This post is part of our daily series of posts showing the most inspiring images selected by some of the Abduzeedo’s writers and users. If you want to participate and share your graphic design inspiration, just send us, via email, the image with the link from where you found it,… read more
For the past four years, I have created a digital flipbook for every publication I have worked on—from the once-a-year publications for nonprofit organizations to the monthly publications.
Digital flipbooks are exactly what they sound like—a digital magazine that you can flip through on your computer screen.
As a freelancer, creating… read more
‘Content is King’ is a cliche in social media nowadays. Having great content doesn’t guarantee your work will appear in front of billions web users. It requires additional work to get this content in front of an audience.
With high quality content at hand, the next step is make your… read more
By now you’re probably well aware of social media’s power to grow your business. Odds are you went ahead and tossed up a few social media profiles. Twitter, Google+, and probably a Facebook page.
Once they’re up, how do you make the most of them though? How do you… read more
A freelancer is somebody who is self-employed or works from his or her own space. Over the years, freelancing has emerged as a professional designation throughout the world. A huge number of freelancers make an living from their own cozy comfort. Ample offers are available for freelancers, ranging from writing… read more
This post is part of our daily series of posts showing the most inspiring images selected by some of the Abduzeedo’s writers and users. If you want to participate and share your graphic design inspiration, just send us, via email, the image with the link from where you found it,… read more
Video Inspiration is a weekly(ish) post where we either feature a specific artist or show a sort of “best of” list of videos we’ve discovered during the week. Everything here may not be brand new, but we felt it worth sharing with the community. If you have good… read more
Yesterday I began to discuss ways in which freelancers can tackle projects using a list and short time blocks to reach your goals.
To reiterate, here’s what my example list looks like for a day of work:
Tasks
Transcribe tape from Interview X
Start writing feature story on Y
Edit freelance stories for health… read more
In this issue of Ask FreelanceSwitch, we look at boycotting hosts with automated design services and how skilled you need to be to start freelancing. Ask FreelanceSwitch is a regular column here that allows us to help beginners get a grip on freelancing. If you have a question about… read more
This post is part of our daily series of posts showing the most inspiring images selected by some of the Abduzeedo’s writers and users. If you want to participate and share your graphic design inspiration, just send us, via email, the image with the link from where you found it,… read more
A couple of weeks ago I wrote a blog post on how freelancers can tackle projects like a software developer using a trend in software development called “Agile”, which calls for compressing development projects into short pieces.
Well I found another article, this time at The 99%, that calls for… read more
Rockable Press has just released a new book: Getting to Know SEO. In this book, content analyst and SEO expert Andre Kibbe gives you a solid grasp of what SEO is all about, and how it can help you generate steady and sustainable traffic to your site or product.
What’s… read more
Around here, Thursday Bram is best known as the one who answers questions sent to Ask FreelanceSwitch.
But did you know that she’s been writing since high school? That she came from a family of entrepreneurs and has always expected to run her own business? And that the deal-breaker between… read more
How you price your services makes a big difference in how your business is viewed by prospective clients. For freelancers, especially those just starting out, the tendency is to price work on the low end to generate client leads and interest. But what freelancers end up doing is attracting… read more
Advertise here with BSA
Savvy tech consumers are slowly adapting to a world where smartphones and tablet PCs are commonplace. With these new devices comes a revolution of mobile software which we have never seen before. Mobile dev studios are popping up everywhere to showcase and market their latest app… read more
This post is part of our daily series of posts showing the most inspiring images selected by some of the Abduzeedo’s writers and users. If you want to participate and share your graphic design inspiration, just send us, via email, the image with the link from where you found it,… read more
Ben Thomas is a digital artist and photographer based in London, UK. With a strong use of colour and negative space, Ben thrives his style with a juxtaposition of highly layered elements and wide open spaces. Being published and worked with most of the fluent brands out there, Ben will… read more
It used to be hard for me to say ‘no’ to people. I think the sheer confusion people have over what freelancers actually do all day makes us an easy target. But just because many of us work from home, doesn’t mean we aren’t working. On the contrary, I’d… read more
When the project is over, it really isn’t.
