Custom art /commissions, advice?

[Mooncrab]

Ok so I've just started creating some digital art and have started to upload it onto Instagram. I've gathered quite a following on Instagram and my posts have started to gain 1,000 likes etc to the point where people have been messaging me asking me to make them custom work for album art etc. I thought this might be a good way to make a bit of money on the side and have made known that I am now open to commissions and custom work for a fee of £15 and everyone who asks me about this I make known from the start that I charge £15. Everyone says "oh that's really cheap", and then they tell me what kind of image they want done and I spend hours making and changing the custom work for them after various message exchanges for them asking what they like changed for them to reply and say "ok I'll ponder on it and let you know"and then they don't let me know or no response at all. So I feel like I've spent hours making work that they don't actually even want and that's hours of my day I've done that for free. Anyone else who is an artist experienced this or anyone have advice?

[Thistly]

How frustrating. I think you need to be clearer in your terms; make it known that £15 gets you phase one, and every further phase of readjustment costs. £15 is probably too cheap. If people don’t value it because it’s too cheap, they will take the piss. Also you could give them a time frame for pondering, after which the design is final and you invoice them.

It sounds like you are not assertive enough about fees and payment.

[Mooncrab]

Yeh it's literally something I only just started on, and I didn't think people would be interested in my work in that kind of way so the first thing I thought was cool I can make money! But Yeh I think people are just taking that piss. Do you think it's worth taking a non refunded deposit or something? I think charging per revision is a good idea though.

[Thistly]

I think if the cost is £15, taking a deposit is a bit faffy. If you up your prices that will make more sense. Otherwise you are going to ask for a deposit of a fiver and the balance of a tenner and it’s too much admin/ chasing for that sort of money.

[Mooncrab]

Would you recommend taking the cost upfront? Or make a piece of work and if they aren't happy/want changes then say "that will cost you a further £x?" per revision

[ArtyBat]

Firstly, do you have a watermark copyright sign on all the pics of your work that you post on Social media? If not, then do so.

Secondly, charge a non-refundable 50% deposit for all commission work - they need to know you are serious, and you need to know that they are serious.

A 50% deposit gets my customer one design, and one change to it.

[Mooncrab]

I don't have a watermark but I will start adding one. They are all low resolution though so if someone were to use it the quality would be rubbish. If I have made custom work and sent it to someone I send a low res watermarked version until they decide its the one they want.

[ArtyBat]

I would still use a watermark which then tells everyone who sees those images that YOU are the creator of them.

[Mooncrab]

Yeh I'll start adding one from now on

[Fabpinky]

Definitely change up front. When I had my logo made I paid up front and then had unlimited changes.

Either put your prices up and have people pay up front, or keep your prices low and charge per edit.

Taking the money up front weeds out the time wasters.