Writer fag here, looking to do some early research for having my work illustrated.
>Has anyone here done any illustration work?
>What did you charge?
>Were you okay with ceding any reproduction and royalty rights to the client?
>what's the standard amount of information and format you ask for?
I often watch Pumping Iron and laugh at Lou speech problems when I work, is that ok?
>>2430022
It is honestly expected of you.
>>2429896
>Has anyone here done any illustration work?
Yes.
>What did you charge?
30-40 bucks an hour, a highly detailed painting like pic related probably would probably take 40+ hours (because you also have to do a number of sketches and planning before you paint etc). Might seem expensive but if you freelance you have to pay a bunch of employers fees, sales tax for services and income tax etc so not that much of it ends up in your pockets. But all employers have to pay them.
>Were you okay with ceding any reproduction and royalty rights to the client?
Most work is work-for-hire, but if you're doing a book cover for a best-selling author it might make sense for the artist to ask for a lower rate in exchange for a higher cut of royalties, not common in the hand-to-mouth freelance style most people on /ic/ are trying to get into
>what's the standard amount of information and format you ask for?
As much as possible, format doesn't matter that much just specify if it's for print or online because the color system varies
>>2431839
im not a pro but i hear you can get tax breaks on profession-related expenses when you work freelance
>>2431842
You don't have to pay tax on things you use for business like a new computer, wacom tablet, art books, studio space etc. if you buy it with your business, but you still have to pay your employment fees, sales tax on services (ie you have to charge your client sales tax and give it to the government) and income tax.
>>2431839
Op here, thanks for the tips.
As a follow up, is the pic related some of your work?
>>2431839
you charged per hour on illustration work? that's how i know you are making shit up senpai
>>2432621
He's not dipshit, you calculate how much time your going to spend on the commision and apply your hourly rate to it. Which is why he said 30-40 and not a set price because you're never sure about the exact time you spend on it.
Source: 4 years of freelance graphic design and 2 years as illustrator.
>>2432616
Give me a synopsis of your story. If its good then ill draw it for you. How long do you plan on continuing it?
>>2432663
Nobody calculates shit dude. You say, "well, I can make $200 a week for 40 hours of minimum wage work, or I can draw a thing in 2-4 days for the same amount".
>>2429896
I only worked with small publishers. They usually want black and white picture. I usually ask for 200 per image. But sometimes i give a flat rate for less if it's a real small publisher. Like 2000 for 16 pictures. I'm talking in euros since i never worked for american publishers yet. Here in europe, most publisher don't have much money so they usually are happy to any contract that don't stipulate anything which has allowed me to license pictures for magazines that have even less money but are still happy to use pictures you have allready painted in your gallery. You just make them sign a contract that they have to owe you money. And the picture are yours to do with as you please as long as you ask them nicely before reusing pictures for others publisher most are ok with it if you also write. First published for this book in this edition etc...
>>2431839
>Most work is work-for-hire, but if you're doing a book cover for a best-selling author it might make sense for the artist to ask for a lower rate in exchange for a higher cut of royalties, not common in the hand-to-mouth freelance style most people on /ic/ are trying to get into
Can someone elaborate on this point? I'm a noob and don't understand.
>>2437219
work for hire basically means you give up all the rights your images to the publisher. You get paid for your work.
There is really not much negotiation to be had most of the time, because we are poor artist who are happy to work for peanuts.
But what should actually happen is that you license the picture for so many prints and so much time until it is your's to do with what you want again. But that would be if the real world was fair to artist, which it is not.
Or you could ask for copyright for your image. Which most of the time isn't worth peanuts. But if you are the cover of harry potter. then yes copyright deals might be way more interesting. But you would still need to convince the publisher who would probably rather not give you a share of the pie.
