laura carlin

I decided to contact Laura Carlin to ask about her practice and working within publishing and editorial as she is one my favourite practitioners - I love the breadth of her work with 3D, ceramics, photography, book design etc. Her portfolio is just really exciting to explore.

Unfortunately she is very busy with a new baby to have time to answer which is understandable and she was really apologetic about it. But it is frustrating as I have been sending out lots of emails to publishers, agents, practitioners just asking for advice but haven't got many replies at all really. But it is something you just have to keep going with. 

advertising

I have a family friend - Gillian Milner, who works in advertising at J Walter Thompson, so I thought it would be worth contacting her. I asked her if she could give me some advice in terms of portfolio editing and who to contact with about illustration work. 
She got back quickly saying I could definitely come in and talk to her, show her my portfolio and meet some people who work in the creative sectors of the company, unfortunately she is away for a couple of weeks but I will be meeting up with her soon. I hadn't really considered the advertising side of illustration but it will definitely be worth knowing about. 

secret 7!

I managed to get one of my designs into Secret 7 again this year! I got in with one of my designs for Chvrches - but I won't know which one until I go and see it. I am very happy about getting through again - it may not be the best platform for getting your work out there as no one knows who's work is who's until the sleeves are bought, but it is for a good cause and a lot of fun to be a part of! This year it is exhibiting at Sonos Studio in Shoreditch which is exciting. Unfortunately I have already booked my tickets back to Leeds so will miss the opening but will try and make it down for the exhibition in a few weeks. 

art directors

I was having trouble finding art directors for book covers as not all of them have websites, but I found this site which has book covers with illustrators and designers with it which is a good starting point
http://abcoverd.co.uk/

Art Directors:

Suzanne Dean - art director penguin
http://suzannedean.co.uk/

Jo Walker - art director harper collins
http://www.jowalker.com/

David Mann - art director bloomsbury
http://www.davidmanndesign.co.uk/

Rachel Vale - art director pan macmillan 
https://twitter.com/abitnice?lang=en-gb

Maria Cruz Lord - art director macmillan 
http://mariacruzlord.com/

Helen Crawford White - illustrator/art director/designer studiohelen 
http://studiohelen.co.uk/

David Pearson - art director/designer pushkin press
http://typeasimage.com/

Sinem Erkas - illustrator/designer/art director/freelance 
http://www.sinemerkas.com/

Patrick Carpenter - art director quercus

Ben Norland - art director walker books

Rob Biddulph - art director/illustrator observer magazine
rob.biddulph@observer.co.uk

publishers

I've started making lists of publishers to then find people within those publishing companies to try and contact:

Random House Publishers:
- Red Fox
- Doubleday
- Corgi
- Vintage

HarperCollins Publishers

Bloomsbury Publishing

Quercus Publishing

Walker Books (children's books)

logo

This was my logo from last year:

I like the design of it - it is simple but still interesting and gives an insight to the aesthetic/process of my practice. But I wanted to make it fit in better with the promo pack design, and make it cleaner/sharper as the old image was scanned in and enlarged. 
This is the new logo:

I think the text from the CV worked really well so I used it again. I wasn't sure whether to add 'illustrator' or 'illustration' underneath - whether it was really needed:

I'm not sure if I like it - I think it is necessary for making it clear what I do but I'm not sure if it ruins the flow of the image going upwards from the name. 

promo pack

I think I am finished with this design - I was having a lot of trouble with the composition, I had used too many colours so whenever I tried to add things it wouldn't fit well, and all the big bright plants would take attention away from the boat. But I feel like I have managed to make it all work well together with the light green in the back - and only having bright colours surrounding the boat. I also think the octagon format works well with this image - it gives a snapshot into this world. 

I started trying to think of ideas for my business card - I feel like I have been over thinking the whole promo pack a bit, thinking it needs to sum up my whole practice in one design, which I think would be very hard for my work as it all varies quite a bit. I think I could just use bits from this image for my business card - I don't only illustrate nature but it is definitely something that influences my work and I love to draw - which I think is enough. 

I made a CV to go into the pack - I really liked making this, I think the colours work well and it was just fun to make. I haven't got much to go on the CV - I haven't had much experience with working but its good to show what skills I have and contact details. I think I need to add more to the profile bit - make it more personal to me, maybe add what I am interested in/what inspires my work. 

an email

I got a really nice message from someone who had looked at my Behance, liked my work and was asking about my process! 

