It was the most inspiring and uplifting talk EVER and it has made me SO EXCITED to become a professional illustrator! (big step for me considering I was absolutely bricking it whenever the words 'after graduation' came up). Lou explained all of the ins and outs, pros and cons of being a freelancer, and informed us of a lot of the dos and don'ts too, which was extremely helpful.
Here are the notes I made in the lecture:
What is the AOI and what does it do?
- It is a trade association, as illustration is fairly contemporary
- It helps illustrators in destress with pricing and contract problems, and just the whole business element in general
- The first point of call is the AOI website, which is easily played out and compatible for all devices
Blog
- You don't HAVE to do a blog, but if you do it must be updated regularly
- Try not to be too inspired by current trends, try and create a tone of voice that is your own
- This is a place to nurture personal projects! Jon Bargeman and Sara Gelfgren do a lot of these
Social Media
- If you don't use it well, don't do it
- Twitter is good to follow art directors and create open dialogue, but it has to be professional
- You shouldn't post sneak peaks unless you have permission
- Behance is good for project based portfolio work
Self Promotion
- Physical mailers A5/6 to selected contacts
- Emails- attach a PDF of 1-3 illustrations no bigger than 1MB
- Links to social media!
- Why you want to work for them
- Write a personal email
- Follow up with a PDF email a week later
How to get clients
- The publishing directory
- Select industry where niche is
- Clients that your work is appropriate for
- Avoid 'Dear sir/madam'
Accounts (bookkeeper)
- Register their own business
- Being your own brand
- Register for income tax
- Keep up to date accounts
- Retain all claimable receipts
- Keep paperwork involved with every job
- ~cultural expenditure~ claim back, once four times a year
- YOU NEED A BIG ASS LEVER ARCH FILE
Rights
Copyright: The right to copy
- Property right that protects ANY work by a 'creator'
- Lasts for 70 years after creators death
- Does not require a copyright symbol or registration to exit
- Independence of physical art work himself
Physical-----Intellectual
- No copyright in idea/style
- Copying 'substantial' part of a work infringes copyright. Text of quality not quantity
- Copying one key image from the work no matter the size could infringe
- Financially benefiting from reference material= INFRINGING COPYRIGHT- use different references to create your own
Grey areas: Whether/whether or not? = Ask for a reference fee
Copyright Assignment
- ~rarely advised~
- BUT, logos aren't applicable
- It means the client can have it forever and do what they want with it
- You can't use it in your portfolio because its now the CLIENTS
YOUR COPYRIGHT IS YOUR LIVELIHOOD
Moral Rights
Right of paternity: Right to be identified as the creator of work
Right of Integrity: Right to be identified as not to be subject to change
-Don't apply to newspapers and magazines-
Online
- Protect your work online so that you can always be identified as the author
- Low resolution 72DPI: Name as file name
- Use the Copyright symbol on every page/blog/social media
- Read terms and conditions of websites/social media
Contracts
Written: Formal
Verbal: Informal (NOT ADVISED)
- Accept the commission in writing every time, before you start any work
- This does not need to be drawn up
- WHO is going to do WHAT by WHEN and for HOW MUCH
- ALWAYS RECEIVE MONEY FOR A JOB
- ALWAYS A CONTRACT
- Terms and conditions- rights as illustrators and cancellation fees
- Paid in full on delivery of contract
- You are equals when you sign a contract
- You have the right to negotiate
Acceptance of Commission
Customer: END USER
Area Cover: Online=Worldwide
All licenses are generally exclusive BUT if you want to sell an illustration to multiple clients then this is not applicable.
Contract essentials:
- Make an agreement binding
- Clarity and certainty
- Demonstrates professionalism and confidence
- Evidence for any disputes
Look out for:
- Copyright assignment
- Moral rights waiver
- Invocable licenses
Crucial Clauses:
- Termination
- Cancellation
- Rejection
- Sub-licenses
~If you contract shitty clients its really difficult to get out of~
PRICES:
Examples
Label illustration for a limited edition whiskey, one year: £800-£1000
Quarter page illustration in a glossy mag, single use: £200-250
Advert on bus shelter across the UK for restaurant chain, 6 months: £1,800-£2000
Mural in a design firm reception (2mx2m painted by you): £2000-3000
DO NOT WORK FOR FREE EVER!!!!!!
IT UNDERMINES YOUR WORK AND THE INDUSTRY
~You should not charge ANY less because you are young. Charge for your time and usage time~
Quote accuracy
"We need a ball-park figure" = BAD. Make sure you ask questions.
A lot of design or advertising agencies use these phrases to make you feel insecure. It basically means they don't have enough information to calculate a price.
Non disclosure: Europe? UK? Employees? Usage? OOH=Billboards
EXAMPLE: A mechanic needs to see a car to quote fixing it.
Licensing
You Need:
Licensing
- Separate to selling original artwork, no rights transfer and no license is granted for such transaction.
- Relicensing gets you more money!
You Need:
- Client profile - larger clients and budgets
- Usage - Re-use fee? 60%ish
- Territory of usage - UK? Europe?
- Duration of license - three months? or period of copyright?
- BUDGET - Does client have a a budget in mind? e.g. NIKE HAS A HUGE BUDGET SO YOU WANT THEM TO PAY YOU MORE
NEVER DO DAY RATES
Do not quote without information either.
Client, Usage, Duration, Territory
Advertising
Above the line: Publicity, print, posters, billboards, OOH (out of house), digital
Below the line: Unpaid space; fliers etc
Example:
Large Snack Company: UK 1 year license all print and digital £6500-7000
Skincare: ww 1 year license social media: £500-550 per illustration
Editorial
Usually fixed in its prices
- Size of client is based on circulation and size
- Cover, spread, full page, half page, spot
- UK generally
Free newspaper - single use UK-£350-400 up to half a page
Consumer mag - print and web £230-250 quarter page
*look at Vic Lee and Lisa Maltby*
Full coverage - more £££
Packaging
It's either:
- 1 year
- 3 years
- 5 years
ALWAYS.
UK supermarket can only take 5 years of 12 printed packets only, costing £400-450 per illustration (spot)
Large drinks companies? Worldwide £750ish
Publishing
Picture books etc. Either produced through publishers or self-publishing
Cover, spread, full page, half page
Usage: picture book, novelty, children's book, fiction, non-fiction, education
Territory: UK, English language, worldwide
Duration: limited by print run/edition, 10 years period of copyright
Educational doesn't get a lot of money :(
Flat fees- fiction/non fiction, educational= same as product/editorial
Advance and Royalty: children's books, novelty = advantage PLUS royalty
(ask what the plan is)
Author/illustrator: Flat fee £7000 or advance against royalty £5000 plus 10% off RRP.
Buyout- specific time 'license' e.g. UK all media license 1 year or World wide, below the line 3 years
Duration of license:
- 1 year: £300
- 2 years: 60-70% of £300
- 3 years: 2x original fee
- 5 years: 3x original fee
- 10 years: 5x original fee
DO IT NOW, HIT THE GROUND RUNNING!
So in summary:
- Don't work on a day rate
- Send scary formal letters if clients don't pay you
- If clients are local, go and meet them!
- Illustrators work on licenses (ask for lots of moneys)
- YOU SHAPE YOUR OWN CAREER
- Go get a website
- Join the AOI
- You can also have two jobs! Just need to register as a freelance illustrator
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