Ron Roy on fri 16 mar 01
Hi Jean,
You are making good points - we do benefit from having our work
published but I don't think nearly as much as some imagine. Most
pottery books are sold to potters and although they do buy some
pottery we would all be destitute if we relied on sales to other
potters.
I speak from experience in this.
Anyway - I do think there are benefits to being published. There are
benefits to the publisher and author as well. The question is - why
are we not paid something for our part of the process. Without us
there are no sales.
The reason is - they don't have to pay us because we are willing to
give it away.
I'm saying there is something wrong with that deal.
RR
>Dear Mr. Roy,
>While I have not had your vast experience within the ceramics community, I
>have been an artist for 45 years now, have been published frequentely and
>without compensation. While I agree with you that publishing is a business,
>there is a minor point which seems to have been missed/dismissed in this
>entire line of dialog---Art is also a business. While many of us choose to
>practice as a hobby, many more of us are professionals. I am neither teacher
>nor potter but I spend 40-60 hours per week producing clay sculpture. It is
>full time employment (on which I thrive) and is my source of income. This
>being said, I treat slides, photos, etc. as a vital part of reinvesting in
>my carreer; an aspect of my business which is as important to me as
>upgrading my equipment and as necessary as the purchase of clays, glazes etc.
>I have slides made, not just for the express purpose of commercial
>puplications, but for all exhibits, catalogs, etc. If I owned a retail
>store, I would be paying for that same advertisement. Slides which go to
>publications are treated as just another form of establishing credibility,
>history, which in my business, both collectors and museums seek. A
>publication stays around for a long time. It's the cheapest advertisement one
>can purchase for the price of a fifty-three cent slide.
Ron Roy
93 Pegasus Trail,
Scarborough, Ontario
Canada. M1G 3N8
Tel: 416-439-2621
Fax: 416-438-7849
Steven Branfman on mon 19 mar 01
Friends,
Though this thread has died down a bit, I must add to the mix. As one who has
over 20 years of experience in the book business, has had lots of pictures
and written contributions in other peoples books, and has written 3 books of
my own containing hundreds of photos and contributions by others, I do have
some perspective in this matter. Vince and others who feel that it is well
worth whatever cost there may be to take photos, copy them, send them to the
writer or publisher and then not get any financial compensation for their
reproduction are correct. It is well worth the cost and effort. Having your
work out there for people to see is important, rewarding, and an overall
wonderful experience, not to mention the potential benefits to your career.
However, the more compelling reason to take part in this practice is to help
out your fellow potters who are making an effort to pass on their experience
and knowledge to help make our craft more accesible.
Contrary to popular belief, there is not alot of money to be made by writing
or publishing craft books. The time that it takes away from other activities
in which you actually might be making money, (making pots, teaching, etc) is
significant. It is completely unreasonable to expect a writer or publisher to
compensate you for your contributions. Occasionally a publisher MIGHT offer
the author a stipend to cover the cost of photography which the writer can,
of course, pass on to those that furnish photos, but that is not the norm.
Publishers don't usually make free copies available to contributors and if
they offer the author free copies it is usually a small number.
So let's not get so caught up in getting paid for our photos and
contributions worrying about getting royalties for them, "protecting" them
from unauthorized uses, and other "concerns". Take some time to think about
the benefits that might be gained and about helping each other out. The
marketing of contemporary crafts has become very slick over the last 10 years
or so. Let's not get so slick that we slide away cutting off our noses to
spite our faces!
Steven Branfman
The Potters Shop
31 Thorpe Rd.
Needham MA 02494, USA
781 449 7687
fax: 781 449 9098
Ron Roy on tue 20 mar 01
So - following this reasoning - other publications - like Ceramics Monthly
should actually stop paying for pictures.
I think the quality of experience and knowledge would improve - more
working potters would be encouraged to share their experience because they
need to be compensated for their time.
Publishing is a business - I think it should be conducted as such.
RR
>writer or publisher and then not get any financial compensation for their
>reproduction are correct. It is well worth the cost and effort. Having your
>work out there for people to see is important, rewarding, and an overall
>wonderful experience, not to mention the potential benefits to your career.
