I asked my friends at Friend + Johnson (illustration representation agency) if I could share the best advice they had about pricing that
they would give an illustrator.
Here's the Q & A: LISTEN UP and TAKE CHARGE OF YOUR PRICING!! Here are some general questions YOU may have and their advice on how to respond...
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| Don Bishop - Directory of Illustration portfolio |
Question: I have worked with some major illustration
publications. Work has been a bit slow lately and I’m taking on some smaller
clients. I don’t really want to adjust my rates, but at the same time I
understand that budgets vary from client to client. What is the best way to
educate a client on my pricing structure, as well as to charge a rate that is
appropriate and not too low?
Illustration is one of those subjects where clients have a
hard time understanding the price structure, since there are no hard costs to
accommodate pricing, like hard drives, equipment rental, etc. The best way to
validate your worth for a job is to base it on industry standards for
illustration projects similar to what you’re doing for your client.
The Graphic Artists Guild is a great
starting place to justify what rates are acceptable in the marketplace right
now. The problem is, editorial and other publications tend to pay
editorial rates, not advertising rates, and these rates can be half the costs
of an advertising project.
Question: Any tips for building sales confidence in new
commercial illustrators? I don’t want my sales inexperience to reflect poorly
on my work – and I do want to turn interest into sales.
As an illustrator new to the field, learning how to build
sales confidence can be daunting. There are so many variables to consider when
working in the advertising, publishing or editorial worlds. In the field
of commercial illustration, potential clients don’t want to feel like they are
being “sold to,” so effectively “selling yourself” comes from a combination of
things you project on the phone or through your emails – once a potential
client reaches out to you. When it comes to turning potential jobs into actual
sales, the key areas you should be aware of and work on include:
1. Learn How to be Personable and Accessible When
Communicating With a Potential Buyer
If you maintain a professional demeanor and are truly
excited about the project, buyers will hear that in your voice and know that
you want to work with them. There is so much competition out there that how you
handle yourself on the phone, your enthusiasm (without sounding too pushy) and
your ability to help them with costs – or with more of your work, to help them
move forward – will set you apart. In this market, it’s the little things that
push you to the top of the list! I have had illustrators who were considered
for a job, but the client needed to see more work to help them sell the
illustrator to the client’s client. Can you offer this? Are you willing to do a
test if necessary, to show them what you can do?
2. Show Confidence in Your Work and Knowledge of
Commercial-Project Pricing and Processes
The more knowledge you have in the pricing arena, the more
confident you will be. You need to be involved in illustration groups such as
the AIGA (http://www.aiga.org/), Graphic
Artists Guild (https://www.graphicartistsguild.org/)
and the Society of Illustrators (http://societyillustrators.org/) so
you can understand what others in your field are going through. By keeping in
touch with your industry peers, you will have a better idea of how to price
your work, what questions you should be asking and which requests are just
unrealistic. When I have interest from a client, the first thing I do is find
out the scope of the project, the usage, if they are supplying any reference,
what in the artist’s work inspired them to think of that particular illustrator
for this job and, last but not least, whether they have a budget in mind.
3. Listen – One of the Most Important Skills You Must
Develop!
How well you listen has a major impact on how effective you
can be for your client. You have to listen to obtain information, to understand
and to learn. After listening to the assignment parameters, the goals of the
ad/illustration and any concerns the client or art director might have, you’ll
be able to offer better suggestions – and show you will be a good collaborator.
4. Learn How to Say “No”
If a project isn’t right for you stylistically, or you can’t
meet the deadline, or the client is not willing to pay what you feel is a fair
price, you need to be able to say “no.” In these instances, the most helpful
thing you can say to a potential client is, “I’m not the right person for the
job because…” This builds your credibility. Yes, you may lose a sale, but
you’ll probably gain an advocate because you shot straight with them. It’s also
a good idea to suggest another illustrator who might be a better fit, to show
that you want to help your potential client find the best solution for his or
her project.
It’s also important to learn how to bring in more potential
clients. Research your competition and find out who they’re working for. Find
out what accounts are using more illustration in their campaigns, then research
who the creatives are so you can market them directly. They know how to use
illustration properly – and they’re not afraid to!
Question: I understand the value of including some personal work on my website, but where and when should I not market personal work?
As agents, we can’t stress enough how important it is for
commercial artists and photographers to create personal projects. It’s at the
top of the list of most important things you can do to keep your work
interesting and evolving.
Personal Work = Personal Connections
Creating personal work not only gives an artist an
opportunity to create new imagery for his or her portfolios, but should open
the door for experimentation – creating for the pure joy of creating, no
strings attached! – and feed the soul by creating work that comes from purely
personal passion.
In many instances, potential clients are just as interested
in this work – if not more interested – as they are commercial pieces. It
allows them to see a broader dimension of the artist and helps them understand
the artist on a more personal level. We love showing and promoting most
personal work!
The goal of marketing your personal work is to intrigue
clients and get them interested in working with you. You want them to move you
from the giant pool of artists vying for their attention to the much smaller
group that already has their attention and is being considered for work.
Pick Your Spots Carefully
But there are times when personal work should not be
promoted within the commercial area of an artist’s business. An obvious example
is not promoting personal work that’s not 100-percent complete, technically or
otherwise. That’s a given.
Another good example is if the personal work is too erotic
or sexual in nature. Although this work can be very interesting on a fine-art
level, it’s not appropriate for most commercial venues. There’s a line where
the sensual aspect of nudity crosses over to erotica, and it’s best to err on
the side of caution.
