Freelance Website/Graphic Designer-New Alpha Press (Champaign-Urbana/regional)
City: Chambana
New Alpha Press is an independent publisher in the higher education business segment. The principal owner has spent over ten years with the largest companies in the industry and will be building a list of textbook, lab manual, coursepack, eBook and online projects that are signed, developed and published for production and distribution via online or traditional bookstore channels. We are seeking a long-term part time or contract person to showcase the products and authors that we will represent. In addition, this individual may desktop publish/typeset content from author prepared word files using Quark or Adobe InDesign.
Position will report to the principal owner and carries the following key responsibilities:
?Create company visual identity through the development of a business logo and website. Artwork and preferred templates may be provided to start but your own creative talents will play a role in shaping our brand and web identity. To examine similar company sites or evaluate the depth of initial web design please visit bluedoorpublishing.com or fountainheadpress.com, as these represent our competition.
?Consult/establish vendor relationship with hosting service and company branded email accounts. Monitor and troubleshoot that vendor relationship as necessary.
?Create/post new content, html, banners, etc.
?Design branded html email utilizing Streamsend or similar API developer interface
?Update copy, code fixes and debugging as necessary- we are not programmers.
?Eventual maintenance of online catalog that will highlight published titles, and full ecommerce capabilities will be required by 2012 but not initially.
?Experience with PDF. Prospective authors will download content from our site and author manuscripts need to be sent to our vendor as print ready PDF files.
?Develop online forms to submit contact information and attach project files.
Requirements or recommended capabilities:
?1-3 years minimum experience supporting or developing web content ? at least two portfolio examples are required. As this is a part time or contract position, portfolio examples in lieu of experience will be acceptable if you are a student or recent graduate.
?Experience with HTML, can be familiar and use a WYSIWYG but must know code.
?Experience in textbook or magazine layout would be beneficial, especially if you have the capability to format word documents into Adobe InDesign or Quark to create print-ready PDF files for our vendors. This aspect of the position would not begin until late 2010 and may encompass 2or 3 manuscripts per 3 month cycle.
?Knowledge to convert existing images (TIFF, BMP, PSD) for online use (JPG, GIF) using Adobe Photoshop or other development platform may become relevant to the position in the future.
?Up-to-date knowledge of best practices in web and coding standards and experience using and developing for ecommerce is a plus.
?While timelines will be flexible to allow you to incorporate this opportunity into your schedule, we will need someone with good communication skills and attention to detail. Command of grammar and punctuation is essential.
?Should be located in Champaign/Vermillion county area or able to meet to review web projects and brainstorm as key voice as our website strategy evolves. You will not be tied to C-U for this position, but I do need to meet you initially.
COMPENSATION & FINE PRINT > Resume and/or portfolio of work via email to apply. No form letters, explain why you want to partner with us in plain English. Initial email exchange will be used to qualify candidates but final decision to be made at face-to-face meeting to discuss timelines, initial project specs to explore our needs and your capabilities. We hope to made a decision within 30 days and the initial website will be only 5-7 key pages: for authors, proposing a book, marketing, about the publisher and contact/ordering specs. After that pages will be added as products are signed and developed for publication. As this is an on-demand contract position where you will need to have your own computer and software, compensation will be based on your past hourly rate in work for other vendors but may not exceed $25.00 hour.
If you are a student or recent graduate that needs us to furnish the equipment/software but can provide academic references and specific portfolio of examples to showcase your talents we will listen. Student or recent graduate rate will be less for initial project deployment ($16-$18.00 hr.) but will be raised after the first five author projects are added to the site or 2-3 author projects are formatted for production. Show results, and your pay rate will always go up.
The world is full of mediocrity, so to pay for exceptional talent is something we expect. Help New Alpha Press build an innovative publishing company from the ground up?email your resume or portfolio examples before March 15.