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The Newsletter of S.W.A.N. (njcreatives.org) February 25, 2001 IN THIS ISSUE *Coming Up -- The Pricing Game! *Are you a Survivor? Recap of February's Meeting MARCH MEETING The ART of Communication Wednesday, March 7, 715 pm / Ridgewood Library, Ridgewood NJ Sometimes, a picture ISN'T worth a thousand words. And sometimes, all the words in the world won't convey the message as well as a crisp, clear illustration. But the truth is, the most effective communication usually requires a compelling blend of visuals and verbiage. All too often, though, a project gets bogged down in the turf wars between the Picture People and the Prose People. Find out more about "The ART of Communication" at SWAN's March meeting. This enlightening panel discussion features presenters Bud Clarke of Clarke/Thompson Advertising and Design in New York, SWAN writer Jane Byron, and photographer Peter Byron. The panelists will offer their insights into the importance of marrying creative text with dynamic graphics and photos. You'll see examples of how a great picture can make good copy even better, while an inferior graphic can actually detract from a great story. Join us (and bring a friend!) for an evening of camaraderie and conversation on Wednesday, March 7 at 715 p.m. at the Ridgewood Library. THE PRICE ISN'T ALWAYS RIGHT Pricing Game Slated for June Meeting Curious to know what your fellow freelancers are charging? Want to know if that last client low-balled you? What's the REAL market value of your time, talents, and tenacity? The Pricing Game is the best way to find out. And your chance to play is coming up on Wednesday, June 6. As SWAN veterans know, this is the most eye-opening, jaw-dropping meeting of the year. Host Deb Hoeffner will present examples and descriptions of recent SWAN member projects. Then the audience has a chance to guess how much the creators charged for their work. It's like sneaking a peek at someone's Receivables files. You'll also have a chance to see the impressive work pouring from the pens and PCs of some of New Jersey's most talented souls. And most important, you'll be able to compare your own fee structures with those of your colleagues. Chances are you'll come away inspired - and empowered - to start charging your clients what your work is really worth. For the Pricing Game to succeed, we need you to be a player! You're invited to submit up to three examples of your work. Submissions of visual material should be images scanned at 72 dpi and saved as JPEG, TIFF, or PICT format for insertion into a PowerPoint presentation. Writers can include cover shots, screen shots, or tear sheets if available, or they can simply describe the project in bullet points. Submitters also need to include a short summary of the project - specs, types of pieces involved, deadlines, research, travel, etc. -- to give the audience the clues they need to guess the price. Details about where to send materials will appear in future SWAN communiqués. Mark your calendar - you can't afford to miss the Pricing Game! SURVIVAL STRATEGIES February Meeting Offers Advice on Staying Solvent During the Economic Downturn By Eileen Watkins The program at the February SWAN meeting dealt with a question foremost in everyone's mind right now Can Your Business Survive the Recession? Noting the current and ominous slowdown in the economy, SWAN President Carl Jablonski asked, "What does that mean to us?" He observed that the situation might be good for freelancers in some ways, but bad in others. When a company can't afford a full-time staff, it requires more outside help. On the other hand, SWAN members need to become pro-active to locate -- and nail down -- these new jobs. In a roundtable format, 16 SWAN members shared ideas on how to keeping forging ahead, even during the doldrums. Graphic designer John Castell admitted he's just experienced "the worst two months in a decade." Videographer Bill Kronemyer concurred, saying the last three months have been slow for him. Offering a ray of hope, illustrator Dave McCoy reminded everyone that freelance work tends to be "feast or famine," and just when you think you'll never work again, several clients call at once. Writer/publicist Geri Dawes also saw reason for optimism. She observed that when the economy is hot, more people tend to "jump jobs," which results in projects being canceled or abandoned. She thought these folks might be more likely to stay put during a recession. Graphic artist Lynn Canzani expressed the belief that companies who downsize their art departments to cut costs often need more freelancers. Some of the Web site designers attending felt they might get more calls from small businesses who realize that a professional-looking site can help them compete with "the big guys." Carl