AOI lecture

This was intense. Key notes:

• Blue and orange is becoming overdone. 

Self-promotion:

• Make contact details as easy to find as possible on website. E-mail immediately being visible is good
• Blog should be a place to put my creative process - use it to nurture self-initiated projects. Don't be too inspired by trends. Don't blog at all if you won't do it well or often enough.
• Keep aware of NDAs in relation to posting 'sneak peeks' of jobs in progress.

Mailers:

• Keep A5/A6 - letter sized.
• Include a short statement about who I am why I want to work for them, why I fit in their company. Something handwritten? Make it more personal.
• Creative directors keep pin boards - they will probably pin something that they like the look of
• Follow this up with a PDF of 3ish illustrations.
• THE PUBLISHING DIRECTORY - client list to contact
• Avoid "Dear sir/madam" - Find these peoples' names out.

Accounting:

• Must register for income tax within 3 months of declaring self-employment
• Keep up to date with accounts
• Retain claimable receipts
• Keep all paperwork for all jobs
• Cultural expenditure can help you gain more on your tax returns

Copyright:

• Your original artwork is still yours - you are only providing clients with a LICENSE to copy and reproduce (for a set time) your illustration.
• If a company becomes more successful/grows after you have licensed an illustration to them and they come back asking to re-license it, you can charge more.
• Combining references will help you sidestep any serious copyright infringement
• Reference fees are a thing - whether for you to pay, or others to pay you. (See: Flour babies re-edition)
• Ideas can't be copyrighted
• You should never assign copyright unless for things like logos. If you do, the price should be very high. 
• Must ask permission before putting something of assigned copyright in portfolio.
• Try and stick a copyright symbol on every page of website. Try and get my name in the filenames too.
• If the client wants to buy original artwork from a job, consider this entirely separate from the job itself and charge whatever in terms of materials, time, personal value, etc.

Contracts:

• Don't entertain 'verbal' or 'unspoken' contracts. All business agreements need contracts.
• Look out for copyright assignments in contracts/moral rights waivers:
• Rights of paternity=the right to be identified as creator
• Rights of integrity=the right to not have your work subjected to derogatory treatment/bastardization
• Crucial clauses to read: Termination, cancellation, rejection, sub-licensing
• The illustrator DOES have the right to strike things out and re-negotiate contracts.
• Make sure final payment is on DELIVERY of artwork, not after something else comes through on client's part, i.e. publishing of book or raising of billboards. These events may not even be in contract.

Pricing:

• Don't work a day rate - this implies employment, e.g. what you are making is company property. 
• Avoid "Work for hire" jobs as this is a similar thing.
• Quotes are legally binding - never give one until you have ALL job details:
• Squeeze as much information about client as you can - number of outlets, worldwide or not, number of staff. You ARE allowed to know this information.
• If it's advertising, ask what kind - editorial, billboard, etc.

Advertising: 

Above the line = Publicity material appearing within paid spaces and advertising, i.e. Print- mag/newspapers, ads, posters, billboards, "out of home".

Below the line = More targeted, within home. Direct communication through e-mail or advertising on feeds based on assumed interests.

• Large snack company - UK, 1 year license, all print and digital medias: £6500-£7000
• Skincare brand - Worldwide, 1 year license, below the line: £500-£550 per illustration
• Local barber - [Liverpool]: £280-£300

Editorial:

Consider size of client = based on circulation. 

Consider usage = cover, spread, full page, half page, spot

• Free paper - UK, interior illustration: £350-£400 per illustration, up to half page.
• Consumer magazine - UK, 1 month license, print/web: £230-£250, quarter page.

Packaging:

Consider duration - In general: Limited (1yr), 3yr, 5yr

• Large UK supermarket - UK, 5 years, 12 packets, spot, £400-£450 per illustration. The price is reduced slightly per illustration due to the large number you are producing.
• Large drinks brand - Worldwide, 1 year, all packaging (bottles, boxes): £2750-£3000

Publishing:

Self publishers are "risk clients". License them for the initial run only in order to maximise payment.

Education provides the least amount of money.

Flat-fees = same as the products/editorials as above. Generally for fiction, non-fiction and educational.

Advance + royalties = advance payment + royalty %. Generally for children's pic books/novelty books.

• Working as illustrator only - picture book, worldwide, flat fee: £4500-£5000 OR advance against royalty: £2500-£3600 + 5%-7% of RRP as royalties.
• Adult fiction cover - UK: £800-£1000.

Licensing:

• Duration: 1 year = [£300]
• 2 years = 60-70% of original
• 3 years = 2 x original
• 5 years = 3 x original
• 10 years = 5 x original

extensions are generally 60-70% of original for an extra year.