Brains... I need brains...

[ellenmillion]

Okay, darn it, I need some brain power, and I seem to be lacking in it. Writing things always helps me.



My current situation: EMG has always required exclusive rights to a design, as the product it is published on. It's a selling point that I don't have the same Whelan and Valejo art that every other catalog and online fantasy store has. What you find at EMG is completely unique and original.

The problem: I want my artists to be able to sell their own work, too. For example: if I were doing con circuits, I'd want to hang onto that exclusivity. But, I'm not doing con circuits (yet... big YET), and my contract makes it such that they can't either (with EMG designs). I *want* my artists out selling their prints at cons, and I've had one decide she'd rather sell her own prints so she can do that, than let me sell them while she can't. But she bought said prints via my printing service, so it definitely wasn't me, or the quality of my prints she objected to, just that she wanted to do it herself. More power to her!! I've had another artist stipulate that she wanted to be able to sell a product in person, and only in person, with a version she publishes herself.

I don't want to be undersold. (Duh.) I don't want to lose my claim to exclusiveness. I don't have the time or energy to send work for every artist to cons. I want my artists to be able to do this for themselves, while keeping my exclusivity.

There is an obvious answer I'm missing, I'm sure of it.

Another point: a lot of my artists have their own, very popular, webpages. Yes, they can (and do) link to their page at EMG, but usually those links are buried on some page that people don't visit much. And most of them are now pointing towards their old pages, which are just links to the new webpage now. What does this mean? I dunno, but it occurred to me, so I wrote it down. Come on, you don't expect me to make sense, do you? It's nearly 9 pm and I'm still at work, and I found out I can't go to Costa Rica this month after a gawdawful day of much suckiness, printer problems, overdue projects and general grumbliness.

Which sort of brings me to another point I'm going to have to make some decisions on soon.

Wholesaling.

Do I set prices? Do I sell via commission? Do I cut artist-prices when I sell this way? What else can give, in terms of profit? Currently, I pay artists full price, sacrificing most of EMGs profit on the items, and I make no restrictions on the customers resale price. Is this a *good* policy? I'm not so blind as to think that just because I'm doing something one way, that's the best way.

I have every intension of doing some serious hard-sell marketing work to retailers, local and non-local, but I've got to ditch this job. It's a great job; wonderful benefits, great people, kick-ass pay, overtime if I want it, flexible hours if I need them, only moderate headaches most days, and writing time, if I'm slick. But it's not what I want to be doing, dammit, and that's starting to drive me a little crazy. I hate feeling like I'm not working towards my goals! I don't want to get trapped in this damn 8 to 5 world. Frankly, I don't even want to work as a freelance artist drawing what other people want me to draw. I want to do my own work, illustrate my own stories, work on my own little business and damn it I will.

I'm beat, and going home, but I suspect there is a part 2 to this little purging of inner conflicts. It shall have to wait until tomorrow.

Comments

hm..

[uneide.livejournal.com]

With the attempt to be of course objective in the matter (well, as much as I can) and the understanding that its just another opinion. ;)

I personally feel that you are being more than fair in your approach to exclusivity of images. If I understand it correctly, you allow the images to be used by the artists as long as it is not for the same product you carry, say - prints. If you are using the design for stationery, well, it is fine for them (us? ;p) to use as prints. How much of your business do you want to dedicate specifically to prints? I send work to cons, and frankly its just one of those things I like to do personally when possible - I really don't think any artist would expect you to undertake all that yourself.

Didn't quite follow the bit on the webpages, but then my brain is fried today, forgive if I skip past it... ;)

Wholesaling - I really don't know all that much about this part, and like anything else doing some research on the practices of your competitors would be worthwhile. I think most artists want to get their work out there, so if it will be part of a line carried by a store, or fantasy stores (or some such thing) would likely be willing to compromise and take a lower cut. Again, I am speaking from my perspective, so take it with a grain of salt. ;)

What I do to some extent disagree with is that you are cutting into your -own- profits drastically to do so. Frankly, this is still your business... yes, it is something you love and enjoy, but at the end of the day you should have some monetary reward to show for it as well. This is an undertaking between your contracted artists and yourself, and I imagine most would be willing to work with you on this.

My two cents, anyhow. Er, forgive how talkative I seem today...

[ursulav.livejournal.com]

*cough* I'm guilty of the webpage thing, and will attempt to remember to update that link the next time I update the page. Alas, poor braincells...

[fireborn.livejournal.com]

You could always wiggle an exception clause in there--except when the artist has specifically gained permission from you beforehand, for example. Now, granted that I know nothing of legalities and that that might not work, but if it did, they'd then be able to go, "Hey Ellen, I wanted to do the con circut this year and sell some prints, can I?" "Well, you can this year, but I might next year, so ask me again then."

Am I making sense? My brain might've been left on my pillow.

[delusiongirl.livejournal.com]

I think your desire for exclusive designs is perfectly reasonable. You allow artists to specify what designs go on what products, still giving them control over what they can and can't sell. This seems clear to me.

As I have contemplated making and selling prints in the future, I debated (quite logically) whether it would be better for me to reserve the right to print my own, or give print rights to EMG. I came to the conclusion that I stand to benefit more from EMG and the association with other artists and products, and the added convenience of having EMG handle the order filling and shipping. It's worth it to me.

If I wanted to, I dunno, sell prints at a con or something, I'd see if I could arrange to purchase prints (or other products) of my work from EMG to sell, like a wholesale order or print order or something. I'm sure that could be arranged acceptably for both parties, and then EMG would *still* be furnishing all the prints/cards/whatever.

Webpages -

The way I see it, it's in my best interests as an artist to make it clear where people can find and buy my work (of course, I need to update my EMG links now *cough*). You certainly can't force people to link back, but it's just plain good business sense to do so. That's why I made those little linking banners for EMG artists, too.

Wholesaleing -

It's not right to skimp on EMG's profits, even if it is for the artist's benefit. The artist's profits ought to be scaled back so they get the same percentage of profit that they get from the sale of one item. They're still benefiting from the mass order, in the end.

I hate feeling like I'm not working towards my goals! I don't want to get trapped in this damn 8 to 5 world.

Amen to that. I work to pay my rent, but I'd like to have my art pay my rent sometime, but that won't happen for a while because I need lots more practice, which takes more time, which is exactly what I'm short on because I have to work to pay rent. Arrggg.