Purchasing Lists For The Freelance Illustrator & Artist

Posted on April 17, 2012 by Christina Ung

Copyright © Christina Ung

There’s a lot of commotion about the idea of purchasing lists and whether it’s ethical or if it works or not for Freelance Illustrators and Artists.

While I haven’t used a purchased lists in a long time, I can share with you my experiences using them when I first started freelancing as an Illustrator. There are people who detest the idea of purchasing lists and for valid reasons but I feel it’s a important topic to be educated about and it can be an effective self-promotion tool if not abused.

Here are a list of pros and cons and your top questions about Mailings lists answered:

Purchasing Mailing Lists For The Freelance Illustrator & Artist

  1. What is a list and how can I use it for my Freelance Business?

    A list is collection of contacts that you can build on your own or purchase from a company/agency that specializes in collecting contacts.

    2. When you purchase a list, you get access to a database of contacts. After filtering the list to contacts relevant to your industry, you can send out self promotional materials to your list and start building relationships with potential clients.

  1. What are the pros of purchasing a mailing list?

  • It’s a good way to get in touch with potential clients especially for illustrators and artists who are just starting out and don’t have any contacts to begin with.
  • It’s easier and more efficient than searching through magazines for individual contacts.
  • It can lead to great opportunities and jobs.

  1. What are the cons of purchasing a mailing list?

  • Can be costly. A yearly subscription can cost about $500 to $1000.
  • Using a purchased list to blast out emails is Impersonal.  If a client is on a mailing list, most likely you are not the only one they are receiving mail from so don’t expect everyone to open your email and expect a low response rate (about 1% is common).
  • When sending out large amounts of email, expect some negativity- When you reach out to a large audience, there will always be some people who don’t appreciate the emails. Be sure you give them the option to opt out. Also, try not take it personal, clients get over hundreds of email a day so it can get annoying for them.

  1. Where can I purchase a list?

    There are several places you could buy lists from. Look for companies that update their database frequently and have lists that are specific to your industry. For example, if you are an illustrator, you may want to look for buyers in Editorial, advertising, In-house and etc..

    Here are the some places that offer lists that I’m more familiar with:

  1. How often should I send out emails?

    Do an email promo when you have new work to show but no more than once a month.

  1. How often should I send out mailers/postcards?

    This depends on your budget. It’s a bit more pricier to send out mailers/postcards because of postage but 1 to 4 times a year is a good number.

I hope you found this article helpful. If you have any further questions or comments about purchasing a list for your freelance business, be sure to leave them below in the comment section.

Cheers,

~Christina

Posted in art resources and strategies, Art Resources and Tools, How to be a Freelance Illustrator, Marketing Strategies, The Business of Illustration | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

3 Contract Terminology Freelance Illustrators Should Know About

Posted on April 5, 2012 by Christina Ung

This article was originally sent out only to the Drawing for Dollars newsletter subscribers. However, based on the positive feedback received and the lack of information on freelance contracts online, I made the decision to elaborate on the article and post the information publicly on the Drawing for Dollars Blog. So here it is:

3 Contract Terminology Freelance Illustrators Should Know About

1. Work For Hire or WFH means that the publisher company or client owns copyright and authorship of your artwork and you as the freelance illustrator/artist are not credited for your work. Under most circumstances, it would be best to avoid any projects from clients who want you to work for hire.

2. Speculative Work or Spec Work means work for NO pay. Sometimes clients want you to do spec work; which can mean that they want you to do some samples of a finished product before agreeing to pay you a fee for the final images. I don’t believe in spec work because as an illustrator, you already have a portfolio so there’s no need to provide further samples to a client.

If a client wants you to do spec work, here’s something that has worked for me in the past. Request for a fee for the spec work and let the client know that if they move forth with you for the project, they can use the payment towards the finished illustration.

3. Sublicensing Rights. When you give your clients  sublicensing rights, you’re granting them rights to sell any of the rights to them to third parties.

I hope you found this article helpful. It’s always important to request for a contract before accepting any project from a client. Also, when you receive a bad contract don’t get offended. Simply request to make some changes. From my personal experiences, clients are very flexible and they are usually willing to make exceptions.

