Any illustrators out there? Should this ring alarm bells

[EachandEveryone]

I don’t want to burst anyone’s bubble. Very talented relative graduated this year and is doing an internship but is young and not jaded yet! They got an email asking them to illustrate a children’s short book. The book was included. I have tried to search the person who wrote it. The email did call them by their name and seemed very friendly yet professional. The email cc’d about four other people but they all belong to a company that’s not art or publishing related seems like it’s a financial service or bank group. I know nothing about business and art college did not really advise them. What do you think?

How did the email arrive, was in the company email system. Will she getting paid for it.

She should also read the T&C's
in her contract and company policy for the internship regarding Intellectual Property.

Internship (unpaid) finishes next week she’s applying for a paid one or a job now. This came through their own address and it did reference their paintings at the end of year show.

they have no idea about pay etc saidl they wait for his reply. I guess it could be someone self funding starting out as well.

Tread very carefully on this one. They need to talk to the firm they are doing the internship with and ask their advice, especially if the email was received into a work email address.

Is this through the internship or an entirely separate email to her privately as an illustrator?

The degree was fine art and this is completely separate to the internship which was working for free and more about displaying and blooming lots of admin. Not what she’s intending to do she’s looking for a more creative hands on role. I really don’t want her to be taken for a ride. I mean would this kind of request usually come from a publisher?

I'm not sure about the ins and outs of who the request would come from - but she could set herself up as a self employed freelancer and charge a day rate!

There should be good resources online for what a freelance illustrator should/can charge. As a freelancer myself, I either charge by the day or a flat fee.

She definitely should not do this work for free!!!

Look up the good ship illustration podcast , which is exactly about this stuff. It's excellent! I think they would say don't do this ...

I think she should email them and ask who is writing the book? Who is publishing it and will she be acknowledge in it? And take it from there. Shes itching to do something hands on she even spoke about wanting to learn to weld the other day. She has a 1st class degree in fine art but the truth is she doesnt know exactly what she wants to do and shes working so hard at this internship for zero money she hasnt had any time to set herself up. People have asked her for prints and she really needs to take a breath and focus. We arent business people so dont know where to start I feel like she may need to register her name or something official?

Could she ask for more details and then set up a teams meeting to discuss further? Also, find out going rate so she doesn’t get taken for a ride. Illustrations need to be sent with a watermark until payment is received.

I do a lot of illustration projects - I think she needs to find out a lot more about this project before considering doing it and the people, the terms and brief need to be clear - ask lots of questions. Oh and don't let them tell you 'this one needs to be done for free because it will bring in more paying work'!

From bitter experience I’d advise her to do nothing without a contract. Unscrupulous companies and people will trawl degree shows at colleges and get young people to use their skills and not pay them very much or not pay them at all. She needs to know what the fee is and whether there is a percentage fee if the book goes into repeat print. Let’s say she is illustrating something like a Harry Potter type successful book, she would lose thousands if she did have further fees for repeat print runs. It must all be in writing. I would definitely find out who the publisher is as well. I would have thought the contract would go through them but illustration is not my area of expertise.