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Message: <blockquote data-quote="A Virtual Stranger" data-source="post: 4487871" data-attributes="member: 77865">A  similar thing has happened and is still happening to me, so I thought that I would share.  This was previously posted elsewhere.Now let me begin by saying that this is simply written as a request to all publishers great and small to treat artists, and also writers, with respect. I'm speaking of course generally, as respect is often a thing earned. Still, I think that as people first, and artisans second, we all deserve a little polite consideration.   A number of years ago, the summer and fall of 2005 to be exact, I was hired to do a set of illustrations for an upcoming print on demand product by a well known game producer. I was flattered of course, and everything seemed to be on the up and up. I had some small reservations about the project at first, as I and the man in charge had had a previous, but patently ridiculous history involving some unimportant disagreements. Still, that frivolous friction was years past and he seemed genuinely glad to be working with me, and had indeed recommended me for the job based on another similar piece I had done for a private party two years before, so we forged ahead. Royalty percentages were agreed upon. Deadlines were set and negotiatied. Contracts were signed.   I began my illustrations. The work took many days spread out over a month and a half. As the deadline loomed, I wrote to the company and asked for a little more time to complete the work and the company thanked me for being honest and direct and insisted that that would be fine, as the project was being pushed back due to other items on their docket.   I finished the artwork.  Shortly afterwards I received confirmation that they had the art, liked it and that they had already chosen which piece would garnish the cover. The project would be released just prior to Christmas of that year. The setbacks were all being taken care of, and it was insinuated that the only delay had come from a minor licensing issue. In the meantime, I bragged openly to several friends that I had been picked up to do this project. I was very happy to get my foot in the door at this particular company. I patted myself on the back more than a few times.  Fast forward to 2008...  I have never heard from them again.    Repeated emails in 2006 went unanswered when I inquired after the release of the product. It was not showing up on their website. A letter I mailed to them went unanswered. I continued sending emails off and on and by the latter part of 2006 they finally announced publicly that they had indeed hit a wall with the project, but that it was still on their plate and scheduled for release. I refrained from emailing them for a time, but again the project never came to light. Eventually the announcement was removed altogether and the project disappeared from their website.   I was surprised by this. I considered several avenues of discovery, but when I went to put them into play, the company made a surprise move. My artwork unexpectedly appeared in another publication of theirs, in an altogether different print on demand pdf. It was from the same product line, but they had chosen only a few of the illustrations and they had chosen a different cover piece. I was never notified about the use of my artwork in this pdf. As time passed I was not notified about payment, but to be fair, I cannot be certain if the project actually made any money apart from the one copy I purchased myself.   It has been two and a half years now. Two and a half years of silence. No explanations. No apologies. No contact whatsoever. I still have the same email address.  I admit that my email or URL may have been flagged as Spam and filtered off their system. Whether or not this is on purpose or by accident, I cannot say. I'm left to wonder, imaging the worst at times and simply shrugging it off at others.   Admittedly, the project might have simply and utterly failed. Therefore, I have earned a royalty percentage equalling 33% of nothing. This bothers me to be sure, but I could accept it. I'm not happy with it, but it happens often enough in this industry. The problem lies in the fact that I simply don't know. I have no idea if the project failed. This company that I worked for has never told me one way or the other. I do not know if they intend to use the remaining art in future porjects. For all I know, they may have already used pieces without my knowledge. They have no phone numbers listed anywhere. I cannot call them. Repeated efforts to find a contact number have failed. My emails (Not from one address, but several, and not to one address, but several) have gone unanswered up to this very moment. Regular mail has proved fruitless.  To be patently forgotten is very unpleasant.  It's dehumanizing.    You game producers out there...please...never cut off a person working for you. If a project fails to meet its first expectations and your promising outlook falls short, just be honest. Tell your artist and writers point blank that it didn't work. Let them know what became of it. Your explanation need only be brief, straight forward and to the point. Make reparations when necessary, but at least speak with them.   "It failed.  We're sorry."  It's just that easy.Sadly, I was contacted about payment shortly after I wrote this and promised a check.  That was in June.  It is almost October.</blockquote>

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