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Dave's Colouring Book!
Posted by Dave Bull on April 13, 2006 [Permalink]
Had a good one today ... have to share it!
I got a call a few days ago from a book publishing company; they wanted to come out and talk about a 'project' they had coming up, something to do with the 'Hyakunin Isshu' poetry series. It's not unusual for me to get such requests; my prints have been used to illustrate quite a number of publications related to the poetry series over the past dozen years.
I'm looking forward to the day when one of these companies wants to do a book on the series itself, and not just use them as illustrations, but I'm open to any suggestions.
Anyway, the guy came this afternoon, and his proposal was interesting. Seems they want to select 20 of the prints from my series, and publish them - in outline form - as a colouring book ... for adults.
I thought they were nuts, but it seems they're serious. They said that there is a 'huge boom' going on these days in adult colouring books - part of the current trend to supplying 'brain training' stuff for adults. You know, not to get Alzheimer's, etc. etc.
The book would have a full-colour section at the front, with illustrations of my actual prints, side-by-side with a selection of small images taken from the original Shunsho book. People could see how I took the originals and added my own colours, etc.
Then, on stiff paper for the rest of the book, with a tear-off line built-in to each page, the 20 prints would appear in outline form only, ready for people to tear out and colour. They could use colour pencils, water colours ... whatever.
They are offerering me a royalty of 8% of retail (1000 yen) on an initial print run of 5,000 copies.
Would you accept?
Added by: Dave on April 14, 2006, 1:00 am
(I should mention ... royalties like this in Japan are paid at time of publication, not at time of sale. Not much doubt what my answer should be, I think!)
Added by: Gary on April 14, 2006, 3:57 am
No, no doubt there!
Added by: Marc on April 14, 2006, 9:13 am
Holy smokes! That's a check for 400,000 yen, just for saying yes. Plus the potential for more on later re-printings. Plus some EXCELLENT exposure.
Presumably, they will have a little biography for you. If you can get a website address into the bio, that would be another plus.
Hmmm, let me think about it...
That didn't take long! Yes. My counsel is to accept their kind offer and be quick about it before you wake up and find that it was just a dream.
Congratulations!
Marc
Added by: Dave on April 14, 2006, 9:24 am
That didn't take long!
I see that yesterday when I wrote:
Should I accept?
I should have written:
Should I accept? :-)
... because I did accept their offer right away. Up 'till now, whenever my stuff has been used for books, I've always received a flat fee. This was the first time to have the offer of a percentage of sales. I like that very much - hell, I'll open a page to take orders for the book on the Japanese side of my site, put them on a stand at the exhibition ... just as long as I get the % ... :-)
Added by: Julio Rodriguez on April 16, 2006, 11:44 am
I'll take one ! When do you expect them to be out ? After they do your Poet series they can publish the Surimono series and then the Beauties and then.....
Julio
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