It may be hard initially to understand contracts. This is completely normal but it is necessary that you educate yourself and put effort to learn all the legal terminology. Don’t be afraid of emailing your colleagues or another artist for help. If you have any questions or comments, post them as a comment below and I’ll try my best to answer them. I’ll also be providing more contract information this month on my blog and my newsletter so be sure to sign up for the Drawing for Dollars Newsletter if you haven’t already.

Cheers,

~Chrisitna

Posted in Art Resources and Tools, How to be a Freelance Illustrator, The Business of Illustration | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

All YOUR Questions About Freelance Illustration Answered.

Posted on March 27, 2012 by Christina Ung

I often get questions from students who are interested in becoming a freelance illustrator or artist and want to know more about my journey as a freelancer. I decided to share my responses on this blog and hopefully provide more clarification to individuals who are thinking about becoming an illustrator as well. So here it is, all your questions about freelance illustration answered:

 

1. How did you decide that you wanted to be a freelance illustrator?

I always loved drawing and creating things. However, in high school, my focus was to get good grades and get into the best University possible to pursue a career in health & medicine. Late into my last semester of high school, I had a realization. The thought of working hard for something I was not passionate about didn’t make sense anymore. At that point, I did my own research and decided that I wanted to seriously become an illustrator. I spent the remainder of my high school building a portfolio and managed to enroll into a good art college.

I often receive emails from students who are hesitant to pursue art as a career because of certain expectations from their parents or just the fear of possibly failing. My advice is to be honest with yourself and to pursue what you love. There is no guarantee that everything will work out but the adventure itself is worth taking.

2. What sort of art education did you receive?

I studied at Sheridan College for 4 years and got a BAA Illustration degree. If you would like read more about my perspective on Art Education, check out my previous blog post here.

3. Are your illustrations done on computer?  If so, what program do you use?

I create most of my art digitally because it allows me to work faster and meet tight deadlines. Occasionally I would go back to inks, acrylics and markers just for the fun of it.

For programs, I use Adobe Photoshop to create my artwork. For text and graphic design elements, I use Adobe Illustrator.

4. Do you have a tablet?

I use the Wacom Cintiq 21UX. Not sure if that’s considered a tablet but it’s a large screen that you can draw directly on. They are fairly pricey so if that’s not within your budget, any small tablet will do. I had a small Wacom pen tablet that I used throughout college and for many years after; it was wonderful.

5. Do you listen to music while you work?

Yes, music is my muse.

6. What inspires your art? I always have problems with inspiration during class. I would be given a certain amount of time and I’d spend the first few days deciding what I should create.

I’m inspired by the events that take place in my life. That could be art, music, fashion, popular culture, love and heartbreaks. Simply drawing what I love is enough to keep me up all night as well.

It’s normal to take a lot of time to think of ideas and to get inspired. Getting inspired actually requires practice and discipline. In College, it was easier for students to receive specific instructions from the professor versus coming up with their own ideas and topics. My tip is to keeping a sketchbook to record the moments when you are inspired. That way, when you are in class and you are not feeling so inspired you can pull up your sketchbook for ideas.

7. Did you make this whole site yourself?

No, I use a WordPress theme. I use to make my own websites but I think using WordPress is the way to go nowadays. There are so themes available online that you’re sure to find one that you like and then you could easily modify it to your liking. It’s are also very affordable and you don’t require a lot of coding knowledge to use it.

Hope you enjoyed this interview. Thank you to Olaf who sent me these questions. If you have any further questions or comments, share them in the comment section below and I will try by best to respond.

For those who are already freelancers and have questions about contracts and image rights, be sure to subscribe to the Drawing for Dollars newsletter. I’ve been going through important contract terminology for the last couple of weeks and there is a lot wonderful information coming up.

Cheers,

~Christina

Posted in How to be a Freelance Illustrator | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Art Education/School For The Freelance Illustrator. Is It Necessary?

Posted on March 13, 2012 by Christina Ung
education by christina ung

Copyright © Christina Ung

You do not need any sort of certification to become a freelance illustrator. However, based on my personal experience as an illustrator, I would highly recommend it.

I attribute most of my success to the 4 years of training that I received from College.  I like to think of illustration as a sport. For instance, you could learn basketball on your own but you are better off training with a team if you want to get into the NBA. Not to say that you can’t or shouldn’t practice on your own time as well.

What Type Of Education/School Is BEST For Freelance Illustrators?

