[Award Winner] How to get commissions and get paid to map.

[Redrobes]

Getting people to part with money is one of the hardest things to achieve and that goes double for the RPG industry. I found most of what your saying just generally applicable too. If your having a hard time getting a job of any description then just skim and checklist the tut. I will rep and rate as well.

[Gamerprinter]

I've got a website with my maps and services (gamer-printshop.com), an online private portfolio, and several Map threads on EnWorld, Iron Crown Enterprises, ConceptArt, Talkgraphics (Xara website), RPGNet, DnDAdventure and a couple others. I actually think participating in Monthly Challenges here, whether I won them or not has gotten me work. I have gained three clients through the Map Request forum here at the Guild. I've gotten three clients through Iron Crown Enterprises forum, including Iron Crown Enterprises. In some cases I have no idea how many of my new clients are finding me - probably one the above, but clients are now contacting me directly through Email, these days.

But lately, I've been looking at becoming the publisher to create my own work and "commission myself". Consider this, most publishers can't afford many maps, though I have had commissions up to seven maps for a product, in most cases its one to three maps. For my first adventure, I have 12 maps in it - a number most publishers can't afford, so my products will stand out over the competition and look really professional - part of my goal.

Also I've been coordinating with various publisher connections I have and forming publication partnerships, where I am nolonger the commissioned illustrator, but a publishing partner. While the pay is not as immediate as in commissioned work, the amount of return is infinitely higher getting an even three way, or two way split on profits. My first publication has earned me $500 so far, and I have an $800 investment, but that's for 4 different products, and the $500 profit is just the first adventure (my investment has been in commissioning artists for cover and interior illustrations.)

Another thing to consider, as a proto-publisher, in some cases, I have exchanged services for work I need done - maps for trade. I have about three clients that I owe maps for their upcoming projects. Rather than pay for writers or MapTool programmers (for example) I just traded in maps down the road. So in some cases, maps have become a currency to pay for other work I need.

GP