Clients from Hell…. Hilarious!
Ever have one of those days when nothing goes right and even stuff you thought was done and over with comes back with worse news….. That’s when you either stay in bed all day moping or you click to read what designers go through… which frankly, is ALWAYS worse…. and (hate to admit) makes me laugh out loud deep deep inside…
Ladies and gentlemen…. one of my favorite sites EVER: http://clientsfromhell.net
one of their best, borrowed from their site:
I was working with a client trying to setup a new cloud account.
Client: I don’t understand why we are setting up the Google. I just want to access my files.
Me: Well, a Google Drive account will allow you to access your files.
Client: But I don’t understand how the Google works!
Me: When you make a file, you save it to your folder, and it will replicate to your cloud account automatically.
Client: I don’t understand this. I am a law student and you’re using jargon with me. Explain it in terms I understand.
Me: It takes your files from this folder and sends them to your cloud account. You don’t have to do anything at all.
Client: But HOW does it do this? Explain it in one sentence.
Me: It’s like it magically copies –
Client: Magic, got it.”
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!!!!!! Magic!! That’s my explanation for everything from now on!!!!
Compare your own rates with this Freelance Rates Reference Article
(Note: the information contained below does not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of Alvarez Media or its members. It is merely provided as “reference” material. The author is responsible for its content. The information below is NOT current market pricing and you should ask the professionals in our group for today’s competitive pricing to fulfill your needs.)
How Much Should I Charge?
By Lynn Wasnak
It may seem strange to open a chapter on freelance pay rates by saying there are few “standard rates”-but if you look at the data, it’s true. In this latest rate survey, as in surveys past, almost every category shows wide variation. Freelancers in general are an independent bunch-no groupthink for us! No matter how long and hard full-time freelancers beg their part-time and beginning counterparts to not write for free or for cheap-freelance writers and editors do what they’ve always done about rates. They charge whatever they please. They guess what the market will bear. Sometimes they get the rate they want, sometimes not, but decisions on rates are made individually.
Freelancers are not interchangeable widgets. What you as a freelancer offer for sale is simply yourself. The teeming contents of your brain-skills, abilities, personality, experience-form a unique combination that no one else can duplicate. It’s no secret the pros make money writing by finding outlets where their special qualities meet needs for which others are willing to pay. Factors affecting pay range include product complexity (technology and medical writing pay higher rates than general topics) and geographic location (rates tend to be higher on the coasts than the Midwest, while urban rates are higher than small towns or rural areas).
Overall pay rates and volume were down the past two years, yet some freelancers enjoyed gains despite the economic downturn. Those with improved income found new markets when old ones collapsed. They made the choice to keep going despite the difficulty. You can too. Becoming a well-paid writer takes a little study, a lot of networking, and plenty of practice.
WHERE DO YOU FIT IN?
Three variables can help you determine where you fit on the freelance pay scale
Expertise and experience. How well can you craft the results a publisher or client expects in the given category? Have you done it before? Can you demonstrate your skill with clips or samples?
Special knowledge. How thoroughly do you know this subject area?
Chutzpah, courage, confidence-or just plain nerve. Aside from basic writing skills, this may be the most important quality any freelancer can develop. From contacting new markets to negotiating rates and contract terms, you must believe in yourself.
Next, develop a sound pricing strategy. Monitor your personal writing, research, and editing speed on typical assignments to convert per word or per page rates to a targeted hourly range. (Rates of production vary, but one rule of thumb is to plan for about three hours per page of copy.)
HOW DO YOU DETERMINE YOUR RATES?
To choose the income target you want from freelancing, remember that as an independent business person you must pay all your overhead, health benefits, vacation pay, retirement savings and taxes. Also, you must set aside regular time for marketing, accounting, and other nonbillable work. Total cost of living, expenses, and overhead are then divided by billable hours to figure the minimum per-hour rate you need to stay afloat. Billable hour estimates range from 1,000 to 1,500 hours per year. A quick ballpark estimate takes hourly rate X 1,000 hours to project potential annual income i.e., $55/hour X 1,000 hours = annual income of $55,000. (To fulfill this goal, though, you need 1,000 hours of billable work!)