You might breathe a sigh of relief, but there’s still much to be done. We hear a lot about how to land clients, estimating and managing projects, but the follow-up seems to get forgotten and that’s what this is series all… read more
Are you a freelance writer? Then you’re very important in today’s web marketing.
Every business that’s done online revolves around content marketing. In fact, the web is powered mostly by written words. Your ability to combine common words into concise sentences could lead to income opportunities for you.
But writing in… read more
This post is part of our daily series of posts showing the most inspiring images selected by some of the Abduzeedo’s writers and users. If you want to participate and share your graphic design inspiration, just send us, via email, the image with the link from where you found it,… read more
Adbuzeedo and Arte Limited is happy to giveaway one print from Perttu Murto, a graphic designer, art director and illustrator based from Finland. We have a choice of three artworks where you can choose the one you want to get if you’re the winner!
Each artwork is 1 of 200 limited… read more
Do you have to write a press release? It’s not as easy as you think. Writing headlines for anything—be it a press release or a story—is one of the hardest things to do.
The thing with a headline is that you have to create something that signifies what you are… read more
Dragons are dreadful.
And you know they’re there. Lurking in the shadows. They’re just waiting for you to come out in the open, not knowing about their presence.
And when they do show themselves, and if you’re not prepared, they will rip you apart and burn you to a crisp.
So what… read more
Once a week, we feature a fantastic freelance-themed comic from the talented N.C. Winters. Why not also take a look at our comic archive?
Simply put, the basic concept behind Twitter can be identified as a modem version of short messaging service (SMS) channel with some added features. Your followers on Twitter are the people, who choose to be updated with the tweets (the post or message displayed on your profile page) you share,… read more
The wallpaper of this week is an image created by Mike Harrison,a self-taught, multi-disciplinary freelance art director, designer and illustrator, currently based in London.
Through the years of crafting myself and my career I have experimented with almost every style and discipline in the book and still continue to try new… read more
“We’ve all had that feeling coming about, staring at the wall and nothing comes out,” raps musician Paul The Trombonist in his latest YouTube music video.
The song’s subject matter is something Mashable‘s digitally minded readers can relate to, and summed up in its decidedly non-metaphorical title: “Playing With Your… read more
View engaging conference lectures, interesting how to discussions, and high quality freelance advice via video here on FreelanceSwitch.
This week we look at The Secret Structure of Great Talks by Nancy Duarte. In this video learn from the “I have a dream” speech to Steve Jobs’ iPhone launch, that all… read more
Liz Borod Wright, a freelance writer based in New York City, runs the popular travel blog, Travelogged. She is also a social media consultant and an adjunct for social media at Columbia Journalism School’s continuing education program.
When it comes to building an audience and driving traffic, bloggers are turning to… read more
Headlines from the Internet last week about Pinterest: “How Pinterest is Changing Website Design Forever” Mashable.com. “How Pinterest is Secretly Profiting From Your Links”
Venturebeat.com. “Holy SMOKE! Pinterest is the Fastest Growing Site Ever” Businessinsider.com. “Pinterest Hits 10 Million U.S. Monthly Uniques Faster Than Any Standalone Site Ever”… read more
For this Sites of the Week we have selected some great sites such as AIGA 50 DC and Kult House. Also we’re featuring the nice service called Colllor, and much, much more! As usual we would love to hear from you, keep sending your suggestions to us and we will… read more
If you are a freelancer you most likely have your own website where you showcase your wares. Whether it is a service you offer, a showcase of your talents, or an actual product, video is a great way to engage your clients.
Video allows you to get more… read more
Video Inspiration is a weekly(ish) post where we either feature a specific artist or show a sort of “best of” list of videos we’ve discovered during the week. Everything here may not be brand new, but we felt it worth sharing with the community. If you have good finds that… read more
Like many of you, I learned about Jeremy Lin of the New York Knicks just a few days ago, after his 38-point game against the L.A. Lakers.
Lin’s recent popularity has garnered him 200,000 Twitter followers and over 377,000 Facebook friends. The Chinese-American also has over 800,000 followers on Weibo—a… read more
If you’re starting a new website, one of your first priorities is to drive traffic to it. Traffic means audience, and content without an audience is like the proverbial tree falling in the woods with no one to hear it.
