Yesterday, I posted my experience with working with the Yogscast to my tumblr. A lot of people stepped forward in response to it, telling their stories and how they struggled in their interaction with the Yogs. The most common theme among them was that the artists felt overwhelmed by being approached by the Yogs and not knowing how to price their work and settling for too little or bad and restrictive contracts.
Artists are a close knit community, but we so seldom talk about the business side of things. But how else are you as a hobbyist or an artist who is just starting out supposed to know what you can and should do?
Research
Make a background check
A quick google search about the person or organisation asking you for your art should be mandatory. Do they have a bad history with paying artists? Do they have a bad reputation attached to their name that you don’t want to be associated with? It’s always better to be safe than sorry.
Compare notes
Ask friends about similar sized projects, research online for pricing sheets for professional illustration work. See if you can find pricing guides for illustrators and designers (the German one I use all the time can be found here). Know what other artists charge and see where you’d put yourself.
Ask questions
Ask them for what kind of merch it will be. Ask about how many units will be printed, where they will be distributed. Ask about reprints and if the art would be used in other places. The more your know about what they plan to do with the art, the better you can price your work and not run into bad surprises.
Pricing
But I did the fanart for free, why should I charge for it?
The fact that the content creator approached you and wants to put your art on merch means that they deem your art to be of professional level. They could have gone and commissioned someone for a piece, but instead they approached you. Your art has the same worth as that hypothetical commission. Treat yourself with respect and charge for your art to be used on merch.
Should I give them a discount because I am a fan?
No. If they are an ethical person, they will pay you fairly for your work and not exploit your admiration of them for their own benefit.
I was offered to be paid in exposure, is that worth it?
Hard question. Do you think your name in a description will net you enough follow up contracts to make up for the time spent on the piece? This is very rarely the case and also means that you rely on possible payoffs weeks or months in the future. It is a lot fairer to be paid upfront.
They offered to pay me with a small piece of merch.
Pretty sure any art you can sell them to use on merch is worth more than a shirt. Think about how much your time and creativity is worth and renegotiate.
Contract
They want me to sign over all right on my art so they own it now.
If you see a contract that states you would sign over ownership of your art, think long and hard if you want to sign it. Why do they want to own your art instead of right of use for the merch they approached you about? Handing over your art entirely means they can reprint it, resell it, put it on everything and you don’t see a penny for it. Instead I recommend you talk to them and ask them why they want to own the art. You can offer a right of use for the merch you discussed and offer to be open for discussions if they want to use your art in the future on other projects. It is common practice to only sign away your right of use on art contracts, NOT the ownership of your art.
I am so unsure about all of this, what can I do?
Ask for a second opinion. Ask an artist you know, an art friend, approach online communities and have someone look at the contract or tell them what you are dealing with. Not only can a second opinion help you realise when you undercharge yourself, it might also help you figure out why the contract made you uneasy. Don’t rush into a contract. Take your time and read it carefully and don’t be afraid to ask questions.
Please read this, even if you’re not a fanartist or freelancer. This is excellent advice.
I also highly suggest reading this guide on pricing yourself and assessing your value. It’s an easy read, and worth understanding.
Many artists have been or will be approached by people for art. Sometimes those are people you look up to, and it’s easy to be starstruck and agree to a price lower than what you’re worth. Don’t do this! It’s bad for you and it’s bad for other artists who may be approached in the future.
Know your worth and do your research!
If you’re unsure how to approach this, feel free to PM me! I have a little experience with freelance art and might be able to point you in the right direction to assessing the value of your time and effort. I am always happy to be a second opinion to artists who need it.
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