Once you have determined your estimated hourly rate, you can use it to decide if you’ll earn more than the average fast-food employee on a particular assignment. You can also use the rate to prepare project rates-a single all-inclusive fee where Project X is delivered for Y amount by Z deadline. Many clients and publishers prefer project rates, since they know the total cost in advance. It’s good for the freelancer who works fast, too. If a given assignment pays $500, but takes 40 hours to complete, you’ve earned $10.50 an hour. But if you do that same assignment in 10 hours, you’ve earned $50 an hour-and have 30 hours left over to devote to another paying project. Some freelancers add an extra “hassle factor” charge for difficult clients or rush jobs.
The following rates are generic basics to get you started in setting a personal fee. Learn the going market rates for specific projects of interest by networking with other writers in your region and joining professional writers’ organizations. The benefits received from membership in professional writers’ organizations–learning to thrive as a writer–will more than offset the annual fees.
ADVERTISING, COPYWRITING & PR
Copywriting $300/half day, $500/full day on-site in agency.
Advertising copywriting $120 high/hour, $33 low/hour, $66 average/hour; $750 high/project, $250 low/project, $525 average/project; $1.50/word.
Book jacket copywriting $100 high/hour, $30 low/hour, $65 average/hour; $500 high/project, $75 low/project, $300 average/project.
Campaign development or product launch $150 high/hour, $60 low/hour, $82 average/hour; $7,500 high/project, $1,500 low/project, $3,740 average/project.
Catalog copywriting $85 high/hour, $30 low/hour, $60 average/hour.
Copyediting for advertising $120 high/hour, $25 low/hour, $60 average/hour; $120/project for 1,000 words.
Direct-mail copywriting $150 high/hour, $35 low/hour, $78 average/hour; $15,000 high/project, $500 low/project, $5,000 average/product.
E-mail ad copywriting $100 high/hour, $35 low/hour, $70 average/hour; $2,500/project.
Event promotions/publicity $100 high/hour, $45 low/hour, $67 average/hour.
Fund-raising campaign brochure $75 high/hour, $23 low/hour, $58 average/hour; $2,000 high/project, $1,000 low/project, $1,500 average/project.
Political campaigns, public relations $75 high/hour, $23 low/hour, $49 average/hour.
Press kits $125 high/hour, $53 low/hour, $85 average/hour; $5,000 high/project, $1,000 low/project, $2,334 average/project.
Press/news release $100 high/hour, $23 low/hour, $62 average/hour; $1,000 high/project, $75 low/project, $305 average/project.
Public relations for businesses $115 high/hour, $25 low/hour, $76 average/hour.
Public relations for government $60 high/hour, $40 low/hour, $49 average/hour.
Public relations for organizations or nonprofits $95 high/hour, $25 low/hour, $56 average/hour.
Public relations for schools or libraries $75 high/hour, $50 low/hour, $65 average/hour.
Speechwriting/editing (general) $100 high/hour, $65 low/hour, $83 average/hour; $6,000 high/30-minute speech, $2,700 low/30-minute speech, $4,064 average/30-minute speech.
Speechwriting for government officials $90 high/hour, $30 low/hour, $52 average/hour.
Speechwriting for political candidates $60/hour.
AUDIOVISUALS & ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATIONS
Copyediting audiovisual $85 high/hour, $40 low/hour, $58 average/hour.
Business film scripts (training and information) $125 high/hour, $40 low/hour, $82 average/hour; $500 high/run minute, $200 low/run minute, $325 average/run minute; $550 day rate (with discount up to 20% for multiple-day project); $3,500 high/project, $1,500 low/project, $2,500 average/project.
Educational/training film scripts $100 high/hour, $30 low/hour, $77 average/hour; $6,000 high/project, $1,500 low/project, $3,500 average/project; $500 high/run minute, $200 low/run minute, $325 average/run minute; $500 high day rate, $300 low day rate, $400 average day rate.
Corporate product film $100 high/hour, $30 low/hour, $70 average/hour; $500 high/run minute, $200 low/run minute, $325 average/run minute.
Movie novelization $10,000 high, $5,000 low, $7,000 average.
Options (feature films) First 180 days, 5% WGA minimum; 10% minimum each 180-day period thereafter.
Radio editorials $70 high/hour, $50 low/hour, $60 average/hour.