>However, the more compelling reason to take part in this practice is to help
>out your fellow potters who are making an effort to pass on their experience
>and knowledge to help make our craft more accesible.
Ron Roy
RR# 4
15084 Little Lake Rd..
Brighton,
Ontario, Canada
KOK 1H0
Residence 613-475-9544
Studio 613-475-3715
Fax 613-475-3513
Jean Cappadonna Nichols on tue 20 mar 01
Dear Mr. Roy,
While I have not had your vast experience within the ceramics community, I
have been an artist for 45 years now, have been published frequentely and
without compensation. While I agree with you that publishing is a business,
there is a minor point which seems to have been missed/dismissed in this
entire line of dialog---Art is also a business. While many of us choose to
practice as a hobby, many more of us are professionals. I am neither teacher
nor potter but I spend 40-60 hours per week producing clay sculpture. It is
full time employment (on which I thrive) and is my source of income. This
being said, I treat slides, photos, etc. as a vital part of reinvesting in
my carreer; an aspect of my business which is as important to me as
upgrading my equipment and as necessary as the purchase of clays, glazes etc.
I have slides made, not just for the express purpose of commercial
puplications, but for all exhibits, catalogs, etc. If I owned a retail
store, I would be paying for that same advertisement. Slides which go to
publications are treated as just another form of establishing credibility,
history, which in my business, both collectors and museums seek. A
publication stays around for a long time. It's the cheapest advertisement one
can purchase for the price of a fifty-three cent slide.
respectfully,
Jean Cappadonna-Nichols
will edwards on tue 20 mar 01
"So - following this reasoning - other publications - like Ceramics Month=
ly
should actually stop paying for pictures. RR"
Whoever is interested:
They have that option to use either those which are noted as big names in=
the
industry or they can take up and coming artists and do decent printing wi=
th
their works as well. If Ceramics monthly would start working with those w=
ho
are making great pottery but have yet to create a following the same audi=
ence
would still buy their magazines I bet. I would like to see a magazine tak=
e
new-comers and promote them in their own glory! (More often I look for th=
ose
than the others)
I could name personally commercialized guru's that have made it huge in t=
he
magazines and minds of people but when you get to their programs or studi=
o's
you find that some are just shacks thrown up in the woods with huge
International attraction written all over the covers of magazines.
(I am not naming names) So be kind! I said I could if I wanted to, an=
d I
can! This is not always the norm however and I state that clearly.
Any person has the right to choose a free service if they like or pay for=
a
service that isn't nearly as much as they thought they were getting. You =
never
know until you been there and done it. I sincerely wonder why we would go=
into
this anyways if the ones who are making a living from their work are the =
ones
worrying about it. I spent more than 20 years as well working toward toda=
y but
thats not what I am about. It is the ability to sometimes share knowledge=
without a charge which many times gets paid back 100 fold by many other m=
eans.
I love the people who have been through all this with me in the past. I w=
ould
go to the end with them!
As far as making a living. I am living off the knowledge of clay and glaz=
e
right this moment. I am not a starving artist nor rich but I have what I =
need
and It is a great life in deed. =
I can't carry anything else with me when my body passes away so I might a=
s
well make something of it while it remains in tact and alive.
Publishing is a business, getting your face out among the crowds for FREE=
/FEE
is also a business. No other reason to do it if not. If we have to pay fo=
r
that exchange each and every time I would find newer faces willing to get=
some
FREE advertising. (Its all in the name of good business. I turned down se=
veral
of the best people in the world of art that I was involved in one time be=
cause
of their attitudes and ego's. They are too many other good people out the=
re
willing to take part in sharing. Its a trade-off! I also paid many of the=
m. It
also takes much money to get their faces printed and shipped out so its n=
ot a
free service to the publisher at all. Would I take money for it? Yes, but=
I
wouldn't fuss about it. Also a sliding scale would work for me since I re=
ally
don't care about it so much. That means pay me something, pay me nothing =
but
be good to my work and I will be good in return. "Hey PUBLISHERS I am see=
king
you out come and get me." FREE to the first request. maybe even the secon=
d?
William Edwards
Alchemy 101
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