From: Lionel Bender <lionheart.brw_at_btinternet.com>
Date: Sat, 31 Mar 2012 13:03:15 +0100

;

Mary raises the issue of high cost of photo reproduction rights. This

does indeed sometimes prevent books being produced, or mean that inferior images have to be used. But with photo sources these days, everything is open to negotiation, and there is an increasing number of sources out there.

However, there is also the matter of authors being asked, persuaded, or even forced, to do the picture research. Picture research is best done by a professional picture researcher. And a good picture research can add a huge creative input to a book. Authors can waste a

huge amount of time chasing images, negotiating fees, and clearing rights. Also, authors rarely know the best places to find images, or have an idea of what fees can be negotiated.

What are the details of the rights you have asked for? — exclusive/ non-exclusive, World all-languages/North American English only, book/ ebook, digital/print only, educational/non-educational, cover/ internal use only........... I hope you see it is not straightforward.

Mary, the prices you have been quoted are excessive to say the least.

Have you tried to negotiate for just the rights you need, or go back to the original source?
 You may spend a good deal of time tracking down the source, but could find there is no fee needed at all. So, where possible, get a picture researcher to do the job or make sure that you, as author, get paid to do the picture research and know how to negotiate lower fees. Or ask the publisher to help: it may have a photo agreement in place with Time Inc. or the source. Producing illustrated nonfiction invariably requires teamwork.

Lionel Editorial Partner, BRW
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Lionel Bender Bender Richardson White 10 Chelmsford Square, NW10 3AR, UK tel: 020 8459 0453 email: lionel_at_brw.co.uk websites: www.brw.co.uk www.nibweb.co.uk/lionelbender.htm
Received on Sat 31 Mar 2012 01:03:15 PM CDT