Writers

The Creative Group’s 2014 Salary Guide Lists Eight In-Demand Jobs

TCG-Salary-Barista-Cover2The 2014 Salary Guide for professionals in creative and marketing fields is now available free from the website of The Creative Group. Entitled “Salary Barista,” the guide serves up fresh data on the average starting compensation levels for 134 different jobs.

The Design and Production category lists salaries for 34 jobs, including Creative Director, Art Director, Studio Manager, Medical Illustrator, 3D Animator, Package Designer, and Presentation Specialist.

The Interactive category lists 26 jobs such as Interactive Creative Director, Game Designer, Blogger, Motion Designer, Web Production Artist, Video Editor, and Mobile Developer.

The Content Development and Management section provides salaries for 15 positions such as Copywriter, Medical Writer, Curriculum Developer, Proposal Writer, Copy Editor, and Content Manager.

The Advertising and Marketing category includes salary ranges for 49 corporate and/or agency jobs. Agency jobs include President, Account Manager, and Social Media Account Manager. Corporate jobs include Chief Marketing Officer, Marketing Director, and MarCom Specialist. Jobs that can be found in either an agency or corporate setting include Media Director, Brand/Product Manager, Web Analytics Specialist, Event/Trade Show Manager, and Market Researcher.

The Public Relations category lists salaries for 5 agency jobs such as Account Executive and VP/Group Director and 5 corporate jobs such as Public Relations Director and Public Relations Manager.

For each position, the guide lists national average low and high starting salaries. To determine the estimated salary range for positions in your city, use the “variance numbers” listed on page 12 and 13 of the guide.

For example, jobs based in Chicago have a 123.0 variance number; jobs in Fort Wayne, Indiana have an 81.0 variance number. If the national average starting stalary for a content manager ranges from $62,500 to $83,000, the salary range in Chicago would be 1.23 times higher (i.e., $76,875 to $102,090). In Fort Wayne, the salary would be 0.81 of the $62,500 to $83,000 range (i.e., $50,525 to $67,230).

Eight in-Demand Jobs

Salary Barista lists the eight most in-demand creative and marketing jobs and describes the required skills. The eight jobs include:

  • Digital Project Manager
  • Front-End Web Developer
  • Interactive Marketing Manager
  • Mobile Designer
  • SEO/SEM Specialist
  • User Experience (UX) Designer
  • Web Content Writer
  • Web Designer

The guide notes a continuing shortage of creative talent with digital expertise, particularly in the field of mobile design: “Companies need people who can help them develop content for small screens…Responsive design also is becoming a greater priority for businesses that want to provide customers with optimal experiences on their devices and browsers of choice.”

According to a recent study conducted by The Creative Group, more than half (52 percent) of the 400 marketing and advertising executives surveyed said it’s challenging to find skilled creative professionals today.

In a section listing five hot trends affecting hiring, the authors of Salary Barista observe that “Professionals with in-demand skills recognize that they have more choices in the current employment market and are open to pursuing new avenues, even if it means leaving a stable job. Consequently, managers are redoubling their efforts to retain top performers.”

Freelancers Bring Flexibility and Specialized Skills

To help manage heavy workloads and access specialized skills, organizations are bringing in freelancers more frequently (and for longer periods).

In a section that promotes the benefits of flexible staffing, the Salary Barista notes that, “The percentage of people who are working on a temporary or part-time basis is rising – for a variety of reasons. Specialists at very high levels often choose interim assignments over full-time work because of the schedule flexibility and diversity of projects this option provides.”

The “Salary Barista” 2014 Salary Guide includes

  • four characteristics to look for in creative talent
  • tips on preparing job offers applicants can’t refuse
  • statistics on perks and willingness to negotiate compensation

Starting Salaries Up for Creatives and Other Professionals in 2014

A division of the Robert Half professional staffing services agency, The Creative Group specializes in placing interactive, design, and marketing professionals on a project and full-time basis.

The salary guide for creative and marketing professionals was one of five salary guides released by Robert Half this week. Robert Half also released salary guides for professionals in accounting and financial services, information technology, legal services, and office and administrative support.

Overall, starting salaries for professionals in U.S. are expected to increase an average of 3.7 percent in 2014.

