This is a story of a first-time freelancer working on a project which eventually let him to his time wasted but his effort rewarded with experience. This story is base on a true encounter. Any similarities of characters are just…pure coincident. =)
Cast
Me – Narrator of story and main character.
Jane – Cousin of main character’s friend where the main character got the job from. However, the main character has no relation with Jane.
Steve – Client and direct contact person. Age 35-40
David – Client. Looks like the smarter one among the two clients. Age 40-45.
Claims to have several companies, a publishing firm and several artistes working under him.
So I was there at Admiralty for the fourth meeting right in middle of a park among the HDB. Strange I understand, but anyway I presented the work I’ve done so far for my 2 clients. Consisting of 2 almost ready to publish pre-school learning books and a few concept sketches I did for the third book.
The foolish thing I did for an amateur here is that, I haven’t discussed a bit about my pay check at all. By right it should be confirmed at least on the second meeting. The only time we…very very briefly talked about it was on the first meeting.
Me: About the payment, how much will you be paying me?
Steve: Errr…
Jane: I think after the job, you just pay what he deserves
Steve: Yah yah ok
Me: (I briefly agreed to it) Ok
Back to the fourth meeting. So after we discussed about the two books, which they seem pretty happy with and some amendments they requested to be done.
We carried on with the third book which after; their signs of tiredness began to show. Just when David was stacking the two printed books neatly side by side and was about call it a day…
Me: There’s one thing I wish to talk about here and it is my payment. How much exactly am I getting?
David: Ok, this project consists of 9 books. What are you looking at? Well it be…be…
Me: I’m looking at how much I’m getting for one book. (raising one finger, pointing ONE). You name the price first, I want to know how much you expect to pay me.
David: My focus is on the project which consist of 9 books and…
Me: Yes and my concern is the pay. *Smile
Their faces changed dramatically when I talked about my pay. Much like turning from a friendly uncle to a tiger for David, while Steve was just smoking and never saying a word.
David: Ok so what do you have in mind, I want to hear it.
Me: Well I say, Five-Fifty.
David: Five-Fifty. You mean…
Me: Five hundred and Fifty.
David: (Shake his head) No, that is not possible.
David starts talking things that do answer the question, refusing to tell me how much am i getting.
Me: Ok how about 450.
David: (Shake his head) No, I can’t give you that.
Me: Ok then why don’t you name me YOUR price.
David: I need to go back and consider about this. You have your own price and I have my own reasonable price.
Me: No, I need to know the price today. Previously I hadn’t talk about this because I do not know the market price, but I have checked with one who used to work as a full-time freelancer and another professional in-house graphic designer. The market price is 600-800, however I’ve gauged this project and I have arrived with this price (which is then dropped to 450).
David: (Getting very defensive) You said you’ve gauged? How do you gauged? You said the market price is this, where do your friends worked? Which company?
Me: Why do I have to tell you where they work?
David: I have artistes working for me and I pay them 1500 a month. I have freelance people working for me. You said you want 550 (take note that I’ve already dropped the price to 450 and yet he said 550). You want to compare yourself to the professionals then you must show me professional work.
Me: No wait, I am not comparing myself to the professionals outside and I am not quoting you a price for the professionals. Since you have experienced with these people, why don’t you just name me your price?
David: For me, I need to see the work is done (notice he had already said this several times).
Me: The work is right infront of you. I have done TWO books. Are you not happy with my work?
David: They are nice. I’m not saying…..i’m saying that the project consists of 9 books and you have only done 2 books. I need to see your level of skills and that you can do the rest.
Me: Do you expect me to produce 9 books without knowing my pay? You can’t expect someone to work for 12 months and then only get his pay at the end of the year.
David: You ask for 550 and I think that is not possible. If you expect me to pay you a price of professional then show me what you can do. *blar blar blar blar blar blar blar blar*
Me: (I waited patiently for my turn to speak) Ok is it my turn to speak now? Ok in the course of the project, I’ve created approximately 75 illustrations with most of them rendered. I’ve created customized fonts. I did the layouts and I even did your company brand which I am supposed to charge you separately, but I didn’t. Normally outside, they provide concepts and drafts and then they talk about the price, then they continue the work. That is what supposes to happen.
