[NEohioPAL] How To Pay An Illustrator...?

Wed Feb 22 06:22:20 PST 2012

Graphic designers and illustrators figured out long ago that, even without
asking, they can have enough pro bono work to keep them busy day and night
until "retirement"...or death (which, for many of us, those two concepts are
synonymous).  They've also figured out that even sweat equity won't pay the
bills.  This is a lesson that actors would take to heart if the opportunity
to never earn a dime for an honest day's work was presented to them almost
daily.  Alas, there are so few jobs for actors here in northeast Ohio (pro
bono or paid), many folks actually compete for the opportunity to work for
free.  Turn acting into your full-time job and you'll soon have your fill at
the all-you-can-work-for-free buffet.

That said, even after 20 years of designing and illustrating, figuring out
what to charge is always a challenge.  You never know what hurdles might
arise - creatively or technically; how strong is the art direction?  Is this
full color? Who is supplying the photographs?  Are you cool with clip art or
will all illustrations need to be original?  Has anyone written a design
Spec for this project?  Not knowing these things, do I charge by the hour or
do I give a full-project price?  Give the wrong full project price and your
retirement moves further away...and your bills go unpaid.

So, how do we charge?  Traditionally, most artists calculate an hourly wage
based on their rock-bottom "this is what I need to live" salary, plus taxes,
overhead, a modicum of profit and other operating expenses (materials,
office supplies, rent, advertising, computers, software costs et al.).
These "extras" usually add another 70% to 80% resulting in hourly wages
ranging from $70 - $120+ an hour (we'll base this discussion on the $70/hour
rate for discussion's sake).  The busier the artist, the higher the number.
But, most clients want to pay a set amount for each project.  Sigh.  To
figure out how to handle that, we usually look back at our time logs to see
what similar projects cost us in time.  Then, we look at how "together" the
potential client is (see the aforementioned questions in paragraph 2).  The
less vision they have put down on paper, the more we round up.

Oh yeah, don't get all worked up when you see this $70 an hour number - that
doesn't convert into $140,000 a year.  There are sometimes considerable
stretches between jobs... I mean considerable!  Given expenses, time delays
and other hurdles, they would be LUCKY to make even half that...or even a
third.

So, pricing one illustration depends upon how well you describe what you
want in the first place... or how much you trust the artist at-hand.  I have
a client who has me illustrate 16 posters every month.  I know that they
trust me implicitly - and I know they have no issues with me just modifying
clip art (sometimes it's cut-and paste, but often it's a heavy
modification).  This allows me to give a lower price; it's steady work and I
can crank the drawings out pretty quickly, often in a day.  Bully for me.
But, even if I charge $70 or even $80 per illustration, the next day I have
to fill with another client... and the next... Some weeks are filled with
work; others, not so much.  Some illustrators won't talk to you for less
than $500 per illustration.  That's because they know it will take them a
full day to create the drawing (8 hours x $70 an hour...rounded DOWN, thank
you)... and, if the client doesn't like something about their work, they may
have to start over and eat a day of work. 

College kids are the equivalent to amateur actors - they'll work for next to
nothing - or for free, just to see their work be published.  Sure, you can
exploit the hell out of them - and take food out of the mouths of the
serious professionals - but, you get what you pay for - with the added bonus
of them missing your deadlines because of a bitchin' concert or blowing you
off altogether, if you make too many demands of them.  On the collegiate
level, your better students now know the game and often charge as much as
they can get away with.  They don't care if you walk - they have mommy and
daddy to pick up the bar tab... If they are working their way through
school, they're going to be too busy for you... or will miss your deadline.

Oh yeah, does your designer understand copyright laws? 

As for graphic designers (and, yes, you need one of those as well to lay out
the illustrations, create the ads, arrange the text, work with the
printers), they are in the same fiscal dilemma.   A simple magazine page
might slap together in 30 or 45 minutes.  If it's complex, it could take 4
or more hours.  Well, how does one charge for this?  Usually, a designer
will take a look at the Spec., which will give them an idea of how the
overall piece will look - how many simple pages and how many complex ones.
They hold their breath, cross their fingers and get out their calculators.
So, it's a 42-page magazine with 10 simple pages, 20 complex ones and 12
S.O.B.s...  well, in the world of this rambling $70 per hour tome, that
would be: 10 pages at $50, 20 at $300 and 12 at $550 - see how challenging
this gets?  [note - I just realized that I may have included some
illustration into these costs, but I'm NOT going back to re-do the math -
sorry] So, the designer is now looking at a $13,100 number... but, with
delays, revisions and art direction, can they get this done in 5 weeks, in
order to make their nut?  Should they round up to $14,000 or more
(especially if they think that this project could be a quagmire), or, should
they round down to $12,000 or $10,000, fearing that some design newbie who
just hung out their shingle will undercut them?