Technology positions are expected to see the largest gains among the fields researched with a 5.6 percent increase in the average salary for newly hired workers. Accounting and finance professionals can expect starting salaries to rise an average of 3.4 percent.

Salaries for professionals in creative fields in the U.S. are expected to be up by an average of 3.3 percent, as are starting salaries for administrative and support staff. The starting salaries for legal professionals are expected to rise 2.7 percent.

Robert Half has been publishing salary guides for businesses owners, hiring managers, and professionals since 1952. Ongoing salaries are not reported because salary increases are affected by factors such as seniority, work ethic, job performance, and training.

LINKS

The Creative Group 2014 Salary Guide

The Creative Group

Robert Half

Robert Half Salary Guides

Writer’s Digest Publishes 2014 Guide to Self-Publishing

2014-guide-to-self-publishingWRITERS. Because new resources for self-published authors continue to be introduced, many books about self-publishing are outdated soon after they are published. To correct this problem, Writer’s Digest has introduced a “Guide to Self-Publishing” that will be updated yearly, much like the company’s popular “Writer’s Market,” and “Poet’s Market” books.

In fact, “The 2014 Guide to Self-Publishing” by Robert Lee Brewer  is the first new market book Writer’s Digest has published since they published the 2008 Screenwriter’s Market in 2007.

Whether you plan to publish a print or digital-only version of your book, “The 2014 Guide to Self-Publishing” can help you find the most cost-effective, efficient ways to get the job done. You will learn how to evaluate the indie publishing landscape, create your own marketing plan, and design professional-looking books, The book also includes insights from successful self-published authors.

The 2014 Guide to Self-Publishing lists hundreds of publishing companies, freelance editors, freelance designers, conferences and organizations for networking, and other resources that can help you succeed. The listings include contact information, rates, services, and specialties.

The pay rate chart can help you negotiate with any freelancers you hire to help you with editing, design, or promotion.

LINK

2014 Guide to Self-Publishing

Writer’s Digest Shop: 2014 Guide to Self-Publishing

 

Treat Your Freelance Career Like a Small Business

Guest post by Nikki Siebel

Location and schedule flexibility, the freedom to choose your own projects, diversity, creativity, and zero micromanagement — all reasons you chose to freelance your talents and skills. Whether you’re a writer, graphic designer, programmer, or social media specialist, if you freelance online, you own a small business. And as a small business, your success depends on branding and marketing.

The market for online workers will be $2 billion by next year, predicts Staffing Industry Analysts. More than 4 million users are registered on oDesk, the largest online freelance staffing marketplace, and the number rapidly grows. Stand out and land gigs with the following tips.

Branding

Establishing your brand is the first step in creating buzz about your product or service. Branding includes aligning your name, logo, website, social media pages, and print collateral (thank you cards, business cards, direct mail). Build a professional website and blog that reflects your brand. A website also serves as your online identity where potential clients will see your work and interact with you. Display the highest level of quality.

Marketing Methods

Social media campaigns are an essential part of freelance marketing. If you’re an online freelancer, you must be present in social conversations across all platforms. And what about off-page marketing? Is it dead to you? It shouldn’t be. Getting your name out to brick-and-mortar businesses and companies in your area could bring in extra work, closer to home. Network in your real and digital communities with a portfolio and business cards.

To develop a marketing plan, define your ideal customer or client and whom you want to target. Then outline your services using the 4 Ps — product, price, placement, and promotion. Also, determine the marketing campaigns you’ll use, campaign costs and how to budget. For example, if you’re advertising your highly qualified freelance services in a large direct mail campaign, invest in a postage machine for your home office to save money in the long run.

Vine

Vine is Twitter’s popular video-based app where users can submit a six-second video that plays on a continuous loop. It was acquired by Twitter and re-released at the beginning of 2013. Top businesses embrace this social media platform as a hot marketing method. Although the six-second limitation may seem like a drawback, it’s ideal for savvy creatives. The time limit keeps messages direct and concise while promoting your brand.