I was getting kind of annoyed and pissed off because as when I was saying this to David, he shown me an irritated face and he wasn’t even looking at me as I talked. His actions and posture were showing me NO decent respect.
David: As a designer, No matter how many illustrations you done, I don’t care. I am paying for those I’ve chosen. The others you have done are your thing.
Me: Those illustrations were chosen. Right in these two books includes 2/3 of the 75 illustrations. The other 1/3 comes from the hand drawn illustrations which you wanted to switch to computer illustrations without proper reason.
David: The hand drawn was not what was chosen.
Me: You never say anything about not wanting hand drawn illustrations and from the second meeting I’ve shown you....
David: You also never say anything about hand drawn. You have never shown us how you are going to do it.
I felt injustice that he actually used that to attack me, when previously he did not even know that illustrations could be done solely by computer until i told him it could. Countering me on whatever argument I stated, I knew this guy is more experienced than I am and I couldn’t out talk him. If only I could have done a proper draft concept or mood board to state my directions.
The discussion or I would say the argument carried on with David beating around the bushes and repeating the same argument over and over again until I got immensely tired of this discussion. Even by then, David still refused to tell what kind of pay will i be expecting. Even when he had at least a month think about this, he never thought of how much he should be paying me. So I would ask one last question before I call off this project.
Me: Ok for example…for example. If I were to say 300, would that be ok with you?
David: I can’t tell you now. I already ...(I forgot what he said here. It wasn’t important to me).
So I let off a sigh and I slowly stood up. I took the books infront of David and stacked them up. I took my sketches from underneath Steve’s arm which he lifted up his arm allowing me to do so. Steve was stunned and has no idea what I was doing. Then I took my cover page stack them up nicely and put them into my file.
David: What are you doing?
Me: Well, if you can’t give me a price then I have to call this off.
David: (kind of agitated) You said for example what. For example only what.
Me: Even if you agreed to 300, I think it’s not worth my time.
David: This is not the way to work.
Me: You guys got nothing to lose. You wasted a few hours in the meeting, but I wasted a lot more hours doing the work. So I lost more than you guys.
I packed my work into my bags and I returned all the reference book they provided me with. And then I thought I should end this as politely and as professionally as I could. Hoping there would not be any harsh feelings.
Me: Well…it’s been a good experience.
I smiled and stretched out my hand towards David for some kind of good-bye handshake or something.
David, with one hand covering his forehead and the other hand shunning me away saying,” forget it, forget it”.
It was quite rude for him to not shake my hand, but I don’t care it.
Me: Well ok see ya guys.
I turned around and left the meeting area. I remembered at that moment as I was walking away, I had several mixed feelings swirling inside of me.
1) Phew~ I was going to stopped working for them after the third book anyway. Now I have time to concentrate on my school work.
2) Was it right for me to just walk out of this? Was I showing attitude? Was I being unprofessional by doing so?
3) Oh Damn! It feels GREAT to see their pissed of faces as I was saying good-bye. Their faces were soooooo long and sooooo black, that it already made all my time and effort worthwhile. That candid moment I will remember it as my trophy. I walked away feeling the night breeze across me as I tuned in to my chill-out music from Thievery Corporation. I felt relaxed and just…easy.
End of the day, I feel as a freelancer I need security. I need a promise that my work will get paid off. I do not see any sign from them that they were going to pay me a single cent and they couldn’t even promise me a certain amount. I tried being as polite as possible, but from the way David talked to me, I suspect that he is out to eat me, devour me to the bones. I personally felt they are out to exploit my skills and my passion just because I am young. Not only do I not feel security, I find myself not able to trust these people after what David said to me.
Maybe there is another side of the story, maybe to them I am just an arrogant kid asking for too much and showing attitude by walking out. But as what my friend said, it is a matter of buying and selling. I can’t give them the merchandise without them even naming me a price.
Fortunately, I took back everything I’ve done, every single piece of paper that belongs to me and leaving them with nothing. Just for that very moment I walked away, it is my glorious day but without a pay.
