[log in to unmask]" type="cite"> As usual, Britt is a wealth of information. A month or so ago, he posted a similar message with links to several other stock agencies. You can probably dig it up in the archives. However, I have to disagree with the following comment:

“Then consider the costs of doing business and what your hourly rate for creating art should be (I see rates from $50-$100/hr being realistic for a freelance business) and then how long this will actually take you.... That number is possibly your high end of the price range, since you are not selling the whole project off...”

I would argue that the price based on your hourly rate should always be the minimum that you charge, and should never be viewed as the “high end” of the price range. Think about it this way. You have calculated your hourly rate based on your actual expenses (your salary and overhead) and divided it by the number of hours available to work in a week (or a year, or whatever). As Britt said, this is your “cost of doing business.” If you charge less than what it costs you to stay in business - you won’t. You’ll be losing money and will eventually have to do something else for a living. According to a good friend of mine and successful freelancer, the main reason freelancers fail is that they don’t charge enough to cover their costs.

It’s true that you might be able to license the image to another client and recoup your costs in the future. But, let’s face it, salmon anatomy is a pretty specialized niche. How likely is it that you’ll be able to license it again? How long will it take to find another buyer for it? I’d say it’s quite likely that the image will never generate another cent of revenue, or if it does, it may take years. That doesn’t help much when you have to upgrade your computer or pay the electric bill next month. I say charge your hourly rate, multiplied by how long it took, as your minimum rate. If the usage is extensive (which this isn’t) charge more. If you license the image again in the future, that’s just gravy.

Jim

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From: Britt Griswold <[log in to unmask]>
Reply-To: SciArt-L Discussion List-for Natural Science Illustration- <[log in to unmask]>
Date: Thu, 19 Feb 2009 14:38:21 -0500
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Re: [SCIART] Help with Fish Illustration Cost Estimate

Nick,

You can find a floor for your bid by looking at the prices charge on the managed Stock Photo web sites like Corbis, and Getty.  Some are very specific.  At Getty you can get a report like this:

Image:

73685980     License Details
Use    Retail book cover - Print and electronic
Size    Up to 1 full page
Print run    Up to 10,000
Distribution    No electronic distribution
Start date    Feb 19, 2009
End date    Feb 19, 2014
Territory    Bermuda, United Kingdom
Industry    Publishing - Retail Books
Exclusivity    No Exclusivity
    Contact us for exclusivity

Image number:     Collection:     Title:
 73685980    De Agostini Picture Library    Close-up of an Atlantic salmon laying eggs (Salmo salar)
   
Price:    $ 1,050.00 USD

Since the image they want is not available anywhere, this price above seems like a reasonable floor for your efforts.

Then consider the costs of doing business and what your hourly rate for creating art should be (I see rates from $50-$100/hr being realistic for a freelance business) and then how long this will actually take you.  
(http://paulmirocha.com/recent_business.htm#business_planning )

That number is possibly your high end of the price range, since you are not selling the whole project off, just the use on this one publication most likely.  The 10,000 copy run is a hint that this is not a huge project.  But it certainly has potential to go into paperback or second printings, if done well.

Britt Griswold
Manager
http://www.science-Art.com

Nick Mayer wrote:
> Hi Frank,
> Thanks so much for your advice-- do you know of any online resources comparable to the GAG text?
> Thanks,
> Nick
>
>
> On Feb 19, 2009, at 11:04 AM, Frank Ippolito wrote:
>
>> nick,
>>
>> all good things to consider. but rather than asking, you should outline what your deal is. offer an estimate on the geo they stipulated, giving numbers for both non-exclusive and exclusive, limited-market. (do find out if this is a coffee table book, popular guide, or textbook.) and state that you will supply hi res digital artwork (original art is no longer on the table these days). the numbers you arrive at can be found using a guide such as the GAG pricing and ethical guidelines. ' luck.
>>
>> -f