Radio interviews $1,500 high, $35 low, $100 average (rates depend on who you are and how badly the radio station wants you); $100 high/run minute (produced pieces over 2 minutes), $65 low/run minute (produced pieces over 2 minutes), $75 average/run minute (produced pieces over 2 minutes).
Radio commercials/PSAs $85 high/hour, $70 low/hour, $72 average/hour.
Script synopsis for business $70/hour; $20/news show.
Screenwriting (original screenplay) $91,495 high, $48,738 low, $70,117 average.
Script synopsis for agent or film producer $2,000 or $500/day.
Scripts for nontheatrical films for education, business, industry $100 high/hour, $55 low/hour, $80 average/hour; $500 high/run minute, $200 low/run minute, $325 average/run minute; $5,000/script (starting point).
TV news story/feature $100 high/hour, $70 low/hour, $90 average/hour.
TV scripts (nontheatrical) $150 high/hour, $70 low/hour, $100 average/hour; $1,000 high/day, $550 low/day, $800 average/day; $250/page; $1,200 (minimum)/project.
TV scripts (teleplay/MOW) $500 high/run minute, $200 low/run minute, $350 average/run minute; $6,567 story only (30 minutes or less); $19,699 (plus teleplay); $11,560 (story only); $28,974 (plus teleplay).
TV commercials/PSAs $85 high/hour, $60 low/hour, $73 average/hour.
BOOK PUBLISHING
Abstracting and abridging $35 high/hour, $30 low/hour, $33 average/hour.
Anthology editing $60 high/hour, $25 low/hour, $39 average/hour.
Book proposal consultation $60 high/hour, $35 low/hour, $48 average/hour; $500/project.
Book proposal writing $60 high/hour, $35 low/hour, $47 average/hour; $5,000 high/project, $500 low/project, $2,300 average/project.
Book query critique $55 high/hour, $45 low/hour, $51 average/hour; $30/page.
Book query writing $500 high/project, $120 low/project, $200 average/project.
Children’s book writing Advance against royalties $10,000 high, $200 low, $4,900 average.
Content editing (scholarly) $80 high/hour, $20 low/hour, $40 average/hour; $3-$5/page; $850-$2,000/project.
Content editing (textbook) $65 high/hour, $20 low/hour, $36 average/hour.
Content editing (trade) $75 high/hour, $20 low/hour, $46 average/hour.
Copyediting $75 high/hour, $17 low/hour, $38 average/hour; $3,000 high/project, $1,000 low/project, $1,875 average/project.
Fiction book writing (own) $7,500 advance against royalties.
Ghostwriting, as told to $55 high/hour, $25 low/hour, $40 average/hour; $55,000 (one report)/project.
Ghostwriting, no credit $80 high/hour, $25 low/hour, $55 average/hour; $20,000 (one report)/project.
Indexing $8 high/page, $2.35 low/page, $3.50 average/page.
Manuscript evaluation and critique $65 high/hour, $45 low/hour, $55 average/hour; $1,500 high/project, $350 low/project, $950 average/project.
Movie novelization $7,000.
Nonfiction book writing (own) Advance against royalties $150,000 high, $5,000 low, $25,500 average; (textbook) $60/hour.
Nonfiction books (collaborative) Advance against royalties $30,000 high, $5,000 low, $15,700 average; $65 high/hour, $35 low/hour, $50 average/hour.
Novel synopsis (general) $60 high/hour, $45 low/hour, $51 average/hour.
Proofreading $45 high/hour, $16 low/hour, $26 average/hour; $3 high/page, $1 low/page, $2 average/page.
Research for writers or book publishers $75 high/hour, $30 low/hour, $49 average/hour; $500/day.
Rewriting $75 high/hour, $30 low/hour, $46 average/hour.
Translation (fiction) 12¢ high/target word, 6¢ low/target word, 9¢ average/target word; $10,000 high/book, $7,000 low/book, $8,500 average/book; (nonfiction) 15¢ high/target word, 8¢ low/target word, 10¢ average/target word; (poetry) $15 high/page, $0 low/page, $7.50 average/page.
Work for hire (flat fee, no royalties) $10,000 high, $1,000 low, $2,484 average.
BUSINESS
Annual reports $150 high/hour, $40 low/hour, $65 average/hour; $15,000 high/project, $3,000 low/project, $8,334 average/project.