It was definitely a confidence booster knowing that people are actually looking at my work online. Also it encourages me to make sure all my online presences are up to date and regular with posts. 

reply from heart

I sent out a few emails to agencies asking them if they could have a look on my website and suggest where my work could fit in or where I should be contacting:

I think they misinterpreted my email as I wasn't asking to be represented by Heart, just for some advice which is a bit annoying. I have also sent emails to Central Illustration Agency, Jelly, Lemonade and Folio Art so hopefully one of them will get back with some advice. 

desk space/studios

In my tutorial Fred mentioned thinking about getting a studio in London - see who is moving to London and all put in for a study together. I do like the idea of working around people - I work better when I am not at home. I had a look at a few desk spaces to rent which could work out well:

http://duke-studios.com/workspace#desk-rental
This one is in Leeds but it is the kinda thing I want - targeted at illustrators/graphic designers, it looks like it is a good working space

http://printclublondon.com/studio/
This one is more targeted at screen printers - although they do screen printing workshops which I could maybe do

I had a look on GumTree - I found quite a lot of desks available for about £200 and month which isn't too bad as I will be living at home, and hopefully with a part-time job:
https://www.gumtree.com/p/desk-space/desk-space-creative-hub-in-london-hackney-road-empire-spaces-hackney-london/1159787286

https://www.gumtree.com/p/desk-space/managed-desk-spaces-for-creatives-finsbury-park-n7-7nu-from-£190-pcm-fully-inclusive/1113438875
- this one is right by my house!

https://www.gumtree.com/p/desk-space/creative-desk-space-in-millers-junction-the-studios/1095214589

https://www.gumtree.com/p/desk-space/desk-workspace-in-creative-studio/1160097716

https://www.gumtree.com/p/desk-space/bespoke-built-offices-creative-studios-creative-space-hot-desks-high-ceilings-lots-of-light/1159984322

These give less info but are around about the same price:
http://www.deskcamping.com/amex72/desk/1799

http://www.deskcamping.com/aussiebomb/desk/720

This is a good start - I haven't thought about deskspaces before. It is reassuring to know that the ones in London aren't really expensive. I think gumtree is a good place to look, the spaces available look like they are used by other creatives in similar fields - useful for advice and even setting up collaborations. I might try book in a visit for some of these spaces while I am back in London. 

tutorial

Had a useful tutorial with Fred, mainly about extended practice but we looked at PPP as well. I haven't really done enough for PPP - I've been making a website, getting a portfolio together, researching promo packs etc. but haven't done much contacting or getting my work out there. I've just been holding back quite a bit with getting in contact with people, mainly due to nerves and not knowing what to say, also not taking enough advantage of the PPP tutorials being offered. Fred basically told me to get a move on and send emails, send work out - because the work is good but its not doing any good just sitting in the studio, which makes a lot of sense. 

When contacting agents he suggested just send emails asking them to have a look at my work, possibly suggest where it might fit, who I should be contacting, what should be improved. If they don;t reply send an email a week later asking if they got a chance to look through it. If they do reply, ask if I could see them while I'm down in London over easter for a proper look through my portfolio, ask about agents etc. So I am giving myself the task to send emails out to all the agents I have looked at by the end of the day - also joint AOI soon to get the contact lists. 

Also, with my lino cuts and CoP concertina, photograph/scan them well, set them out on boards to show they context but also bring the physical book/prints in the back of the portfolio. It could be a selling point for some agents/art directors to see the actual print.

promo pack

I have been finding it difficult to come up with a design for my promo pack - I haven't really done any work which I would say sums up my practice. Although I don't really stick to one subject matter - it's just the way it is executed, so whatever I do - as long as it looks like my work - should be okay?
In terms of format I found this wedding invitation on Pinterest:

I love the way it all packaged - it is very elegant and simple, also how the envelope opens up into a print is a good chance to include more work into the pack. I don't want to put too much into it, I think just a business card, CV and postcards.

These were some initial ideas I had for the design. I thought about doing a dinosaur theme as I would have lots of imagery from this project but I'm not sure if that would appeal to everyone when I sent it out - I decided to go with a jungle/botanical theme. I did that for my zine earlier in the year, I really enjoyed making the imagery but wanted to work with colour, this gives me the chance. 

I was thinking for the CV I could have it on a long piece of paper which folds out and on the other side could be a long image:

I think that could work well as its something interactive  - there's lots of little bits to this package. I remember John telling us last year that art directors, agents etc. enjoy receiving packages and even more so when theres lots of bits to open - it makes it more engaging. 

I started working more on the envelope which open out:

I got really into it initially but it got more difficult when I tried adding more depth and filling it up a bit because it got too busy and I had used too many colours so there was no point of focus. So stripped it back a bit:

This is it so far - it looks much cleaner I do want it to be busy and wild but also well composed. I do love working with nature imagery - I feel it does appear a lot in my work, so this is relevant to my practice. The outside of the envelope will be monochrome, so I want it to be bursting full of life and colour on the inside. A lot of promo packs I have seen are very clean, uncluttered and neat looking - and they do look very professional but I don't think that aesthetic would suit my work very well. 

