I think I need some help. What are some typical art rates to charge publishers? Any help is very much appreciated. :)

I think this goes in Poser.

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It really depends on how big the publisher is...I've heard of rates from $20-$75 plus you have to should try to arrange to retain rights to post and make prints if you don't specifically arrange to retain rights in the US under work for hire rules the publisher would hold exclusive copyright rights.

Depends on what you're selling and who is buying. the bigger the publisher, the higher the price. They have larger budgets available because larger distrubition means higher profits. For instance, "regular publishers" can pay $500.00 to $10,000.00 for a cover, big name authors can get a million dollars up front money. the smaller publisher, the smaller the distrubition the less money is available. E-Publishers are usually small press. These prices vary greatly and can be a flat fee, to a percentage of sales. the more rights you sell the higher the price. The exception is work-for-hire, that's usually all rights, and little money. Why do it, because it is a good way to get published if you're just starting out. What rights you sell is important, it can mean additioal money. Understand First Rights pays the most. Secondary Rights pay less, you can sell electronic rights, (CD's Games etc), Movies Rights, Prints, Collecters Plates, Mugs, T-shirts, etc. I really pays to produce really good work, because the after market has such potental. Reputation also affects the price. Like anything else, a big name artist can command a higher price. The genre also determine the price. Children Books can be low or high depending on age bracket, number of pages, size, (size does matter)etc. I guess an average 32 page book would pay about $3500.00. Can you be more specific as to the kind of art, what publishers? Childrens Books, Magazines, Websites, Book Covers, Prints, Collectables, Games, etc, etc, etc? Define your Market. Take a long hard look at your work, does it look like your art? And remember never send a picture of a Cat to a Dog Magazine, No matter how good it is, they will never buy it.

There are a couple of really good books on "Pricing and Ethical Guidelines", written by lawyers but in common sense language, and published by professional guilds. Mine are old, but if you slip into an art supply store and head for the bookshelves, you should spot them. :) These books will often not go into a specific price per type of item, because that information does date quickly and depends so much on market and how long something will stay in print (a book is less ephemeral than yesterday's newspaper), but they will give a range and some questions to discuss and sample contracts. They are also good at telling you what sort of situations to avoid... such as the fake contests where the winner gets published but everybody else loses all rights upon entry. The "Artist's Market 200X" is updated every year and will tell you who is buying what, approximate payment rates, when you need to send a letter of inquiry, and all that good stuff. They usually also have articles on formatting and portfolios and helpful tips written by the guys with the wallets. Even in a work-for-hire situation make sure to retain portfolio rights. After all, getting published means not only getting money, but getting the NEXT job... and it is hard to do if you can't show off what you've done. Payment can be by piece, by hour; flat fee or royalties; upon publication or upon delivery.... You can set up milestones so that the client pays a small fee upfront for materials, another chunk upon approval of comps, and final amount upon delivery. (This is good if you must purchase a reference or models or otherwise have a large out-of-pocket cost.) A wise person has a kill-fee for those times when a client decides not to go through with the project for no fault of yours, but you have already expended time and materials. If a licensed property is involved, get in writing who is buying the license or that the license has been authorized. You do not want the lawyers from Disney on your tail because your client failed to acquire permissions! An indemnity paragraph covers all parties (you are warranting that your work is original and they are warranting that they have the license if what you are hired to do is derivative). Try to get on paper exactly what the client wants, so that you have a better chance of delivering it. The "I'll know it when I see it" client is the hardest of all to work for. I would rather spend the time making a few extra comps and getting some feedback, than having to redo a project after it is done and delivered because somebody in a corner office didn't like it. Know who has final say!!! It might not be the guy you have negotiated with, but somebody down in marketing you've never seen or even some producer in another building. Bigger clients will want 40 page contracts where you give up all rights etc., and smaller clients will shy away at even the word "contract" because that means lawyers to them. In this case use "letter of agreement", but try to get something in writing. You can often use a 1-2 page contract where the basic terms are spelled out (names of the parties, authorship, what rights are being transferred) and the last 2 "exhibit" paragraphs are the meat of the contract: you say what exactly you are delivering to them (example "full-color game box cover, for CD, 1425 pixels square, tiff format, due 5-5-00") in one paragraph and they say how/when they are paying you in the other. A contract is quid pro quo: each party says what they are bringing to the table. (This is also why some people work for a dollar/year, there HAS to be something on each side of the equation.) Cost of living and doing business is also a factor. A publisher in New York will assume that everybody pays $500/mo just for a parking place, and pay well, whereas someone in Atlanta will balk at much over minimum wage for a project. They don't care what YOUR cost of living is, they price things based upon theirs... and local rates are influenced by local costs. I'm not a lawyer, and this isn't legal advice... just some things to think about before you start up a paying project. Carolly

Carolly, you always give excellent advice and input ... I second the recommendation of the Artist's Market series of books ... they not only give you an idea of what to expect, but also give you lots of references and ideas for how and who to market your wares.

Deecey, Thanks. A lot of what I've learned is from bitter experience... and if it saves somebody else time and grief so much the better. A couple of my best jobs were on a handshake basis... but I've also had to resort to lawyers too many times. Getting a firm understanding is even more vital if the parties are friends. You want the friendship to last beyond the job. Oh, another note about payment and good friends/good clients. I offer a 30% discount if payment is made immediately. This is a "good client discount". Often a check has been cut in my presence, sometimes it is delivered within 3-4 days (cross-country). I have had clents try to pay me quarterly... sorry but I can't afford to wait 90 days... or longer. I've had clients lose invoices. I've had 3 clients go belly-up bankrupt. Taking a discount in order to get an assured payment is a good thing in risky times. The client knows the real value of the job, and appreciates a break... and I get paid. This is actually how I got this WIN98 box. It is a long-term loan from a company that I had many, many projects with. The owner paid me immediately time after time and saved thousands over the years. He got tired of formatting documents in DOS 8.3 style and called to ask what kind of machine I was using. A half hour later he called back to tell me a spiffy new beastie was being delivered. (This was some years back-It's been a hard-working box.) It had Word and Excel pre-installed on it, so things were less trouble on his end. But it also told me that he was a very satisfied client... and good friend. Some large companies have rules that they must take a disount if offered, so folks can try putting a line like "10% discount for payment within 10 days" in a contract and see if it speeds up the cash flow. Carolly

Wow! Thank you very much, hauksdottir! And everyone else! :)