Commissioning Illustrations for Substack Publications

Free fireside chat replay, asking permission, some helpful links and even more questions...

Hi petals,

Thanks SO much for coming along to our first Illustrator and Writer meet up this week. I’ve made this follow up post FREE until the end of the weekend as it felt like such a generous space and I didn’t want to paywall the ripples of that! Adam and I felt called to do this work. We haven’t been paid to do it but we do appreciate all of your shares, support and the magic of the ripple effect of commissions that might come from it. Hit the re-stack button and tag us in as you explore this beautiful new world so we can stay connected?

Usually videos are paywalled here but I am trusting you join us with curiosity and ask MORE questions to build on the ones I asked in the call. I’m also trusting you see the questions from your colleagues here as a beautifully curious invitation. I want to say (because I’m a real human in this) that just before the call, I got the news I’d been unsuccessful in a huge funding bid that artists and creatives (and me) were hoping would pay us for the next 8 months. I try and bring my whole self to all my work but in the background I felt sad, a bit scared and had to show up anyway. Rejection gets easier twenty years in but it’s still not easy.

Adam Ming

and I really enjoyed meeting and hearing from some of you on our call and we’re looking forward to great and fruitful writer and illustrator partnerships on Substack! 💕

At the end of this post, we are offering a way for authors and illustrators to find each other along with some instructions and guidelines to help make the process seamless for everyone.

Photo by Crawford Jolly on Unsplash

We’d love to invite more conversation like this and have come up with a suggested plan. If you haven’t already please check out Adam’s Substack for SO much illustrative fun and personality!

One of the beautiful (and confusing) things about writers and illustrators working together is there aren’t any hard and fast rules. When we ‘buy’ an illustration we’re not actually buying it but the rights to use it. That’s a big shift on ownership and one I’m here for. If we always own the work long term it makes the whole negotiating process an easier thing. In the arts world we’ve tried to get better at communicating our day rates and charges because it makes for a fairer world where we can all be paid properly.

Transparency is helpful and yes it’s vulnerable too. We want to feel safe and this work from

Adam Ming

and I is to support that.

Just because I’m a big fan of their work (for a plethora of reasons), I’m going to link to a an article on UK artist Bansky’s most expensive piece. Often times our self limiting beliefs crop up and tell us we can’t charge for our art but we absolutely can (and should)! In shifting the narrative on ‘how much $£?’ , we just have to meet it, examine it, sit with it a while and embody our worth. If we can’t we go back to the beginning. Art is subjective, opinions are like noses everyone has one! 😉

Some people will pay it, some won’t and that’s all ok. If we’re continually giving out ‘for free’ there is a question of self worth and more than that jeopardising our creative colleagues and their career. Self worth work is hard to do but can be held beautifully in therapy and by friends and colleagues. Ok last point I’ll just say it, please don’t give away your work ‘for free’ endlessly. You deserve to be paid and valued (even if you don’t feel you need or deserve the money).

I had a lovely follow up chat on email with

Anna Brones

about this very topic and I sent her a preview of this piece so she could feed in. Thanks Anna and I was so happy to connect. This piece is a CONVERSATION. Yes I’m sharing my expertise and so is Adam but as an invitation to you…

We’re excited! Let’s get into it!

Claire ✨

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Here are 7 steps of suggested good practise to help you all feeling secure in an exchange as we navigate making our Substacks a work of art for our readers¹;

1. Illustrators - writers would love to understand how you want to work and how you charge; i.e by the day or by illustration.

2. A rate card is helpful or an indication of budget you work within. A rate card is a sliding scale of your costs depending on the usage of the illustration/s. You design this to fit with the way you want to work. Costs can vary immensely so stops any embarrassing asks or conversations or just not asking at all? Writers you can ask for a rate card. Illustrators you can publish one or keep it privately via email.

3. Illustrators (advice from Adam) if you want to pitch to a ‘big’ writer - make one piece and include in your pitch email. If you don’t want to work “for free”/ exposure/ PR be up front about it… ask more experienced colleagues about the impact of exposure if you’re not sure? It’s hard to quantify BUT there’s a way to better understand how it might make you feel if you manage expectation there.

4. Writers - think about house style - do you want to work with the same illustrator long term if you can or would you like to mix it up? One a year or weave illustrations in as part of special or seasonal features? Start a pinterest board for ideas? Get clear!

5. Licensing - You are buying the rights to an illustration not an art work for your wall that you own outright. How long do you want to licence illustrations for? Do you want an exclusive licence to the illustration? (that means it’s just for you for an agreed amount of time)? For what purpose? Is it an exclusive licence (can only be used for your work on Substack) or is it a non exclusive licence (could be used and sold in other places)? Do you want it for your Substack and a flyer and a t-shirt? 😉

6. Colours/ style - how do you want this to work? Do you have ideas around your brand or are you at the start of your journey with this. What type of illustrations do you like? Does it matter if other writers commission the same illustrator.

7. Value - loved Adam’s suggestion of making a larger piece and separating off ‘icons’ to use as pauses in your written work or in multiple places. Here’s an example of what I mean with credit to Trina Dalziel who I have had the pleasure of working with on our soil regeneration project called ‘The Soil Web’.