Associations and organizations (writing for) $100 high/hour, $25 low/hour, $62 average/hour; $20,000 high/project, $2,500 low/project, $7,500 average/project.
Brochures, fliers, booklets for business $150 high/hour, $28 low/hour, $75 average/hour; $100/page; $5,000 high/project, $500 low/project, $3,125 average/project.
Business editing (general) $100 high/hour, $35 low/hour, $57 average/hour.
Business letters $150 high/hour, $30 low/hour, $70 average/hour; $1,200 (minimum) high/project, $200 low/project, $500 average/project.
Business plan $150 high/hour, $35 low/hour, $80 average/hour.
Business writing seminars $200 high/hour, $65 low/hour, $83 average/hour; $3,500 high/project, $1,000 low/project, $2,250 average/project.
Catalogs for businesses $150 high/hour, $30 low/hour, $73 average/hour; $2,500 high/project, $2,000 low/project, $2,250 average/project.
Consultation on communications $150 high/hour, $28 low/hour, $84 average/hour; $500/half day; $1,200 (minimum)/project.
Copyediting for business $100 high/hour, $27 low/hour, $57 average/hour; $4/page.
Corporate histories $115 high/hour, $28 low/hour, $71 average/hour; $200/printed page.
Corporate periodicals, editing $100 high/hour, $27 low/hour, $56 average/hour.
Corporate periodicals, writing $125 high/hour, $40 low/hour, $72 average/hour; $2/word.
Corporate profile $115 high/hour, $80 low/hour, $98 average/hour; $350/project (200 words); $1.40/word.
Ghostwriting for business (usually trade magazine articles for business columns) $115 high/hour, $50 low/hour, $82 average/hour.
Government research $100 high/hour, $30 low/hour, $65 average/hour.
Government writing $100 high/hour, $30 low/hour, $64 average/hour.
Grant proposal writing for nonprofits $100 high/hour, $15 low/hour, $49 average/hour.
Newsletters, desktop publishing/production $100 high/hour, $23 low/hour, $54 average/hour; $3,800 high/project (4 pages), $1,000 low/project (4 pages), $2,520 average/project (4 pages); $750/page.
Newsletters, editing $100 high/hour, $25 low/hour, $53 average/hour.
Newsletters, writing $150 high/hour, $23 low/hour, $63 average/hour; $1 high/word, 30¢ low/word, 69¢ average/word.
Translation (commercial, for government agencies, technical) Rates for translating vary widely, from 12¢ to 20¢/target word, depending on language combination (source and target) and area of specialization. (Example Spanish is inexpensive, Chinese is expensive.) Also may charge by target line ($1.20 line) or $90-$120/1,000 words.
COMPUTER, SCIENTIFIC & TECHNICAL
Computer-related manual writing $125 high/hour, $40 low/hour, $75 average/hour.
Copyediting scientific journals $18/hour (one report).
E-mail copywriting $150 high/hour, $50 low/hour, $77 average/hour; $1,200/project (minimum).
Medical and science editing $100 high/hour, $16 low/hour, $54 average/hour.
Medical and science proofreading $75 high/hour, $16 low/hour, $35 average/hour.
Medical and science writing $200 high/hour, $40 low/hour, $86 average/hour; $5,000/project.
Online editing $120 high/hour, $28 low/hour, $58 average/hour.
Technical editing $100 high/hour, $25 low/hour, $51 average/hour.
Technical writing $110 high/hour, $40 low/hour, $66 average/hour.
Web page design $75 high/hour, $40 low/hour, $59 average/hour; $4,000 high/project, $500 low/project, $2,000 average/project.
Web page editing $120 high/hour, $35 low/hour, $65 average/hour.
Web page writing $120 high/hour, $25 low/hour, $75 average/hour; $1 high/word, 50¢ low/word, 69¢ average/word; $300 high/page, $50 low/page, $150 average/page.
White Papers $120 high/hour, $45 low/hour, $80 average/hour.
EDITORIAL/DESIGN PACKAGES
(Editor’s note For more information about photography rates, please see 2004 Photographer’s Market.)
Desktop publishing $150 high/hour, $25 low/hour, $61 average/hour.
Greeting card ideas $60/hour; $125 high/card, $25 low/card, $77 average/card.
Photo brochures $75 high/hour, $65 low/hour, $70 average/hour.
