lighting or subject movement.  The author touches on all of the available options for a photographer for a given topic in a general manner and also shares some of his specific findings from his own experiences, such as discussion about which filters or lenses he uses most often for a particular situation in the field.  Each topic is covered in such a way that photographers at every level from beginners to advanced professionals will find helpful and thought-provoking content.
2062888
THE ARCHITECTURE OF DRAMA is an important book and will be of great interest and utility to anyone involved in bringing stories to life onstage. The book is a quick and entertaining read, full of practical insights and  elucidative examples.  The authors illuminate topics such as plot, theme and genre using great plays and movies as templates. They talk about  subject and theme: how they're  different and WHY it's vital for the playwright and director to know the difference; they talk about the ephemeral topic of style and WHY actors and designers ought to pay attention to it, or ignore it at their peril. I was reminded again, as in a master class, why a keen, working knowledge of structure and its application is necessary for every theatre professional, and certainly every student . Reminded, why indeed structure is needed for artistic liberation. If you want some inspiration before you begin working on a new production or project, read this book.
4005139
This is a great resource, I wish I had known about this book before I started my freelance graphic design business! There is so much practical advice about what works and what doesn't, and what to watch out for. I realize now that I am not making the money I should be making - or getting as many clients - as my talent deserves, because I have not been marketing myself effectively. In addition, BASAS has given me tons of tips on how to reduce my costs and use my time more effectively. Because it is not a general business book but is focused on graphic design in particular, it is really practical and useful. It can really help you avoid some common pitfalls of this profession, so you don't have to learn from painful and expensive experiences. Highly recommended.
3400522
I have been working part time as a freelance gaming journalist for close to five years now and, having read Up Up Down Down Left WRITE, I can say without a doubt that I would have killed to have a guide like this when I was first starting out. Nathan Meunier has delivered an essential guide for anyone even considering stepping into the often murky waters freelance games coverage and even managed to make it an entertaining read. Take it from someone that's experienced many of the highs, lows, disappointments and joys that Meunier describes. This book is a trove of good advice and a must have for prospective freelancers in the field of video games.
2021837
Amazing insight behind the scenes of some extraordinary and gorgeous art work.  This could stand alone as a coffee table book featuring Wildlife Art.  It goes further than that though by illustrating how these pieces are constructed.  The language is straight-forward and easy to understand.  This effort makes you want to go into your own studio and start working on your own creations with the guidance of these [there are more than one artist featured] artists.  This book covers a wide range of subjects and gives the reader a tremendous understanding of the steps required to initiate, follow through and complete fantastic, realistic, artistic work.  An artist can look at, read, and gain an appreciation for the subjects being discussed while at the same time translate those lessons to other subjects such as dogs, or cats, or squirrels [anything with fur].  It also documents how much time the artist took to complete a particular step in the process, very instructive to anyone who attempts paintings of their own.  TH
44463
Barbara Markoff's book is an invaluable reference tool for those interested in becoming corporate art consultants: artists and interior designers who wish to work with art consultants, gallery owners, framers and all those in related design fields who wish to understand the field of art consulting.

Barbara generously shares her years of experience as a corporate art consultant as she defines the skills needed and the steps to be taken to be successful in this field.  The book takes us through the process of building and marketing an art consulting business, how to build relationships with artists and clients and the nuances of working with them, preparing proposals and quotes, closing the deal, framing and installation, and how to get paid.  She describes the special requirements and expectations of specific market segments, how to differentiate your business in this field and the practical aspects of packaging, shipping and receiving artwork.  The book is also full of practical resources including sales scenarios, essential forms and websites for source materials.  Nothing is left out.

Barbara is an expert in her field and an excellent communicator.  Not everyone could take such an unbiased and even position when describing the inner workings of an industry but Barbara does this in an accurate, honest, clear, easy to understand and thorough manner. It is refreshing to read her balanced and realistic guidance about the best path to take, while understanding the hard work and rewards involved in being in such a fascinating field.

Barbara is a highly respected speaker and teacher and you couldn't do better than to navigate your way to success by following the path she charts so clearly.