Selling questions

[jonkovach]

Hi all,
I recently got an offer to buy the rights to my work. (http://www.jonkovach.com/sketches/axum.gif).... I've never sold anything before, let alone the rights to something. The band wants to create an identity for themselves using my work.
I was wondering if anyone could help me out with a selling price? They are a local band, so I can't charge thousands... but I'd like to get something nice out of this... it is my work, after all....

Thanks for any help,
jon

[kozik]

if you sell a copyright only sell 1 design that you are sure you will never use again.

I usually charge a fee eqau to DOUBLE the price for the design on top of the design fee to sell the copyright.

so if they pay you 1500 for an album cover charge them an additional 3000 for the copyright.

to sell 'the rights to all your work' is INSANE. do not do it.

unless they have like 5 million dollars.

[scrojo]

jonk* if the band can't afford to buy 'complete' rights then.....don't sell them. charge them $x to use it for a poster, $x for a shirt ( w/ a limit and royalty worked out) $x for sticker......etc. but make sure it is clear that they kno you own the rights. i used to make a 'rich-n-famous' deal w/ my friends' bands that they owed me nothing until they got signed....welll. that turned into a whole lot of nothing. labels don't want to deal w/ 'loose-ends' and ending up dropping all my art even under the protest of the bands.

[kozik]

never never NEVER do ANY sort of EXCLUSIVE or 'all work' deal. NEVER.

[Cody Pomeroy]

Right now I am doing Free work for two of my friend's bands. Is this only gonna screw me in the long run?

[scrojo]

cody* well......yes. theoretically if they don't have a contract/sales reciept for the art the rights remain yours but........ a good lawyer can turn it around and say that since you had oppertunity to enforce your rights but never did it has been 'implyed' that the band ownes the art. basically it comes down to a big legal hassle where friends and cash are lost. just scribble on a cocktail napkin ' i own this',attach it to the art, date it, and have the band sign.

[Cody Pomeroy]

cool thanks, I heard another good way is to send it to yourself through the mail but never open the envelope.

[jonkovach]

Okay, well, here's the thing... I'd LOVE to get like 4500 dollars off this design... but I'll never get that.
I'm selling the rights to this design, and they are going to change the words, whatever, for other shows...
I like the idea of the royalty thing... I really don't know how much I could work out of this, though... maybe like 2 dollars per poster printed? Or something like that? I mean.... this is a local band, though they are one of the bigger local bands, and I'd like to get money for each time they use it....
Is this reasonable? I'm still just starting out, but I'd like to make some rent money here

jon

[scrojo]

jonk* sell the 'usage' NOT THE RIGHTS!!!!! if they want it for a poster... great.... for the right to use the design for x amount of posters to promote the 'bum-fuck egypt show' on the 14th i charge you $1...$5.....$324.74....whatever. do not sell absolute rights!!

cody* the 'mail-back-to-yourself' thing isn't bad it's just.... it's not great. to some degree all it proves in court is that you kno your own adress. couple hints: if you do it put a piece of masking tape running just left of the stamp ( so it gets postmarked) then over the seal on the back. do not open the envelope! this will prove ( from the preponderence of the evidence) that whatever is in the envelope was sent at that date. best idea is to just make a xerox of the art, right the 'rights' on it, date it and have the whole band sign. that should stand up on 'judge judy'.

[jonkovach]

scrojo: Let me make sure I understand this....
If I tell them... you can have the design, for all the shows you want... but whenever you print a poster you have to pay me $2..... that is okay?
But what is it when I sell "the rights"

I'm sorry man.... I'm just trying to figure this out. Feel free to tell me to take a hike....

jon