Congress of professional Illustrators XIII, Madrid

APIM are proud to announce their annual event, Congress of professional Illustrators XIII (XIII Encuentros con Ilustradores profesionales) in its 13th edition!

See the program here.


Visual Artists: 10 principles for fair contracts

International Authors Forum members call for publishers worldwide to listen ...

Yesterday, authors from a number of countries released open letters asking publishers to reconsider the contract terms they offer authors and outlining the parts of publishing contracts where, from the author’s perspective, reform is urgently needed.

The International Authors Forum (IAF) has also established 10 Principles for Fair Contracts. These Principles apply to the needs of authors in the 65 countries represented by IAF through its 49 member organisations, who have some 500,000 individual author members between them. Fair contracts are crucial to authors’ financial survival and ability to do their job at a time when their working conditions are tougher than ever.

Last year, it was widely reported that authors’ earnings are falling, underlined by reports from studies in the UK, the US and Canada. It is through the terms of publishing contracts that authors receive their primary income, generated by sales of their work. It is therefore vital that any publishing contract is only signed when both publisher and author fully understand and are satisfied with the terms.

Too often, contracts are imbalanced in the publisher’s favour to the detriment of the author, whose work has made the contract, and business venture, possible. The use of complex and technical language in contracts means authors can be unaware of what they are signing away.

Authors need to be clear about what they are signing up to and happy that they understand the consequences. Authors would like publishers to listen to their concerns and to work with publishers to share perspectives and achieve contractual practices which are acceptable to both parties.

So, for authors, what makes a fair contract? IAF’s Principles contain the essential ingredients any contract should follow if it is to achieve a standard an author can reasonably expect which will give them a fair chance of making a living as a professional creator. Many reputable publishers support and meet such a standard. Where this is not the case, however, it is hoped that with effort from both sides, all publishers can offer fair contract terms.

To find out more about what authors look for in a fair contract, visit the 10 Principles For Fair Contracts page on IAF’s website. You can also read the open letters from The Society of Authors in the UK, the US Authors Guild the Irish Writers’ Union and The Writers’ Union of Canada, and follow and support the campaign using the Twitter hashtag #betterbookcontracts.

The International Authors Forum (IAF) is a global network of authors’ organisations. Currently, it has 49 members: organisations representing some half a million writers and visual artists worldwide. IAF works to protect and uphold copyright and authors’ rights, which are vital to sustaining authors’ work, and the world’s cultural heritage and creative industries, on local and global levels.

Together, IAF’s members – who represent authors in their own countries – can share knowledge, support one another and take action to ensure all authors, no matter where they are, have the tools to meet the challenges and opportunities of the digital age.


ASIL – Slovak Illustrators Association as member!

EIF welcomes ASIL – Slovak Illustrators Association as new member!

The ASIL supports their members in their promotion, by offering a portfolio on their association’s own website and with the participation at bookfairs in Slovakia. ASIL organizes the annual conference PIKTO with important topics from the field of illustrators environment.

It supports their members by questions about book production, cooperation with designers and publishers and question about fees, contracts and policy and opens discussions in the wide range of illustrator’s impact.

ASIL also researches the state of contemporary illustration and book production in Slovakia.

For more information https://www.asil.sk/


Images for Climate!

Images for Climate! Visions for a possible world

On November 29 this year, in many cities around the world the ‘Global Climate March’ will take place, an action to put pressure on all the leaders whom, the next day, will meet in Paris to draft the most important treaty on climate in history.

We illustrators, in our small way regularly use our creativity to give colour to the world; this time let’s get together to try and change it.

Illustrations for Climate

The idea of AI Associazione Autori di Immagini Italy is to collect many images on the subject of climate.

We will publish them all in an album on AI’s Facebook page, and one a day, starting on Monday 16 November, will be selected to become the Facebook page banner.

At the same time we’ll diffusely promote this initiative among the Italian media and try to involve other organizations in Italy and elsewhere.

Images can be sent until November 29, but it’s possible that this deadline might be extended.

the Topic

Climate change, the environment, global warming, rising sea levels, renewable energy, pollution, sustainable mobility, animal rights, deforestation and so on, are all faces of the problem. There’s broad freedom of interpretation of the topic.

One can participate with multiple entries including previously made images or image details.

The only requirements are to participate with images cut exactly in the required format and with the slogan “IMAGES for CLIMATE!”.

IMPORTANT!

1 – Rights: AI, the Italian Association ‘Autori di Immagini’ requires only the right to reproduce the images within his Facebook page and for any promotions for the initiative. Any other use, commercial or otherwise is excluded. In case this initiative would continue in yet unforeseen ways, all participants will be contacted.

2 – Credits: All images will be published with the Illustrator’s name on the images and in their descriptions.

3 – The images do not have to be created on purpose. For previously made images, in order to participate in this initiative, the illustrators guarantee being able to dispose freely of their images without prejudicing the rights of others.

4 – Withdrawal: any author can withdraw from the initiative at any time just by a simple request of cancellation of one or more of his/her pictures from the Facebook album they were published in.

5 – Images submission: Images must be sent in the below format to info@autoridimmagini.it

Technical requirements

Images must be sent in the 1600×600pixel (width by height) size, RGB, JPG or PNG with a 72dpi definition.

