Introduction -- 1. Getting started -- Getting an education and finding your genre -- I'm just working here to pay my bills -- Where to work until you're really working -- Working as a photographer -- Working in a rental house -- Working in a lab -- Assisting -- Getting into the zone -- It's okay if they don't like you, as long as they don't hate you -- Getting noticed -- How I got started -- So how do you get started? -- Start locally, think globally -- Traps to avoid -- Spotlight shooter : Michele Clement -- 2. The players -- Wackadoo -- The client -- The agency -- The creative director -- The art directors -- The art buyers -- The writers -- The account executive -- The ad campaign -- Looking for the messenger -- I dunno, what do you think? -- Don't count your chickens -- Okay, now what do you really think? -- Celebrate immediately -- Are your ears burning? -- The bottom line -- Celebrate immediately, part II -- Spotlight shooter : Brie Childers -- 3. The structure of a bid -- Bid versus estimate -- Bid/estimate terms -- Usage licenses -- Usage licenses adapted for the Web -- Get the balance right -- Invoice terms -- Terms and conditions -- Structure of a bid -- Fees -- School of thought A : combine the creative fees and usage fees -- School of thought B : separate your creative fee from your usage fees -- Other fees to consider -- Expenses -- Bidding below the belt -- Anthony's digital solution (DSF) -- Talent fees -- The paper trail -- Spotlight shooter : John Lund -- 4. Bid psychology -- The comparative versus competitive bid -- Determining a fair bid -- How much am I worth? -- Money, money, everywhere -- The most amazing thing of all, I get paid for doing this -- Six steps of self-worth -- Help with pricing -- Don't ask me about the numbers -- Bidding consultants -- It's bound to happen -- Spotlight Shooter : Bill Sumner --
5. The bid revision -- Listen to the client -- Try to leave your money alone -- Working the numbers and eating well -- How Much is that gear really going to cost me? -- Hard to soft -- Shop around -- Don't get caught -- A la carte -- Last resort tactics -- Killing line items -- Make sure the client is educated -- Touching your fees -- A word about padding your bid -- Walk away! -- Spotlight shooter : Gil Smith -- 6. When the job awards -- Bureaucracy and paperwork -- Terms and conditions -- Getting your advance -- Issues to settle before pre-production -- Have a credit card (with room) -- You need insurance to rent equipment, studios, cars, and get location permits -- You need petty cash -- A good head on your shoulders -- Spotlight shooter : Cig Harvey -- 7. Pre-production -- Casting -- Casting from cards -- Taking it to the street -- That's gonna cost extra -- The go see -- Talent availability -- Location, location, location -- No insurance, no permit -- Crewing up -- Prep and wrap -- You'll have to talk to my agency --Locking things up -- 24 hours before the shoot -- Spotlight shooter : Mark Leet -- 8. The shoot -- Shoot, day 1 -- Shoot, day 2 -- Calling the wrap -- Running a set -- Let me give that a try -- Wanna talk about it? -- Let me tell you why I've asked you all here today -- Hire good captains -- Hire good lieutenants -- One voice to rule them all -- Sometimes you have to be a jerk -- I want to be alone -- Style breeds success -- Spotlight shooter : Caren Alpert -- 9. Post-production and delivery -- Are you a post-production photographer or not? -- Delivery methods -- FTP -- Hard drives -- Online storage services -- It absolutely positively has to be there -- Invoicing -- Check your work -- Include all the required information only -- Late fees and collecting your money -- Be nice, it's not their fault -- When the money's not there -- Spotlight shooter : Mark Leibowitz --
10. Cash flow and good business practices
I'll pay you back on the second Tuesday of next week
Creative financing or financing for creatives
Everything is negotiable, vendors
Everything is negotiable, clients
Six tips for optimizing cash flow
Be cool, there's a solution
Be bold, then follow through
basic advice for starting your business
Spotlight shooter : Paul Elledge
11. Sex, money, and drama
My first magazine cover shoot
What they don't know can't come back and bite you
Be aware of how you are seen
Be aware of your dramatic actions
When do you fight, and when do you walk away?
Occasionally, you get a bone
Spotlight shooter : Anthony Nex
12. It's all in your head
Avoiding the freelance pitfalls
Pitfall : shooting everything except what you need
Pitfall : soon I'll be an expert
Pitfall : well, now that it's Thursday
Pitfall : your portfolio is still not done
Time management for the Bohemian
So what do you put on the to-do list?
Give it to me straight, doc
Walking and chewing gum, and printing pictures, and answering email, and buying plane tickets
That sure is a big toolkit
Spotlight shooter : Ross Pelton
Remember, it's still about the work
Dark, beautiful, and useless
If you do this for me, the reward will be