Major brands such as GAP, GE, Wheat Thins, Oreo, JCPenney, and Lowe’s have all boarded the Vine ship and are swiftly sailing into the sea of positive exposure. Vine marketing campaigns have been spotlighted across the Internet and trend on news sites like Mashable. But the accessibility of Vine isn’t limited to major brands. That’s the beauty of it. Your freelance gig could skyrocket with the right Vine. Keep it professional. Funny is okay. But professional is a must. Leverage Vine to promote yourself in the following ways:

  • Engage followers in conversation
  • Promote your work for a client
  • Excite people about your product
  • Take people inside your “office”
  • Educate
  • Tell your story
  • Amuse your audience
  • Share your personality

Examples

GE Vine — “Innovation starts at the drawing board.”

Urban Outfitters Vine — “Where do your Chucks go?”

Nikki’s a native Oregonian who launched her own social media consulting business after baby No. 2 came along (baby No. 3 is on her way, and there will be no baby No. 4).

 

E-Book Excerpt Helps New Writers and Publishers Understand Plagiarism

The popularity of blogging, e-book publishing, and content marketing has attracted many aspiring authors and untrained freelance writers who may not be fully aware of what constitutes plagiarism.  If you are new to publishing, this lack of knowledge could be damaging.

BeginningWritersAnswerBookFor example, one recent plagiarism case involved self-published “author” Jordin Williams who had hired a ghostwriter through the online freelance marketplace odesk.com. Without Williams’ knowledge, the ghostwriting freelancer plagiarized works from romance writers Tammara Webber and Jamie McGuire.

In the “Beginning Writer’s Answer Book” published by Writer’s Digest, editor Jane Friedman outlines four forms of plagiarism:

  • Inserting parts of someone else’s work into your own without citing the source
  • Submitting work done by someone else with your name on it
  • Paraphrasing someone else’s words and trying to pass them off as your own
  • Taking an article that you have sold the rights to and reusing all or parts of it in a new work

Information that can help you better understand the rules of quoting and when you need to seek permission from a book publisher is included in an e-book excerpt from the Answer Book entitled “What Are the Rights of Others?.” The excerpt can be downloaded for $5.99.

For $15.99 you can download the complete Beginning Writer’s Answer Book. The 452-page guide includes 29 chapters on topics such as formatting and submitting your work, selling nonfiction work, writing and selling articles, starting a freelance career, providing photographs and art with your writing, and using a pen name.

The guide also covers copyright basics and publishing jargon. The chapters at the end of the book answer questions about specialized fields such as: writing poetry, children’s books, scripts, and songs; writing for newspapers; and self-publishing.

In the Writer’s Digest Shop, you can find hundreds of books and webinars, including a list of free articles on topics such as how to publish a book (traditional publishing vs. self-publishing) and how to write a query letter.

LINKS

Beginning Writer’s Answer Book, edited by Jane Friedman

E-Book Excerpt: What Are the Rights of Others?

About Writer’s Digest: Free Advice—Articles about Writing

BlueCotton Custom Prints T-Shirts for Authors, Artists, and Design Studios

BlueCotton is an experienced provider of custom-decorated T-shirts, sweatshirts, athletic wear, hats, and other garments as well as promotional items such as tote bags, drinkwear, and notebooks.

Using an assortment of screen printing, embroidery, and digital printing equipment, they have supplied custom-decorated apparel for major brands (such as Polo Ralph Lauren, Juicy Couture, and General Motors), small-business owners, and amateur sports teams. They also print custom-designed T-shirts for individuals planning reunions, weddings, or other events.

BlueCottonTshirts

While there is no minimum order for most custom-designed products (you can even order just one!), you get better pricing when you order six or more. BlueCotton typically uses digital-printing technology for orders up to 20 items, and traditional screen printing for orders of 20 or more.

T-shirts for Authors and Artists

Through a close working relationship with the Print Mafia design studio, BlueCotton has seen how musicians and performance artists use T-shirts to promote themselves and supplement their revenues. Print Mafia reproduces their visually distinctive hand-lettered, hand-cut art on posters for rock concerts, tours, and festivals as well as tour merchandise.

According to Brad Wayland from BlueCotton, Print Mafia specializes in screen-printing their art on heavy, archival-grade paper but works with BlueCotton to produce T-shirts because “We have a vast array of sources for both high-end boutique-style shirts as well as basic tees.”

BlueCotton believes authors, photographers, and visual and performance artists can benefit by using custom-printed T-shirts either as promotional giveaways or fanwear.

