Starting Your Career as a Freelance Illustrator or Graphic Designer

How Magazine
“Quick and easy to read, full of examples of humorous illustrations.”


The Artist’s Magazine
“A great deal of information obtained only by the ‘live and learn’ method is packed into the book’s chapters.”


Book Description
Technology has sent shockwaves of change through the world of commercial art. Digital illustration and design, online portfolio sites, and the proliferation of stock art have radically changed the way that illustrators and graphic designers work. What has not changed, however, is the wealth of illustrators and graphic designers hoping to turn their talent into freelance success. More than ever, artists face questions such as how to get started, how to sell their work, how to promote themselves, and what to do once they are working. For those embarking on freelance careers in illustration or graphic design, the answers have arrived. A twenty-five year veteran in the field, Michael Fleishman, has detailed every business aspect of commercial art in Starting Your Career as a Freelance Illustrator or Graphic Designer.


From the Publisher
Starting Your Career as a Freelance Illustrator or Graphic Designer shows readers how to find jobs and analyze what markets are right for them. Entire chapters are devoted to explaining the nuances of selling one's work to magazines, newspapers, ad agencies, book publishers, greeting card companies, small businesses, Web sites, and more. Freelance illustrators and graphic designers will find the author's Ten Commandments of Freelancing as well professional viewpoints from dozens of industry veterans. This indispensable guide also details: •preparing a portfolio •making initial contacts •developing a financial plan •acquiring supplies and equipment •pricing one's work •marketing and self-promotion •Internet tools for illustrators and graphic designers


From the Author
For beginning professionals, working professionals wishing to make a change, and entrepreneurs wanting to go out on their own, Fleishman emphasizes the need for balance and self-discipline. "Behind the glitter of those ‘important' jobs lies your everyday world," he observes. "As a freelancer, you must diligently face the small daily drudgeries with the same aplomb you show these ‘bigger' responsibilities."


From the Inside Flap
Starting Your Career as a Freelance Illustrator or Graphic Designer shows readers how to find jobs and analyze what markets are right for them. Entire chapters are devoted to explaining the nuances of selling one's work to magazines, newspapers, ad agencies, book publishers, greeting card companies, small businesses, Web sites, and more. Freelance illustrators and graphic designers will find the author's Ten Commandments of Freelancing as well professional viewpoints from dozens of industry veterans. This book's comprehensive coverage—complemented by art samples, charts, and business forms—makes it the most useful tool on the market for honing the business skills of freelance illustrators and graphic designers.


About the Author
Michael Fleishman is a freelance illustrator, graphic artist, and teacher of commercial arts with over twenty-five years of experience. A former president of the at-large chapter of the Graphic Artist’s Guild, he is also a contributor to How Magazine and a former contributing editor of The Artist’s Magazine. He lives in Dayton, Ohio.


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"A great deal of information obtained only by the 'live and learn' method is packed into the book's chapters."


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