suggested that becoming licensed as a corporation or LLC might make a freelancer more attractive to a client, because the employer will not have to file a 1099 tax form. He also advised freelancers to take a tip from investors, and watch the "leading" and "trailing" indicators, to see which firms are cutting back and which are on the upswing. Attendees received some helpful input from Simon Schneider of Galvanic Printing & Plate Co., Inc., which produces the SWAN Sourcebook. Simon explained that a client sometimes prefers to deal with a "full-service" agency, and suggested that solo SWAN members refer their clients to other members with different specialties, thus giving the appearance that they can provide a full range of services. He also offered to supply any members who are interested with industry-specific mailing lists. TECHNICAL TIPS 'N TIPS You CAN teach old SWANsters new tricks In their January presentation, Lynn Canzani, John Castell, and Stan Cohen -- SWAN's resident Mac, PC, and Web gurus -- passed along a slew of strategies for dealing with balky computers, wacky browsers, and e-mail snafus. The rapid-fire, no-nonsense session covered lots of ground and provided members with a wealth of valuable resources for further self-help. Of special value was the fact that many of the questions addressed were submitted in advance by SWAN members. The topics were thus targeted to reflect the needs of members and allowed a chance to share expertise within the organization. Lynn has posted the highlights on a special Web page (no longer available.) You can select info concerning PCs or Macs, but bear in mind that some of the tips apply to both platforms. And don't miss the Checklist of nearly 30 tech strategies, designed to save you time, grief, and the nail-biting anxiety of lost data. ANNOUNCEMENTS ** At the February meeting Carl announced several initiatives planned by the new board of officers for 2001. For one thing, we'll be taking a new look at our collective identity as a way of making the organization better known to prospective clients and customers. One indication of the evolution is the more visible use of the name "New Jersey Creatives." The tag line appears in the logo on the Web site, which can now be accessed as "www.njcreatives.org." People who have bookmarked the old domain, www.swan-net.com and its permutations, will automatically be redirected to the new domain. ** A new on-line Sourcebook also is in the works. Many members have expressed their interest in having the Sourcebook available for distribution to potential clients. Reviving this useful reference is a priority for 2001. ** Because the Ridgewood Library closes so early, SWAN is seeking an alternative meeting space that will be accessible to members, most of whom live in Bergen, Passaic and Morris counties. SWAN can afford to pay a reasonable monthly fee. If anyone knows of a space where we can bring refreshments, and stay later than 9 p.m., please contact outgoing president Carl Jablonski (201-843-0228; carl@jablonskidesign.com) or incoming president David McCoy (973-283-4323; davetoons@aol.com). ** SWAN seeks new members! Please reach out to your creative colleagues and invite them to attend the next meeting. Seeing the group in action is our best marketing tool. Make a point of introducing yourself to visitors at the next schmooze session and let them know why SWAN is a such a valuable resource. EDITOR'S NOTE Hello Members! This e-mail e-dition of Cygneture represents a step in the process of reviving the organization's newsletter. In the interest of economy and efficiency, we're using a quick HTML version this time out. But in the months to come we hope to expand the content of the offering and provide an HTML version with graphics, and a version on good old paper as well. Meanwhile, there are lots of things you can do to help make Cygneture a success. Please contribute items for the SwaNotes column. These are items a paragraph or two long featuring members' personal announcements - success stories, recent projects, births, marriages, relocations - anything you care to tell us about life in the New Jersey creative scene! You're also invited to provide short pieces for the publication - profiles of members, letters, feedback on meeting presentations, stories, your thoughts on creativity and the process of turning the work you love into a profitable enterprise. Perhaps you've read an article or attended a presentation that meant something to you. Dash off a few quick paragraphs about the experience and send them along, so others can share what you've learned. Send submissions, suggestions, and comments to rons@attglobal.net, or call 201 836 2539. See you at the March meeting! Ron Schaumburg *********************** |
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