BlueCottonCemetaryGirlPosterRecently, BlueCotton produced custom t-shirts for author David Bell. Bell used them during and after tours to promote his novel “Cemetery Girl” and “The Hiding Place.”

“Not only did the T-shirts look great for both books, they also proved to be one of the most popular giveaways we did,” says Bell. “Let’s face it, almost everybody likes getting a cool, well-designed T-shirt. They have a practical use–we have to wear clothes most places we go–and they are also conversation starters. People ask about the book, or the image, of the colors, and that can lead to instant connections and interest.”

Artists may want to have a few custom T-shirts printed for a gallery opening.

“Not everyone who attends a gallery opening can afford an original piece of art or even a giclee’ print, but they may certainly be able to carry home a custom t-shirt bearing an artist’s signature or mark,” says Brad Wayland. “A T-shirt embellished with the artist’s website address, a few words from the artist’s statement, and a representative image can help promote the artist and her work, and may spark a conversation that brings a collector your way.”

He points out that, “Installations or performance art events are perfect opportunities to offer custom apparel or other promotional merchandise because it enables the audience an opportunity to take away a tangible token of the experience when the art itself is not for sale.”

While digital-printing equipment has made it easier to reproduce photographs on T-shirts, many photographers still use custom T-shirts solely for branding purposes. T-shirts imprinted with the photographer’s logo are worn by the photographer as well as assistants in the studio or at art fairs or exhibitions.

If you’re a photographer, consider the extent your work can be used on promotional items such as T-shirts. Certain sizes and resolutions translate better in the screen printing process, and BlueCotton’s design team can give you tips on what types of images render the best results.

Design Your T-Shirt Online

Like many screen-printing firms, Blue Cotton regards printing as a craft. They have a natural rapport with artists and designers and strive to find creative ways to get the best possible results within the limitations of their equipment. While there are still some technical limitations as to the type of art that can be reproduced on T-shirts, the experts at Blue Cotton will advise you if the imagery that you upload to the site won’t reproduce well.

Through their online, interactive Design Studio, you can select the type of garment you would like printed, upload an image, and position the image and/or text on the garment. Images must be no larger than 5000 x 5000 pixels. They recommend uploading a 200 dpi PNG in the exact size you want the design reproduced.

As printing technology continues to improve, so does the quality of the T-shirts and imprinted designs. Whether you want to improve your branding, get your name out there, or show off your unique personality, you can show off your style and have a shirt that is an expression of who you really are.

LINKS

BlueCotton

Print Mafia

 

Invoicing and Project-Management Systems for Freelancers

When you are new to freelancing, setting up a system to manage projects and finances doesn’t seem as urgent as getting your marketing efforts in gear. But if your marketing efforts generate a flood of new projects and inquiries, you may wish you had spent more time establishing a business-management workflow. It is definitely advantageous to have some sort of accounting system in place when prepare your estimated tax payments each quarter.

FreshBooks_logoTwo options that can help freelancers, home-based businesses, entrepreneurs, and other very-small businesses better manage their projects, invoices, and finances are FreshBooks and Sage One. 

I haven’t fully investigated all features. But I am providing some initial impressions here so you can determine if either option fits your business, budget, and long-term goals.

SageOne-logo-MediumFreshBooks and Sage One are both cloud-based services that are provided on a subscription basis. Both are designed for use by people without accounting backgrounds or a lot of spare time to learn complex software. Both services enable you to do such things as send invoices customized with your branding, track overdue invoices, and import expenses from banks and credit-card accounts.

While FreshBooks already has apps available for iOS and Android devices, both services will eventually enable you to access your accounts from laptops, PCs, smartphones, and tablets. Subscribers will automatically get new features as the companies continue to refine their software.

The major differences between the two products come from their roots. FreshBooks, which was launched as a brand-new product in 2004, has a super-friendly interface that clearly reflects the design-firm experience of one of its founders. Sage One, which was launched in the U.S. in May, 2012, is the “very-small-business” edition of a family of accounting and business-management software for small to mid-sized businesses.. The Sage One service has an interface that means business. The smart dashboard gives you an at-a-glance picture of your income and expenses, account balances, and unpaid invoices.

Both FreshBooks and Sage One can help you be more productive and efficient in managing your time, projects, and money. They both can deliver the type of data you need to figure out whether you are just super-busy or super-busy and profitable.

