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Re: picking your own clothes
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From: Susanna Reich <reichgolio_at_verizon.net>
Date: Sun, 01 Apr 2012 09:21:12 -0400
Thank you for bringing up the subject of image research. Illustrations are every bit as important in middle grade and YA nonfiction as they are in picture books. The difference for me when I'm writing for older readers is that I'm the "illustrator." I agree with Marc, that I would never want to turn that work over to a picture researcher. Finding and choosing the right image is an essential part of my creative process.
As a trade author, I've always asked for, and been given, an illustration budget as part of my contract. I sometimes exceed this budget, but not by much. If possible, I go directly to the copyright-holder for permission, and have never used a photo archive like Time or Corbis because, as Mary Cronk Farrell pointed out, they are exorbitantly expensive. My experience has been similar to Susan Rubin's, in that the Library of Congress can often provide images for free.
When I wrote my very first nonfiction trade book, CLARA SCHUMANN: PIANO VIRTUOSO, I learned that researching and obtaining permissions for images takes as much time and care as researching and writing the text. In the case of that book, all the images came from libraries and museums in Germany, and rights had to be negotiated in German, so you can imagine how time-consuming that was. Fortunately the fees were much less than in the U.S.
I can't imagine turning the picture research over to a professional for a book like PAINTING THE WILD FRONTIER: THE ART AND ADVENTURES OF GEORGE CATLIN. Did I wish I had a secretary to handle all the paperwork for 100 images from 17 different institutions? You bet! But even without one, I would never give up the privilege of curating my own images. Being both a biographer and an "image curator" is one of the great pleasures of creating books like these. Susanna
www.susannareich.com coming in May: MINETTE'S FEAST: THE DELICIOUS STORY OF JULIA CHILD AND HER CAT
Received on Sun 01 Apr 2012 09:21:12 AM CDT
Date: Sun, 01 Apr 2012 09:21:12 -0400
Thank you for bringing up the subject of image research. Illustrations are every bit as important in middle grade and YA nonfiction as they are in picture books. The difference for me when I'm writing for older readers is that I'm the "illustrator." I agree with Marc, that I would never want to turn that work over to a picture researcher. Finding and choosing the right image is an essential part of my creative process.
As a trade author, I've always asked for, and been given, an illustration budget as part of my contract. I sometimes exceed this budget, but not by much. If possible, I go directly to the copyright-holder for permission, and have never used a photo archive like Time or Corbis because, as Mary Cronk Farrell pointed out, they are exorbitantly expensive. My experience has been similar to Susan Rubin's, in that the Library of Congress can often provide images for free.
When I wrote my very first nonfiction trade book, CLARA SCHUMANN: PIANO VIRTUOSO, I learned that researching and obtaining permissions for images takes as much time and care as researching and writing the text. In the case of that book, all the images came from libraries and museums in Germany, and rights had to be negotiated in German, so you can imagine how time-consuming that was. Fortunately the fees were much less than in the U.S.
I can't imagine turning the picture research over to a professional for a book like PAINTING THE WILD FRONTIER: THE ART AND ADVENTURES OF GEORGE CATLIN. Did I wish I had a secretary to handle all the paperwork for 100 images from 17 different institutions? You bet! But even without one, I would never give up the privilege of curating my own images. Being both a biographer and an "image curator" is one of the great pleasures of creating books like these. Susanna
www.susannareich.com coming in May: MINETTE'S FEAST: THE DELICIOUS STORY OF JULIA CHILD AND HER CAT
Received on Sun 01 Apr 2012 09:21:12 AM CDT
