I recently ran across a link to the London-based Association Of Illustrators AOI Report: Illustration Fees and Standards of Pricing (2007). To sum up what this AOI Report is all about, I’ll quote from them directly:
The information presented in the various tables in this document indicate examples of fees charged in relation to particular jobs or services, based on the AOI’s research and recent survey of the industry. The tables provide information about the variables in costs and gives examples of what factors should be considered as illustrators and clients negotiate fees. It should also be borne in mind that illustrators and clients have agreed fees outside the ranges surveyed here.
There’s a lot of great info here (and be sure to adjust the numbers in your head to your local currency — the pricing on the AOI Report is in UK pounds). It’s always helpful to get an idea of what others in your field are charging for their services to determine of you are charginot too little or too much.
I also reference the Graphic Artists Guild Handbook: Pricing & Ethical Guidelines which has some general pricing guidelines, but I always feel like I can’t find the exact area for the work I am doing. Still, it’s a handy resource. The AOI Report isn’t that much more detailed than the GAG book, but the AOI Report is free!
I found this over at illustrator Heather Castle’s blog, and she has a lot of other great biz tips and links over there, I recommend browsing her site for more great illustration freelancing & business information.
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this is my second time illustrating a children book, and the author wants to know how much I would charge! I looked back at my previous job and how much I was getting paid because I felt like I was short changing myself, from my previous first illustration job I was getting paid $50/page plus payment for editing work. After being close to finishing my job I started researching other illustrators and how much they were charging. I found out that I was shortchanged.
This Author I may be working for has a series of books that she wants illustrated and it will be her first time publishing any books. I was wondering if this is her first time publishing a children book and this is my second time illustrating, what would be a good price to charge her? I was thinking $90/page for illustrations and $300 for cover illustration. Is that a good price or am I still shortchanging? How should I go about charging?
Dom,
I don’t currently do much work for children’s publishing, but the pricing seems low to me. A good rule of thumb is to figure out what you want your hourly rate to be, estimate how long the artwork will take, and use that as your flat-fee.
Keep in mind other considerations like copyright buyout, size/scope of the usage of your illustrations, and the size of the client. Your level of skill and the extent of your experience and/or recognition in the industry also play a factor.
I would suggest getting a copy of the Graphic Artist’s Guild Handbook to Pricing & Ethical Guidelines as a reference starting point.