Home Forums Explore Subjects Illustration Been approached by a publisher – don’t know what to make of it.

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  • #995225
    janlapp
    Default

        Hello all

        This might be a bit of an unusual post. I have done very little illustration work so I am not by any means familiar or established in the field. I was recently approached by a publisher to be part of an illustration book, for a fee. The e-mail reads as follows:

        Hello Jan,[FONT=&quot]

        My name is …, I am the artist manager for Crooks Press Publishing. I recently discovered your work via[/FONT][/COLOR][FONT=Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif] [/FONT][FONT=&quot]
        [/FONT]
        [/COLOR][FONT=Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]https://kuvittajat.fi/en/portfolio/jan-lappalainen[/FONT][FONT=Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif] [/FONT][FONT=&quot]which I think is fantastic![/FONT][/COLOR][FONT=&quot]
        [/FONT][/COLOR]
        [FONT=&quot]I am reaching out to you as I wanted to invite you to be a part of our “Drawn Volume.2 | Leaders In Contemporary Illustration” book series. Crooks Creative’s Drawn V
        olume.2
        will be an inspirational exploration into the work, lives and creative practices from established industry practitioners to some of the hottest emerging talents from today’s illustration and design scene from around the globe.[/FONT][/COLOR]
        [FONT=&quot]
        [/FONT]

        [FONT=&quot][FONT=arial,sans-serif][FONT=&quot]You can learn more about Drawn Volume.2 here:
        [/FONT][/COLOR]
        [FONT=&quot]http://www.crookspress.com/drawnvolume2[/FONT][/COLOR]
        [/FONT][/COLOR]​​

        A few things to note about our books and services:


        [INDENT]1. We distribute our books to hundreds of creative professional practices and businesses throughout the art and design industry in the hope of creating a commercial or mutually beneficial collaborative opportunity.

        [/INDENT][INDENT]2. Our beautifully designed 200+ page books will be will also be available worldwide via online book retailers such as Amazon, Barnes & Noble Powell’s Books, BAM and more.[/INDENT]

        [INDENT]3. There is a fee to participate in the publication of $350.00 USD. This fee includes a copy of the printed and book shipped to you anywhere worldwide and a copy of the digital e-book. The fee also includes an artist profile page on our website that will be launched to coincide with the launch of the Drawn publication.[/INDENT]

        [INDENT]4. You are allocated one double page spread from the book and you can submit a maximum of 3 works to be published.

        5. Drawn is scheduled to go to print in​ February of 2018.
        [/INDENT]
        If you are interested in participating in the publication and joining our growing global creative community, we would love to include you in this volume. Please note however that positions are limited, so please let me know as soon as possible if you would like to reserve your position in the publication.

        If you have any questions at all, please do not hesitate to ask.

        I look forward to hearing from you soon.”


        [/FONT][/COLOR]

        I’ve looked into the publisher and they are legit as far as they have published books that are sold on amazon for instance.

        I’m posting this here in hopes of getting some advice from people who have some experience in the field, as I don’t know what to make of this e-mail.

        My instincts are going in two directions, ignore the e-mail or take it seriously. The fee suggests that the artists involved are paying for the publication, and I don’t know whether there is really any benefit to being part of this. I haven’t published any work yet, which is why I might be getting a bit too excited at the prospect of getting something published.

        Any advice appreciated, thanks!

        Jan

        [FONT=&quot]
        [/FONT][/COLOR]

        #1271581
        mdcampbellart
        Default

            Not saying this is related to your situation, but years ago I was solicited by a “publisher” who was doing an anthology of illustrators, and they wanted to offer me a full page in their upcoming annual edition.

            At first I was so excited, but once I dug into it, I learned they wanted me to PAY to occupy the space in their anthology, to help with publishing costs, promising extensive exposure to a global market.

            Oh, and if I wanted to purchase the anthology, I’d get a discount based on the number of copies I ordered.

            In my career, anytime someone offers me “exposure” over money, then I don’t walk away – I run. And just the thought of paying someone to publish my work, well, no… not going to happen.

            I mean, then ask yourself about copyright, repub rights, royalties, etc.

            My suggestion for you is to be very cautious and ask one simple question:
            “What’s in it for them?”

            To me, the scenario sounds sketchy, but only because I’ve seen it a few times.

            Good luck, Jan!

            My YouTube Channel is for inspiration, motivation, and education.
            My 9 Lives of Mercutio[/url] monthly blog is for intimate experiences in art.

            #1271573
            janlapp
            Default

                Thanks Soupcan – I think this sounds very similar to what you describe. I also get the feeling this e-mail is something they send en masse, which really doesn’t support the statements in the e-mail.

                #1271582
                mdcampbellart
                Default

                    I was hoping I was wrong, but if it smells like a worm, it’s usually bait. Or something like that. It’s just sad that there are schemes out there designed to exploit everyone – older folks, kids, and even artists. Glad you had you head up to see first, not later. Cheers! :)

                    My YouTube Channel is for inspiration, motivation, and education.
                    My 9 Lives of Mercutio[/url] monthly blog is for intimate experiences in art.

                    #1271568

                    This sounds like the ones I got sucked into, which were legit, albeit sneaky in that the artists are the people paying for publishing. It is how the Unwins do their many Artistic Touch books only with another $350 due when the texts arrive. I will not be taken in again by this. My first snafu was when the Best of Art approached me, I paid, then never saw anything after that.

