Offical Artistdom

[Quilwood]

I have a question for some of you artists out there. I think I'm capable of making art that has enough quality to be in a published product. Saying that isn't really that be a leap since most of us can agree that there is some rather bad pictures in some books (or pdf's).

What I'm really interested in is how to get started (I suppose it’s the same as all things... just go do it) and what pay can be expected. I've read a lot on this forum and figured out that writers go from an open call level of .02 a word to a career maintaining $1+ a word. I may try writing something, but I'm far more interested in art. I assume I'll get paid some abysmal amount for my work when I start.

I'd also like to hear anything else some of you skilled artists have to say. How long does it take to make a black and white (or full sized cover art) and the quality that you think you sacrifices for time. I often draw something a lot bigger so I can get more detail with less effort. I'm also pretty skilled at Photoshop and always clean my pics up with it (if not use it from the start).

Well you get the idea... tell me everything about getting paid for art.

 

[Black Knight]

I've read a lot on this forum and figured out that writers go from an open call level of .02 a word to a career maintaining $1+ a word.

I'm not an artist, but I am a freelance writer/game designer. I can tell you that there is no such monster as a writer that works for a $1/word. If you consider that a small, 32-page book normally has around 20K - 24K words in it, a company would go broke (not to mention a 300K+ word book - around 280 pages). The break down for us pretty much goes like this (all amounts in $US):

- New writer (1 published credit or less): $.01 - $.02 per word
- Experienced writer (2-4 credits): $.02 - $.04 per word
- Talented writer (3-6 credits): $.03 - $.05 per word
- Professional writer (4+ credits/year): $.04 - $.07 per word
- Career freelance writer (6+ credits/year): $.05 - $.12 per word
- Career company writer (5+ credits/year): usually on salary

Of course, all that depends on the companies your work for. Some pay more, but many pay less (unless you have a VERY BIG name like Monte Cook or Steve Miller).

I have worked with a number of artists in the past (even hired a few of my own). My suggestion is to go to the companies you like or want to work with and look over their submission guidelines. Email them a link to your online portfolio (since many don't like it when an artist or writer just sends them stuff cold), then you'll have to sit back and wait for a response. Be sure to follow their submission guidelines to the letter, the more exact you are to following what they want, the more likely it will be that you'll get a response.

Happy hunting and good luck!

 

[Scorpio]

Hmmm...a Dollar a word...Sounds like a gig made in Heaven!LOL...well, maybe for Jim Clancy...
Anyway, Jeffrey is right on. Do what he said, along with:
>Set up a real website, with a real domain, and post fast-loading thumbnails.Keep the site simple, sorry, but no one cares about your family and your aspirations...yet...

>Hang out at the major sites...here, RPGNet, Durandal Studios, etc.,and get your URL in your signature...

>Study every game site you can dig up, and figure out who uses work like yours

>Get used to working with 8.5x11 and smaller

>BUY the RPG Freelancer's Guide at
http://www.rpgfreelancers.com/index.html

>Be Persistent,Polite, and Patient.

Best of Luck!!!

 

[s/LaSH]

From my forays into the field, I've earned maybe US$20 a piece. This does vary. (And postage is a little... slow to New Zealand.) Black and white is the prefered mode (it's cheaper to print/purchase from the buyer's perspective), so even if your colouring is awesome don't expect to get colour requests right off the bat.

Further - be vocal. Nobody will come looking for you specifically, not for a long time, possibly never. You have to find opportunities and present yourself. Shoving my nose into every doorway is what got me work, and I'm definitely not getting work enough to fill up all my time.

Finally, practice practice practice - I'm lucky enough to have something called the Artist's Benefit in my country, which gives me two paid years to become profitable. I'm drawing every day, putting out a webcomic, that sort of thing. I don't know if they have that where you are, but as much practice as you can get in is a good thing.

Hope that's useful.

(Oh, and - let's see what you've got. Gallery?)

 

[Jürgen Hubert]

- New writer (1 published credit or less): $.01 - $.02 per word
- Experienced writer (2-4 credits): $.02 - $.04 per word
- Talented writer (3-6 credits): $.03 - $.05 per word
- Professional writer (4+ credits/year): $.04 - $.07 per word
- Career freelance writer (6+ credits/year): $.05 - $.12 per word
- Career company writer (5+ credits/year): usually on salary

Pyramid Online (and its sister magazine d20 Weekly) pay $0.03 a word. And writing articles for magazines is good practice anyway - and a good way of getting recognition in the industry.