Photo research $75 high/hour, $60 low/hour, $69 average/hour.
Photography $125 high/hour, $60 low/hour, $83 average/hour; $100 high/photo, $10 low/photo, $35 average/photo.
Picture editing $150 high/hour, $40 low/hour, $60 average/hour.
EDUCATIONAL & LITERARY SERVICES
Educational consulting and designing courses for business or adult education $50 high/hour, $30 low/hour, $45 average/hour; $2,500 high/project, $600 low/project, $1,213 average/project.
Educational grant and proposal writing $50 high/hour, $35 low/hour, $43 average/hour; $2,500 high/project, $600 low/project, $1,550 average/project.
Manuscript evaluation for theses/dissertations $95 high/hour, $20 low/hour, $46 average/hour; $1550 high/project, $250 low/project, $700 average/project.
Poetry manuscript critique $200 high/hour, $75 low/hour, $100 average/hour.
Presentations at national conventions by well-known authors $30,000 high/event, $1,000 low/event, $5,000 average/event. (Note Celebrity authors may earn much higher rates. Some presentations are given for travel expenses only or honorarium.)
Presentations at regional writers’ conferences $10,000 high/event, $50 low/event (or expenses only), $1,180 average/event.
Presentations to local groups, librarians, or teachers $50/hour; $250 high/event, $35 low/event, $129 average/event.
Presentations to school classes $900/day; $500/half day; $3,400 high/five-day visiting artist program, $2,500 low/five-day visiting artist program, $2,750 average/five-day visiting artist program. (Note Some presentations to local groups and school classes given free or for a very nominal fee.)
Readings by poets, fiction writers $3,000 high/event, $50 low/event, $200 average/event (highest fees for celebrity writers).
Short story manuscript critique $200 high/hour, $53 low/hour, $75 average/hour; $5/page.
Teaching college course/seminar (includes adult education) $4,500 high/course, $500 low/course, $1,827 average/course.
Writer’s workshop $1,000 high/event, $100 low/event, $606 average/event.
Writing for scholarly journals 14¢/word (one report); $450/article. (Most scholarly writing is authored free as a “career enhancer.”)
MAGAZINES & TRADE JOURNALS
(Editor’s note For specific pay rate information for feature articles, columns/departments, fillers, etc., please see individual market listings.)
Article manuscript critique $35 high/hour, $25 low/hour, $30 average/hour.
Arts reviewing $300 high/project, $25 low/project, $125 average/project; $1.25 high/word, 25¢ low/word, 75¢ average/word.
Book reviews $650 high/project, $20 low/project, $150 average/project; $1 high/word, 5¢ low/word, 44¢ average/word.
Consultation on magazine editorial $200 high/hour, $35 low/hour, $95 average/hour.
Content editing $55 high/hour, $35 low/hour, $46 average/hour; $6,500 high/issue, $2,000 low/issue, $4,250 average/issue.
Copyediting $55 high/hour, $18 low/hour, $40 average/hour.
Fact checking $20 high/hour, $15 low/hour, $18 average/hour.
Ghostwriting articles (general) $100 high/hour, $55 low/hour, $77 average/hour; $3,500 high/project, $2,000 low/project, $2,750 average/project; $1.50 high/word, 75¢ low/word, $1.25 average/word.
City magazine, calendar of events column $150 high/column, $50 low/column, $75 average/column.
Consumer magazine column $575 high/project, $200 low/project, $350 average/project.
Consumer magazine feature articles $4 high/word, 30¢ low/word, $1.19 average/word; $3,000 high/project, $100 low/project, $822 average/project.
Magazine research $100 high/hour, $25 low/hour, $52 average/hour; $150 high/topic, $100 low/topic, $125 average/topic.
Proofreading $40 high/hour, $25 low/hour, $32 average/hour; $7/page.
Reprint fees $700 high/project, $20 low/project, $200 average/project.
Rewriting $50 high/hour, $35 low/hour, $45 average/hour.
Trade journal column $1 high/word, 50¢ low/word, 74¢ average/word; $550 high/column, $75 low/column, $219 average/column; $50/hour.
Trade journal feature article $1 high/word, 15¢ low/word, 61¢ average/word; $90 high/hour, $50 low/hour, $70 average/hour.
