Hey! Are you a freelance writer or artist? Do you wish there was a manual so you know what to do and what not to do when either commissioning work or being commissioned?
In the parlance – LOL NOPE!
But, don’t lose heart, true believer. Here are a few things I’ve picked up along the way as a professional writer. Bear in mind that, as such, these words of pseudo-wisdom are going to come from the perspective of a writer who commissions artists to draw his comics, but there are (I hope) lessons to be learned for artists, too.
RULE ONE – Do not, under ANY circumstance, request free art. That is the most rookie of rookie mistakes. So don’t do it, rookie! Also, if you’re an artist, don’t agree to do work for free. You will regret it and you will resent the person who asked.
RULE TWO – When commissioning an artist, be brief but specific in your introductory email. Give them an idea of what you’re looking for (number of panels/pages, pencils, inks, color, et cetera). Also mention if this is a commission for personal use (you want to hang it up on your wall and marvel at its beauty) or business (you want to post it to your site, include it in a book, sell it as a print, et cetera).
Do NOT send your script right away. If you read as pushy, the artist may be disinclined to work with you. Give them the gist and, if they’re interested, they’ll write back and you can go from there.
 SIDEBAR FOR ARTISTS – Somewhere between working for peanuts and getting paid what you are actually worth lies the path to treating your art like a business.
RULE THREE – When there is interest from both sides to engage in a commission, there must be a mutual respect when it comes to TIME and MONEY. Writers: Believe it or not, it is MUCH EASIER for you to write a thing than it is for an artist to draw it. ARTISTS: Be honest with yourself about a script. Can you do it? More over, do you have enough interest in the writing to do the job well?
RULE FOUR – When it comes to the price of a commission, don’t be a dick about it. ARTISTS: take time, resources needed, and interest into account when coming up with a price. Know, right from the start whether your commission rate is an opening gambit or something set in stone. WRITERS: When formulating a price ceiling in your mind, take into account how you intend to financially benefit from the work you are purchasing. Also, consider how strongly you feel this artist is the correct fit for your comic.
BEFORE WE TALK ABOUT WHAT HAPPENS IF A PRICE IS AGREED UPON – If a price CANNOT be agreed upon, again: DON’T BE A DICK ABOUT IT. This goes for both writers and artists. Sometimes shit just isn’t meant to be. That’s okay. There will be other opportunities. If you’ve been polite and professional, there is no need to beat yourself (or anyone else) up over a deal that didn’t work it. It happens ALL THE TIME.
RULE FIVE: If a commission is agreed upon, make sure to keep lines of communication open. WRITERS: This does NOT mean emailing your artist every damned day. You are not in a monogamous relationship. Your artist is either working on other commissions, too, or they have a day job. If you don’t hear something for over a week, check in, just don’t demand a timeline. ARTISTS: Let your writers know what’s up. Setting an approximate deadline will do you both good. Send sketches along so that your writer can see what you’re cooking up and give notes. Notes based on sketches grant a much stronger likelihood both parties will be satisfied with the end product.
RULE SIX: Be clear about what can happen once the work is complete. If this is to be commercialized art, there needs to be a defined sense of what each party can do with that art. If it’s being sold in any format, will will the profits be split? If it’s posted online and there’s ad revenue, will that money be split? These things absolutely MUST be decided upon before the work is done.
RULE SEVEN: No matter what transpires during the creation of art, keep that business private. If the writer and the artist struggle with one another, they will both look bad if one of them has a big mouth and complains about it to anyone who will listen. If someone specifically asks you about a collaboration – that’s different. But still: DON’T be a dick about it. If there was a conflict, explain it in terms of work flow, not two egos butting heads.
And that’s it. If I missed something or if you disagree, jump on in and elaborate. It’s always good for writers and artists to help one another create good work.