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On prices, and the cost of future work.
9 years ago
I've been deliberating over this for some time now, and due to Life happening, finally decided to muster up some courage and write about it.
I'll be needing to raise my hourly prices again soon. Being an artist, and being a freelancer who (technically) dictates my own wage, this has been a sore spot of anxiety, doubt, and second guessing for quite a while. My more logical brain is fully aware of how silly that is, but at the end of the day I still suffer from the same common issues of my "worth" being intrinsically tied to product as many other artists do, so of course it's a messy, tangled, inelegant subject to wrestle at best. I've questioned myself countless times if my quality vs. speed vs. customer service is worth the raise, and tentatively decided that, yes, it is. Or at least, by necessity, it now Must Be.
Without getting into a lot of detail, in the last few months my entire life has changed from a financial viewpoint. I've moved in with my sister to an apartment around Kansas City and have absorbed a lot of new, monthly costs of living that previously did not exist. I am currently buying the majority of amenities/supplies and groceries for two people, and a significant percentage of my savings have been depleted due to necessary borrowing from family.
Despite this, I am still able to make it. I don't want any of you to read this and think that I'm in hopeless or dire straights; the plain truth is that I'm not. I am incredibly lucky to have a job with a wage that allowed me to even absorb this much loss in the first place without going under, and it is absolutely, 100% thanks to you guys helping me keep up a good living freelancing in the fandom. The fact that I can support so much of my sister's costs and assist other family while still paying my own bills on time and occasionally splurging takeout or ice cream or days off to play Monster Hunter is both miraculous and humbling. I want you all to know that there isn't a day I don't feel thankful for the wild, amazing career I fell into here. So, despite these words in a tiny text box falling short of the incredible gratitude I have, thank you. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
But upping my wages would still help. After a lot of pained internal debate, I've tentatively settled on a 5 USD per hour increase, meaning that my current rate of 25 USD per hour will go up to 30 USD per hour. This will give me a little more padding to tuck away at the end of the day to help with any extra costs flying out of the nether. I'm not sure if I'll wait for one more queue load to enact it or not, and if this number is off-putting for potential customers, I apologize. I will continue to strive and make sure that every commissioner on my queue receives a piece they are 100% satisfied with in every way, and that every piece I turn out is to the best of my ability.
Thank you, sincerely, for reading. You guys are beyond wonderful.
-Hanmonster
I'll be needing to raise my hourly prices again soon. Being an artist, and being a freelancer who (technically) dictates my own wage, this has been a sore spot of anxiety, doubt, and second guessing for quite a while. My more logical brain is fully aware of how silly that is, but at the end of the day I still suffer from the same common issues of my "worth" being intrinsically tied to product as many other artists do, so of course it's a messy, tangled, inelegant subject to wrestle at best. I've questioned myself countless times if my quality vs. speed vs. customer service is worth the raise, and tentatively decided that, yes, it is. Or at least, by necessity, it now Must Be.
Without getting into a lot of detail, in the last few months my entire life has changed from a financial viewpoint. I've moved in with my sister to an apartment around Kansas City and have absorbed a lot of new, monthly costs of living that previously did not exist. I am currently buying the majority of amenities/supplies and groceries for two people, and a significant percentage of my savings have been depleted due to necessary borrowing from family.
Despite this, I am still able to make it. I don't want any of you to read this and think that I'm in hopeless or dire straights; the plain truth is that I'm not. I am incredibly lucky to have a job with a wage that allowed me to even absorb this much loss in the first place without going under, and it is absolutely, 100% thanks to you guys helping me keep up a good living freelancing in the fandom. The fact that I can support so much of my sister's costs and assist other family while still paying my own bills on time and occasionally splurging takeout or ice cream or days off to play Monster Hunter is both miraculous and humbling. I want you all to know that there isn't a day I don't feel thankful for the wild, amazing career I fell into here. So, despite these words in a tiny text box falling short of the incredible gratitude I have, thank you. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
But upping my wages would still help. After a lot of pained internal debate, I've tentatively settled on a 5 USD per hour increase, meaning that my current rate of 25 USD per hour will go up to 30 USD per hour. This will give me a little more padding to tuck away at the end of the day to help with any extra costs flying out of the nether. I'm not sure if I'll wait for one more queue load to enact it or not, and if this number is off-putting for potential customers, I apologize. I will continue to strive and make sure that every commissioner on my queue receives a piece they are 100% satisfied with in every way, and that every piece I turn out is to the best of my ability.
Thank you, sincerely, for reading. You guys are beyond wonderful.
-Hanmonster
I mean, in the long run, some of us might end up with an hour or two shorter than usual if we grab a large spot - but happy artist happy art and all that, you deserve every cent of it ^^
For the quality of your work, $30 is absolutely more than reasonable and definitely worth it! I'll be keeping an eye out for openings in your future journals :)
That's like 40 miles from where I went to school.
And still hoping to get a more stable situation soon to be able to commission you some times in the future.
Good luck on all that