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Graphic Design question: Services and prices?

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tomos:
It sound to me like the images are going to be very important though - I have absolutely no idea about share/prercentage etc but just throwing that out there.
A book could have a wonderful idea but if the visuals arent eyecatching (doesnt have to mean 'tasteful' or even necessarily high quality) you're in a different league . .

True, luck must play a big part in success - it sounds like something interesting but I wouldnt have a clue about that market :)

40hz:
As for the success of it, I don't know.  The things i like are never really that popular.  -superboyac (September 08, 2009, 04:49 PM)
--- End quote ---

I hear you. I'm one of the people that actually liked Islandia. ;D

We are going to go all out on it, but success is such a tricky thing, and the things we like don't normally fall into the successful/popular category.  At best, they are acclaimed critically.

--- End quote ---

If you have a story that you really need to tell, you have a genuine crack at success. That's one characteristic of most successful works of fiction. The author(s) wrote the story they wanted to read, rather than the one they thought would sell.

re: help wanted

Here's a suggestion. Consider a quasi-viral approach. Think Firefly. Think StarTrek.

Do a project website. Explain what it's about. Show people some of what you have so far. Try publishing the first two or three chapters up on the web. Invite interested parties to participate in whatever capacity, and under whatever terms seem most acceptable to your creative team. And be blunt about what you're seeking. If you're looking for final art (and only final art) just say so. And if money is going to be an issue (or non-existent), also make that very plain from the get-go.

FWIW: I've got a buddy who's a very talented comic book writer. He's been involved in several collaborative projects. And to date, only a few of them ever panned out. The problem is that most people (especially the bedroom art crowd) underestimate the amount of work involved in getting a graphic novel out the door. From his (and my) experiences, I'd say about 95% of the people who contact you will never come through on what they promise. Most of the remaining 5% will also fizzle out on you after a few weeks. And this sad statistic has held true whether or not there was money to be had.

Sill, if you're lucky, you just might hook up with somebody that actually brings something to the party.

Think of it this way - suppose your book really takes off and they decide to have Burton or Speilberg make it into a movie. Suddenly you'll find you have hundreds of people collaborating to bring your epic to the screen. Might not hurt to get a little practice in first.

I'd hold off on doing any of this right now. But tuck it in the back of your head for later.



P.S. Thanks for the compliment, but I'm definitely not an artist. We have a real one in my family  - so I know.

superboyac:
Thanks, 40hz, for the information.  This is not really a graphic novel.  It will be much more in the educational/literary category, but fun.  Essentially targeted to the same crowd, same age group, albeit the more intelligent ones.  So, from my perspective, the target crowd will be kind of small.  I don't want to get into the whole thing.

But I'm sorry to hear about the commitment level I can expect from inquiring artists.  Hopefully I can find someone reliable.  After all, there is SOME money in it.  And if I know myself or my friend well enough, this project WILL get done.  Some way, somehow.

Thanks for the website idea, I will definitely consider that now that I have a little experience with it.

superboyac:

40hz:
Awesome!

Let me know how you make out.

I ran it past my sister, who is a "graphic designer - not an illustrator" (her words). She said she had the feeling what you're looking for is going to run some serious bucks unless you're lucky enough to hook up with a talented newcomer who is willing to take it on as a 'portfolio piece.'

I asked her what she thought it might cost if somebody like a book publisher were handling the project.

She said that around here (think metro NY market so prices will probably be higher than in most places) commissioned art like the above runs around $300+ per illustration. She also mentioned that for that degree of originality, most professional illustrators will also expect to get a 'piece of the action.' What that means is some sort of royalty arrangement or a restricted use clause.

Restricted use means what it says. Say you bought the illustrations for a book and somewhere down the road Dreamworks decided to make it into a movie. If the illustrations were used as concept art, or the look of the film closely matched the illustrations, the illustrator might be entitled to a cut. On a less esoteric level, rights might only cover a USA release. Foreign rights might need to be negotiated separately. Ditto for hardcover, second printing, paperback, graphic novel, video game, audio book (don't laugh - think cover art) yadda-yadda...you get the picture.


So anyway, whatever you do, make sure you have a clear understanding with anybody you're working with. And if you do enter into an arrangement, get it in writing - and be sure to have a competent attorney review it before you sign.

Keep us posted.

Luck! :Thmbsup:

P.S.  I don't know if it's still as true today, but in the past, most publishers preferred to use their own stable of illustrators. The reason they did that was because most artists were totally clueless about how to create what was called press reproducible artwork. Basically that meant art that was amenable to the color separation process and reproduced well on a standard 4-color press. Not all art fits into that category.

If you're planning to 'print publish' your project, do yourself a favor. See if you can find a designer or art director with publishing experience who is willing to bring you up to speed on what's involved. Most of them love to pontificate, so it shouldn't set you back more than a pizza and some beer to get a good crash course on how these things work.

OK...I'm rambling, and the server I'm working on just finished updating so I'd best get back to work. Bye! :)

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