FreshBooks

FreshBooksSoftwareFreshBooks promotes itself as the “No. 1 cloud-based accounting solution designed exclusively for small business owners.” The company was founded in 2004 by a design-firm owner who wanted easy-to-use tools for time-tracking, invoicing, and expense management. FresBooks has been used by 5 million people in 120 countries.

I started using FreshBooks last fall for time tracking and and sending invoices. I first learned about FreshBooks when company co-founder Mike McDerment gave a presentation at the 2011 International Freelancer Day conference about how, when and why to hire your first employee.

One way to determine when it’s time to hire some help is to track how you are spending your own time each day.

When you audit your day and see how you actually spend your time, you will inevitably find certain tasks that you just aren’t good at, said McDerment.  As a solopreneur, you may find yourself spending very little time on your core competency (design, writing, photography) because so much of your time is consumed with administrative paperwork.

When you devote too many hours to tasks that are inefficient and distracting, you have fewer hours to focus on doing billable work–the type of work you most enjoy.

Time-tracking also matters to creative pros because we tend to be perfectionists by nature. Or, when we work on particularly engaging projects, we tend to get “in the flow” and lose track of time entirely. Either way, we often spend far more time on flat-fee projects than we originally estimated. As a creative pro who has worked with lots of other creative pros, the founder of FreshBooks seems to instinctively understand this. 

The time-tracking feature of FreshBooks has helped me understand why perfectionist tendencies can put my ability to earn a living as a solopreneur at risk. Getting sidetracked by projects that fascinate me robs me of time that could be more productively spent on networking, marketing, or working on other assignments.

The time-tracker has helped me produce more realistic estimates and avoid unprofitable, flat-fee projects that might consume more time than they are worth. Time-tracking also helps me see how much time I am actually spending writing each day.  

Another feature that attracted me to FreshBooks was the ability to send invoices in whatever form the client preferred. I can send invoices electronically, email them as PDF attachments to personalized cover letters, or send invoices via old-fashioned snail mail. No matter what form I choose, all of the invoices are tracked from a single point.

FreshBook offers the ability to:

  • Quickly create professional-looking estimates that can later be turned into invoices
  • Track hours spent by project, task, and team member
  • Set different hourly rates for different types of tasks
  • Automatically send monthly invoices to clients who pay on retainer
  • Set up online payments through PayPal or 13 other payment gateways
  • Track offline payments
  • Create team timesheets
  • Track unbilled hours

The FreshBooks app on my iPhone and iPad lets me scan printed receipts for easy attachment to expense reports.

As your business (and client list) grows, FreshBooks can be integrated with related business-management software such as MailChimp (for newsletters and e-mail marketing), Salesforce (customer-relationship management), or Sage 50 accounting software for small  businesses.

You can try FreshBooks for free if you fewer than 3 clients and don’t mind having the FreshBooks brand on your invoices. A “Seedling” subscription to FreshBooks costs $19.99 per month if you have up to 25 clients and a single administrator.You can upgrade to “Evergreen” ($29/month) and “Mighty Oak” ($39/month) plans with unlimited clients and the ability to manage team timesheets and team expense reports.

LINK

FreshBooks

Sage One

SageOneDashboard-BSage One  is designed to help all types of solo entrepreneurs, home-based businesses, and freelancers take control of their finances and manage day-to-day operations without letting time-sensitive tasks fall through the cracks. 

Sage One can help with money management, invoicing, project tracking, task assignment, messaging, and reporting. It can help alleviate problems caused by disorganized record-keeping and redundant and inconsistent data entry.

Sage North America introduced Sage One software to the U.S in May, 2012. It is specifically designed for owners of very small businesses (from 1 to 9 employees) and is part of a family of accounting products for businesses with up to 500 employees. 

The Sage One product comes from The Sage Group plc, a long-time provider of the Peachtree accounting and business-management software for small to mid-sized companies. The Sage Group plc is a London-based company that has been in business since 1981. They have over 6 million customers in 24 countries. Sage North America is based in Irvine, California, serves more than 3.2 million customers.

Here are a few of the things Sage One can help you do related to invoicing and money management:.

