Administrative info

Pay rates

Our pay rates were last updated in Fall 2023. They are laid out below:

• $50 to license existing artwork

• $150-200 for commissioned illustrations

• $300-400 for commissioned cover artwork (up to $200 for licensing existing artwork on the cover)

It is important to be up-front about our pay rates from the start because they are below commercial levels. Here is a standard blurb that can be used or adapted for calls for artwork or communication with artists.

SftP magazine's editorial collective is entirely run by volunteers. We are grateful for authors and illustrators who are passionate about SftP’s mission, and who, like us, contribute to the magazine primarily due to their support for the movement. We recognize that SftP’s payment rate is below that would be earned from commercial work. SftP supports worker-led movements to abolish exploitative labor models, raise payment standards for writers and illustrators, and end the practice of offering “exposure” or “experience” as a substitution for fair payment. Our current rates for illustrations are $50 for pieces that already exist, $150-200 for commissioned new pieces, $200-300 for cover / inside-cover artwork. We are trying to increase our budget as we receive more subscriptions. If our current budget doesn't allow us to afford your art, I hope we will be able to afford your work in the future. If you would like to be taken off our list. Please reply to our email in heading/body with "unsubscribe."

Also, note that sometimes contributors choose to forgo payment (which is effectively donating it back to SftP).

Contract and use-rights

Our standard contract for artwork contributors can be found here. SftP is granted non-exclusive rights to use the Work for specific purposes (including the print and web magazine, anthologies, and promotional purposes). The artist retains full copyright over the Work.

Coordination with other roles

• Lead Editors: the Art Collective will typically assign one member to each article, and this person should coordinate with the Lead Editor for the following purposes:

  • Acquiring an article summary

  • Checking whether the author(s) have specific illustration ideas already or want to suggest any ideas

  • Ensuring that if the author is contributing artwork, they posses the appropriate use rights (i.e., it cannot be a copyrighted work that they do not own)

  • Ensuring that if the author is contributing artwork or wants to commission a peer for artwork, everyone is on the same page about payment and usage rights

• Managing Editor(s): this is the main point-of-contact for any process or administrative questions. This person also oversees the Payment Airtable that artists fill out.

• Treasurer: this is the person who fulfills artist payment. The Artwork Collective should proactively inform this person of the amount owed to each artist, since it is not necessarily clear from just the Payment Airtable.

  • Also, sometimes artists have their own contract that requires a certain amount of upfront payment. This should be coordinated with the Treasurer.

Payment process

• Contributors need to fill out this Airtable with their payment information and other responses.
• The Managing Editor will forward responses to the Treasurer, who is responsible for processing payments. However, the Treasurer may also need to coordinate with the Artwork Collective to ensure they know the proper rate for each artwork contributor.

• Ultimately, it is the responsibility of the Artwork Collective to make sure each contributor fills out the payment form, and to follow-up with the ME and Treasurer as needed to check that artists are being paid appropriately. We should aim to pay artists as soon as reasonable once we have acquired their work.

  • Typically, the AC member assigned to each article will send the artist three Airtable forms at once. It is a good idea to send these immediately after contract signing (early in the process).

    • Artist payment form
    • Contributors form - photo & short bio for masthead
    • Demographics form (optional)
  • For international artists, it is essential for them to include their full address in the Airtable. Otherwise we are not able to process payment.