My advice would be to secure $10,000 to $12,000 for design and layout of the
initial piece and keep hold of your purse strings, keep accurate
notes...and, before you hire your first illustrator or designer, put
together a specification that gives a very complete idea of what is
expected.  Don't spend like a drunken sailor, piece out work to a dozen
illustrators and see with whom you work the best, find a graphic designer
who can draw and ask them to help manage the process for a lower, hourly
rate... by the end of your initial project, you'll have a very good idea of
real costs for future publications.

...then, you need a marketing budget...

I hope this helps.

In addition to design and illustration, I have 20 years of international
(well, Puerto Rico, Canada and the US) marketing experience and have been in
business since 2002.  I love designing print pieces (posters and props) for
stage and film.

Want to see my work?  www.thinknik.com.

Ni Pucha Ni Pera!

Brian Diehl

330.283.9550 

From: neohiopal-bounces at lists.neohiopal.org
[mailto:neohiopal-bounces at lists.neohiopal.org] On Behalf Of Michael A.
Miller
Sent: Tuesday, February 21, 2012 9:26 PM
To: NEO - PAL
Subject: [NEohioPAL] How To Pay An Illustrator...?

Hi,

Thanks to those who recommended printers so I can begin to budget for the
Atrocity Parade prototype issue. All have worked with me to different
degrees, and, for the most part, talking with them has been educational and
encouraging. I'm still open to referrals.

Having gotten that under way, I need help budgeting for illustration. I'd
appreciate input about how those of you who have secured paying assignments
prefer to get paid. By the piece? By the project? As you go? At completion?
Or what? This is your opportunity to express how you like the money to flow,
since I'll likely be recruiting from NEO-PAL, among other sources.

 Every illustrator I've spoken with, without exception, has gone out of his
or her way to make it abundantly clear that artists won't work pro bono like
actors and other theater people will. Otherwise, I could have had a complete
product two years ago and everyone would have gotten paid by now. Instead,
I'm aiming for Kickstarter.

I'm guessing a laid-out Atrocity Parade will be in either 52 or 48 pages,
including both sides of the front and back covers. Not every story requires
illustration, but the majority of them do. I'll also need help creating
mocked-up ads as placeholders. The stories range in length from 251 to over
15,000 words. Obviously, the novella will be pocked with art. 

Atrocity Parade's look is going to be a throwback  to the underground rags
of the '60s and '70s, designed to look cheap and lurid. Think National
Police Gazette, vintage true-crime magazines and tabloids.

Illustration Styles:

     Sketch: Think Penny Dreadful or Edward Gorey

     Woodcut: Just like the ones from the 17th Century, give or take

     Vintage Sideshow Banner: Full color, a la Fred Meah, Nieman Eisman,
Snap Wyatt

Maps:

     One each in the styles of E.H. Shepherd's "Hundred-Acre Wood" map, a
medieval "Here Be Dragons" map, and a colonial surveyor's map.

Ad mockups:

     In the style of the Johnson-Smith ads (Onion Gum!) from the inside of
comicbook covers, as well as other combicbook-style ads (Sell Grit!), and
skeezeball-looking ads from scandal sheets. 

I see no more than three artists illustrating the entire magazine, cover to
cover. It's a big job but needs consistency. I see myself assigning
different portions of the magazine to each artist and paying with the
completion of each individual assignment. I might have to bring in a graphic
designer as well. 

So, I need feedback about how artists price their time, effort, use of
supplies, participation in field work, transportation, etc.-anything about
how you place a value on completing assignments and how you expect to get
paid. If there's something you want to address that I haven't specifically
asked, feel free to raise your point. 

Further, I'd like to know how you, as freelancers, have successfully handled
work-for-hire issues. I have a position in this, but I want to hear  yours.

Thanks for your cooperation.

Cheers,

Michael A. Miller, Publisher

Atrocity Parade

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