It’s gratifying to have an audience, but there’s more… read more
TED Talks have been an enormous source of inspiration to both myself and many other freelancers. All intellectuals will enjoy these speakers who lecture on a wide range of topics. Popular ideas encompass world affairs, society, scientific breakthroughs, technological advancements, plus tons of other fascinating concepts. Check out some videos… read more
Subcontractors can make a world of difference when it comes to how quickly you can complete a project. But if a problem creeps in, the back and forth with a subcontractor can drag out a project.
Making sure that you work with reliable people, whether we’re talking about a… read more
I’ve spent the last 10+ years freelancing and bouncing back through different agencies. While there were plenty of perks both working for yourself and in an agency atmosphere, It always felt like something was missing. From the first day I opened up Photoshop and built my first website… read more
Last week, the British Journal of Photography helped spread the news that Kodak will stop producing digital products as part of their ongoing strategic review? What is Kodak going to do? Refocus on good, old fashioned film.
At first, this sounded like brand suicide to me. But then I read… read more
True confession: I recently went on an e-mail killing spree.
The objects of my ire were all of those not-so-crucial e-mails that I’d saved under my Gmail account. And I took a certain pleasure in squashing many of them with my Delete key. Ahhh. Nothing like a leaner, meaner Gmail… read more
You might not always know when an opportunity for networking or the chance to expand your client base will present itself. Incorporating personalized business cards into your professional and personal marketing efforts is a positive way to ensure opportunities will not be missed.
But before you can promote, you need… read more
When I read the headline of this FastCompany blog post, I immediately thought of all those freelancers out there who have made the switch from an unhappy existence in their full time job to freelance freedom.
The saying that “money can’t buy you happiness” is true. I know plenty of… read more
Project management can be a pain. It can also be something you look forward to. I’m a firm believer in the notion that if one has the right tools, a job is only as hard as you allow it to be. This can be the case for a lot of… read more
Before I took the big entrepreneurial leap in 2010, I had always worked for a single employer. But you know how the story goes— suddenly the cubicle walls start to feel claustrophobic, the beck and call of the chain of bosses starts to grate, and you yearn for something,… read more
Advertise here with BSA
The world of freelancing is host to many complicated skillsets. Artists and graphic designers are constantly trying to match their talents with the numerous demands pouring out from clients. Project work can be exhilarating, yet also very stressful if you aren’t prepared.
In this article we’ll go… read more
This post is part of our daily series of posts showing the most inspiring images selected by some of the Abduzeedo’s writers and users. If you want to participate and share your graphic design inspiration, just send us, via email, the image with the link from where you found it,… read more
One of the perks of being a freelancer is that you keep freelancer hours—you work when you want to. I happen to like to get started early so I get a good number of hours in while it’s still light outside. The art director I work with prefers to… read more
Do you have a collection of potential and past clients on your social media networks that you gain work from? One of the main things freelancers and small businesses can get out of social networks like Google+ is the ability to develop relationships with prospects on them and maintain… read more
Once a week, we feature a fantastic freelance-themed comic from the talented N.C. Winters. Why not also take a look at our comic archive?
A lot of us are stuck in a world of multiple means of connecting with people, but one of the core methods that will remain for the foreseeable future is the telephone. Granted, this devices is a far cry from what it was even a few years ago, but nonetheless,… read more
This post is part of our daily series of posts showing the most inspiring images selected by some of the Abduzeedo’s writers and users. If you want to participate and share your graphic design inspiration, just send us, via email, the image with the link from where you found it,… read more
Every other week we roundup some of the highest quality articles and resources that benefit freelancers from across the web. We present these articles here on various helpful topics. This week we have articles on powerful guest post tactics, agile methods, and how to charge more.
Tackling Freelance Projects… read more
Content sites, such as blogs, article directories, image galleries, video galleries, etc. are a major category of sites and if you haven’t designed such a site until now, you can be sure that sooner or later you will. Designing a content site is in many aspects easier than… read more
Curt Finch is the founder and CEO of Journyx, a company that offers time-tracking and resource management software. Connect with him and Journyx on Facebook and Twitter.
Social media has emerged like an errant piece of debris from a tornado, and has smacked the world of business in its metaphorical face…. read more
View engaging conference lectures, interesting how to discussions, and high quality freelance advice via video here on FreelanceSwitch.