You want to find a program specifically tailored towards illustration; whether that is technical, medical, editorial, commercial or book illustration. Look for programs developed for your specific practice.

Here in Canada, I know that Sheridan College offers an excellent 4 year BAA illustration degree program. There are also colleagues like OCAD that offer specific art programs for illustrators.

Benefits Of An Art Education.

  1. Learn and experience all the traditional and digital illustration disciplines (painting and drawing to web design and motion graphics).
  2. Learn about the business of illustration. For example, contract and industry practices.
  3. Prepares you for the real world so by the end of the program, you will have a ready portfolio and website.
  4. Accelerated learning. You get to work with real working professionals who can see your weaknesses and strengths. Working with them directly help you quickly develop the skills and habits needed for the profession.

Be picky when you are choosing an art school. A tip is research art college/schools that other successful illustrators have attended. They will usually list information in their bio.

Hope you find this article helpful. Feel free to share your perspective and experiences about art education below. I’ll love to hear from you.

Cheers,

Christina

Posted in How to be a Freelance Illustrator | Tagged , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

GOOGLE+ FOR YOUR FREELANCE ILLUSTRATION BUSINESS

Posted on March 1, 2012 by Christina Ung

An Interview with Social Media Expert, Alex Mathers.

There’s been so much talk about Google+ but as an illustrator, I wanted to know what it could do for my business. How could Google+ be used to grow my freelance illustration business and help me score some clients?

“How Could Google+ Be Used To Grow My Freelance Illustration Business And Help Me Score Some Clients?”

So, I went straight to the source and tried to juice out some answers from Social Media expert, Alex Mathers.  Alex is the creator of “Ape on the Moon” and “The Red Lemon Club”. Over the years, Alex has supported creative freelancers by sharing his knowledge about self-promotion.

Here’s my interview with Alex:

1.       Alex, you’re really good at engaging and attracting clients over social media, what exactly do you do?

I’m always learning, but I try to make some kind of daily engagement with others on sites like Google+, notably potential prospects, ‘key influencers’, and what I call ‘key engagers’, or those who tend to be more active than others on these sites. This takes the form of comment-writing, ‘liking’ and ‘+1ing’ content that I like, sharing posts, tagging people, and so on.

All this serves to help others and make people aware of my presence, directing many to my profile.

2.       Do you think it’s it essential for freelance illustrators to participate in Social Media to have a successful freelance business?

I would say it is an important component to the promotional schedule of any freelancer interested in attracting connections and clients, as well as furthering their career, if done in the right way.

What is happening in social media isn’t really anything new, it’s simply another communication tool that allows people to do more with less when it comes to communicating with people. There is a huge amount of value for businesses and independent workers in this.

3.       What are the top current main social networking sites that you would recommend to illustrators whose main objective is to get more clients?

I would begin to put a great deal of focus on Google+. Despite people saying that people are not very active on there and not the same as Facebook, that’s because it isn’t.

Google+ is about engaging with others, and sharing insightful content, instead of a place to just have fun with friends. It’s much more professional, as well as being fun. As such it is the better platform, in my view, for freelancers looking to attract new work and new connections.

This, coupled with Twitter and LinkedIn can be very powerful indeed.

4.       What tips do you have for freelance illustrators to fully participate in social media and how can we learn more about this?

The biggest tip I can give you is that, when it comes to promoting yourself and your work, it’s less about you, and more about what you can do for others to make their lives better. Actively add value and interest to others is what will make people notice you.

People switch off if they sense you are advertising, we are all too used to being bombarded by marketing messages. It’s ok to share the occasional update to what you are working on, but shift the balance over to sharing things that are genuinely interesting to others, and that add to the success of those you want to take notice of you.

My new online eCourse on using Google+ aimed specifically at freelancers, will tell you, step-by-step, how to do all this most effectively.

Thank you Alex for taking time to share your expertise with us! You can check out Alex’s Google+ course HERE. I’m already going through the Google+ course a second time because there is so much information inside. I’ll be posting a detailed review on the course next week but if you can’t wait, feel free to check it out using the link below.

Click here to find out more about the Google+ Mastery Course.

Hope you enjoyed this post. Feel free to comment and share your thoughts about your experiences with Google+ by using the comment section below.

