How much am I worth?

Looking at costing work

This is always a tricky one, but it has to be considered. However I do believe there is more to it than just the monetary value. It is about the contacts made, the experience of doing the work and the opportunity to show that work. For example I have started to illustrate my writing for Cotswold Life. My illustrations don't receive the amount detailed in some of the examples on this blog entry, but I get extra for providing them. What however is of greater value is the showcase it provides. Cotswold Life is available to buy for a month and is a high class coffee table magazine that is often found in dentist and doctor surgeries. The amount of people who have said they have read a feature of mine in these places is huge, so I know that my illustrations will be seen by a wide audience. It is important for me that my writing and illustrations are seen together no as this is what I do in future - marry my two skills to offer a unique service.

 

What am I worth?

I found this website: http://zero2illo.com/what-are-you-worth/ really helpful.

If you have worked for an organisation such as a media group or the BBC as I have for 20 years, it is hard to know what to charge when you go freelance. If you have been always set a fixed wage, it is difficult to work out how much you get paid on an hourly basis. Even though I work freelance as a writer, the magazines and newspapers I work for often determine what I get per feature and I guess this will be the same for illustrations too.

On the www.zero2illo.com website, it states than when first starting out as a professional illustrator or when projects are thin on the ground, it’s easy to just take whatever you’re offered. But unless you value your own work, the client won't either. It is easy to compromise values when you have to take the work to make ends meet. So tips learnt from this website:

1. Have a voice and don't just take the first offer on the table
2. If you don't the initial offer, be willing to say so but also be aware of restraints from the company concerned as they might only have so much. When I did an article I was prepared to work for less for a local paper than I was a regional one because I knew their budget was tight.
3. Don't be afraid to ask if the deadline is too tight or money not enough to be worth you while
4. What am I happy with being paid for this job by thinking about how long it will take you. Then you can work out how much you would like per hour?
5. Be human but not demanding. I have to be realistic with five children to buy shoes for so I can't afford to do things for virtually nothing.
6. I always maintain if in doubt leave it out i.e. say no if it doesn't sit right. I have ended up resentful in the past when I have taken on something I didn't feel quite happy about in the first place. I did my best but it wasn't as enjoyable as it could have been.

I also found this YouTube clip useful:

Illustrator Will Terry talks honestly about pricing work and the factors to consider when taking on an assignment. I found this diagram particularly helpful in weighing up whether a project is beneficial in terms of money and time.

 

 



Will believes we need to be working in the red zone to be satisfied. It is a useful method to consider.
Other useful bits of information as shared by illustrator/print maker Georgina Hounsome

Costings

The most common limits to a licence for use of an illustration are:

What is the illustration going to be used for - if it is going to be used for something else need to re-licence that image

Where will it be used - what territory is it, the UK or abroad. Generally it is a different fee for different country
How long going to be used for? 
How much exclusivity is there? Exclusivity - only in terms of that licence. Special term added if company wants to buy copyright. Artist always retains copyright unless sign something

She challenged us to guess how much we thought she got paid for various illustrations including a full page image for monthly magazine Woman and Home; an Open Submission competition; internal financial report; the Guardian (illustrations appeared for a week); a self-initiated project to produce a limited edition screen print, a percentage of which she gave to charity. Most of us were way out, but a few got it right. I didn't think it fair to disclose the actual payment on a blog.

 

Other things can affect payment

Amount of time involved

Reputation as an illustrator
Tight deadline
Attractiveness of the job - not so well paid, but nice job probably take it for less money becaus want to do that commission
Depends on circulation - internal circulation, national, local, international

 

Rough guide for payments

Magazines and newspapers: art directors budget normally set
Varies between magazines and newspapers

cover for newspaper/mag £500- £1,000

Inside illustrations -  £150-£400 depends on size
Full pages inside double page £800

Book covers

Dependent on how well book will sell - £400 - £1,000

Record covers/CD

Similar to book cover but classical music pays less than popular
Licensing need to be clearly stated for band merchandise

Educational books

£300-£500 for double page spread - lot less than magazines

Children's picture books

Paid with royalties or an advance
Advances £3-5,000 but don't earn any royalties until the advance is met with sales
Work out by thinking of your acceptable minimum rate and then multiply by the number if hours you think the book will take. Usually paid in instalments on signing contract, on delivery of roughs/delivery of artwork and on delivery of final artwork/publication (push for final artwork rather than publication date)

Greeting cards £150-£200 per design, quite badly paid

Brochures - internal £400-£1,200
Inside illustrations up to £400

Packaging

Depending on manufacturer, product, complications of design
From £250 for small spot to £1,500 for more complicated full design

Advertising

Largest amount of money for
Quarter page B+W £600, full page £1,00 - £2,500
Posters - £500 - £4.000 if national, more if international

Re-use fees
Usually discount of original usually 50 per cent

Rejection fees

When client not want image or unsatisfactory, or client no longer needs artwork
At rough stage get 25%
At artwork stage 50%

Client then does not own the image if they have rejected. If they choose later on, they need to pay you the original amount.

Cancellation fee

Before rough stage - 25%
On delivery of roughs - 33%
On delivery of artwork - 100%
At other stages worked out accordingly

If got to final stage, they still retain the rights to that work as they have paid you in full

Change of brief
Subject to agreement/negotiation

AOI - up to date pricing

National Union of journalists has a set of recommended fees but end to be a member