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What do I charge for this?!?!!?
Had someone ask me to quote for the following:
256 page A5 handbook with 4 page cover
Also option of 164 inner pages.
It's a big job and I've not done anything like it before, even in my full time position.
I've got 3 years experience as a senior designer in my full time role and recently set up as freelancer in my own time but costing things stumps me a bit. I don't want to go too high and not get the job but dont want to go too low and rip myself off?!
help!
256 page A5 handbook with 4 page cover
Also option of 164 inner pages.
It's a big job and I've not done anything like it before, even in my full time position.
I've got 3 years experience as a senior designer in my full time role and recently set up as freelancer in my own time but costing things stumps me a bit. I don't want to go too high and not get the job but dont want to go too low and rip myself off?!
help!
- Contact in PM
Opus
Messages count : 87Likes count : 3Registration : 4 February 2008It will depend what's going to be included on the pages and how much designing each page will require. Will most of the pages just be text, styled using stylesheets or will there be illustrations or graphs etc throughout with text having to be positioned on a page by page basis? Will images have to be sourced or are they being supplied?
In some respects it's the same as costing any other brochure - you'll need to initially estimate the time required for:
• the initial design (perhaps options for the cover and a typical spread)
• amendments to the initial design (depending on whether you are including some, all or no amends in the quoted fee)
• artworking style sheets and page templates etc so that you can just flow content into the document.
Once you've done that, estimate how long each page will take using the templates and style sheets you'll have set up. If you know there are illustrations or graphs to artwork either quote an amount per item or include sufficient time to do all of them if you have an idea how many there will be. As with the initial design, allow for amendments depending on how you're intending to charge them out. Don't forget to build in a means of charging for images, including any time for sourcing them or converting supplied ones. Depending on the job there may be other elements to allow for - on a job this size there will probably be a few hours worth of admin.
Total up the estimated time and multiply it by your hourly rate, then add on any anticipated extra costs. Does it seem commercially 'about right'? If not, go through everything again and review your estimate, adding/deducting time if you think you've not quite got it right first time.
Good luck - hope this is of some help. I'm sure other people on here can add to what I've put and perhaps suggest some better alternatives as wellOpus Creative Design Ltd