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| Starting Your Career as a Freelance Illustrator or Graphic Designer | 
 enlarge | Author: Michael Fleishman
Publisher: Allworth Press
Category: Book
List Price: $19.95
Buy New: $11.40
You Save: $8.55 (43%)
Buy New/Used from $9.00
Avg. Customer Rating:  (12 reviews)
Sales Rank: 118318
Languages: English (Original Language), English (Unknown), English (Published)
Media: Paperback
Edition: Revised
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 256
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.8
Dimensions (in): 8.9 x 6 x 0.7
ISBN: 1581151993
Dewey Decimal Number: 741.602373
EAN: 9781581151992
ASIN: 1581151993
Publication Date: December 15, 2001
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Customer Reviews:
 A great little guide for the wanta-be entrepreneur who doesn't have a mentor to help them go from W-2 worker to self-employed! April 29, 2007
17 out of 17 found this review helpful
I really liked this book a lot. It was a very good first-hand book written by a small business owner about his experiences starting, managing, and prospering as a freelance illustrator and/or graphic designer. His writing style was not exactly stellar. But it certainly was clear. The 20 chapters included in the book fell into the following 4 topics:
1. STARTING THE FIRM
>>Where Do You Start?
>>Off on the Right Foot
>>Creating a Plan for Your Business
>>Developing Your Financial Plans
>>Forms, Charts & Templates
>>Pricing Your Work and Getting Paid
2. MANAGING THE FIRM
>>Why Should You Freelance?
>>Setting Up Shop
>>Managing Your New Studio
3. RAINMAKING FOR THE FIRM
>>Bring in Clients
>>How to Get Noticed
>>What Goes in the Portfolio
>>Marketing on the Web
4. POSSIBLE MARKETS
>>The Magazine Market
>>Selling to the Newspapers
>>Working with Advertising Agencies
>>Selling to Book Publishers
>>The Greeting Card Market
>>Working with Art and Design Studios
>>Selling to Small Business
Since I am not an illustrator or a graphic designer I did not have much use for the fourth topic. But it was interesting to read about. I regularly counsel wanta-be entrepreneurs about how to start a small business; I'm a volunteer SCORE counselor. And the material covered in the first three topics above are exactly what I talk about with my SCORE clients. I highly recommend this book to anybody wanting to start their own small consulting practice. It does a wonderful job discussing the topics.
My biggest complaint with the book is the tendency of the author to recommend outsourcing so many functions: accounting, taxes, and Web site design and construction. I think these things should be fully understood by the small business owner and probably done by the owner herself. When the business grows to have a few employees, then the employees can do those tasks if the owner wants to do that.
I would have written the section on choice of business structure differently. Keep in mind that LLCs can be either single member or multi member. An LLC can elect to be taxed as a sole proprietorship (single member), a partnership (multi member), or a C Corporation. Also, a multi member LLC will have to file a partnership tax return. A good book on the subject that I recommend you read to supplement this book is Structuring Your Business (ISBN: 1593371772). I highly recommend forming an LLC and electing to have it taxed as a C Corporation. Just give yourself a bonus at year-end so the corporation retains no earnings. If your business is a corporation it is less likely to be audited by the IRS. 5 stars!
Good book November 10, 2006
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
At first, I had heard that this author talks "down" to the illustrator when he is explaining things, but this book I actually found very helpful, true to life and there weren't any sugar coatings. I enjoyed how he wrote and he put things into perspective, he didn't talk down.
Just great! March 10, 2006
7 out of 7 found this review helpful
Well, if you're looking for a book which explains with simple words the world of freelance illustrators, with tricks and tips, examples, wisdom and a bit of jokes, you've found it!
And it's fine also for other similar careers.
I definitely can suggest it.
Great Book!! March 8, 2006
6 out of 6 found this review helpful
For someone planning to start their own business this will give you insight to all the little and big details to that you should prepare yourself for before diving in head first.
 Excellent February 1, 2006
4 out of 5 found this review helpful
I throughly enjoyed the book. I am finding it most helpful. It is easy to follow from chapter to chapter. It gives great ideas to get you started thinking and brainstorming about graphic designing and freelance work.I would highly recommend it to anyone. It is a straight shooter and tells you like it is in the real world of business.
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