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Hello Reader,
Last weekend I went through a process familiar to almost everyone!
I wanted to commission a piece of character art for my novel to put on my website (I’ve just set up an author page).
I’ve not hired an artist in seven or eight years, and back then, I picked a friend from an art college in Zagreb who I knew from the local punk scene! This time, I wasn't sure where to start.
As usual, I asked my network for advice, and they recommended checking out Instagram and BlueSky for artists accepting commissions. (It felt affirming that the artists are on the same social media platforms I use!)
So I did this and contacted one. But when I mentioned a novel, they assumed I wanted a cover design. Wires became crossed – and then an artist friend explained to me that you also have to discuss rights.
A book cover would require commercial rights for reproducing the image, whereas some character art to frame in my home office wouldn’t need commercial rights. And a blog post on my website – possibly!
So by Sunday, I was feeling a bit overwhelmed with one quote for a cover design that seemed high and wasn’t what I wanted right now. But then, was it really high? How long does it take an artist to draw a picture?
I didn’t know any of these things!
In the end, I found someone who came highly recommended, and I appreciated that they included their rates on their IG profile, too.
I’m sure that many writers go through something similar when looking for professional editing, which is why I like to be transparent and include lots of resources and blog posts that explain the process, how long it takes, the cost, etc., clearly.
AI art?
Searching for some character art also drove home for me how writers, editors, and artists share a common struggle against the use of AI technologies that steal their labor from them in a way I consider unlawful.
I’m all for AI being used to mix up fresh ideas from the prompts we input, provided artists and writers are compensated for any use of their work.
It’s fun putting ideas into an AI prompt (I could have done that with my characters, too). But for me, using such images would show a lack of respect for those artists whose work has been plagiarized.
I feel strongly about this because it affects writers and editors, too – books I have written have been used to train ChatGPT and similar!
Enjoy the rest of the week, and see you soon!
PS If you’re looking for some anime character art for your book or life in general, just reach out and I can make some great suggestions!
The Narrative Craft Academy
Upcoming Events
- February 16: Beyond Academia – Publishing Panel; University of Berkeley (online)
Resources
Current editing availability (books)
- One slot left in March
- Booked up from mid-April till June
Current editing availability (small jobs)
- I can usually fit in small jobs (short stories, journal articles, basic manuscript critiques) fairly quickly – just reach out for these!