  • Accept online payments through Sage Payment Solutions or PayPal
  • Categorize expenses using a customizable account list
  • Generate small-business accounting reports (profit and loss ,balance sheet, aged invoices)
  • Match and categorize recurring transactions
  • Record income and expenses for accounts
  • Review and resend unpaid invoices

To keep your daily work more organized, Sage One can help you

  • Create and manage tasks for your team and customers
  • Review due dates, estimates, and time
  • Access files and emails in one place anywhere, anytime
  • Keep files, messages, and correspondence organized for future reference
  • Review and track team activities

A monthly subscription is regularly priced at $29 per month ($24 per month until August 31). Readers of Creatives at Work can take advantage of a special offer for $15 per month.

LINKS

Sage One

Discount Subscription Offer for Creatives at Work Readers

Preliminary Observations

If you decide to give Sage One  a try, I would love to hear your thoughts about it. I have downloaded a trial version, but haven’t yet set it up. At first glance, SageOne looks more versatile and robust than FreshBooks. And I am aware that I could use SageOne in conunction with a standalone time-tracking app.

But I love having the time-tracker within FreshBooks. Alerts warn me whenever I am exceeding the amount of time I allocated for a specific project.

Neither FreshBooks or Sage One will eliminate the need for accountants (particularly as your business grows). But they can help reduce the amount of time you spend preparing to meet with your accountant. And your accountant will love it if you have all of your income and expense information organized and readily available.

In fact, my contacts at SageOne tell me that a Sage One Accountants Edition is planned for release later this year. This module (free for accountants) will enable your outside bookkeeper or accountant to log in securely and review your financial records on the Sage One cloud platform. 

If you haven’t yet lined up an accountant for your business, the FreshBooks platform can help you find accountants in your area.

Setting up business-management software requires some time and effort, so choose wisely! Once you get a system set up for your clients and team members, you may be reluctant to switch.

Keep in mind that cloud-based software will continue to evolve. Developers of cloud-based software respond to requests from their users. So, once you get a system installed, you can always ask for new (or fewer) features.

 

Digital Book World Webcast to Discuss Multi-Platform Storytelling

DBWLogoWRITERS. Digital Book World is a year-round platform for consumer publishing professionals and their partners, including agents, booksellers, and technology vendors. Digital Book World offers a range of educational resources and networking opportunities — online and in person.

On Tuesday, August 13, Digital Book World is hosting a webcast entitled, “Think Outside the Book: Multi-Platform Storytelling and Digital Publishing.” Scheduled for 12 pm ET (9 am PT and 5 pm GMT), the webcast will explain why digital publishing is the perfect format for transmedia storytelling.

The content is designed to appeal to:

  • book publishers (large and small)
  • book app developers
  • authors
  • booksellers
  • artists
  • people who embrace technology
  • people who hate technology

Transmedia experts Connie Watts and Jen Olson will discuss how book enhancements such as video, music, narration, pop-ups, games, interactive maps, and 3D objects can be strategically used to give readers more context or provide multiple entry points into a story, whether it’s fiction or non-fiction. For examples, enhancements can be use to add more context around a fictional Elizabethan kingdom or liven up a golf book with local news clips from a golf tournament from the 1970s. 

Watts and Olson will explain how to use transmedia as a marketing tool, highlight strategies for collaborating with authors, and suggest techniques for connecting with children and other readers with short attention spans. They will point out that whether we like it not, digital book enhancements are here to stay.

Connie Watts and Jen Olson are the principals of WiredBallyWho, a transmedia publishing company that helps authors, business leaders, and non-profit organizations rethink their approach to traditional book publishing. They also work with artists, photographers, and musicians who want to share their talents through transmedia projects.

Tuition for the webcast is $27 for Digital Book World members and $45 for non-members.

An individual membership to DBW costs $99. Along with discounts on webcasts, online courses, and books, members get on-demand access to all webcast archives and featured audio and video and downloadable resources such an e-book formatting checklist and SEO best practices guide.

Future webcasts and courses include:

  • Webcast: Print to Digital, Digital First, Simultaneous First: What’s Your Strategy? (August 22)
  • 4-Week Course: Metadata Best Practices and Industry Certification (Begins August 19)
  • 4-Week Course: Metadata and the Future of Publishing (Begins September 16)

LINKS

Webcast: Think Outside the Book: Multi-Platform Storytelling and Digital Publishing

About Digital Book World

About WiredBallyWho