NEWSPAPERS
Arts reviewing 60¢ high/word, 10¢ low/word, 36¢ average/word; $200 high/review, $20 low/review, $80 average/review.
Book reviews 60¢ high/word, 25¢ low/word, 40¢ average/word; $250 high/review, $50 low/review, $100 average/review.
Column, local $175 high/column, $10 low/column, $100 average/column.
Copyediting $35 high/hour, $17.50 low/hour, $26 average/hour.
Editing/manuscript evaluation $35/hour.
Feature 50¢ high/word, 8¢ low/word, 22¢ average/word; $1,500 high/project, $50 low/project, $276 average/project.
Obituary copy $75 high/story, $35 low/story, $50 average/story.
Proofreading $22 high/hour, $18 low/hour, $20 average/hour.
Stringing $300 high/story, $150 low/story, $225 average/story.
Syndicated column, self-promoted (rate depends on circulation) $35 high/insertion; $4 low/insertion, $8 average/insertion.
MISCELLANEOUS
Comedy writing for nightclub entertainers $50 high/joke, $5 low/joke, $33 average/joke; $500/group of jokes.
Comic book or strip writing $35 for short back-up script.
Craft projects with instructions $350 high/project, $75 low/project, $212 average/project.
Encyclopedia articles $200 high/article, $50 low/article, $125 average/article; 30¢/word.
Family histories $80 high/hour, $30 low/hour, $65 average/hour; $20,000 high/project, $5,000 low/project, $9,500 average/project (plus expenses).
Gag writing for cartoonists $40/gag.
Institutional (church, school) history $125/printed page.
Manuscript typing $2.50 high/page, 95¢ low/page, $1.27 average/page.
Original prose story for comic book $200.
Playwriting for the stage 10% box office revenue (if any).
Published plays $100/10 minutes; $300/one-act; $400/three-act.
Re(c)sume(c)s $500 high/project, $200 low/project, $300 average/project.
Story set in publisher’s comic universe $500. (Some write for percentage of profit, which may be $0.)
Writing contest judging $250 high, $0 low, $50 average (includes some gift certificates or books. Judging of finalists may be duty included in speaker’s fee.).
Writer Lynn Wasnak has experienced the highs and lows of full-time freelance writing for 25 years. She specializes in medical and business topics, and chases rainbows at every opportunity.
Voxy Ladies Rock!
EXTREME MAKEOVER WEBSITE EDITION
Recently we reached out to our favorite web designer, Denise Biondo after becoming aquainted with her through working with Celia Siegel. Denise works very closely with Celia Siegel of CSM & VoiceGeek Micromanagement and has created some of our favorite VO sites. If you’re in the market for a website or a website makeover, Denise is the go to girl!
VL: Your websites are like works of art!! What is your design process when creating a website for a new client & how do you come up with such unique concepts?
DB: Thank you!Biondo Studio, which is composed of myself and my husband John was started in 2003 in Brooklyn and we are now located in Buffalo, N.Y. I really consider each website to be a collaboration between our studio and the client and it keeps the work interesting and fun because each client is unique and we bring that out in the design of each site. I work with many different types of people and businesses, but many of my sites are for voice over actors. This came about because about 7 or so years ago, I was contacted by the voice over manager Celia Siegel to create her website and then she began to outsource me to work with branding and design for some of the VO actors that she represents. The process begins with an outline submitted to me, based on Celia’s consultation with her client, working with her writer Marnie Lee to brand the best description of the voice and image, and then deciding how to present the whole package to those within the VO industry. From there, I like to have a phone conversation with the client to get to know a bit more about them personally and their likes and dislikes, and provide details about technical aspects of the site. Next, I write up an estimate and send it to the client and then if they decide to hire me, we go from there. The design process is the most time-consuming part because there’s a lot of thinking that goes into it, pushing and pulling of different ideas on the screen, research of different styles, etc. Sometimes I hit the nail on the head with the first sketch. Most times there’s a few revisions that have to be done to get it right, and on rare occasions I have to start over from scratch because I’ve got it all wrong, but even in that case, we usually get it back on track with the second revision and then move full-steam ahead. Most times there is a waiting period to get started on the design but once we have begun, I’d say that the process takes between 4 to 6 weeks.
VL: What are some success stories of your clients who have handed their websites over to you for a complete makeover?
