clearly the trend here seems pretty negative towards the fee and that can only be hurting the book's chance of success...

Maybe you won Rice-A-Roni, the San Francisco Treat. Don't win a car though, the taxes will kill ya. :)

I doubt Rosity will change their mind, because for all the comments in this thread, there will be artists who will see an opportunity and try for it. I think the bad part of all this is while there is probably good intentions in this, the implementation will wind up splitting up the community even more. The Hot20 and most contests that Rosity runs usually disappoints and angers that many more members. Add in an entry fee into this and you will really have fireworks. Not a good idea. Rosity should nurture the niche market they have going here, not try to turn it into something it's not. Just because the other places are doing it, doesn't mean it's appropriate for here.

I actually hope I'm wrong...

"I doubt Rosity will change their mind, because for all the comments in this thread, there will be artists who will see an opportunity and try for it." But can they make a book with only 4 or 5 entries? ;)

Here's the deal, Audre... Just because I can afford the internet connection does not mean I can justify spending $20 for a competition where I loses completely if not chosen, or gain a book if I am. I can justify purchasing The latest Daz models because I am am going to get my 9yr old setup to start learning how these programs. I have no problems investing in encouraging a child's imagination over a contest. Maybe you can justify the expense, but I and many others cannot. As for the Put up or Shut up, Alright, I'll put up... I am a staff member for a magazine that another site is working on. No cost to submit there.

I am a staff member for a magazine that another site is working on. No cost to submit there. care to post more information about all this in a new thread?

quote: oooohh...what do I win ? The fabulous door prize ? A year supply of Turtle Wax? A ceramic Dalmation ?? --Rebekah-- well they could throw in a foottravel to Rome.

The answer is simple...don't enter if you don't want to pay the entry fee. I try to find contests for the writer's forum that don't have fees, and it's hard because most do require an entry fee. It's not an idea that anyone here invented. I've seen it in photography contests, art (non-digital) contests, etc. It helps cover some of the costs for a very expensive venture. And, frankly, it may slow down some of those people who are not thoughtful about their creations.

This "Open Call" seems to me like a "call to a open book", that means, a lot of pics like a lot of different soups in cans. Supermarket-picture-book??? I don't want to pay 20 bucks to get a chance, finally to find my pic between a naked V with a sword and romantic crap or similar... To me this isn't a good offer, perhaps for bloody amateurs with "i'm important, i'm so important - egos". Good luck and bye bye.

We would like to thank everyone for the feedback. I hope the following information will answer some of your questions. The complete panelist list and information will be finalized and posted by the end of the month. With regards to the name of the book, upon reflection we recognize and respect that this new book is different in nature than Digital Art for the 21st Century. Therefore, we will be going with Renderosity: The Best of Digital Art to reflect that difference and to make a distinction between the two separate publications. We are accepting submissions from all genres and galleries that are representative of Renderosity. Of course we will be accepting photography. Again, we would like to thank everyone for the feedback. We would also like to thank those that have already sent in their submissions. We look forward to creating a fun and exciting new book to show off your talents! Best regards, LillianH Renderosity Marketing & Promotions

and that being people are not happy with having to pay $20 to MAYBE get into the book. Changing the name of the book doesn't solve that problem.

Attached Link: http://www.fractalforum.co.uk/fc

I was lucky enough to have been invited to have some of my images appear in the first book. This, I found very flattering and exciting, and although grumbled a bit to my other half about not being paid (other than receiving 4 free copies of the book) and the not insignificant preparation time involved, didn't mind too much as I thought of all the lovely exposure being featured in such a book would bring me....

LOL - since it was published, I've not had one single approach of any sort, by anyone, with regard to the book. The only place I've seen it for sale apart from r'sity and the publishers' own sites, was part of a bargain pack of books you get when joining up for a book club - you know, the type you see on the back of a Sunday Paper colour supplement, offering you a choice of 6 books for 9.99 ... (and, of course, ebay ...)

I probably am sounding just a little ungrateful now, after all, I do have a nice glossy book to show the grandchildren!

