BigBastard
First Post
Has anyone on the list hired outside of their company for layout and editing? If so what can I expect in costs? What should I ask for so I do not embarrass myself by asking stupid questions?
Thanks.
Thanks.
Advice on hiring editing and layout people?
- Thread starter BigBastard
- Start date
BigBastard said:
Well, I don't know about layout costs (I've always done that myself), but I can recommend checking out WorkItWrite (www.workitwrite.com) for editing. I've known and, at times, worked with some of the people there for years and they really are an incredible crew. You'd be very hard pressed to find better people to work with when it comes to the written English language (They may cover other languages too.) In addition to editing, WorkItWrite handles tech writing, resumes, etc...
They are a friendly bunch, so drop'em a line and they'll give you a quote.
BigBastard
First Post
Its all about the cost.
What I really would like to know is the expected costs? Any recomindations for editors and layout people that you know through your companies and friends companies?
Thanks.
What I really would like to know is the expected costs? Any recomindations for editors and layout people that you know through your companies and friends companies?
Thanks.
Costs...
...hmmm.
This is a really tough one. Prices vary wildly. For my company (we produce DELTA GREEN and GODLIKE if ya need to know) we pay about $800 to $1000 dollars for graphic design and layout –– that's just placing the text on the page and making it look nice...
A similar fee (about $800) was paid for editing a 300+ page book.
Hope this helps,
-Dennis
...hmmm.
This is a really tough one. Prices vary wildly. For my company (we produce DELTA GREEN and GODLIKE if ya need to know) we pay about $800 to $1000 dollars for graphic design and layout –– that's just placing the text on the page and making it look nice...
A similar fee (about $800) was paid for editing a 300+ page book.
Hope this helps,
-Dennis
Cergorach
The Laughing One
Re: Costs...
I'm guessing that the grapic design and layout was also for a 300 page book. The pricing sounds pretty acceptable (making a good book is not cheap). This is really usefull information, thanks a lot. What's the art budget for such a 300 page book?
makes a mental note: should take a look at the delta green line, heard much good about it
Detwiller said:
I'm guessing that the grapic design and layout was also for a 300 page book. The pricing sounds pretty acceptable (making a good book is not cheap). This is really usefull information, thanks a lot. What's the art budget for such a 300 page book?
makes a mental note: should take a look at the delta green line, heard much good about it
Hey man...
Yes, sorry, it was for a 300+ page book, so, if you're doing a scenario, it should be significantly cheaper.
The art budget for DELTA GREEN was somewhere in the $3,000 dollar range (but we got a lot of art for free).
My biggest piece of advice (which I forgot in my initial email, of course!) is to, if at all possible, have someone you can put your thumb on, do it. That is, someone you can physically meet... It makes all the difference. Every Art Director knows the disappearing act artists take when they miss the deadling -– graphic designers are doubly so.
-Dennis
Yes, sorry, it was for a 300+ page book, so, if you're doing a scenario, it should be significantly cheaper.
The art budget for DELTA GREEN was somewhere in the $3,000 dollar range (but we got a lot of art for free).
My biggest piece of advice (which I forgot in my initial email, of course!) is to, if at all possible, have someone you can put your thumb on, do it. That is, someone you can physically meet... It makes all the difference. Every Art Director knows the disappearing act artists take when they miss the deadling -– graphic designers are doubly so.
-Dennis
hellbender
First Post
Re: Hey man...
And on the subject of art............
Make sure you actually pay your artists. Many artists also know the amazing spontaneous invisibility that many Art Director's manifest when it is time to cut the checks. Not Mr. Detwiller's company, but there are many other companies out there that are infamous for ditching artists after accepting their work, and some of these companies are quite good sized.
Most artists that I know make deadlines or suggest other artists for the job (work=food & paying bills).
hellbender
Detwiller said:
And on the subject of art............
Make sure you actually pay your artists. Many artists also know the amazing spontaneous invisibility that many Art Director's manifest when it is time to cut the checks. Not Mr. Detwiller's company, but there are many other companies out there that are infamous for ditching artists after accepting their work, and some of these companies are quite good sized.
Most artists that I know make deadlines or suggest other artists for the job (work=food & paying bills).
hellbender
Hellbender's spot on!
Don't promise anything you can't give them, money most especially.
I've found that stating, up front, that until about three months after the book comes out, you won't see any money is a good idea (and is very accurate –– the distribution in this industry takes forever). Pay on Publication really means "Pay on Distribution".
Often, being honest about this stuff up front will lead to a good relationship between you and the artist. Other incentives you might offer are the retention of rights (that is, the artist owns his work, and you may publish it once, and then must pay him again if you wish to use it), or other types of promotion (ad space in the book for the artist's work.)
I've personally found that letting artists retain rights is a great thing –– that way, both people are working just as hard to produce quality material.
Hope this helps,
-Dennis
Don't promise anything you can't give them, money most especially.
I've found that stating, up front, that until about three months after the book comes out, you won't see any money is a good idea (and is very accurate –– the distribution in this industry takes forever). Pay on Publication really means "Pay on Distribution".
Often, being honest about this stuff up front will lead to a good relationship between you and the artist. Other incentives you might offer are the retention of rights (that is, the artist owns his work, and you may publish it once, and then must pay him again if you wish to use it), or other types of promotion (ad space in the book for the artist's work.)
I've personally found that letting artists retain rights is a great thing –– that way, both people are working just as hard to produce quality material.
Hope this helps,
-Dennis
Michelle Lyons
Explorer
I'm a freelance writer and editor by trade. My website is here, where you'll find my CV and some of my writing. I've been working in the industry for roughly two years, and my going rate is $20/hr or $.01 per word, depending on publisher preference and the manuscript in question. My rates are more or less industry standard, so there's something you can take into consideration. I might sometimes work a deal with smaller publishers just starting out, and I'll sometimes agree to work for less on the first project I do for someone as kind of a "trial" basis. I did that a lot more at the beginning of things, actually, than I do now, but you might consider it if you've got a relatively newbie editor you want to try out. I also typically get paid upon delivery of the product (within 30 days), but sometimes it gets broken up into "some now, some upon publication."
Lastly, I'll encourage you to go ahead and hire an outside editor if you possibly can. Editorial is sometimes considered a disposable expense, something you can really do yourself in much the same way that "anyone can write." Hiring an editor, however, can be the difference between having your product look professional and having it look like you slapped it together in your garage. No matter how pretty your layout or lovely your artwork, bad style and grammar will kill your professional image.
Lastly, I'll encourage you to go ahead and hire an outside editor if you possibly can. Editorial is sometimes considered a disposable expense, something you can really do yourself in much the same way that "anyone can write." Hiring an editor, however, can be the difference between having your product look professional and having it look like you slapped it together in your garage. No matter how pretty your layout or lovely your artwork, bad style and grammar will kill your professional image.
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