I ask because I have a strong urge to give the Rune Rite artist at least a small royalty on top of the lump sum. 1) Because I think it's earned and the right thing to do, and 2) wouldn't that make the artist all the more invested in a great outcome? Am I a crazy person? 🔚 - ThreadSky

amanpossessed.bsky.social • 8 days ago

I ask because I have a strong urge to give the Rune Rite artist at least a small royalty on top of the lump sum. 1) Because I think it's earned and the right thing to do, and 2) wouldn't that make the artist all the more invested in a great outcome?

Am I a crazy person? 🔚

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justcoasting.bsky.social•6 days ago

You could go with a clause in your contracts regarding a second printing bonus (if the game is successful enough to warrant a second print run) and a percentage of profit from every other print run afterwards if you feel like that's a fair shake.

Photography licenses work sort of in that way.

harperrob.bsky.social•8 days ago

That doesn't sound crazy at all, and a good thing to do. As long as the artist is happy with the up front payment, an additional royalty has to be a positive step. I'm all in favour of sharing the fruits of a job well done.

pinchazumos.bsky.social•8 days ago

I don't know about the boardgame industry, but in amateur videogame land its quite common for someone to propose other naive creators to contribute to the project in exchange for royalties if the product ends up making profits. Most projects never do, and those people get nothing

amanpossessed.bsky.social•8 days ago

It’s true. Sometimes people steal from other people. Also, sometimes people murder other people and take all of their belongings. Terrible things happen everywhere, all the time.

What has that got to do with my question?

pinchazumos.bsky.social•7 days ago

sorry my point was meant to be, "royalties aren't as reliable, so a flat amount might be better sometimes". But I ran out of characters XD

amanpossessed.bsky.social•7 days ago

In my post, I said, "I ask because I have a strong urge to give the Rune Rite artist at least a small royalty on top of the lump sum."

My aim is not to replace the flat amount, but to enhance it.

pinchazumos.bsky.social•7 days ago

I know, I know. I was just answering the more general question "why isn't this the common way to hire artists".
Here is another: why are so few boardgames made "in-house" by a fixed team, hired permanently as in other industries?

thosw.bsky.social•8 days ago

Seems like that’s a negotiation between the publisher/artist. Don’t think anybody’s stopping it from happening.

Artist may prefer guaranteed income vs relying on the whims of an indifferent public who may not care who they are.

tzartzam.bsky.social•6 days ago

Often it's about control: those who take the risk should have control over their fate. Quite often the designer is more involved in pitching for publication at the very least, then promoting the game, if not self-publishing. If it does well, they get rewarded, if it doesn't they don't.

tzartzam.bsky.social•6 days ago

For an artist, in boardgames they are usually working to the designer or publisher's brief. While many do incredible work and the quality of their work is VERY impactful on a game's success, they don't influence its route to publication and the marketing methods etc.

tzartzam.bsky.social•6 days ago

Also, in the case of self-publishing, the artist would have to put a lot of trust into the designer-publisher that they would pay them honestly, accurately and in a timely way.

tzartzam.bsky.social•6 days ago

For Poll & Write I'm paying illustrator royalties mainly because he's a friend who offered to do it this way, because I knew I would struggle to guarantee a specific outright payment that was fair.

tzartzam.bsky.social•6 days ago

My graphic designer I'm paying outright because it's his freelance day job (and I could commission the work based on the success of the crowdfunding).

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