The truth is, I would have felt downright insulted if I'd been asked to pay the publisher for the privilege of using my artwork in their profit-making book - particularly as the "editing" that appeared was virtually non-existent - a simple copy / paste of the not very interesting text I had included with each image.

It seems to me now that the first book was simply testing the water for volume 2, where the most of the profits are going to come from the poor artists who unwittingly fork out $60 to have their work considered, rather than the sale of the book; and where the publishers are taking no risks at all.

Maybe I'm getting a little too cynical, but reading thorugh the vast number of posts on the subject, it would seem that I'm not the only one.

Compare this situation with with the fractal universe calendars which I have co-edited with Linda Allison for the last few years. The submission process allows anyone to submit upto 10 images for free, and the artists whose images are published receive $200US for each image, and $400 if it's on the front cover. This with an admission by the publishers that they "can't afford to pay the artists any more than this, although they'd like to".

btw the Submission for this is currently open, and being run this year By Linda Allsion and Panny Brawley.

Tina

To put it simply: The book will not be a compilation of the 'Best of Digital Art', it will be a collection of images created by the artists who most willing to spend money on a gamble. In the end, you are going to have a lot of people who paid $20 and up and will recieve absolutely nothing return for their hard earned cash but a rejection notice. I don't care how often this sort of thing happens and I don't care if it's standard procedure in the art world at large - it's still just Wrong - wrong - Wrong! Anyone with a little common sense can see this. Linda B

I've not had one single approach of any sort, by anyone, with regard to the book That is what I suspected.

I've just read through some more of the posts above - I find this one particularly galling:

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

*Audre wrote:

BDC

If you can afford an internet connection, a computer to connect to the internet with, and the software to create stuff to even enter into this contest, then, check me if I'm wrong, but you should have $20 stashed away somewhere that you can scrounge up from even your penny-jar.

Heck, if you send me yor income tax statement and can prove that you are truly destitute, I may cough up the $20 for you even if it means macaroni and cheese for me, for a week. I've been known to host artist's art sites for free, until they can get established, so this isn't all that different, I suppose.

HOWEVER, if you have ANY luxury items such as coffee, soda/pop, cereal, automobile, or even buy your lunch at the cafeteria instead of making it yourself, then $20 can be saved by cutting some of these things out of your life for a while.

I'm not independantly wealthy, and as a starving artist myself you are preaching to the choir about pinching pennies. I'm quite well aware of how difficult it is, thank you very much, to pay for things.

In spite of all that, however, I still don't see the problem here.*

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

This is just rude, unprofessional and unnecessary, really.

Can the publishers not see how much of a scam they are putting on here? Let's say 1000 artists spend $60 dollars each submitting their five images, That gives an income so far to the publishers of $60,000, and 5,000 images to choose from. Let's say 100 images are published in the book. At least 900 artists will have subsidised the book getting published, for no gain to themselves whatever.

And there is nothing to stop the publishers from publishing exactly the images thay want to - regardless.

Hmmm, something's not right ...

I must admit that I did not read the whole thread. But nevertheless what I got so far is that a majority shall pay for the benefits of a minority. Like in real life. And like in real life I am very very disappointed by this. The numbers aartika offers above are like eye-openers. If there was at least a tiny chance that I would see my images published - ok. But the way you chose makes me run away... And my greatest suspicion - that the artists showing up in the book all might be chosen already... Sighhhhhhhhhhhhhh....

Vanity publishing, huh? Now, Renderosity, you become a vanity publisher? Critics, when they recognized it (some publishers are known for that), don't even read the books but directly drop them to the garbage. So, no sales as no promotion. But as the publisher made his money, there is no need for him. And if the publisher is recognized by some person that counts on your rum you're doomed. Reviews, when there are any, are called ...tombstones. So, forget me. Miche

I'll pass on this, too, for most of the reasons already stated in this thread. If you really want to gamble $20, just go to your nearest casino, find a roulette table, and put it all on red or black. Your odds of winning are a whole lot better there.

This sounds like what Poetry.com does. You give them your work, and in return, you get the "notoriety" of being "published", and THEN you get to buy the BOOK!!!!....with your work that you paid to have put in. My daughter was ten when she was "PUBLISHED"....I am a little older and wiser