Issue #17
January 26, 2006
Welcome to Inside Freelance Design (IFD), your free, bi-weekly e-letter from American Writers & Artists Inc. Every other week, you can receive this special alert with secrets, tips, and insights from AWAI's graphic design pros to help you improve your skills and reach your goal of becoming a professional graphic designer in the fastest time possible.
INSIDE FREELANCE DESIGN
Issue #17
January 26, 2006
Welcome to Inside Freelance Design (IFD), your new, free, bi-weekly e-letter from American Writers & Artists Inc. Every other week, you can receive this special alert with secrets, tips, and insights from AWAI's graphic design pros to help you improve your skills and reach your goal of becoming a professional graphic designer in the fastest time possible.
IN THIS ISSUE:
- Mastering the Secrets of Magalog Success, Part 1 of 3, by Lori Haller
- Quick Tip: Learning Photoshop Elements the Fun Way
- The IFD Mailbag
- EXTRA! EXTRA! News and Job Opportunities
Mastering the Secrets of Magalog Success, Part 1 of 3: Formats
By Lori Haller
Many graphic designers working in direct mail are asked to create artwork and layouts for magalogs. Any designer new to this field needs to know how magalogs differ from other types of direct mail ... and how they are similar. So today, and in the next two issues of Inside Freelance Design, I'll be bringing you key points to understanding this very effective (and profitable for you) direct-mail format.
Magalogs are a cross between a magazine and a catalog. Like magazines, magalogs often have a table of contents and stories spread over several pages. To draw the prospect's attention, magalogs use photos, infographics (see Issue #15), sidebars, and other design elements.
Magalogs are really informative sales brochures written to a specific audience. They are designed for maximum readability ... and, in the end, a HUGE SALE!
So let's begin our look at magalogs by taking a tour of some of their distinguishing features.
Magalogs can vary tremendously in size – but, because they work well, there are three sizes that have been used most often over the years:
- Regular/standard size – 8 inches wide x 11 inches high
- Tabloid size – 10 inches wide x 13 inches high
- Slim Jim format – 6 inches wide x 10 inches high
Usually, magalogs have between 16 and 32 pages. Full color is often used to successfully "imitate" the magazine style. Some magalogs have a full-color glossy cover and then switch to a more cost-effective 2-color interior. Some magalogs use 2 colors throughout for more of a newsletter-style look.
The size and color of the magalog depends on a number of factors, including your market, the timing of the mailing, and the type of prospect you're trying to reach. Maybe your client experimented with various formats in the past and came to the conclusion that 4-color tabloids have worked best for him. Or maybe the client's budget limits the printing to 2 colors.
My experience in direct mail has shown me that design – especially with magalogs – follows trends or current fashions. There was a time when full-color tabloids on glossy stock with huge headlines were the "thing" to mail. They were a huge success, since nobody had ever seen such a mailer before. But then they were everywhere, and people got tired of seeing them.
So a new format was born. Magalogs that looked like real magazines became the rage. They caught the prospect's attention because they looked and felt new. Some even had a small pricetag on the cover to make them appear even more realistic. At one point, the Slim Jim was in every mailbox. That format fatigued, and today you rarely see it. Recently, 2-color designs with a simpler look are back in style. I have had several winners recently that were only 2 colors.
The decision about which format to use for a particular promotion ultimately lies with your client. But you can have a significant impact on that decision. One of the best ways to determine the format you think would be best for a promo is to look for one that you've been getting in your mailbox over and over ... but that doesn't yet look stale and old hat because of overexposure.
I recently had a client who wanted me to design a Slim Jim. After researching the product and its prospects, I did not think that was the best format. I asked my client to see the results of past mailings, and, together, we made the decision to go with a 2-color, 8 inche x 11 inche magalog. It became a huge winner.
In the next issue of Inside Freelance Design, we'll discuss how to tackle the design of a magalog.
[Editorial Note: You can access previous issues of Inside Freelance Design at:
http://www.thedesignerslife.com/insidefreelancedesign/]
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FROM THE IFD MAILBAG ...
by Kristin Schwarz
Hello, everyone!
Bill S. sent in a question that is so important, we're going to devote this issue's entire Mailbag to answering it. Here's the question: What is the proper way to follow up after submitting a quote or a spec assignment? You don't want to be too pushy ... but, at the same time, you don't want to let the matter slip off the client's radar.
For the answer, I asked Master Designer Lori Haller to share her advice. Here's what she said ...
No matter where you are in your career – just starting out or being in business for many years – you will often find yourself in a situation where you are waiting to hear back from a client. This happens to all of us.
