The Good Ship Illustration

Episode: "Double your fee without drawing more" say whaaat!?

Hosts: Helen Stephens, Katie Chappell, Tania Willis
Release Date: September 26, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode dives into a topic that many illustrators either avoid or don’t fully understand: how copyright and licensing can be used not just to protect your work, but to significantly increase your income—without having to draw more. Helen, Katie, and Tania unpack real-world scenarios, explain essential concepts, and share their personal experiences across children's publishing, live illustration, and commercial work. The conversation aims to demystify licensing, provide actionable advice, and build illustrators’ confidence when negotiating their creative rights.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

Understanding Copyright vs. Licensing

• What Clients Want vs. What Illustrators Own

  • Many clients assume paying for artwork means owning copyright, but typically, illustrators retain copyright and grant a license for specified uses and time periods.
  • "Giving away your copyright is a no, no. You want to keep your copyright and you want to give the client a license to use your copyright." – Katie (01:16)

• Granularity of Licenses

  • Licenses can be tailored: usage period, geography, application (print, web, social media), and exclusivity.
  • Graphic designers who create brands usually have to transfer copyright, but in illustration, it's standard to keep it and license usage.

Picture Book Illustration: The Publishing Standard

• How Book Contracts Usually Work

  • Publishers offer licenses for specific territories and durations; if a book is out of print for a set period, rights revert to the illustrator.
  • "If they only publish it for a couple of years and then it's not in any bookshops... the rights then come back to you." – Helen (03:45)
  • Advances are paid against royalties; once the advance is “earned out,” illustrators start receiving royalty payments on sales.

• Foreign Rights and Royalties

  • All additional language editions and foreign licenses are handled through the main publisher; illustrators don’t negotiate each one separately.

• Retaining Rights for Spin-Offs

  • Rights for toys, stage adaptations, and other derivatives are not automatically given to the publisher.
  • "The publisher doesn't own the rights to the theater production or the toy." – Helen (05:54)

Managing Licensing in Commercial Illustration

• Client Education and Negotiation

  • It's common for clients (especially outside publishing) to expect copyright; illustrators must educate and negotiate.
  • Breaking down license costs into tiers (low, medium, full buyout) helps clients see value and prevents overpaying for unnecessary rights.
  • "If you get licensing right... you can really make it work for you and more than the original artwork creation." – Tania (12:44, 13:43)

• Perpetuity & Extended Licenses

  • Sometimes a perpetuity or "all media" license (everything but full copyright) is justified at a high price.

• Real World Scenarios

  • Simple jobs (like maps for a castle) can double in value if licenses for additional uses are negotiated later.

Live Illustration and Event Work

• How Licensing Functions Here
  • Live event illustrators often provide generous licenses (especially for digital usage), but never give away copyright.
  • Keeping a logo visible on artwork acts as ongoing marketing.
  • When clients want to turn digital work into murals or prints, it triggers a new (often full-fee) license.
  • "They wanted to put it on the wall... it was the original fee again for them to stick it on the wall." – Katie (16:46–17:01)

Pitfalls, Anecdotes & Community Knowledge

• Trust and Royalty Reporting

  • Issues with delayed or missing royalty payments rarely occur in children’s publishing but are not unknown elsewhere.
  • Community and agent support can be invaluable for tracking rights and payments.

• Personal and Pet Portraits

  • For commissions intended as gifts or personal use, illustrators typically sell the physical artwork but not licensing or copyright.

• Original Art in the Pre-Digital Era

  • A story about publishers and magazines keeping original art—now mitigated by digital delivery.

Strategic Mindset and Maximizing Value

• Why Business Savvy Matters

  • Licensing isn't boring—it's a tool for sustainability and growth.
  • "You do have to engage your business mind, don’t you? Because you're losing so many opportunities if you don't get your head in the game for copyright and license." – Tania (18:54)

• Trend Licensing

  • Some illustrators focus on trends and create licensable art (using trending colors or motifs) to sell to multiple companies—a viable micro-niche.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Licensing vs. Copyright:
  "Giving away your copyright is a no, no. You want to keep your copyright and you want to give the client a license to use your copyright." – Katie, (01:16)

• On Picture Book Contracts and Rights Reversion:
  "If it hasn't been in any bookshops for a certain period of time, the rights then come back to you." – Helen, (03:45)

• Licensing in Addition to Creation:
  "If you get licensing right... you can really make it work for you and more than the original artwork creation." – Tania, (13:43)

• On Business Mindset:
  "You do have to engage your business mind, don’t you? Because you're losing so many opportunities if you don't get your head in the game for copyright and license." – Tania, (18:54)

• The Real Fee Doubling:
  "They wanted to put it on the wall... it was the original fee again for them to stick it on the wall." – Katie, (17:01)

• On Keeping Personal Commission Rights:
  "They owned the piece of paper with the work on it, but they couldn't use it for anything." – Helen, (19:57)

• On Trend Licensing:
  "Those specific licensing illustrators, which I think Americans are really good at, make really good incomes just from generating a few images a year... and sell them to multiples." – Tania, (22:16)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:41 – Introduction to today's topic & client licensing confusion
• 01:16 – Why illustrators should protect copyright
• 02:48 – Licensing in picture books: standard practices
• 05:43 – Foreign rights and royalty flows in contracts
• 06:41 – Merchandising and additional rights (toys, theater, etc.)
• 10:22 – Navigating licenses with commercial & advertising clients
• 12:36 – Educating clients: examples and pricing tiers
• 13:43 – Case study: doubling your fee through licensing
• 15:07 – Live illustration: practical licensing and self-marketing
• 16:46 – "Double your fee": re-licensing for murals and internal use
• 19:41 – Pet portraits and personal commissions
• 21:41 – Pre-digital anecdotes: retrieving original artwork
• 22:16 – Licensing as a primary business model

Final Takeaways

• Copyright is your asset—license, don’t give it away (unless it’s a really big deal).
• Licensing empowers you to earn more from the same work over time.
• Educate clients and don’t be afraid to negotiate; illustrative work is often undervalued without clear boundaries.
• Community, mentorship, and (sometimes) agents are invaluable when navigating contracts or complex licensing deals.
• Keep your business brain switched on—double your fee without drawing more can be a reality!

For more resources and practical templates, check out thegoodshipillustration.com.