                    Kay

                    Moderator: Watermedia, Mixed Media, Abstract/Contemporary

                    #1271584
                    Aedosama
                    Default

                        https://www.reddit.com/r/Illustration/comments/5c6efh/sketchy_publisher/

                        I think the company is legit but a bit unprincipled.

                        They want you to pay so you can do them a service. That’s not cool. I would opt to not participate. You get exactly nothing out of this deal.

                        #1271571
                        Snow_tabby
                        Default

                            Yup Just got one of these Monday. :rolleyes: The message is exactly the same. Definitely a scam. No real company would ask you to pay a fee for the privilege of showing your work in a book. Only your permission and maybe some high quality images of yours.

                            #1271574
                            janlapp
                            Default

                                Thanks for your advice, appreciate it since I was seriously considering this for a moment, and got some “go for it” advice from people who mean well but don’t really know anything about the field.

                                I’ve only done one piece of paid illustration work and have since drifted into just painting so I’m a complete amateur in the industry and no collegues here whom I can ask. So glad for wetcanvas.

                                It’s not a scam as far as they have books published, some on sale on amazon. But their practice definetely feels dodgy and I don’t have extra money I can just throw at something like this. Cheers!

                                #1271583
                                WoodyWelch
                                Default

                                    YOU DON’T PAY PUBLISHERS….THEY PAY YOU !!!! That’s the way the industry works. If you’re so Hell bent on seeing your work in a book and don’t mind paying for the privilege then by all means, go ahead and do it.

                                    But this is how THEY make money off of YOU! As long as you know that.

                                    #1271578
                                    DarkFlights
                                    Default

                                        This also happens a lot in the literary world, and is known as “vanity publishing”. These types feed on the sense of ego some people would feel to get their work in print, particularly people who have no experience with the publishing world. You’re so flattered that they love your work, you’ll pay them for the privilege of having it in print. Doesn’t work like that in any world, from art to literature to modelling.
                                        I had one of these scams aimed at me when I was a teenager, as I used to love writing. They almost fooled my parents into paying a couple of thousand pounds to have a selection of my short stories published, but I managed to persuade them to not do it after doing my own research. I even called up a number of genuine publishers (after finding them through the Writers and Artists Yearbook, pre-internet age), and asked for their advice. Every single one said it was a scam or at best, extremely poor practice. The same will be true for artists and art books.
                                        Oh yes, I and my partner also tried to enrol with an extras agency that turned out to be dodgy – they wanted £500 from each of use for head shots, etc. When I said that I had a friend who was a professional photographer who would do it as good for a lot cheaper, they still insisted on us giving them £500 each anyway!
                                        These scams are everywhere, and they feed off of people desperate to get recognition and hit the big time. They’ll never get you there.

                                        #1271570

                                        While I have not seen this exact approach there are others with a similar idea that I have seen. Often times it’s a book with your art in it, sometimes it is getting your art hung in, say, New York City.
                                        >What it is really about is getting money. Bucks from you. Yes, they will print that book… but who really sees it. Yes there is a gallery in a major city… in an old warehouse that meets the claims made for it but no one seriously goes there to view the art.
                                        >This is an attempt to appeal to your hopes. Sell you something to write home about. But… it’s a Bright Shining Object.

                                        -Dave

                                        #1271579
                                        LibbyG
                                        Default

                                            Hi, Jan. This is a variation of vanity publishing. I have seen it done with poetry. Yes, they do “distribute” these free to who they say they do. However, those industry professionals don’t bother to look in the book. They are not legitimate representations of talent. Basically, anybody with the money can get their art (or poetry) included in the book. But the only people purchasing the book are the artist, their mother, and maybe some friends. Not a good use of your advertising dollar.

                                            #1271569
                                            greyled
                                            Default

                                                I agree with everyone. And things like this have happened to me for years. Some of them are sooo tempting!

                                                Be strong! We also have to learn, when to say no!

                                                #1271575
                                                janlapp
                                                Default

                                                    Thanks for all the advice! I’m def glad I didn’t pay for this – I would have felt like a sucker.

                                                    #1271576
                                                    KolinskyRed
                                                    Default

                                                        Excellent advice, everyone! This is the second one of this type I’ve read in WC today.

                                                        But I do have a slight variation to share. In our local library are magazines and a book series based on the above principle. People pay to have their art published. A few thousand submit with a modest fee, but only about 100 or less are printed.

                                                        Here’s the alternative point of view. For those that are legit (not a total scam) like the magazine and annual book series, here’s how one local artist where I live leveraged their experience: Having checking out back issues, and certain their work had the “chops” to be considered, they submitted and paid, and was indeed one of the 100 selected for publication.

                                                        They contacted local media papers, radio and TV, and got quite a bit of media exposure through a large regional area about being published in an “International Art Book along side artists from around the world”. The artist also had a presence as a vendor that same year in regional artisan shows, as well as added ‘omph’ for advertising their art painting classes along with all media events.

                                                        So I think their approach was very strategic and worked well for them. But I can see it as a one time thing, and the artist was fortunate enough to be selected. I think they really considered the art in all the back issues at our library quite carefully before entering.

                                                        Just some food for thought! Cheers

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