Computerlove™

February 2nd, 2007

Your Rights as a Freelance Designer

1. You have the right to charge a fair price for your work. If you're in the US, you can find the industry price tables in the Graphic Artist's Guild Handbook of Pricing and Ethical Guidelines.

2. You have the right to take credit for your work. If you're a print designer, this means a written credit on the final art. If you're an interactive designer, this means a link to your portfolio on the finished site. If for legal reasons (e.g. you're being subcontracted by a large agency) the client cannot attribute credit for your work, you have the right to charge 50-100% on top of the value of the job at your discretion.

3. You have the right to collect a deposit before starting work. The standard is 30-50%, depending on the cost of the job.

4. You have the right to make sure your work sees the light of day. Kill fees in the industry go from 50-80% of the cost of the job. Make sure you stipulate this in contract.

5. You have the right to charge for alterations made after the fact. If you have a client's written approval on a deliverable and she changes her mind, let her know that you'll have to charge extra for your time.

6. You have the right to be paid on time for your work. Decide your net payment period (30 days max is standard) and charge interest if the client is late in delivering payment. Make sure that you include adjusted values for late payments in all invoices sent out.

7. You have the right to be paid when expected, independent of your clients' disorganization. If they take 6 months instead of 1 to get you content (and they will), you should not have to wait an extra 5 months for the check.