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It seemed to be a very simple and run-of-the-mill request.  A company in India was going to publish three titles -one in colour.  They needed complete stories and asked what I could provide and what my lowest price was.

Okay,the £ is worth a lot of Indian Rupees.   So I suggested a pretty standard deal. THEY make me THEIR best offer and we’ll do the contract thingy.

The company seemed very happy with my response and said “…we will be taking 5000 pages from you to be delivered to us by beginning of 2009″.

er,5,000 pages,some in colour by January,2009.  Complete stories between 90-100 pages in length. I re-checked -that’s what it said.

I pointed out that there is absolutely no way that one artist can write/draw/colour 5000 pages in 5 months. 

At Western page rates the cost of complete comic packages as requested runs into thousands of pounds. But I wasn’t even told what the company would pay.

I pointed out that I could put together a certain number of packages and scan these to send them.  Oh no,they wanted hard copies of the pages. That would cost around £50 in postage alone!

So,I suggested they go over my package proposal,suggest a price and then we could sign a contract.

Another email asking for my address and phone number as they had a “friend” in London who could perhaps work out a deal. Well,no. I asked who this “friend” was and pointed out that I could only deal with the company involved for very obvious legal reasons.  I told them to re-check my proposal and get back to me.

Nothing.

It is sheer insanity as well as a fantasy to think one artist could draw 5000 original pages featuring original characters and send a complete package in five months -without a contract or payment details.  There is a tradion in India of reprinting and reprinting and not necessarily legally [as IPC pointed out to me].

Were it even possible to draw the 5000 pages and copying them [you are talking about a couple thousand for that alone and in excess of £50.00 postage and more for insurance I would be giving it all away with no guarantee of..anything.

Normally,a company would ask for a package and suggest a starter price as well as deadline date. If okay then a contract is signed and work gets under way.

Today,with an ever-growing comic industry in far away lands,the risks increase for writers/artists to be ripped off.  If you get offered a big project as an artist or writer then,after signing of a contract,you should at least expect 50% in advance payment -if you can do the work and keep to a deadline.

Just be aware of the risks.