This is a modified excerpt from a book I’m working on called The Business of Freelance Comic Book Publishing. It attempts to define the advantages of creating comics that you don’t ultimately own. While this can’t be taken as legal advice, it can help you understand why you might decide to create comics for someone else.
At first glance, working as a freelancer in the comic book industry seems like an inherently bad deal and while there is plenty of hostility against work-for-hire agreements that I’ll go into in my next post, there are several benefits to the freelance creator in the context of comic books.
Access: Many people who want to make comics grew up reading comics. They love the stories. They care about the characters, and they aspire to help write the next chapter in this postmodern mythology. Because their favorite characters are owned by other companies, the only way to create those stories is as a freelance creat
Autonomy: Employees of a publisher may be accountable to several layers of superiors in the hierarchy of the company and can easily be dragged into interoffice politics. Freelancers are only accountable to their clients and their personal obligations.
Certainty: Many comics do not generate a profit, so comic creators relying on comic book sales to make a living might not be able to sustain themselves. Also, even if comic sales across the board were healthy enough for artists to survive, the profits for comics don’t materialize for months, sometimes years after the work is done and the book is published depending on the distribution model. Under a standard work-for-hire agreement, the artist is paid upfront, regardless of the sales or profits of the published book.
Flexibility: It is difficult for some people to be creative during regular business hours. It is often preferable to be able to create your schedule. Being a freelance creator gives you the ability to move where you want, for as long as you want, adjust your schedule to fit the rest of your life, and avoid the whims of corporate headcount. In the uncertain world we live in, being able to have more control over your business is a powerful asset.
Productivity: Compensation for freelancers is based on their output, not the hours they work, so the more efficient you can be the greater your earning potential.
Simplicity: Because you are not embedded in the corporate hierarchy, you can often get your job done without all the extra meetings, complex systems, and formalities inherent in large organizations.
Tax Benefits: When you’re self-employed, you can deduct any necessary expenses related to your business from your taxable income, as long as they are reasonable in amount and ordinarily incurred by businesses of your type. This may include, for example, office expenses (including those for home offices), travel and meal expenses, equipment costs, and insurance payments.
Have fun with your comic.
Gamal
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If you have questions about the business or legal aspects of your comic book publishing and you'd like a free consultation, please contact me and we can set something up that fits in with your schedule.
PLEASE NOTE: THIS BLOG POST IS NOT A SUBSTITUTE FOR LEGAL ADVICE. IF YOU HAVE AN ISSUE WITH YOUR COMIC PROPERTY, DISCUSS IT WITH A QUALIFIED CONTRACT ATTORNEY OR CONTACT C3 FOR A FREE CONSULTATION