Thursday, April 29, 2010

It's Come To This


The book cover on the right was commissioned by Harlequin in 2004 the one on the left I discovered in a bookshop and was published by the same company in 2010. I thought I had another check coming my way but apparently this is how they do business these days. They removed my signature for the second version, which I think was a nice touch. And so it goes.

16 comments:

Hans Jenssen Illustration said...

WV: Urentift. A urentift is a publisher of books who will reuse artwork already commissioned for another book without contacting or paying the artist. Also known as a b*****d.

Munich Newman said...

Nice book cover Steve. I prefer the one on the right.
You say this was the same publiser, so, doesn't it depend on exactly what they paid you for. Often on the purchase order, it says something about "all rights belong to the buyer" when the cheque is cashed. Still, a bummer, then again, the second one does say "Mavericks" on the cover- doesn't that mean something like scrupleless tossers?

WV: pulga
- dog with a pushed in face from LA?

Tristan Alexander said...

I hope you checked to be sure it was legal for them to do this? It sure seems unethical (not that modern man knows what that is anymore). Nice cover anyway!

Unknown said...

Yes please check that you gave them all rights to your art, otherwise they DO owe you a cheque.
Nice illustration.

Steve Cox said...

Great cover - sh*t publisher. Welome to the world of "And would sir like to bend me over and do me like a ...?" No better not say that here.

I had a very well known publisher (no names but they begin with 'P' and it rhymes with 'muffin') rip-off an entire book recently. Tankers.

WV: Inoph.

Part expletive normally used upon discovering you've been ripped off.

Examples:

"Inoph is inoph!"

"Inoph already!"

etc.

Unknown said...

What a load of crap! Not the cover, I mean what they did to you... If it is legal, then why bother taking your name out? Check that contract dude!

Munich Newman said...

Steve, I bet you don't file purchase orders and useless shite like that do you? :-)

WV: dente
obviously my hint about these being words was taken seriously

This is better than facebook

Jeff A. Menges said...

Hey Steve.

Wow. That hurts.
I was just looking at Diana Palmer's site. I imagine this nice lady has no idea that her book cover was on someone else's book a few years ago, and I'm sure she wouldn't be happy about that either...

I'd be looking up the details on the contract, but I imagine there's some fine print in there... It's hard to know when to cut a client down. If they called you for a cover tomorrow, would you want the job?....tough decisions....

I hope you get some satisfaction out of it, somehow. Be in touch-

Jeff

Munich Newman said...

I agree with Jeff, in fact, perhaps this nice lady thought it was done especially for her.
The SoI can surely advise?

WV: busisom
- Nothing to do with anatomy this, it is a night bus for people with difficulty sleeping. A thoughtful service for those who would rather be out and about than lying in bed tossing and turning.

Steve Cox said...

Hey Steve,

let us know how this one pans out if you pursue it.

My understanding of this is that if you were contracted under a 'work for hire' agreement, then the publisher will have bought the copyright from you and can do whatever they like with it, including making alterations to the actual image itself.

I'm not sure how it works in the U.S. but here it is possible to write create a license specifying it's useage over a designated period.

You probably know all this already.

I'm just wondering how common it is to produce artwork for a specific fiction book which is contracted under a work for hire agreement?

Fraser, lovely image of wide-awake people travelling around at night on a bus...almost the opposite of Steve's subway sketches of sleeping people.

WV: imati, a very small immature person who likes to do impersonations

Munich Newman said...

Wouldn't it be great to have an "imati" on a "busisom".

WV: burver
- nothing to do with fast food, this is a noise a child makes when playing with toy cars, pronounced "buuuuuuur-veeeeeer", see the gear change in there?

Munich Newman said...

Steve, have a look here:
http://www.dianapalmer.com/
any more of yours?

Stephen Gardner said...

I'm considering my options with this one, I'll keep you all posted.

kk said...

twunts

Stephen Gardner said...

Well said.

Munich Newman said...

So! What's happening/happened on this?
Any joy, main man?

WV:floys
-flawed toys from China