This week we look at Ditching Basecamp for Project Management With Google Doc by Freelance Jam. In this video the Freelance Jam duo cover project management workflows as they relate to… read more
This post is part of our daily series of posts showing the most inspiring images selected by some of the Abduzeedo’s writers and users. If you want to participate and share your graphic design inspiration, just send us, via email, the image with the link from where you found it,… read more
We’re well into 2012, and many designers and developers around the world are planning their travels for the year, which may include attending one of the many Web design and development conferences that will be held in the upcoming months. To help you out with your plans, we’ve once again… read more
Like many other freelancers, I have a hard time selling myself. It’s something I know I have to work on this year. But as a freelancer, we don’t have someone else out there selling our services for us. It’s up to us to land our own jobs.
I recently read… read more
We talk a lot about marketing and securing clients here on FreelanceSwitch, but there’s another aspect to freelance life that comes as your business starts to flourish–being overwhelmed!
It’s hard to deal with, actually, because you spend so much time learning how to launch your business and probably less on… read more
This post is part of our daily series of posts showing the most inspiring images selected by some of the Abduzeedo’s writers and users. If you want to participate and share your graphic design inspiration, just send us, via email, the image with the link from where you found it,… read more
Have you heard about the trend of standing room only meetings? Instead of having a team sit around a conference table, they’re made to stand up for short meetings instead.
The trend is becoming prevalent in tech companies, and is meant to eliminate long, boring meetings where no one pays… read more
As many freelancers eventually realize, going into business for yourself means you actually take on two separate (very different) full time businesses. How’s that for a surprise when you originally thought that you could blissfully code away and somehow the money would start rolling in?
This is actually what happens… read more
Advertise here with BSA
The trend of using minimalist designs has been with us for a while now. It seems like every day major design blogs publish a new gallery of great designs. But do minimalist designs actually mean anything to a designer? Can you become a better web designer… read more
Here There Be Dragons! Dealing with Nightmare Clients & Challenges As A Freelance Designer
This post is part of our daily series of posts showing the most inspiring images selected by some of the Abduzeedo’s writers and users. If you want to participate and share your graphic design inspiration, just send us, via email, the image with the link from where you found it,… read more
Working in the creative field means you are an open target for criticism. Someone doesn’t like your photography work, they think you’re a bad writer, or your prices are unfair. And as freelancers, it can be hard not to take criticism—no matter how well meaning—personally.
I read this blog post… read more
Valentine’s Day is probably not a holiday that brings your fellow freelancers to mind.
You may have made a point to recognize your clients during the December holiday season, so why not make February the time to applaud your fellow independents?
Spreading good karma always pays off in some manner,… read more
This post is part of our daily series of posts showing the most inspiring images selected by some of the Abduzeedo’s writers and users. If you want to participate and share your graphic design inspiration, just send us, via email, the image with the link from where you found it,… read more
A new study from Carnegie Mellon’s School of Computer Science called “Who Gives a Tweet: Evaluating Microblogging Content Value” has unveiled what we like to read, and what we don’t like to read, on Twitter. I have to say, the results aren’t all that surprising.
A team of researchers from… read more
It takes a lot of work to get a new client. Unless you have a regular stream of referrals coming your way, you may need to do all the legwork yourself by approaching potential clients, contacting them, and testing if they’d be interested in your services. This often… read more
This post is part of our daily series of posts showing the most inspiring images selected by some of the Abduzeedo’s writers and users. If you want to participate and share your graphic design inspiration, just send us, via email, the image with the link from where you found it,… read more
The title says pretty much what this post is all about. For those who are more concern about the final score, I am more into looking the commercials. It’s where you will witness all the millions of dollars that companies spent each year for a few seconds of air time… read more
Reporters at The Washington Post are now actively engaging their readers by posting comments in streams on the paper’s news stories online, something they’ve never done in the past. The paper switched to a new website platform called Echo, which has helped them grow their online community. Reader comments… read more
Once a week, we feature a fantastic freelance-themed comic from the talented N.C. Winters. Why not also take a look at our comic archive?
Snapshot from Nanette Lepore’s Spring/Summer 2012 collection.
Fashion Week returns to New York Feb. 9, and once again designers and the press are heading to the web to engage consumer audiences.