Posted in art resources and strategies, Art Resources and Tools, How to be a Freelance Illustrator, Marketing Strategies, The Business of Illustration | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

FREEELANCE IllUSTRATION TIP #26

Posted on February 21, 2012 by Christina Ung

Learn to Say “No” to BAD Freelance Contracts.

As a freelance illustrator, I still remember the excitement I got from getting commissions from well-known magazines when I first started my freelance business. Here’s what I didn’t know…

“The Larger The Company, The More Rights They Usually Want From You.”

Some magazines are owned by large corporations. The larger the company, the more rights they will usually want from you. For example, rights to republish your work in their other magazines for just a small fraction of the cost or for free. I don’t necessarily view these companies as bad… They simply have A LOT of freelancers and images to deal with, so it’s easier if they get all the rights to protect themselves from future misuses. Therefore, before accepting any work, be sure to request for the contract and review it carefully.

The important thing to remember is to not be intimidated. I usually highlight clauses that I don’t agree with in the contracts and request for a revision. The person you are interacting with usually has nothing to do with the contract (they are just doing their job). If you are nice about it, they will usually help you out. My experience is that there is usually a ‘second’ contract that they give out to illustrators who know better.

And if there is no second contract and the other party refuses to make any changes.. be prepare to say “no” because you deserve better.

Of course, Not all large companies run this way. I’ve worked with many large circulation magazines that are extremely fair and never request for more images rights than they need.

I hope you find this article helpful. Feel free to share your experiences with bad contacts below and how you deal with them. I’ll love to hear from you

Cheers,

~Christina

Posted in How to be a Freelance Illustrator, The Business of Illustration | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

How To Increase Website Traffic Using Online Forums And Blogs

Posted on December 28, 2011 by Christina Ung
Christina Ung Website Traffic

Copyright © Christina Ung

 

 

 

 

 

 

Would you like to know how to use online blogs and forums to effectively drive more traffic to your website?

If you answered YES, read on..

In a previous blog post, How to be a Freelance Illustrator- Search Engine Tactics, I discussed the importance of driving lots of traffic to your website in order to attract more potential clients. Another way to drive traffic to your online portfolio/website is to…

Participate in Online discussions! Below, are 4 key things to keep in mind while participating in online discussions..

 

How To Participate In Online Discussions To Drive Traffic To Your Website

 

  1. Participate in message boards and blogs related to your website that already has lots of traffic. Check out my post on the The Top 10 Art Blogs On The Internet if you are an Artist or Freelance Illustrator.
  2. Make sure your posts and comments are relevant and appropriate. You could post questions, answer other people’s questions or provide a different insight on the topic or article of interest.
  3. Leave your website link! For Blogs, there’s usually a place in comment section for you to enter your website URL. In Forums, you can add a sig file with the link to your website (A sig file or signature block is a short block of text at the end of a message identifying the sender and providing additional information such as an email or URL).
  4. Make sure your website is a clickable link. To unsure this, always include HTTP:// before your website address.
  5. Don’t over do it!! In forums, it is important that your sig file is visible but if you overdo it, you’ll lose respect from the online community and no one will visit your website.

That’s it! It’s that simple! When you leave a comment, your comment and website URL PERMANENTLY remains on the forum or blog.

Now you know the importance of participating  in online discussions and how it can effectively bring more traffic to your Illustration website. Go out there right now and start building your online presence! You can start here by commenting and sharing your thoughts on this article. I’ll love to hear from you.

~Christina

Posted in How to be a Freelance Illustrator, Marketing Strategies, The Business of Illustration | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 10 Comments

Take Ownership of Your Freelance Illustration Business!

Posted on December 13, 2011 by Christina Ung

I don’t believe in the philosophy ”l’art pour l’art”. Or in English, that translate to “Art for art’s sake”. Art for art’s sake is an empty phrase.. as George Sand proclaimed in 1980. She declared that artists had a “duty to find an adequate expression to convey it to as many souls as possible”.

Learn the about the Business of Illustration so that you can utilize the tools to convey your talents, “to as many souls as possible”..

Some illustrators & artists are afraid or against the idea of ‘Selling’. My personal belief is that it is essential and the artist’s responsibility to sell. Take ownership of your talents and skills and embrace the education available on this website and on the World Wide Web. Learn about The Business of Illustration so that you can utilize the tools to convey your talents, “to as many souls as possible”.

