How much to charge?

[RCabrales]

ok, i'm new to this game, and i now have to decide how much to charge for a concept piece done freelance/contract.

what is an appropriate amount to charge? i'm relatively new at this, so i'd say i can't charge top rates, but i also think i do good work.

does anyone have advice for me on roughly what a reasonable hourly rate would be?

thanks to all

-raul

[tomgames]

From the employer's mouth

My best advice is "whatever the market will bear". If you are doing freelance check into the background and financial stability of the company you are doing the work for. If they are a big company with lots of dough then charge what you think you are worth. When working with large firms like this they will tend to take you more seriously if you ask more rather than less. I'd shoot for around $100 per hour with this kind of client.

On the other hand, if you are working for some young, indie outfit full of unpaid staff, you're gonna be lucky to get paid at all. Think around $10-20 per hour. Asking questions like "how much can you afford to pay?" at the beginning of a project with one of these startups is smart and shows that you understand that they may be on a limited budget but are still willing to work something out for them.

Good luck!

Joshua