Seeing my writing and illustrations together in print

One of the aims of my professional practice is to add another dimension to my writing by providing illustrations for it. In April's Cotswold Life, out this week, I have achieved this. My illustrations have been published which is exciting. I received this email from one of the key personalities in Tetbury, which was very encouraging:

"Nice piece in Cots Life about Tetbury - good too see a different slant - very well done you!!"

I will be writing about Stow and Tewkesbury for the May issue with the aim of illustrating one of them.

Published feature on natural history illustrator Cath Hodsman

Fulfilling my professional vision to encourage and support the work of fellow illustrators and artists, here is the published article in April's issue of Cotswold Life. It focusses on the exquisite detailed paintings of natural history illustrator Cath Hodsman.

An interview with Sam Wilson - an insight into the world of illustration and working for an agency

SAM WILSON

A successful illustrator, who graduated with a 1^st class BA Honours Degree from Cheltenham in Visual Art, before studying an MA in illustration in 1999, Sam also runs  Eye Candy Illustration Agency with husband Mark, set up in 2002.

I was privileged to meet her at her Cotswold home near Chipping Campden, following an article I wrote on the beautiful town for Cotswold Life. She gave me a valuable insight into the world of illustration and what an agency looks for when taking on a new illustrator.

 

 

 

Sam began her professional career with commissions for Tatler magazine and soon began illustrating regularly for many other fashion titles including Glamour, Red and Elle Girl. She also illustrated a weekly column Fashion for Life in the Mail on Sunday’s You magazine.

As well as working in publishing, creating artwork for many ‘chick lit’ and lifestyle books including jacket designs for Hannah Dennison’s Vicky Hill series and food illustrations for Annie Bell’s cook books published by Kyle Books, Sam, has done Advertorials for Cath Kidston, ink drawings for Waitrose own soups, and a series of large scale drawings for The Langham Hotel Hoardings, London.

 

(A dear colleague of mine from my days at the BBC, Mary Jane Baxter who later trained to be a milliner, commissioned Sam to do the illustrations for her book, Chic on a Shoestring, which was published two years ago. I supported Mary Jane at her book signing and have a signed copy at home, not realising I would one day meet her illustrator.)

In 2004 she was asked by leading fashion designers J&M Davidson to hold an exhibition in their London Gallery. Since then she has sold her originals and limited edition prints worldwide.

When I spoke to her she confessed her passion for printmaking and her hope to show in the Fine Art field in galleries in the Cotswolds, whilst continuing her illustration career.

So how has the illustration industry changed since she started work as an illustrator?

 “Nowadays it is so digital. I used to go and see clients. Now that is becoming rare although I do still go and see Walker Books. The children’s book industry is still old-fashioned in that respect,” admits Sam.

 She told me that there is also a notable difference between the stress levels when working on illustrations for a book project compared to that of a newspaper feature.

“Books are better because it takes a long time for a book to be made so it is more relaxed than newspapers or magazines. When I first started, the Guardian would ring me at lunchtime and need the illustration by 5pm. I only had about three hours to get it done,” recalls Sam.

 So what does she like most about being an illustrator?

 “It is a very accommodating career. You don’t have to be in an office for 9am-5pm which is brilliant for family life because you can choose the hours your work.”

 

 

Submissions

Sam’s main role at Eye Candy Illustration is to look at the submissions and decide which artist is right to have on their books. She admits she is open-minded as long as the work is really strong.

“The main thing is consistency of style. It is very important to have a recognisable talent. When we look at the work, it has to be recognised as the work of one person. In some cases a portfolio can look as if 10 different people have done it. Clients would never use it because they need to know what they are getting.”

“However sometimes if an artist has more than one style, they can publish under a different name for each of those styles.”

 What advice can she give up and coming illustrators?

“Success doesn’t happen overnight and a lot of people give up. You do get rejected and at first you really do have to want it.

And finally a bit about Eye Candy Illustration

Eye Candy Illustration was established in 2002 with an initial collection of 20 established and exciting, award-winning graduate illustrators – including Georgina Hounsome. The agency has now expanded its collection to over 50 artists and developed an enviable international reputation as one of the UK's leading illustration agencies. The range of illustrations commissioned by clients from the UK, Europe, USA and the rest of the world includes prestigious and high profile advertising campaigns, packaging, publishing, editorials, greetings cards, merchandising, and a huge variety of design projects.

http://www.eyecandy.co.uk/index.htm#

 

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

 

 

 

 

 

Marrying writing with illustration

One of the aims of my professional practice is to marry my writing skills with my illustrations. Ultimately I want to write and illustrate my own children's books, but this takes time. For now though I have started this journey, by providing illustrations for commissioned features in Cotswold Life magazine. This week I went to Tetbury to write a piece for the April issue (published mid March) focussing on the history/ antique connections in this Royal market town. I was intrigued by a room in Artique in Market Street featuring stunning antiquities from Asia set up 42 years ago by George and Ali Bristow. This particular room is a reconstructed house as it would have been in Nuristan, Asia, carved into the side of the mountain.

Nuristan House, recreated as found in the mountains

Drawing a dusty lamp and milk pan in Nuristan House 

I did some drawings in my sketchbook in this "house" as well as some of the town and took them home to work from. I found it particularly challenging to work as both writer and artist, so made two visits to Tetbury to take the pressure off. I carried out interviews and artwork over the two days then instead of trying to do it one - it meant I could do both well without being rushed. The deadline was today which was challenging as I also had to get another one written on Witney, which I visited on Saturday. But being used to deadlines throughout my 27 year working life, I met it.

Here are some of the finished illustrations used from my original sketches. 


Antique lamp from Asia





Close up of clock on Market Hall, Tetbury 



Ancient jug from Asia

lamp with carved wooden bird from Nuristan House



tower on top of Tetbury's market hall