Co-authored with Zubaida Nazzal
In my own humble beginnings, I was paid very low amounts from around 30$ to 60$ for a job that is worth 10 times the amount paid, I participated in many events, usually volunteer work, like Ta’a Alshabab, just to put my art out there. Bit by bit, with time and experience, my skills level rose, and with it the paying clients came, and the prices rose as well. how much shall I charge the client? And how do I price my work? Are very common question, and need some planning, so let’s go through all the elements included in pricing your artwork.
Will the pricing process apply to artists only?
No, the process applies to designers, photographers, crafter and all other creatives as well. However, since we are artists, most of the examples will be given from an artist’s point of view.
Give a little more than what you take
As for your beginnings, you’ll unfortunately have to lower your prices, and even work for free in some cases. The reason be it to gain experience and skills, to be around your role models and benefit from them and their experiences and to have the consultation and guidance of mentors. This is more advisable for the younger artists and artists looking for exposure.
Society will usually be divided, between steering you towards your rights, rather than what you can give or steering you towards working for free since it’s a “talent” and God given, and it “doesn’t take much time from you”. I feel it’s a faulty approach, to only focus on what you want rather than what you can give, or to erase your rights entirely, which is applicable to any level. The best approach is to give more, to get more, yet maintaining your basic rights without being exploited.
Beggars can’t be choosers
At the beginning, the main focus is to gain clients and build trust, if you charge high prices, or even a normal price, people still don’t trust you enough to trust that you can do the job or deliver a good product even if the price is well- deserved. The prices need to be a bit cheaper than the trusted competitors who already have clients, even if your work is better than them.
James’s account back in 2019
Notice the number of the posts and the number of the followers, bear in mind that is a period through his journey and not his beginning
James’s account in 2022
Notice the number of the posts and the number of the followers, he stayed consistent, and kept posting and thus his followers and clients grew. James is in control of his prices and the projects he takes
However, some creators prefer to keep their prices normal or high, thus the income might be slightly big, but inconsistent with a small client base. The benefit of keeping the prices relatively low at the beginning, is that the clients will feel it’s a lower financial risk, and if you fail the job they won’t feel much regret, since your price was low anyway, but when you succeed, you earn loyal clients, trust, consistency, word of mouth marketing and a good reputation.
Establishing a strong client’s base and putting your name out, will mean more work and low income, and up till the point when they might be too much for you to handle, keep your prices low and take as much work as you can. When you reach a point of having a waiting list and sometimes, being too full to accept work, you will be completely in control of your prices and be pickier according to your schedule. Still, it is not advised to skyrocket your prices suddenly, as your clients will feel that you might be greedy, so with the privilege of options remember to remain humble.
Beginning of James’ account
he had a lower engagement rate with his content, thus less clients. He had to grow his audience, thus his client base.
James’ account today
James has a high number of followers, thus he is in control of the projects he takes and his client base is established, thus his clients now are eager to what he presents
You can’t help but notice the development in James’ style, lines and skill. Naturally with practice and time, he is prone to get better, and thus, he is eventually in control of his projects, pricing and clients,
For this article we won’t be linking the YouTube video, since this article has some conflicting tips and information, but stay tuned for this series