royalties on a book cover

mick_mccabe

Member
Ive been asked to design a front, spine and back cover of a book. i was wondering if anyone can help me out, i know u can claim roylaties on album covers but do the same apply to book covers aswell?
cheers
Mick
 
This is just speculation but I assume royalties would be subjective to a contract. The trouble with that is there's probably no shortage of designers who would be happy with a straight fee.
 
That sort of thing can be argued in the contract.

The way I see it is you have 2 options:

1. Take a smaller payment in lew of royalties per sale.

2. Get paid and run.

I've done both of shirt designs and let me tell you, unless you have complete faith in the person selling the product and their ability to get you the money they owe you, take the money and run.
 
Don't get me wrong it can work out badly for you sometimes.

A friend of mine did a shirt design and got paid £100 for it, the people in question have now sold somewhere in the region of 500 shirts at £8, so yeah, he probably got the short straw, but at the time, he couldn't have forseen the success of the design.

Unless you are working for a major/massive client that can guarantee (and I mean ironclad) sales, you are entering a crap shoot of problems, involving proof of sales, how and when royalties will be paid...

As designers we have heard the exposure line enough, whilst this is tagged with financial remuneration, it is still difficult to judge.

If the client is offering a decent amount for the job and royalties, you would be a moron to say no. If they are offering you a pittance and the promise of money on sales, quote a price, don't move on it, do your thing and then hope that they come back to you when they next need artwork and you can gauge the situation better. Also, don't push for a royalty bonus if you are being paid a decent amount, it could easily put someone off.

I've done jobs for friends (and I mean close friends who I trust), where I have said, get everything made, sell some things and then pay me. But that is just me being nice.
 
T-shirt design for £100 bloody hell i'm impressed! I was recently pitching against people who'd (according to the client) do them for £20 a pop.

But yes, you say the same as I was going to say really, I've been offered the choice to bill on supplied piece or in lieu of royalties before and I always go down the route of take the money upfront.

But then again I don't have any faith in anything I produce :)
 
goathead said:
T-shirt design for £100 bloody hell i'm impressed! I was recently pitching against people who'd (according to the client) do them for £20 a pop.

I dread to think what you would get for £20! I think £100 is cheap!
 
I reckon a studenty type bod with nothing better to do than illustrate a quirky picture with a trendy slogan inbetween watching Jeremy Kyle and Deal or No Deal would charge £20.

I don't watch either so i'd prob charge £30 ;)
 
I reckon a studenty type bod with nothing better to do than illustrate a quirky picture with a trendy slogan inbetween watching Jeremy Kyle and Deal or No Deal would charge £20.

Apparently it was against big design farms in eastern europe, you know the sort who bash out Primark t-shirts...I know have an image of designers in Battery cages dropping eggs
 
I reinstalled OS9 on one of my old G4's the other for ****s and giggles, I had no use for it but it was fun for a little while.

It's back in the attic now.

Ooh this forum censors yourself!
 
I could possibly make a hideous piece of furniture...

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[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=85cL1HisrNc]YouTube - ‪Robocop - I'd Buy That For a Dollar‬‏[/ame]
 
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