More From The Creative Freelancer Conference

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My head is still swimming with all the information I tried to soak in last week at the 2008 Creative Freelancer Conference in Chicago. Fortunately it has been officially announced that MP3 audio recordings of all of the seminars will be available for purchase soon, likely sometime in the next few weeks. I’ll post a link as soon as they are available.

One of the books I picked up at the conference is The Designer’s Guide to Marketing And Pricing: How to Win Clients and What to Charge Them (Amazon.com link) co-authored by two of the key presenters, Ilise Benun and Peleg Top from Marketing Mentor. I’ve only read portions of the book, but so far I can say this is one of the best books on self-promotion and pricing that I’ve seen in a while. It’s a detailed primer covering the nuts-and-bolts of finding the right clients, networking, pricing your work, and lots of advice on what to say (and what not to say) when negotiating a project so that you appear as professional as possible. The chapter on how to talk to clients about money is well worth the price of the book. While primarily targeted at graphic designers, there is a wealth of helpful information most of which could easily apply to illustrators, photographers, web designers, etc.

Another book I picked up at the conference is Identity Crisis! (Amazon.com link) by Jeff Fisher. Fisher is a graphic designer specializing in logos, and his new book details the process he went through on 50 different client projects transforming old logos and identities into new and successful brands. Each chapter shows the client’s old logo, the new logo (and other collateral material), and discusses the process Fisher went through with each client. Fun stuff for anyone interested in logos and identity work.

Finally, designer Ian Arsenault has posted a bunch of photos from the conference on his Facebook page. Give them a looksee to see how much fun everyone had. Ya should’a been there!

Free Articles from CreativeFreelancerConference.com

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The first annual Creative Freelancer Conference is now history. The speakers were terrific, the seminars were loaded with great info, and it was refreshing to spend three days surrounded by other people who understand the excitement and struggles of freelancing. I came home with my head swimming with ideas on how to take my freelance career to the next level.

I’ve been freelancing for eleven years, and frankly I came to the conference with some nagging doubts about the future of my career and wondering if I had “topped out”. I came away excited that there is still a long way for me to climb. There are things I’ve been doing wrong all these years, and other areas where I can improve that will help me land dream clients and grow my income.

We were told that notes and slides from some of the seminars will soon be available online. Each seminar was also recorded, which I hope means that there will soon be audio downloads available for sale. I’ll be sure to post links to any conference content once it becomes available.

In the mean time, there are thirty terrific articles on the Creative Freelancer Conference website that will give you a taste of what the conference had to offer. They are very helpful and completely free to read. If you are serious about freelancing and want to get better clients and make more money, these articles offer some terrific advice.

Creative Freelancer Conference starts today

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Sorry for the lag in posts lately. Last week I was on vacation with my family, and this week I’m in Chicago for a client meeting followed by the first annual Creative Freelancer Conference. The conference starts this afternoon, and I’m very excited about it. I’m looking forward to meeting lots of other creatives, doing a little networking, and soaking up tons of great info and advice on how to take my freelance business to the next level.

For those of you who can’t attend the conference, I’m told that at least some of the speakers’ presentations will eventually be for sale as MP3 downloads. If that’s indeed the case, as soon as I find out I’ll post a link to the content here on my blog.

How To Retain Good Freelance Talent

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If you are an art director or art buyer who hires freelancers, there’s a short article you should read from HOW Magazine:

How To Retain Good Freelance Talent

The article lists five things every freelancer wishes they could tell their clients. I found the article through HOW’s free e-newsletter, which is a great resource for creatives of all shapes and sizes. You can sign up on their home page.

For a longer list, check out one of my past posts: Being A Dream Client

Creative Freelancer Conference Early Deadline Approaching

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Don’t forget, the early bird deadline for the Creaative Freelancer Conference is Tuesday July 15 extended to July 31. Register by then and save $60.

The Creative Freelancer Conference (Augut 27-29 in Chicago) is a brand new venture presented by HOW Magazine and Marketing Mentor. Topics will be tailored for creative freelancers (i.e. illustrators, designers, photographers, copyrighters, etc.) and include:

  • How do I balance finding work with doing work?
  • What niche should I target, and how do I position myself within it?
  • How do I create a continuous stream of good prospects?
  • How do I find out a client’s budget?
  • Am I charging too much or too little?
  • What should my contract include?

There are also still openings to sign up for a one-on-one review of your portfolio and/or marketing materials. A creative marketing professional will give you advice about your business strategy and suggest ways to improve how you present your work to potential clients.

If you are a freelancer and you only go to one conference this year, this would probably be the one. More info can be found at the conference website: CreativeFreelancerConference.com. I’m planning to attend. Hope to see you there!

Link: The Seven Deadly Sins of Freelancing

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A new 7-part series started yesterday at the Freelance Folder blog:

The Seven Deadly Sins of Freelancing (Part 1)

Check it out. Freelance Folder a terrific blog for anyone interested in freelancing. This series looks to be a good one.