Images must somehow be related to the topic and quote the slogan “Images for climate!”

The images must be named: namesurname-title .jpg (or .png)

The images must be signed non-invasively (see example) with © Name and surname

This is a small initiative that, if successful, in the future might become a slideshow or just a document, a testimony of those who today, with their sensitivity, wish to express their idea of a change for the good of the planet, its present inhabitants, be them human, animal or plant and of those who will follow us.

Acceptance of Terms

By sending your images you abide with and accept the above mentioned terms in full.

Credits (to be sent with the pictures)

Author’s name and surname:

Title and Description image 1:

Title and Description image 2:

Title and description picture 3:

Website, blog or Facebook page*

* To be included in the description of the image

Image of the 2015 call


Participate in the Frankfurt Bookfair

Participate in the International Illustrator’s Corner 2015 in Frankfurt.

IO (The Illustratoren Organisation) would like to invite EIF and EIF’s partner associations to participate in the International Illustrator’s Corner 2015 in Frankfurt.

The International Illustrator’s Corner is held by the book fair, the IO is going to cooperate with the book fair by providing man power to maintain the exhibition stand and by organizing the presentation.

The International Illustrator’s Corner is not going to be as comprehensive as the IO would have liked it, but we see great potential to enhance and broaden the International Illustrator’s Corner in the long run. Therefore we ask you to join us in that venture.

For that you can participate within the following forms of presentation:

Bookshelf

Please feel free to send us catalogs, books, annuals, etc. which showcase your member’s work and which you would like to present at the book fair.
Please send the books to our IO office in Frankfurt (deadline 15.9.2015):
Stefanie Weiffenbach, IO Illustratoren Organisation e.V. Geschäftsstelle
Martin-Luther-Straße 7, 60316 Frankfurt am Main, Germany

Slideshow

There will be also the possibility to present a selection of images which showcase illustrators of your country. For that we would like to ask you to send us suitable artwork.

Here are the specs for the images:
Jpg, RGB, at least with a resolution of 1920 x 1080 Pixel. Please provide full name of illustrator and the illustrator’s website URL (or the website of your association) via meta data embedded in the image.

Please send the images via www.wetransfer.com

The images should be sent not later than September 15, 2015 to our office: info@illustratoren-organisation.de
Also please name the email subject: International Illustrator’s Corner – European Slideshow

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to ask.


Invitation to share European Commission Study on the Remuneration of the creative industry

On behalf of the AOI, UK we share this information received from Pamela Morinière at Europe Economics and the Institute for Information Law.

AOI encourage their members to complete the survey asking about contracts and income from artistic works, and are asked to distribute it widely in the following countries:

  • Denmark
  • France
  • Germany
  • Hungary
  • Ireland
  • Italy
  • Netherlands
  • Poland
  • Spain
  • UK

Get to the survey through this link.

Background

Europe Economics and the Institute for Information Law of the University of Amsterdam are undertaking a study on the remuneration of writers, journalists, authors of publications in scientific/academic journals, translators, photographers, illustrators and designers (collectively referred to as authors) for the European Commission.

As set out in our earlier emails and discussion, part of our approach is to conduct an online survey of relevant authors. The results of this study are likely to influence the legislative framework and EC policies that govern the remuneration of authors and this survey gives your members the chance to contribute to the research.

Please communicate to your members that the survey should only take 10-15 minutes to complete, and that the responses are anonymous (neither Europe Economics, the Institute for Information Law of the University of Amsterdam nor DG Internal Market will be able to identify the individuals that have responded).

In addition the surveyors will treat the individual responses collected as confidential and they will not be shared with any third parties. Only aggregated data will be used in our report.

The closing date for this is 30/05/2015.

The questionnaires are in different languages.


Call for Entries World Illustration Awards 2015

For nearly four decades, the AOI has presented the most comprehensive and significant awards for illustration in the UK. Now, for the first time in its history, the organisation welcomes an international partner, the Directory of Illustration, to create the World Illustration Awards.

The Directory of Illustration is widely regarded as the leading marketing program for illustrators in the United States. Their website and print resources are relied on by qualified art buyers from all over the world when they need to commission illustration.

The Awards are open to all illustrators, working in any medium and across all categories. Please refer to the website for more details.

Work entered into the World Illustration Awards will be reviewed by a jury of distinguished and international industry professionals. The competition shortlist reflects exceptional work by illustrators currently making an outstanding contribution to visual culture.

Shortlisted work is showcased online, allowing commissioners and industry peers to browse work and contact successful artists directly. Each year’s shortlist is available to view permanently in the Awards archive.

Award Winners will be announced at a prestigious ceremony at Somerset House, the major arts and cultural centre in the heart of London. Selected works will be exhibited in their spectacular Terrace Rooms before touring the UK, as well as being showcased in an accompanying publication, which will be circulated to all major commissioners of illustration.

Following its display at Somerset House the exhibition tours to multiple venues across the UK. This national tour receives approximately 40,000 visitors during its run.

A publication will be launched to coincide with this exhibition and will be available from October 2015.

The Call for Entries is now open until 23 February 2015.