Towards a Standard Price Guide for Illustration

[greyorm]

Greyorm, I suppose I don't really understand the mechanisms behind "Exposure." However, I do feel I understand now why a cover costs more.

How's this work for you?

Royalties: how much profit something makes or is expected to make, has nothing to do with how many people see it.
(Example: You illustrate a single copy of a book for a patron which will be sold as part of a private collection sight unseen. The book sells for $10 million dollars. You receive 3%.)

Exposure: how many people see or are expected to see something, has nothing to do with profits.
(Example: You design a logo for a business card for a huge multinational corporation. People don't pay for business cards, they're handed out free. You are paid $10k.)

[Tazio Bettin]

Hello everyone.
This is my first post on the Forge, and as illustrator, I'd like to try giving my point of view. I hope you'll forgive my terrible English (I'm Italian).
From my experience it is usually publishers who choose the amount to be paid to authors, usually upon agreement. Where it is the illustrator that sets the price is in places like for instance Deviant Art where there are often requests for commissions. Usually I see that the price chosen by authors is based upon one's fame and ability.
Personally I believe I am some sort of anomaly, as I've been illustrating sourcebooks of big publishers like White Wolf, but now that I'm loving newer concepts of rpgs, I'm offering my services nearly or totally for free as it would be a source of pride for me to be chosen as illustrator for a game I know I love. I think that this is often met with some embarrassment by the author to whom I offer this, but I make sure to express that having the honor to be featured in a sourcebook by an author that I admire is already enough of a reward for me.

Regarding covers, I have never been commissioned one, but one thing is sure. They are much more difficult to realize than half page or even full page illustrations. First and foremost, for the already mentioned reasons. Also internal illustrations tend to be in black and white and require to visually represent the game's flavor and color in specific parts. For instance, an image that is related to the description of a certain spell, or a certain NPC, or places, technology and similar things. The cover is almost always in full color, and must represent the color of the entire game. Failure to comply this result in making a mess of the game's color and setting. This is something no illustrator with a minimum sense of self respect would allow himself to do as far as I can tell. This means that a cover requires much more time and effort than a regular illustration. Of course it depends on how meticulous an artist is, but as a rule, it takes roughly double the usual time even just thinking how to make the cover.
One other side note: an internal illustration is added to the layout and graphic of the manual, whereby a cover illustration often has to incorporate it. More work to do, more to consider and plan.
At least, that is what I think.