Looking for Layout Rates

[drkrash]

I'm a good way through the process of putting the text of my next book together.  The first one I wrote was graciously (and excellently) laid out by someone else, who did the work as a favor.

He is unavailable for this project, but he suggested that I should be able to do it myself.  That may or may not be the case...

I lack the skill, equipment, patience, and computer savvy to confidently do this task.  In all honesty, PowerPoint is tricky for me.  Word is about as far as I go.  So I'm a little unsure about my ability to do the task.

I have other friends who have not done layout, but are pretty savvy with Photoshop who figured they'd be able to do it for me.  I may take them up on their offer...but frankly, they work very, very slowly and I'm really not that patient.  But still: I may take them up on their offer.

But I was searching for some additional info:

Is there any sense of a "going rate" for someone here willing to do layout? I don't know what info you'd need to answer that question, but here's the basics: it will be about 200 pages, with a modest amount of b&w art, and a specific graphic design needed for the headers and footers of the pages (whiich will already be drawn - the layout person doesn't need to do it).  I plan on it being ready for layout in early 2010 (i.e., no later than March).

Can anyone help? Thanks.
C

[Ron Edwards]

Hi there,

It's a difficult topic, probably far more so than the thorny issue of rates for art. Basically, the paid-for layout I see comes in two kinds: (1) someone who does layout and probably other things in mainstream publishing, who gets paid buckets more for it than you or I will ever see in independent RPG publishing, and who is happy to do the layout for a game because he knows and likes the author, the game, or both, and who may accept a nominal two-digit fee or may not be interested in pay; (2) someone who would like to make a steady habit of doing layout for role-playing games, wants a wide and expanding stable of clients, and wants to make a wage that permits him or her to do this as a significant source of income (if not primary).

There's been more than one contentious thread here at the Forge and elsewhere concerning what publishers might or should expect from layers-out, in terms of expected pay. I'm not sure there's any standard so much as a scattering of extremely personal, extremely individualized instances.

Best, Ron

[drkrash]

Thanks.  That's unfortunate.  Well, I have a few months before I need to really worry about it, I guess.