A vent of frustration

[Sarithus]

Hello, apologies this is a bit of a vent of frustration post. I'm wondering if you've got any advice for me. So Clichea has become the top of all time on TWO subreddits and 5'th on another. It's been featured on http://www.rpgbooster.com/ and I'm also to be interviewed for two other sites. Someone asked about buying a framed print and it's been tweeted about and is going around facebook. All of this and no finalized commissions. I've been told my site is sleek and well designed and I'm sure the commission button works, but still, no commission deals done. I've had 4 people contact me about buying a map and when I quote them a really low price I hear nothing back. If I can't get commissions from all this I might as well give up now.

Edit: I'm sure people would love to get the attention I'm getting and let me say I am very grateful for it, but the commissions thing is always in the back of my mind.

[J.Edward]

Sarithus - I hesitate to say it but just have some patience.
Many don't get all that notice and still they plod on.
Good things take time and hard work and yes, patience.

[Sarithus]

Sarithus - I hesitate to say it but just have some patience.
Many don't get all that notice and still they plod on.
Good things take time and hard work and yes, patience.

Well, I've put in the time and hard work to get some recognition, but apparently £150 is too much for a map. I'll come off as a dick here, but I know others get paid much more for maps that don't require things to be painstakingly drawn by hand.

[Jaxilon]

I can't speak for your time spent but it's often kind of true that artists are valued most after they are gone. That doesn't mean you can't make a living at it but if it's not worth your while to do the drawing and nobody wants to pay for it then that's their loss. Sometimes you have to just say, "hey, if its not going to pay my bills and I'm not doing it for a friend, its not worth my time. Come back when you aren't just looking for something for nothing."

Sure everyone loves a freebie but that doesn't mean you have to waste your time giving it.

You may also have to figure out a way to supplement your income if art is what you want to do and its not providing enough.

The truth of the matter is nobody ever said the world is fair. And I know, that's also not fair either.

[Gamerprinter]

Good exposure, and you've certainly have gotten some good exposure for good work, always helps in getting you future commissions. One never knows what is going to trigger a potential art director or publisher to see your work and seek you out for commissions.

Any of my examples is only anecdotal and no measure of why and when exposure gets you work. Although I have a website (and have had more than one dedicated to various projects), I can honestly say that platforms like Google + with my own community, and participation in a dozen different map related or RPG related G+ communities have put commission work into overdrive. In eight years of doing map commission work for various publishers, I've gotten are large stable of publishers including Paizo Publishing, however in the last year I've gotten triple or more the number of commissions offered.

Often following a map commission offer, I ask the publisher where did he see my work, and many point to posted map on my G+ page that isn't more than a week old. Whether its the style or subject matter, I cannot say for sure, but very often I get commission offers within days or a week of something I just posted online. My G+ personal page has gotten over 4.8 million views in less than 2 years, with almost 2000 followers, and over 3000 friends. For me, Google + has been far more productive in providing opportunites, including getting work for #1 video game strategy guide publisher.

For products I've created whether RPG settings or map sets/map objects I get far more sales on DrivethruRPG.com than sales from my website, or other RPG platforms. I have a website, because you have to have a website, but as far as a sales or commission work generator, my actual website has only ever been marginal at best.

Just keep creating and posting maps and you'll eventually get results.

[J.Edward]

I don't know... maybe those others you're speaking of already have a name and reputation? How long have they been at it?
Many illustrators and map makers do have to work up to getting better commissions over time.
Some may not, they may be able to get a good amount right away. I can't speak for them though.
Private commissions don't usually pay as well as commercial work I believe. Maybe someone else can speak to that.

[Sarithus]

Just keep creating and posting maps and you'll eventually get results.

I just wonder why people aren't willing to pay. I suppose I should be thankful that I did get 4 people asking for maps, but surely they know when they ask for a map like Clichea that that type of map is pretty much the most expensive one you could ask for. I've never asked for more than £250 because I don't want to scare them off, but even £150 is too much apparently.

[Gamerprinter]

While I agree that getting paid what we're worth is a goal for all of us, there are many things to consider. I think getting paid the commission you're asking for can be achieved, but only from a very small part of the market, those I'd call botique publishers - artistic publishers that want to create an exceptional product that might be sold at a higher price point than most RPG publishers. There aren't many publishers in this category.

Most RPG publishers are one man operations that operate their publishing company on a part-time basis who hire authors, artists, cartographers, editors, game designers as freelancers. As a part-time business in the very niche RPG industry profit margins are tight and low, thus budgets are small. If you're looking for a footprint in the RPG industry, you've got to come up with a way to create a quality product at a much lower price point. Most RPG publishers pay between $45 and $100, with the lower price for volume work (5 or more maps on a single commission). They can't pay more because they simply cannot recoup the investment due to tight margins and very limited sales. Most RPG companies sell only 200 - 500 units of any given product over the course of a year. Getting 1000 sales is kind of rare, for most small RPG publishers. One can honestly say, that the majority of RPG publishers are hobbyists with a small income stream, and not major publishing houses. Even the "big" RPG publishers are rarely over a dozen people in the whole company, and compared to the book or magazine publishing companies very small players.

Of all the RPG publishers I've done commission work for, only Paizo Publishing has met your price point, and the video game strategy guide publishers has multiples more than your price point. I'm getting these better paid commisisons now, but for most of the last 7 years I've only gotten the $45 - $100 pay range. I can't say its true for everyone, but I don't think I'd be getting the higher pay now without that history and footprint of becoming a known RPG cartographer working at lower pay for all those years. Even if you think you're worth a lot more, without a reputation and history, you have to lower your price point or you might be waiting a long time before an opportunity fits your expectations.

[Jaxilon]

What GP said ^

[Wired]

To be honest, if you haven't done (m)any paid commissions the easiest way for you to get into a pricing segment that you feel represents your work is to start cheap, to get your name out there into the search algorythms. Good communities not specialized on map-making also tend to be a nice way to get exposure and gather some first jobs. Yes, that may mean producing maps at prices way below your comfort zone at first. But sadly enough, that's just the way it is. Start low, then crank up the price with subsequent pieces. And hope for the best. That's really all the wisdom there is in this, as far too much depends on luck, on factors out of your control.