Creators' percentages

Woodpig · Aug 21, 2014

Hi everyone,

I'm just creating a graphic novel. I've been trying to find out what typical practices are regarding fees and royalties splits - how much does the writer/artist/colourist/letterer/etc get paid? In my case, there's a three-way split: me (in this case, I'm drawing/inking), the writer, and the colourist. Either myself or the colourist will end up doing the lettering.

This scenario seems a bit messy, but I'm assuming it's quite common of small, creator-owned projects that there aren't defined boundaries - for instance, I've had input into the script in terms of ideas and dialogue. If it were just me and the writer, I'd probably go 50-50, but now that a colourist is involved, we have to work out how to pay him. A flat fee (work for hire)? Or cut him in for a percentage of royalties?

Anyway, thoughts welcome.

Thanks!

snafu1056 · Aug 21, 2014

I'd pay the colorist a page rate and split the remainder 50/50 with the artist. Or just split it 3 ways and give the colorist a smaller share.

Woodpig · Aug 21, 2014

So the writer and artist should split the cost of paying the colourist?

Bicyclefish · Aug 21, 2014

You may want to reconsider the 50/50 artist/writer split. I do not mean to imply the writer's contribution is less important, but the artist does more physical labor: thumbnails, layouts, edits, pencils, inks, etc.

Talking to a creator who works with pubs like Image, IDW, Dark Horse and Boom, the artist tends to get the biggest slice of the pie. For example, on one title the colorist and letterer were paid a flat rate plus a artist/writer/colorist/letterer royalty split of 50/40/5/5. On another title the colorist and letterer got a larger flat rate but no royalty cut.

If you'd like some more concrete numbers, I suggest emailing a few artists who you feel are around the same professional level as yourself. Ask them if they're willing to share their page/royalty cuts privately. A lot of creators, especially the good ones, are more than happy to help.

Woodpig · Aug 21, 2014

Thanks Bicyclefish, that's very helpful. Yes, I think I've seen something similar to this breakdown online somewhere. And good idea about contacting practising comic artists - I'll do that.

If we pay the colourist a flat fee ('we' being the writer and I), I'm assuming that we'd split the cost. But I'm just wondering whether it's common for the writer to turn around and say, "Well, it's 50-50 between me and you, words and art; colouring is part of the art side, therefore you should pay the colourist". I mean, I don't agree with that - it seems the penciller/inker has more work to do - but I just wondered if anyone had heard of this taking place.

Thanks again for your comments.

Grigoris · Aug 25, 2014

Here's a list of rates that an artist just posted to my feed:

Woodpig · Aug 25, 2014

Thanks Grigoris.

Yeah, I think I've seen this somewhere before. It's strange that plot and script writer can be separate roles. So, in my case, we've three people: a writer, a colourist and me (I'm drawing and inking). According to this list, a writer should get twice as much as a colourist, and a penciller/inker should get twice as much as writer. So, if it were just me and the writer, the split would be 2/3rds to a 1/3rd. If we cut the colourist in on royalties, then it would be approx. 14% colourist, 29% writer and 57% penciller/inker.

Does that seem fair?

Creators' percentages

Woodpig

Reading, writing, drawing, thinking

snafu1056

Woodpig

Reading, writing, drawing, thinking

Bicyclefish

Pedaling Pescado

Woodpig

Reading, writing, drawing, thinking

Grigoris

fifth level cleric

Woodpig

Reading, writing, drawing, thinking