An icon from a larger piece © Trina Dalziel

The larger explanatory piece - ask me about composting in the comments lol

Coffee break… ☕️

Pass the chocolate chips cookies…. 🍪?

Some of the folks that were able to join us live shared their Substacks in the chat;

• Amy Collins: https://bookofhoursproject.substack.com

• Georgie St Clair
  from The Creative Prescription https://georgiestclair.substack.com/

• Nanette from Secret Sketchbook https://nanetteregan.substack.com/

• Anna from https://creativefuel.substack.com/

• Paige Ray
  from https://paigemeredith.substack.com/

• Anne - https://annebyrn.substack.com/

• Zoe Gardiner
  - https://postpartummatterscic.substack.com/

• Susan Jimenez
  from - https://susanjimenez.substack.com/

• Emma Carpendale: at https://thecreativeflock.substack.com

• Anna Brones
  : at https://creativefuel.substack.com

• Katie at Katie Stack

Thanks so much to contributing to the conversation and being curious….

Other helpful links/ inspo

• https://absurd.design

• https://graphicartistsguild.org/the-graphic-artists-guild-handbook-pricing-ethical-guidelines/

• Artist Network UK - Guidance on fees/day rates for visual artists

In the UK, the AOI have some pricing advice for Illustrators, but it’s helpful for commissioners too;

• https://theaoi.com/resources/pricing

• https://theaoi.com/resources/contracts/publishing-contracts-the-basics

• https://theaoi.com/resources/contracts/licensing-illustration

• https://theaoi.com/resources/professional-practice/guide-to-commissioning

• My (Claire’s) favourite business school for artists - it’s $99 aus a year and the price doubles for 2024 in like two weeks so grab it now!

Curation and generosity…

• A collated list from

  Inkygirl by Debbie Ridpath Ohi
  of traditionally published illustrators already here on
  Substack
  .

  Traditionally published children's book illustrators on Substack

• The Light on the Sea
  by Gillian (my Scottish/ NE pal’s) - Gillian often offers some illustrations for you to us with credit;

• Emily over at

  While I Was Drawing
  has some free illustrated assets for your Substack too - chat to her about where to find them.

Writer Illustrator Matchmaking

Thanks

Adam Ming

for setting all this out. 💖

For Writers:

If you're a writer looking to connect with an illustrator firstly HOW exciting!

It would make sense to do some preparation to maximise the effectiveness of the communication when you do meet either virtually or by email. It will help manage expectations and stream line the whole process.

Here are some things you might want to consider ahead of time. 

• What's your budget? Do you think it’s realistic or are you going in with curiosity to understand if it is?

• Where might the illustrations be used other than Substack if anywhere? Think of everywhere that might be useful… social media, a window sticker, a flyer, a t-shirt…

• Are you looking to license the work, in which case you are buying rights for specific use cases?

• Or are you looking to own the right to the work outright (exclusive licence)?

• Do you have examples of the kinds of illustrations you are looking for (try to provide 1-3 examples if you can)?

• Are you looking to pay in cash or in kind? How do you want to be paid? Bacs, stripe, paypal? How will you deal with exchange rates?

• If you are looking to pay in kind, what are you offering and are you willing to negotiate for a win win solution with the artist?

• What format do you want the illustrations in? Jpeg, psd? Do you want to be able to use them in Canva or another editing programme to add text?

You don't have to work with every illustrator you connect with, it's really about finding a good fit. However, doing your homework will help the illustrator best respond to your request, and if the fit is not right they may even be able to suggest a better fit.

Take this matchmaking as an opportunity to make friends and potentially work together.

Here is the link for writers, please read the instructions:

Only post if you are a writer looking for illustrators

Instructions:

• Introduce yourself and your Substack. 

• Describe the kind of work you are looking for 

• And the type of engagement (one-off, seasonal, or ongoing project.) 

• Describe if you would like to pay in cash or kind and what that might look like.

• List how you would prefer an illustrator to contact you - we think email is best?

• Optional, tell the illustrator what's great about working with you….

Save the finer details of the project including your budget for the discussion itself and connect via email if that feels good? Here's the link again to Writers Chat

For Illustrators:

If you're looking to collaborate with a writer you can use this illustrator chat to introduce yourself:

But before you do here are some things to consider:

• Prepare your hourly rate and day rate so you can give a ballpark estimation when you are contacted by the writer.

• Be selective in taking projects, only take jobs that feel like a good fit and suit your skillset.

• Consider if there are other ways you might be willing to accept payment in the form of collaboration or barter for services (e.g writing, guest posts, etc)

When you're ready you can introduce yourself by following these instructions:

• Introduce yourself and the kind of work you make

• Suggest the type or engagement you are looking for (one-off, seasonal, or ongoing project.) 

• Describe if you would like to be paid in cash or kind and what that might look like.

• Provide a link to a portfolio online

• Optional, tell the writer what's great about working with you.

Here's the link to the illustrator's Chat

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Illustrators can search the writer's chat for potential clients, and writers can search the illustrator chat for potential illustrators.

It’s a total experiment here on Substack but let’s see how we go?! I’ll go first in the writers chat and try and remember all the points…. ✍️

Thanks so much again to everyone for all your insight, ideas and space holding - let’s go make art together!

Claire and Adam

✨

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Here’s our call replay, available to everyone until Monday