I leave you with this video.. masterly crafted by individuals who made it possible for us to fully witness a dancer at his best. Had the technology and resources not been utilized, most of us would never see his dance.. If this video leaves you speechless as it has for me, pass it on and share it with your friends and family using the buttons below. Don’t forget to also share your own thoughts in the comment section. I would love to hear from you.

With Love,
~Christina

Posted in Inspiration, The Business of Illustration | Tagged , , , , , | 21 Comments

The Top 10 Art Blogs On The Internet

Posted on December 7, 2011 by Christina Ung

Want to keep up with the latest art buzz? Worry no more my friends, Blogrank ranked The Top Art Blogs based on RSS membership, incoming links, Compete Alexa, and Technorati ranking, social sites popularity and many other factors.

Here they are in order..

The Top 10 Art Blogs On The Internet

1st Drawn! The Illustration and Cartooning Blog

Top 10 art blog on the internet

2nd Wooster Collective

top ten blogs on the internet

3rd Doodlers Anonymous

top ten blogs on the internet

4th Art Fag City

top ten blogs on the internet

5th FFFFOUND!

top ten blogs on the internet

6th Illustration Friday

Top 10 art blog on the internet

7th BOOOOOOOM!

top ten blogs on the internet

8th Artnet.com

top ten blogs on the internet

9th Motion Graphics Served

top ten blogs on the internet

10th lines and colors

top ten blogs on the internet

Art communities allow us to share new ideas and interact with one another. If you’ll like to comment or share your favourite art blogs, go ahead and do it in the comment section below. I’ll love to hear from you.

~Christina

Posted in Art Resources and Tools | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

How to be a Freelance Illustrator- Search Engine Tactics

Posted on November 17, 2011 by Christina Ung
How to be an freelance illustrator

Copyright © Christina Ung

One of the most important thing as a freelance illustrator or artist is having an online portfolio/ website that allows clients and customers to view your artwork and contact you.

Your website is in essence, the storefront of your freelance illustration business!

With millions of illustrators and artists online, how do you get your website to rank first on Google search engine and in front of art directors, designers and prospective art buyers?

It’s not as hard to do as you think! This article by Andrew Ormes shares proven strategies to get your website first page on Google ranking:

Getting your site on the first page of Google is the aim of any marketing artist. They know that if their artist website is ranked on the 1st page of Google searches, that’ll drive plenty of targeted traffic to their site. And more traffic means higher sales revenue from increased art sales.

You can ensure that your site is ranked on the search engine results pages or SERPs by following these proven marketing artist strategies:

1. Optimize the Main Page

The main page of your artist web site should be optimized for the key word or phrase that matches your business. An excellent marketing artist will identify the right key words before you get your site designed. Then, they’ll advise you to include the whole key word or phrase generously in the main page of your site. This includes the title and content. Try not to use only part of a key word or phrase when optimizing your site. Long tail key words have a better chance of ranking the 1st page of the Google SERPs due to less competition.

2. Excellent Internal and External Links

This is really the crux of the issue. Internal linking means your meta title tags have to be the same as your chosen key words. The anchor text in your links should be identical to any article that you write and publish on blogs and article directories. A marketing artist will stress that you should also ensure you create a lot of back links in artist forums and blogs through your comments there. These back links must point back to your site.

3. Key word optimized articles

When you submit articles to directories or blogs make sure that your title tag, anchor text and header tags is the exact key word that your site is optimized for. The content of your article should have an appropriate density for the key word. A good marketing artist will inform you not to obviously stuff the key word. This may result in your article being rejected by article directories. Instead, submit articles that are informative and useful to the readers.

4. Keep content fresh

You should include fresh content in your site as often as feasible. When sites are updated regularly, Google will identify them quickly and place the site on the 1st page.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/2941312

Final Comments..

I hope you found this article to be very helpful for optimizing your illustration or artist website.  And just to add to the article, it is important to use the RIGHT key words and phrases for your website as well. A good free way to find the right keywords is to check what your top competitors are using in their website’s headings and contents.

If you’ll like to comment or share your thoughts on the topic of website optimization for your freelance illustration business, go ahead and do so in the comment section below. I’ll love to hear from you.

~Christina

Posted in How to be a Freelance Illustrator, Marketing Strategies | Tagged , , , , , , , | 68 Comments