NOVA: The Creative Network

You probably pay more for your weekly coffee, and coffee doesn’t put $ in your pocket. This platform does the work part you hate, scrambling to find opportunities and connecting you to the people who will pay you. I agree it is difficult to get accepted but once you do, this is a game-changer. No way I’d have gotten to the attention of the brands that have now seen my work or hired me or may hire me in the future. And maybe the most valuable benefit is the chance to collaborate with other creatives whose work I admire. Not just a job-hiring platform but the first real community for young freelance artists.

so after being here from the start of Nova's development I thought this was an incredible app. this was really needed amongst freelance artists to connect and work together. Its already so hard to have your skillset respected and paid for. IMAGINE my surprise. Waking up today and opening the app and almost every single option is blocked by a hefty paywall. WOW! nobody told me i had to PAY to be a freelancer. i thought it was the other way around! app feels virtually unusable unless youre paying a hefty reoccurring fee. kind of unfortunate. the paywall cuts off and excludes a huge portion of artists looking for work. "ohh but we add the paywall to make sure everyone whos on the app is serious about work" ... then why did i have to submit an application with references and links to my work? cant you see im a real worker? i waited 4 weeks to get accepted... now i have to go thru a paywall? you can imagine my frustration with this. im a freelancer. not a rich guy. i cant possibly afford this in the state of the world we're in rn.

Unfortunately because Nova allows job listings to be posted without set rates, most of the listing are “$TBD,” taking advantage of people’s desperation for work and making them barter their wages rather than decide if they want to take a job based on the proposed rate. It’s wasted much of my time trying to negotiate with people just looking for cheap labor, which I don’t think is Nova’s intended purpose. Additionally, many of the postings require you to reach out via email and “audition” your work— I was asked by one company that posted to “submit 2-3 ideas for a campaign and then we’ll decide if we want to work with you/what your rate will be.” Overall a huge waste of time unless you have established Nova connects or a lot of celebrities visible on your profile. I think the app developers are doing users a disservice with the $TBD option— it’s worth it to note that in the state of California it is illegal to post a job listing without wages visible. Not sure why this does not apply to freelance jobs for creatives, but disappointing that Nova cares more about satisfying clients/businesses than helping freelancers/creatives.