If a personal project is too controversial,
you should also avoid marketing it in a commercial venue. Examples of such work
include pieces that make strong political or religious statements. Such work
might be more appropriate as an editorial statement or as material for your
blog. Think about the old adage that tells you, in social settings, to avoid
sex, religion and politics!
Another example of personal work to keep out of your
marketing materials is work that’s just so abstract a potential
client probably won’t see any application for it. Your personal work
should be promoted in a commercial venue to not only showcase your talent and
creative thinking, but to inspire potential clients. In the commercial world,
it’s great if that inspiration can somehow be applied to our business of
advertising. Creatives need to see a connection between your work and what they
create … a suggestion of how your vision can enhance theirs. If you’re
marketing with an image that’s so artistic that it has no real application,
you’re going to confuse people and lose an opportunity to shine.
Creatives have limited time to review what’s in front of
them, and they continually look for inspiration. When a wonderful
eblast or a direct mail piece with an inspiring or influential image hits their
desk and they take notice, you have achieved your goal.
You also have to bear in mind how much competition there is
out there, doing the same thing as you. Make sure you’re showing your strengths
in a way that encourages targeted clients to use you.
Question: Clients always ask for an estimate, and I tend
to lowball – any good strategies for coming up with a proper estimate?
Creating an accurate estimate is the best thing you can do
for the client, your own illustration business and the industry. Even though no
two estimates are the same, most can still follow a general outline for what
should be included. Here is a list of questions to ask your potential client to
help create an accurate estimate that fulfills both their expectations and your
needs.
Introduction
1. How did you find out about me? Is there something in
your portfolio that inspired them to think of you for this project? Make sure
you understand exactly what they’re referencing so you can make sure you’re
comfortable executing it, and are clear on what they’re hiring you to do. This
will also help you determine the level of complexity of the illustration
they’re looking for.
Project Description
2. Do you have a layout? How complex are the
illustrations? Are they single-spot illustrations or more complex scenarios?
Are they providing any references for you to use? Are they looking for you to
concept illustration ideas with the creatives, or are you working from a
pre-approved layout that will not allow for much change? Is this
black-and-white or a four-color piece? Are you working in layers?
3. What is the timing for the initial pencils and the
final illustration? Usually, you should have three to four days for the initial
pencils, and after client approval, another five to seven days to deliver the
final. Two rounds of pencils are standard; anything more should have an
additional charge.
Usage, Licensing and Copyright
4. Usage is very important in helping you price your
project. Note that consumer advertising will be priced much higher than
illustrations for a children's book or direct mail.
Does the client want national, regional, international,
web or worldwide uses? How long is the usage? What is the media use: consumer
ad, trade ad, packaging, direct mail, billboards, brochures?
5. If clients say they want unlimited use, you should
explore if this is really what they need and offer alternative licensing to
match their budget. Often times, clients are not “educated” in this area of
rights-based pricing; they will be much more understanding if you take the time
to outline that they will ultimately save money by purchasing just the usage
they need. For example, if they see the difference in cost for a two-, three-
or five-year use, this may be more in-line with what they really need vs.
unlimited use/time.
Most clients aren't planning on a consumer magazine campaign
or any out of home use, they may just want unlimited collateral (direct mail
and consumer or trade brochures and inserts) use. Find out specifically what
they’ll use the artwork for and tailor your pricing to match.
6. If at all possible, never do "work for
hire," give buyouts or sell your copyright. You’re essentially
giving away all of your rights as the creator of the artwork and giving
ownership to your client. They in turn can reuse and resell the artwork in any
way they want.
You can still retain your copyright even if it's unlimited
use, worldwide for an unlimited time and exclusive to them. If they feel they
may need the artwork for other uses down the road or for a longer period of
time, these extended uses can be renegotiated or factored into the original
contract as well.
Remember, they want to use you and you want to work with
them. This is a negotiation to give them what they need and pay you fairly for
the creation and use of the work. You’re working together to create a fair
contract for both parties.
7. Will this image have resale potential in stock or
other markets? Does your licensing give you this option?
Keep Budgets & Other Paperwork in Mind
8. Editorial and book clients usually have a
predetermined budget. Sometimes you can renegotiate if you feel it’s too low
for the amount of work they’re requesting. You should always get a credit line
for editorial or pro-bono work.
9. Do they have an allotted budget already in mind? If
not, when do they need numbers?
10. Is there a contract? You should have your own
contract in addition to anything they supply.
Hang Up
11. Never give an estimate while you’re on the phone
with your client. It’s best to hang up and think about what you’re comfortable
with.
12. Review your estimate before submitting it. A great
source for guidelines for estimating various projects is the “Graphic Artists
Guild Handbook” at www.graphicartistsguild.org/handbook/.
Post-Submittal
13. After you have submitted your estimate and it’s
approved, make sure to have it signed and sent back to you.
14. After the project is confirmed, you should bill 50%
of the job. This is important for cash flow since illustration projects can
stretch over a number of weeks with the back-and-forth for approvals. This is
also important with a new client that you don't have a payment history with.
15. In addition to billing upon confirmation AND having
a new client sign your contract, you may want to get a purchase order from you
client as it is a contract to purchase your services from your buyer.
Now that all the paperwork is in order, relax and have
fun creating a fantastic new piece with your client!