It's good business practice to follow up with your client once you've submitted your spec. My preferred method is email, and I usually follow up a few days after I submit my proposal. I want to give the client enough time to look it over, and often they are very busy.
If I still do not hear back from them, I follow up on a monthly basis. The project might have been put on hold for a while. You always want to keep on the right side of the fine line between following up enough and bugging the client.
Be proactive in your follow-up. Let's assume you sent logo samples, and you have not heard from them even after following up. Send sample, saying something like "Here is something else I came up with. I would love to help out, even on a small project." Or, if you know the client's interests or needs, send some newsletter clippings or ideas along with a note: "I thought this might be of interest to you. Let me know if I can help in any way."
Always communicate with a client in terms of "How can I help you?" rather than "Do you have any work for me?"
To Lori's words, let me add this ...
You should definitely follow up with all your contacts on spec assignments and on other future business. It is often a good idea to follow up with an email shortly after you send in a spec to make sure the client received your design. This is especially true if you've submitted your design via email, since some IT departments have locked down the receipt of bigger files.
As Lori pointed out, the people who make the decisions on farming out designs are often very busy. If the project on spec does not have top urgency, it might take longer to get the client's feedback.
I recall that one of the attendees at Bootcamp sent out a simple follow-up postcard (similar to the ones that Roger Parker showed during his presentation) and got a paid assignment.
Keep in mind that when you're starting out, you shouldn't be relying solely on spec assignments to build your business. You need to actively market your services. So tell everybody in your community that you are open for business! Maybe there's a lawyer down the street who needs some self-mailers or a real estate agent who needs new attractive flyers. Go to the meetings of your local Chamber of Commerce and network.
If at all feasible, tell your coworkers and boss that you're accepting freelance work in your spare time because you want to grow your skills and supplement your income. Talk to printers in your area and offer your services. Not every printer can afford an on-staff designer. When you see full-time design positions listed in the paper, answer the ads by saying that you would like to help out as a freelancer until the position has been filled.
These are great ways to build your portfolio and earn money. And you never know where one of these early jobs could lead.
Self-marketing is an extremely important aspect of building your career. We'll be talking much more about it in future issues of Inside Freelance Design.
Until next time ...
Kristin
[Ed. Note: If you have a question or comment for Kristin, please send it to:
insidefreelancedesign@awaionline.com, Attn: Kristin Schwarz.]
EXTRA! EXTRA! News and Job Opportunities
- GRAPHIC DESIGNER - The Oxford Club is looking for a Graphic Designer to join their team. Complete and thorough knowledge of Quark is a must. This position is responsible for the design and production of three monthly newsletters, premiums, investor reports, books and book design, as well as in-depth marketing promotions. Candidate must be completely familiar with print production, typography, and publication formats. He/she will be responsible for laying out and preparing various materials for print, including direct mail promotions, newsletters, advertisements, letters, books, reports and more. Candidate MUST BE extremely organized, self-motivated, detail-oriented and able to handle multiple projects with competing deadlines quickly. Please contact Kathy Osborne at kosborne@oxfordclub.com.
- GRAPHIC DESIGNER - Reliv International, a nutritional-product manufacturer seeks a full-time graphic designer. You must be knowledgeable of Quark, Photoshop, and Illustrator skills. Send your resume and samples to graphicdesigner@relivinc.com.
- GRAPHIC DESIGNER - Home Warranty of America, a fast-growing Illinois company, needs a graphic designer who can create design concepts and implement them. You must also be comfortable presenting your design ideas for review. You'll design brochures, flyers, ad campaigns, and web design campaigns. You'll need to know Illustrator, Photoshop, Quark. Flash skills are a plus. Send your resume and samples to marketing@hwaomewarranty.com.
- GRAPHIC DESIGNER - Tier3 Advertising, an advertising and marketing agency, needs an experienced graphic designer to work with its creative department. You'll design direct mail and classified ads for a wide variety of clients. As a vertically-integrated company, Tier3 provides its clients a wide range of services from conceptualization to printing to delivery. As such, you'll receive immediate feedback on the effectiveness of your designs. Send your resume and portfolio samples to Kevin Lash at kevinl@tier3advertising.com.
COMING NEXT ISSUE:
- Lori Haller on Mastering the Secrets of Magalog Success, Part 2 of 3
- Quick Tip: Using Clip Art Like a Pro
* ABOUT INSIDE FREELANCE DESIGN *
Inside Freelance Design is a FREE bi-weekly newsletter from American Writers & Artists Inc., available to AWAI members and friends.
© 2006-2008 American Writers & Artists Inc.
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