the price of a bookcover?

[bluemonika]

hi everyone.

for the first time i have been offered a bookcover assignment for commercial purposes in wich a professional company will be involved.

it is my first time doing a bookcover like this and i do not yet have a clue what i should ask for a professional assignment like this as a price. i know this is difficult cause asking a price is one of the toughest things in art but i don't wanna be a lowballer and since this is a professional production i also want to ask a professional price (the product is UK/american co production)

i asked professional bookcover illustrators in my own country what would be around the standard price for things like these and they awnsered that 500 euro's (about 650 dollar) is normal for book and magazine covers.

i have no clue yet what the number of bookprints will be. someone else also told me that for the first print it is best to ask just one price and if the book sells well and there comes a second and thirth print etc. i should ask royalties?

i know this is a difficult question but any help is appreciated :)

[Elwell]

If it really is a professional company they should tell you their budget as part of the initial contact. You then negotiate from there. Specifics info on rates is discussed in these threads:
http://www.conceptart.org/forums/showthread.php?p=1400690
http://www.conceptart.org/forums/showthread.php?t=78323&page=2
http://www.conceptart.org/forums/showthread.php?t=49383
http://www.conceptart.org/forums/showthread.php?p=353511

[Mirana]

i asked professional bookcover illustrators in my own country what would be around the standard price for things like these and they awnsered that 500 euro's (about 650 dollar) is normal for book and magazine covers.

Yikes. How professional are these "professionals?" That's a very low number.

[Elwell]

European book cover rates tend to be lower than American. The markets are smaller and the print runs lower.

[DavePalumbo]

The markets are smaller and the print runs lower.

not to mention lower cost of living depending on the country

[Mirana]

What no one reads books in Europe? One would think that was an American problem... ;) (j/k)

[OmenSpirits]

What no one reads books in Europe? One would think that was an American problem... ;) (j/k)
:D lol

[Qitsune]

What no one reads books in Europe? One would think that was an American problem... ;) (j/k)

Well, no one reads the same language. Most books published in Spain never are translated to swedish. Think about how easy the north american media have it with a huge territory speaking english and only small/easily forgetable areas speaking spanish/french.

[jester]

And: German publishers tend to favor American or British artists - you rather get a cover painted by John Howe than from any German illustrator...

jester

[Mirana]

Qitsune - I got that, just makin' a joke... ;) (Might have more to do with culture than language, too.)

[Craig D]

And: German publishers tend to favor American or British artists - you rather get a cover painted by John Howe than from any German illustrator...

jester

yes but John Howe is a Canadian living in Switzerland who went to school
in France.

[jester]

You're absolutely right, but he was the first non-German artist who came to my mind... :rolleyes:

jester

[Mirana]

You're absolutely right, but he was the first non-German artist who came to my mind... :rolleyes:

Haha, but Canadians are touchy about being confused with those dastardly Americans... :P

[jester]

Haha, but Canadians are touchy about being confused with those dastardly Americans... :P



:frustrated:

:canadapatriot:

:bashful:

[bluemonika]

lol, well books get read everywere, but i was mainly wondering what i should do with the price since this is more of an international book project as you may say.

but i think elwell's topic links have opened my eyes quite a bit :) thanks.