£5 per page

[JohnRoss]

i actually turned it down just after posting as I thought about it more and realised it was actually a rip off! It would work out at WAY LESS than the min wage, and experienced or not, I'm worth more than this as I've dedicated 4/5yrs and incurred massive debts to study for this, (in my opinion anyway lol). Thanks anyhow....no the last comments weren't a 'damper' on it they were actually truthful common sense!

Cheers!

In your place, I would have accepted this, because however much you may have studied, you haven't really honed your skills with the grind of everyday work. The price offered was low, it is true, but only a bit below going rates, certainly not ridiculously low - if it works out as less than the minimum wage that is because your turnaround is slow, you need to get up to speed. Plus, are you doing anything more lucrative with your time? The time to turn work away is when you can afford to, not when your pride tells you to.

[Munni]

Hi

I didnt mean that in an arrogant 'I know it all' kind of way!

I do actually have a part-time design job now, and a few little jobs on the side, and I'm still practising all the time...so its not just simply a case of being proud or snobbery. I only considered this project at first as I thought It would be interesting to have a go at doing some editorial work...However, one of the above comments about the time going over one day due to amendments etc was very valid, and I cant really afford to spend more time on it than that.....

Also, you say that a fiver a page is not much below the going rate....Well, even in this current economic situation, I dont know a single person - experience, inexperienced, qualified, self-taught etc - that works for this low or anywhere near it...

[10thWay]

Good on ya! People (as in customers) must realize that there is no such thing as free graphic design (only bad graphic design).
I learned years ago that by doing something rushed for cheap you are actually heading for troubles. The customer will not be happy and you will feel resentful for having to put so much time in a project that made you very little money. Ultimately the customer will go away unhappy and do everything he can to put the name of your company in the dirt.

[matobo]

Interesting thread.

Not sure that I would have done it for a fiver a page, as my current magazine design work is little more indepth. I have come to realise recently - that most designers who get the work, are currently asking for an average of £25-30 (freelance, not agency) an A4 page if that helps - and that is at the acceptable lower end of the scale.

I have also come to realise, that one needs a lot of pages to potentially justify a full-time salary at the end of it all.

PS - I am saying this because I work for 4 different editors/magazines, same franchise... and all of them are willing to work with me using the above guideline prices, because there are a lot of designers out there overcharging and losing business in the current climate. You actually have to work damn hard to make ends meet, but if you want the business, then you have to make some allowances along the line to make friends, influence people and get further recommendations.

I have also learnt (through an editor that is happy working with me), that even if you have the job, there is no guarantees that you will keep it... magazine editors and publishers are currently being inundated with emails from prospective designers with offers that will and probably could take your livelihood away in a flash if you don't prove yourself worthy...