How much to charge for reprinting rights?

[Chris Saksida]

Let`s say a game company hired me to do a number of illustrations in the past, and now they want to buy reprinting rights for those illustrations, to use them indefinitely but not the exclusivity, just the rights to use them and reprint them as many times as they would like.

Is there a standard percentage of the original cost of the illustration that is normally charged in a situation like that?

Thanks!

[kennygeeze]

"Is there a standard percentage of the original cost of the illustration that is normally charged in a situation like that?"

From what the illustrators who taught me told me...

It doesn't work like that. Potentially you could charge them more than you did the first time based on the fact they want to purchase a more expensive usage this time (to use the illustration forever)
Just because an illustration has already been purchased for first rights or one time use does not decrease it's value when licensing the illustration for further usage by either the same client or another one.
Purchasing the rights to print an illustration forever would be hugely more costly than purchasing it for a limited print run.

Hope that helps :)

[Chris Saksida]

So you say it would be reasonable to charge two or three times the original price of each piece for their indefinite printing rights?

[RyerOrdStar]

Wouldn't you? It's like renting a car out for a day or for a year. Which would cost more?

Plus, they would most likely want you to sign something that says no one else can use those images, which means you potentially lose out on extra income.

[DSillustration]

Charge the same amount as the original commission.

It should not be higher than the original price because it is pre-existing work, no labor is involved.

Typically when a company wants to commission an image and 'buy-out' the rights, they pay double the standard rate.
In my opinion the same would apply here.
Therefore, since you already were paid the original fee, just add another 100%.

[Chris Saksida]

Thank you SO much people! you saved me from almost giving my art away veeery cheap.