e-Book Graphic Artist's Guild Handbook of Pricing and Ethical Guidelines (Graphic Artists Guild Handbook: Pricing Ethical Guidelines) download

I attend a low end community college at the moment in order to save on educational costs. The debate about needing school for art is for another topic. It works for me because structure is fantastic as a motivator for an otherwise sprawling creative mind. Hence, this book is helpful for the same reason.

I'm an artist, not a businessman. While I have fantastic creative ideas concerning business, it is not my natural state to behave according to the statutes of business, to "snap into" pricing minded, business minded decisions as I contemplate design choices beyond budgetary restrictions or output requirements.

This book filled in that cloudy, fuzzy other world that I know exists, yet is an art in and of itself. The structure, and language of dealing with business agreements, is a different codex to some degree than the language of designing projects. This book has from front to back, almost an overload of information.

That clunky, complex, difficult to navigate realm of "titles" for the jobs that we as artists do always bothers me and my lack of knowledge on such things felt like a frustrating wall keeping me out of confident exchanges. If you ever wondered what a specific role does, or what it is called, reading this book front to back will inform you. While it makes zero difference to my brain that you have delegated categorical differences between highly similar positions requiring creative problem solving, it does matter to corporate structure, and to clients because they lack the language to know the difference. This book ran through, in a more than detailed way, each position, from each creative field. It followed with what could be considered requirements of the position, expected business procedures such as how to handle clients and what to set up as an agreement for services you will provide them, and the amount of payment you should expect. Detailed pricing breakdowns are shown for guidelines and reference, as well as example contracts for various projects.

The book is well organized, well made, and well designed. While I know many comment that this book is not a good example of how to conduct oneself in the business of design, because any totems are inevitably going to be changed. I would have to disagree. Not all of us "just get it", and some of us are not naturally inclined to care as much about this side of things as we are about the perfect harmony of color in our projects. Not to say one is better than the other, just approached differently by different creative minds.

I bought the book with some apprehension, thinking "here comes another technical manual of how to with design, blergh." I was pleasantly surprised at the result. If a client approached me and asked me for a service, having this basic outline is a great tool for a new designer. Having a general outline of how the pipeline should go as far as services rendered, payable, etc are all invaluable. Of course most of us grasp these concepts, but some need that go to to keep it all in line while we focus on other things that we are adept at. I would immediately flip through the book after a meeting and double check the requests of the client against the services I am going to provide in the book, and come up with a detailed break down for my quote on paper.

I hope this has helped as a book review, and hasn't wandered off point too much. I would, as a constant student, and a long time artist entering new fields, recommend this book to everyone interested in actually having a job creating content of any form. If you are serious while in school, you should know what your outcome is going to be. Reading the descriptions could help you nail down that foggy "direction" and "specific job title" that you are looking for, giving you better guidance as you tailor your education. For the professional, the value of this book should go without saying. It is a codex of costs and professional practices.

What a wonderful book. I read the most immediate sections for my situation first, and it now sits in one of two places. Either on my desk, or, too much info, in the bathroom. Why waste time? Might as well read something that increases your knowledge, line by line.

I looked high and low for a book like this, and when I ordered it I was not sure what to expect. For people starting out in the design business, the book covers an incredible number of topics not found elsewhere. Don't be put off by the word "ethics" in the title. While it clearly deals with these issues, it is not a book that focuses exclusively on your ethics -- the bulk of the book deals with topics such as general business practice, prices and trade customs in graphic design, cartooning, web/other media design, and illustration, legal issues, professional relationships, technological issues, supplier/customer relationships, tax issues, typical contracts, salaries, and standard operating procedures in the industry. The "Handbook" part of the title is more descriptive of what you get. It has information you cannot find elsewhere. This also part of the How Design Book series -- a great group of books for designers.

I get excited when the Graphic Artist's Guild releases their updated edition of the "Pricing and Ethical Guidelines." It is interesting to see how fee structures have changed over the years. I have noticed, like many professions out there, the design industry has been stagnant while expenses and cost of living have gone up.

One reviewer criticized the cover and felt embarrassed referencing it to clients. Tastes vary and I also have not been a fan of the cover designs over the years. I don't reference this book to my clients because it isn't intended for that. In our studio we are interested in working with clients up to a point. Many of them are not educated about the process. I try to guide them and explain to them the difference in services and that a great design idea will make them money instead of costing them. We also encourage them to do research and talk to some of our happy clients and other designers because we feel that there has to be a good fit for a successful outcome.

This book is and has been *the* resource for the creative profession and helps maintain a high standard while preserving a living wage, especially in light of out sourcing and crowd sourcing. This book reminds us of the value our ideas and their manifestation bring to the table and helps us maintain a higher standard in a competitive world that is frequently undercut by laymen or lack of talent.

My assistant is venturing out on her own and beginning to build a freelance business. I introduced her to this guide (I was surprised she didn't know already) and she raved about the wealth of information and how perfectly the book fits her needs.

There are many great business books for creative professionals, "Pricing and Ethical Guidelines" is a staple in every creative studio.

The Graphic Arts Guild kind of is the final word on the going rate for stuff graphic art, illustration, web design..etc.

And this information is CRITICAL! Because if you freelance in a graphic art field and charge too low a fee, it contributes to the decline of everyone's ability to get paid what they are worth.

This doesn't solve the problem that big cities roll with more money than small cities or towns - for example the going rate for webdesign might be 3,000.00 - but where you live, no one, no business, will spend that kind of money.

But knowledge is power, in my case I'll let client's know that the going rate is what it is, and also because I'm charging much less, I'm going to post a small ad for my services on the site I create for them, or ask for a modest profit sharing deal if the site sells things.

This book is a must have, it will also inspire you to try for different skill sets!