I also thought that I could include a little original lino print in the pack with a personal message - in the AOI talk she said that with mailers it helps to add something personal to show you have thought about who your are sending it to - include their name and why you want to work for them. So a botanical themed lino print with a hand written message could work nicely in the pack. 

andy singleton

We had a talk from Andy Singleton, an artist/illustrator. He talked through his journey from graduating through till now with his personal and commercial work. It was useful to see how his work has evolved since graduating - and also quite reassuring that his work in third year was quite average but he evolved his work to be very successful and impressive. The main points I got were:

• he stayed in his uni town after graduating with a bar job and picking up occasional commissions, went travelling and it was after that where he really tried to get his work out there and focus his attention mainly on his practice 
• he got a studio space and took a year out to just make work, to build up a really good portfolio, make collections of work - really important to keep practice up with a part time job, it is easy to just put it to the side
• he has managed to keep his personal work going even when he has lots of commercial work on
• he has got most of his work through the internet - so it is very important to have a strong online presence. Also make sure 3D work is photographed well - either learn yourself or get a professional to do it

initial portfolio

These are the pieces I have picked out so far - I will add dinosaur work once I have started making finalised work, also my CoP work once I have taken some decent photos of it. 
I think this is a good selection, it shows a variety of contexts with book, editorial and print. I feel like they do sort of fit together, although the book covers are all quite different - but they are all for different audiences, so there should be a change in the aesthetic. I think it might have to be altered for particular clients e.g. if I was going for an interview for a children's book I probably wouldn't include the clockwork orange or 1984 work. 

AOI talk

We had a really useful lecture from Lou Bones, a manager at the AOI. She talked about becoming an illustrator - all the difficult things we need to consider like contracts, copyright etc. which I have never really understood. She was very clear, to the point and brought up things I hadn't thought about before. She suggested joining the AOI while we are still students as they offer a 24/7 hotline for asking about client problems, pricing etc. as well as other help/advice - this seems like a good idea for our first year out of uni.
These were the main points I got:

Self Promotion
Online:

•  have email address clearly on website
•  still keep a blog, but only if updated regularly. Show creative process on blog, tests, experiments and have finished projects on website
•  use blog to create own dream briefs, projects I've always wanted to do, a way to keep producing work
•  if working on a commissioned job, don't post 'sneak peeks' on work on social media unless client has said its okay
•  use behance and linkedin more; post projects on as many platforms as possible (art directors look at behance a lot)

Mailers:

•  keep them letter sized (A5/A6)
•  send to people directly, use their names and no 'sir/madam/to who it may concern' etc.
•  have a brief introduction about yourself on the mailers, say why you want to work for them, why you would fit well with the sort of work they use/commission, make it personal to them - even reference some of their work you liked in particular
• add something personal/original to the mailer - a doodle on the back, a handwritten message - something to make it look like you have thought about who you are sending it to
• follow up the mailer a week or so later with an email
• in the email attach a PDF with 1-3 images no bigger than 1MB and a link to your website/blog
• research into the industry to discover your niche - select clients where my work will be appropriate
• client lists - use target promotion to relevant clients people e.g. art directors, creatives
• look at: AOI Client Directories and Bikinilists.com

Registering own business:

• have to register for income tax within 3 months of starting to get regular/well paid commissions 
• keep up to date with accounts
• keep all receipts - can get money back for expenses which go towards practice e.g. going to zoo to get first hand research for a job
• keep paperwork for every job, get a big filing cabinet 

Copyright

• the Property Right means that any work produced by a creator is protected
• copyright lasts for 70 years after death
• copyright does not require registration or a 'c' symbol
• it is independent of physical artwork itself 
• be careful when drawing from photographs as photographs also have copyright. So try and use various references to create a new image
• reference fees - you can pay to use someones photo as a reference 
• you can't copyright a style or an idea
• copyright can be assigned by you to a client which means they own the copyright to your work and can do whatever they like with it - but try not to do this, always read contracts to make sure you are not signing away your work
• if you give away your copyright it means you can't use that work in your portfolio, you have loss of control over your work and they can use it as many times they want e.g. change it or keep getting money from its usage
• instead give agreed licences for an agreed amount of time e.g. single usage