Building off success from past seasons, many brands — roughly one-third showing at Lincoln Center — will live-stream… read more
Looking for a new client? The FreelanceSwitch job board is a great resource of freelance gigs and opportunities. These opportunities are in various fields, from development to writing to design, and come from a wide range of potential clients. The job board is hand-moderated by dedicated staff and volunteers… read more
When it’s working, we call it developing a distinctive style. When it’s not, we call it falling into a rut. Formulaic, trend-based design might help you get the bills paid on time, but it won’t win you any design awards — and let’s face it, what’s most scary… read more
The wallpaper of this week is an image created by Jeff Huang. Jeff is a freelance art director and illustrator based in New York who specializes in Creative Design, Abstract Art, Photo Editing, and 3D.
Jeff has been working professionally for more than 6 years now and has produced work… read more
View engaging conference lectures, interesting how to discussions, and high quality freelance advice via video here on FreelanceSwitch.
This week we look at Paul Boag: Get Clients to say ‘Yes!’ by Paul Boag. This weekend we’re sharing a great talk from Carsonified. In this talk at FOWD NYC, Paul… read more
Business is always about monetizing one component from among a host of other important things. The reason behind every business is to make money or generate revenues. Given the inherent focus on revenues, when launching a business or a site, it is critical to understand how to manage finances, which… read more
There are a lot of stories written about home-based businesses—trust me, I just did a Google search. Working from home has changed drastically over the years, thanks to technology.
If you think back not even 20 years about home-based businesses, you might envision a low-tech service business such as a… read more
In this issue of Ask FreelanceSwitch, we look at growing into an agency and freelancing internationally. Ask FreelanceSwitch is a regular column here that allows us to help beginners get a grip on freelancing. If you have a question about freelancing that you want answered, send an email to… read more
Seth Porges is a magazine editor and the creator of Cloth, an iOS fashion app for iPhone and iPod Touch. His Twitter handle is @sethporges.
App appeal is obvious. The barrier to entry? So low! The upshot of producing the next Angry Birds or beer-chug simulator? So high! Heck, with just… read more
While playing for the Tennessee Valley Vipers in the Arena Football League, and pursuing his dream of playing football professionally, Lewis Howes broke his wrist diving for a pass. He gutted out the rest of the season, playing through his… read more
A recent story in The Australian caught my eye. The title of the piece is “Online magazine offers less than 2c a word to freelancers”. The name of the online magazine is Breathe Magazine Australia (BreatheMagazine.com) and it is scheduled to launch in April 2012.
The Australian journalists’ union, called… read more
Unless you’ve been living underneath a very large rock for the past couple of years, you’ve probably heard that Europe is teetering on the brink of financial armageddon.
While there’s no shortage of doom and gloom in the the global outlook, it’s not all bad news – especially if you’re… read more
Freelancing offers you maximum flexibility to choose the projects that best compliment your skills, passions and interests. Without doubt, this is one of the most obvious advantages in becoming a freelancer. However, in this economic climate the ability to only choose the projects that most attract you must… read more
Freelancing Fear: What causes it and how to overcome it
I love sleeping. Always have, always will. I was the kid whose parents had to wake up on Christmas morning. If I don’t get enough sleep—watch out.
Admittedly, sometimes I feel ashamed at getting nine hours of sleep at night. But when I read this article in Inc.com about how… read more
Each month, we bring together a selection of the best tutorials and articles from across the whole Tuts+ network. Whether you’d like to read the top posts from your favourite site, or would like to start learning something completely new, this is the best place to start!
Psdtuts+ — Photoshop Tutorials
Create… read more
So you finally got a call back and that client is ready to move forward with working with you! Great! Now it’s time to get down to business.
How do you make sure you get paid for the work you do? We all hate this part, but … read more
I have been a freelancer for almost a decade now and in the course of these years, I have had dozens of clients and hundreds of projects. While no two clients are the same, I have noticed some common things many of my clients hate. For truth’s sake,… read more
The group Cosmosys is a creative community focused around different forms of art, composed of artists from around the globe and they recently released their 7th exhibiiton with a beautiful gallery of different stunning pieces. I hope you will enjoy them!
Our goal is to provide artists with a community… read more