DB: I’ve had several clients who have come to me and they were trying to get started in the VO business and then within a year they were doing VO full time. I also have many author clients who have said that their website really helped with the sales of their books. I create nicely designed tool for them to use to show off their talent, but their success also has to do with the business advice they’re following, the demos that they’ve recorded, and how hard they are working at promoting themselves. Someone could have the most elaborate and beautiful website, and if they don’t get themselves out there and use it, it would probably not get the results that they want. On the other hand, if they have something stylish and memorable that they are putting out there and people respond to it, they might not have to work quite as hard. We’ve all bought something because of the packaging: wine, books, perfume, etc. I’ve had people tell me that they knew they’d hire me immediately when they saw my page load in. Aesthetics definitely aren’t everything, but they’re an important piece of the puzzle.
VL: Obviously you’re more than a web designer, what other services do you offer through Biondo Studios??
DB: I’m excited about the tools that are about to come out to better create lightweight javascript and HTML5 sites. I have been known for flash sites with a matching default HTML page so that demos can be heard across all devices, but I also create blogger and WordPress templates, we video editing, graphic design, some packaging and printed materials. I don’t advertise this, but if anyone’s ever in Buffalo and wants to swing by the studio, we can create a delicious vegetarian meal for you and martinis made with herbs from the garden.
Denise is the designer behind Voxy Lady, Yeni Alvalez’s attention grabbing website! You can visit Yeni’s website here!
Content reposted from VoxyLadies.com
Steven Tyler wore my LOGO on his shirt!!!!
So I’m watching American Idol, and who’s that peeking out of Steve Tyler’s shirt? YES! It’s my VO logo girl! Great minds think alike! Thank you Steven Tyler for getting her out there!!!! You have very good taste!
I still think James should’ve won….. just sayin’ America…
Hello voice-over world!
As difficult as it is to sum up 15 years of voice-overs, here’s my humble attempt. I started in the entertainment biz right out of college, Florida International University to be exact. I even missed my graduation because I’d started working at the extremely-Cuban “Teatro Martí.” As my fellow actors were walking up to get their degree, I was half-way across town, bowing in font of a half packed theater, after a matinee performance of “Ha Entrado un Hombre Desnudo.” How I remember that title, I’ll never know. Director Mario Martín gave me my very first lesson in voice-overs, and I was hooked. It was for a promo spot to get audiences to the theater. Ahh, the goold ol’ days…
Five Miami years later, at the tender age of 26, (old by Hollywood standards), I had 3 radio commercials on the air, 2 on-camera commercials, a bi-weekly magazine TV show called “Miami Hoy,” a TV sales gig, a TV promo, and $75 in the bank. It was time to move to LA.
I sold my Caddy, got a Honda, worked 3 different jobs, saved some moola and bought a one-way ticket to LA. I called up the one friend I knew lived in LA, and, via AT&T and FedEx, signed the lease to a bachelorette apartment (or a converted maintenance closet), sight unseen.
Carlos De Yarza, the boyfriend I left behind, just happened to have a phenomenal recording studio at the time “Bayside Music” (Remember the “macarena”.. yeah..) and he put my VO demo in my hand and said, “Trust me, you’ll need this in LA). To this day, this was the best professional gift I have ever received.
I landed in LA 1n January of 1999, picked up at the airport by an estranged ex-boyfriend (long story) and discovered I’d rented an 8′x10′ space with no kitchen. I lived in a headshot. All my previous reading and preparation for the big move helped to get me an agent in about a month (unheard of!). My first audition in Los Angeles was with the greatest casting director, Blanca Valdez, for a pilot called “El Bodeguero.” I was trembling and she made me feel at ease. I landed a leading role and the pilot went on to become the biggest hit sitcom Telemundo ever had, “Los Beltrán.” Dan Ramirez was the Casting Director for the second season and he recommended I contact Anna Rodriguez at SBV. I grabbed the VO demo Carlitos made me and submitted it, fingers crossed. My meeting with Anna at SBV turned out to be the best meeting of my life… I know I sound way too happy about this, but my VO career has been a series of happy coincidences all along, from Carlos to Blanca to Dan to my agent Anna Rodriguez! (Wooo hoo!!)
There, in a nut shell, is how I became a VO chick.