First time book offer (through Fiver) - How much to charge?
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@Bricz-Art Fiverr is known for being a cheap marketplace. I should know I’ve worked there before. I think $1700 is too high for those people, try $300. I personally think you’re better off working on your own project. However, if money is really tight, then I guess there’s no shame in taking it. I’ve been in that position as well. Sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do to get by. But if you can, try to avoid Fiverr.
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If self-published authors approach me, I send them to a pdf that educates them about the process and value of an illustator's time. I encourage them to read it before asking me. It's from hireanillustrator.com
https://www.hireanillustrator.com/how-to-commission-an-illustrator.pdf
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@Elena-Marengoni Currently, there are some hashtags on Twitter that are discussing things similar to the answers you're seeking.
The topic hashtags #publishingpaidme, #comicspaidme, #animationpaidme, and others are intended to illuminate the disparity between what white authors/illustrators earn on projects versus black authors/illustrators. The difference is flat out startling, and how the industry perceives and categorizes (and pays) most black projects as "niche genre pieces" is disparaging.
But as more and more author/illustrators share their advances and fees, a lot is being revealed and becoming much clearer. I don't think there's any sort of summarizing document from the information being posted, but there are numbers for you to peruse. You might be able to narrow the search terms for Italian-specific or European discussions and get some rough indication of what you're looking for, perhaps?
Children's Illustration Portfolio: https://www.coreyartusillustration.com
Art Portfolio: https://www.coreyartusimagery.com
Mastodon: https://mindly.social/@Coreyartus
Pixelfed: https://pixelfed.social/Coreyartus -
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@NessIllustration thanks for the kind words. I’m not too concerned about it as I know more opportunities will come in the future if I just keep my head down and continue to work on improving. It’s definitely a huuuge help to be a part of a positive and encouraging community here on SVS to discuss this stuff in the meantime. You’ll have to be sure to share your book when it’s done so I can look it up and take a look, I’m sure it will be amazing.
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@Frost-Drive haha I agree but you can’t be surprised that people are going to do what they can to find a deal. I’m more concerned for her that she’s going to pay $300 and get a crap job in return. I guess you have to learn the hard way sometimes??
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@Elena-Marengoni that’s interesting, I never even considered varying prices based on different countries. Maybe it really is different across the board depending on who you’re dealing with and what they’re willing to pay. I like @Will-Terry ’s suggestion in one of his videos about determining your absolute bottom line you will accept... and then doubling it and starting there. You’re right though that you don’t want to charge too high and insult someone and ultimately lose the deal. It’s a tricky game to play...
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@Jane-Smith thanks Jane, that’s great input. I agree with you that sites like Fiverr are not the best place to find quality work offers which is why I have it up there more for little one-off requests here and there to make a quick buck or two. I don’t have a polished portfolio with which to approach agencies yet but that will be the next step before I expect to get any real offers for some kind illustration work.
As for the SVS podcast episode, I have already checked it out (as I’m hooked on these guys for some strange reason
) but maybe it’s worth another peek.Thanks again Jane!
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@Nyrryl-Cadiz thank you. I agree with this point. My profile is up there for little side projects to bring in some extra cash which is why this book offer caught me by surprise. I will keep in mind that people are there for a super deal and not to expect anything worthwhile to come from it BUT if someone wants a quick sticker design or a logo tweak, I’ll gladly take their money:)
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@Laurel-Aylesworth ooh! I like this! Thank you so much. This is helpful stuff and will help open the eyes of people who aren’t in the industry or putting pencil to paper so to speak.
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@Coreyartus thank you for these suggestions, I will definitely check them out and do some more research on the topic
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@Jane-Smith I know, it's low, terribly low...I did some more online research today and that seems to be a pretty common price range. I am not entirely surprised though...there are a lot of jobs who are extremely underpaid in Italy and 5 EUR/hour isn't the worst I've heard. Generally speaking, 10 EUR/hour (1600 EUR/month) is considered a pretty good salary for any job. I like your suggestion in any case, I don't know an agent that I can ask to, but I think I have a couple of people in my local network that could give me guidance on the topic.
