Am I a Freelancer or a Contractor?

According to U.S. employment law, every freelancer is an "independent contractor," that is, someone who performs a specific service rather than being an employee of the hiring company.

However, in many companies, "contractor" or "freelance contractor" refers to a professional who comes to the client site to perform a specific, time-limited project, while a "freelancer" performs the work offsite. Many freelancers operate both ways, depending on the work available and their own professional goals.

If you work offsite, using your own equipment, there's no question about your status. However, a company employing you onsite must differentiate between contractors and full-time employees for tax purposes, and U.S. law seeks to punish employers who use "contractor" status to hire permanent workers without making required Social Security, Medicare and unemployment contributions.

Avoid Common Agency Pitfalls

Whether you're a freelance designer looking for work or a client seeking help with your design needs, the right agency can be a lifesaver. The wrong agency, though, might be more trouble than it's worth. Here are some common trouble signals:

• The design agency is really a staffing agency, with far more secretaries and accountants in its files than designers.
• The agency is vague about how much you'll be paid and when.
• The agency isn't willing to supply the names of customers and/or freelancers to serve as references.
• The agency is aggressively peddling full-service advertising solutions rather than listening to the needs of a client who just wants a designer.
  

Health Insurance For Freelancers

Traditionally, one of the main reasons professionals have avoided shifting to full-time freelance work is the absence of health benefits. However, today freelance workers can get health insurance quite easily. Many freelancers join the Freelancers Union, a place where freelancers can pay to enjoy decent rates on healthcare plans comparable to what they would find through large companies.

Hiring a Freelance Designer

Professional freelance designers can keep costs down because they don't have to pay for overhead the way companies do. Furthermore, freelance designers who work out of their homes have been known to provide higher quality services than professionals in the more expensive design firms.

There are several sites where you can post a project for freelance designers to bid on. You can also see what other clients thought of a candidate's work. For even more feedback about candidates, many freelancers allow you to contact previous clients for references.

*Be as specific as possible when posting a project. This will ensure that you get the most accurate price for your project.

Portfolios For Graphic Artists

In order to get work, you'll need to show work. It's that simple. Nowhere is this more important than in the world of graphic arts. Your designs are your calling cards. So how much work should you put inside a portfolio?

Graphic arts professionals sometimes opt to show the quantity of work they have done. This is a mistake. It's better to choose 10 strong designs than twice as many mediocre ones. Sadly, the prospective client may remember the average designs the most. If this happens, your chances of being hired diminish.

Negotiating Pay For Web Design Work

A freelance Web designer can expect to make anywhere from $30 to $150 an hour, depending upon his or her experience. Designers sometimes negotiate with clients for payment in both cash and trade.

Trade is payment in the form of a service rather than money. For example, trade can be a spot for advertising on a client's site or the opportunity to link one's portfolio to a page. Some designers may also choose to take less money up front with the agreement that more work will be forthcoming, either from the client or his or her associates.

Refreshing Your Web Content

Consider how often your site needs to be updated when hiring a Web copy editor. Web sites must refresh to maintain the interest of customers.

Some Web sites need constant refreshing of content. Be sure to discuss the topic of refreshing and what the rates and deadlines are associated with this task.

Content Writing

A content writer works on Web sites, using good writing to help a client achieve business goals. This is a useful specialty for a freelance copywriter because the work can often be done online from any location.

A good content writer understands how people read on the Internet, and provides useful information in easy-to-read "chunks" so that users can skim and find the information they need most. Site owners know that having useful content helps drive Web traffic and positions their organizations as experts. The content writer is a vital link between those organizations and their customers.

Copy Editing vs. Proofreading

While many freelance editors do both copy editing and proofreading, they are different aspects of the same job.

A copy editor sees a manuscript before it is prepared for publication, and may raise substantive issues such as breaking some material off into a sidebar, or reorganizing the piece into more logical sections.

The term "proofreading" comes from the publishing world, where "proofs" show the manuscript set into type and ready to be bound into books. At this point, it is possible to correct small errors, but more difficult to correct large ones. Even today, many presses release a set of proofs and allow the author to change only a certain percentage of the pages before the final product is printed. Proofreading, therefore, is more focused on printing issues such as spacing and consistent typography, along with correcting minor errors in spelling and punctuation.

Freelance Programming Jobs

A career in freelance programming can be a highly rewarding one. However, as a programmer, it's best to take on work that reflects your best talents. Try to create a niche for yourself. Advertise your talents by perfecting a style of programming. Work with similar companies and build a strong portfolio.

Going From Freelance to Full-time

Many freelancers turn to a job placement to achieve full-time placement in a company. In many cases, these agencies have already assisted them in finding freelance work.

Some freelancers discover that their good relationship with a company as its freelancer develops into a full-time position.

Copyrights to Your Web Site

Find out ahead of time if the freelance web designer will want the copyright to the pages created for you. This could be a problem because it restricts you from making new pages by copying from existing pages. You could also be banned from using your Web site anytime you wish.

*If you have trouble getting the copyright, next time think about choosing a professional who gives you the rights.

Designing Logos

It's almost inevitable that all graphic arts jobs involve designing a logo at some point or another. Here's a tip: design in black and white!

To help stay focused on typeface as well as shape and size, design in black and white, not color. Later on, as the design is finalized, you can transfer your design to color. There is another reason to do this as well. Your logo needs to be legible and clear in black and white if it is ever photocopied or faxed.

Copy Writers vs. Copy Editors

There is often confusion about the difference between a freelance copy editor and a freelance copywriter. The following pointers will clear up the confusion.

• Copy writers and copy editors are masters of language. Both use words to the height of their rhetorical power to send a message to an audience.

• Copy writers create effective and influential text. This, however, is where their job ends.

• A copy editor steps in to clean up, fact check and doctor copy to give the final product the necessary polish. This usually involves proofreading as well.

Art Director vs. Creative Director

As you search through resources for freelance art director jobs, you will notice jobs posted for art directors and creative directors. What's the difference, you ask? There is none.

At the upper levels of the field, both positions require creative conceptualization. Each must assess a client's plans and goals in a diplomatic way. Because new campaigns will need to be pitched effectively, exceptional presentation skills are required for both positions. Therefore, the only real difference between the two jobs is the actual job title itself.