Hello all, sorry I was unable to post tip number 7 yesterday due to personal reasons. The personal reason being I’m lazy, but it’s ok because I’m sexy. I mean like really sexy. For example if a normal person were to sprawl across their sofa and watch television in their underwear you would be repulsed by the vulgar laziness and exposed ugly. But when I do that (as I did yesterday) it arouses people’s mind, body and soul stirring them with erotic fantasies made even more real since I’m doing such a common mundane task. It’s like that Megan Fox video at Esquire, but hotter. Way hotter.
But enough about me let’s talk about you and how I can help you land a job. Shall we?
If you have been following along so far you know the best way to build a site to display your work, where to look for work and how to approach a potential client. Now it’s time to discuss pay rates. Ah yes now I have your interest. Don’t I junior?*.
I know that everyone expects to be paid top dollar for their efforts and I couldn’t agree more with that statement, but that isn’t the way it works. Remember you are a no name. No one cares about you. Hell, I probably wouldn’t even like you myself. So what now?
Simple you have to make people like you. You have to make editors care. You have to have a thick skin, nice personality and no ass because you worked it off. Ok that last line was pretty dumb but you get my point. When you first start out, your job is to make an impression and make people like you. You do this by turning in jobs early, keeping the editor in the loop and most importantly producing high quality work even if the pay sucks. And let me tell you in the beginning it will.
I’m still a nobody but I do get consistent work and I’m working my way up to the big boys, I hope. Sure there are people who start off at Marvel comics when they are 16 but the majority of the stories out there aren’t like that, so stop dreaming and start working.
Anyway back to my point about pay. Again let me let say again that in the beginning your pay will suck. For example my first paid gig online was $10 for a single illustration however, one of my last projects it was $250 an illustration. But I had to build up to it, just as you will.
The best advice I can give you is to swallow your ego and take a cheap job in the beginning. I say this because it will give you a real world work experience and allow you to truly find out if producing quality work under tight deadlines is something that you can do. It will also lend insight into how things work and what to expect because I can talk about it all day long but you really have to do it to truly know. Because odds are that your gig will more than likely involve something you have never drawn before and that alone is enough to freak most artists out. But it’s something you have to do and become good at in order to become a successful artist.
One last thing I want to touch upon before you run out and get underpaid for a gig. I suggest you read it because this is a secret that will stop you from getting underpaid. That’s right I saved this until the end so that those of you who stayed until the end would avoid being underpaid on your first gig. Ready? Ok here it goes.
Do a free job.
I know crazy right? But I’m serious. Now I know there are a ton of people who go ape shit crazy when I say something like that but whatever. Fuck ‘em. The way I look at it is if you love drawing and you want to take on something you have never done before while creating an awesome piece for your portfolio why not help someone out while you do it? Plus when you are ready for a paid gig the person you helped out can return the favor by putting in a good word for you. See that’s a little thing I like to call networking and believe me when I say networking is how most jobs are obtained, regardless of the business.
Ok that does it for now hope to see you back here tomorrow as we go over tip number 6.
*Should be read with a Sean Connery accent.
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