Moral Rights

• rights of paternity - the right to be identified as the creator
• right of integrity - right to not have work edited in any way
• right to not have work falsely attributed to you
• always protect work online so that you can always be identified as the creator
• use your name on the file name so that if it is downloaded it has your name on it
• use the 'c' symbol on every blog, website, social media page - use on bottom of page/website
• don't ever use watermarks as they don't look good

Contracts

• no matter the size of the job always accept commissions in writing, it doesn't have to be really formal just make sure it states who is going to do what by when and for how much
• even if a job gets cancelled you should still get paid for the work you have done e.g. if a book doesn't end up getting published, you still spent time making all the drawings which you should still get paid for - final payment is for delivery of artwork
• words to look out for in contracts - copyright assignment, moral rights waiver, irrevocable licences 
• crucial clauses - termination, cancellation, rejection, sub-licencing 

Pricing

• you are charging for the usage of your work - the price has nothing to do with age, experience etc. don't undervalue yourself just because you're still a student
• quote accurately - looks more professional if you know about the industry
• you need relevant information from the client to price accurately - you need to know who the end user client is and what the usage will be
• some clients won't give much away about their client so you will have to ask the right questions
• questions about the client - are they UK based? how many outlets do they have? are they worldwide? 
• questions about the usage - how long will the artwork be used for? will it be for print? editorial? packaging? billboards (out of home)? will it be UK based? Europe? Worldwide?
• a licence is separate from selling original artwork, you have to decide how much you want to sell that artwork based on sentimental value, whether you will use it for exhibitions etc. 
• e.g. someone who did some hand sewn illustration for kettle crisps, they had a licence to give the company for an allotted amount of time and got paid for that but the art director also really liked the original artwork and water to buy that for his office which she sold to him for a separate price with no licensing involved
• never work for a day rate, always licence work

Advertising

Above the line advertising - where publicity material appears within paid space advertising (conventional media)

Print: magazine, newspaper, adverts, tv, billboards (out of home)

Digital: banner adverts, promo social media posts, digital magazines

Below the line advertising - efficient and cost-effective way of targeting a specific group, less conventional ways of advertising, one-on-one relationship with consumers 

Print: flyers, mailers, postcards, direct mail, branding, promo materials

Digital: emails

pricing examples:

Advertising

• Large Snack Company - 1 year licence, print + digital £6500 - £7000
• Skincare brand - 1 year, BLA, worldwide £500 - £550
• Local Barbor - £280 - £300

Editorial 

think about:

size of client - based on circulation

usage - 1 month, single usage, length of issue, cover/spread/full/half page

• Free Newspaper - large circulation, UK, single use on interior page £350 - £400 per illustration, up to half a page
• Consumer Magazine - medium circulation, UK, 1 month licence, print/web £230 - £250, quarter page

Packaging

think about:

duration - limited edition 1 year, 3 years, 5 years

usage - food, drinks, cosmetics, full/limited coverage

territory - regional, national, worldwide

• Large UK Supermarket - UK, 5 years, 12 packets - 12 spot illustrations £400 - £450 per illustration. Price is reduced slightly due to large number of illustrations, only reduce if more than 6
• Large Drinks brand - worldwide, 1 year, all packaging (bottles, box, crates) £2750 - £3000
• UK Local Restaurant - regional licence £280 - £300

Publishing

think about:

client - publishers, self publishers (they tend to be risk clients, licence them for initial run only in order to maximise payment)

usage - picture book, novelty book, fiction, education (not much money in education) etc. cover/spread/full/half page

territory - uk, english language, worldwide

duration - limited by print run/edition (have a smaller fee for limited edition, then they have to come back if they want more editions - good to do in case book becomes successful), 10 years? period of copyright?

Flat Fees: same pricing as editorials/products - usually for fiction, non fiction, educational books

Advance + Royalties: advance payment (amount needed to make illustrations) + royalty percentage. For kids picture books, novelty books

• Author + Illustrator - picture book, £7000 - £8000
• Illustrator only - picture book, worldwide, period of copyright - flat fee: £4500 - £5000 or advance against royalty: £2500 - £3600 + 5-7% of RRP as royalties 
• Adult Fiction Cover - UK, period of copyright £800 - £1000

Licensing

Duration: 1 year - £300

2 years - 60-70% of original fee

3 years - 2 x original fee

5 years - 3 x original fee

10 years - 5 x original fee

Additional Fees:

Creation Fees:

- client speculative work (presentation licence)

- visualisation (presentation licence)

Day Rate:

£250 - £300 (don't do a day rate though)

Having a day rate is like being employed by someone - it gives the presumption to the client that you have assigned them your copyright and whatever you produce while being 'employed' by them is theirs to keep.

Additional Fees:

- additional amends (more than 3 rounds)

- rush fees