Part of our guide to licensing cartoons as an author (coming soon)
Do you need permission to use a cartoon in your book? Yes, every time. At CartoonStock we license cartoons for books of every size, and the answer doesn’t change with the print run or how you found the cartoon. Without permission, the cartoonist goes unpaid, you have nothing to show your publisher, and the use can be followed up by our copyright compliance partner. A license avoids all three.
Why Permission to Use a Cartoon in a Book Is Always Needed
A cartoon belongs to the person who drew it. In the vast majority of cases on our site, that’s the cartoonist or their estate. We own a small number of cartoons outright, and in every other case we share what you pay with the copyright holder.
A license gives you permission to use the cartoon in one particular way. It never hands over ownership. So the cartoonist keeps their work, you get the use you need, and they get paid for it.
That payment matters. Our business exists so that professional cartoonists can make a living from their work, and every license pays the cartoonist or their estate.
Found Online Doesn’t Mean Free to Use
An image search can turn up a cartoon with no watermark and no credit, and it can look like fair game. It still needs a license.
A missing watermark tells you nothing about who owns a cartoon. Neither does a site that says its images are free. The cartoonist’s rights stay with the cartoonist wherever the image has been reposted.
If you’ve found a cartoon you’d like to use, search for it on CartoonStock. If it’s in our catalog, you can license it from us in a few minutes.
Small Uses Still Need Permission
We’re often asked whether a small use counts. One cartoon, a short print run, a book you’re giving away, a non-profit project: each still needs a license. Permission to use a cartoon in a book doesn’t shrink with the size of the project.
The good news is that we price for small uses. Our print run bands start at 1–5,000 copies, so a modest book pays a modest fee. Our post on which license size to choose when you don’t know your print run (coming soon) helps you find your band.
What Your Permission Covers
A standard publication license covers one publication, at one print run band, in the territory you choose. The cartoon runs inside the book at less than half a page. It also includes the ebook when that carries the same content in the same context.
Some uses sit outside that. A cartoon on the front of the book needs a custom license, which we explain in using a cartoon on a book cover (coming soon). Posting the cartoon on social media to promote the book is a separate use too, covered in promoting your book with a cartoon (coming soon).
The cartoon also stays as the artist drew it. You can change the caption font to suit your layout, and anything beyond that needs our written agreement first.
What Happens If You Don’t Get Permission
Three things. The cartoonist isn’t paid for the use of their work. You have no license to show when your publisher, or a later edition, asks what was cleared. And the use may be followed up. We protect the interests, intellectual property and livelihoods of our artists, and we’ve contracted PicRights Europe GmbH to manage copyright compliance on our behalf.
If a cartoon is already in your book without a license and nobody has contacted you, get in touch. Tell us which cartoon it is and where it appeared, and we’ll tell you what’s needed. If PicRights has already contacted you about it, please keep dealing with them directly rather than contacting us.
Getting permission before the book goes to print is always simpler than sorting it out afterward. If you’re not sure whether you or your publisher should be asking, our post on who handles image permissions, the author or the publisher (coming soon) covers it.
The Bottom Line
Permission to use a cartoon in a book is always needed, whatever the size of the book and wherever you found the cartoon. A license from CartoonStock gives you that permission for your specific use, pays the cartoonist, and gives you the paperwork to prove it. Every licensed cartoon also needs a credit, which how to credit a licensed cartoon in a book (coming soon) explains.
Licensing cartoons for publishing · Ask us about your book
Q&A: Permission to Use Cartoons in Books
Q: I’m giving the book away for free. Do I still need permission?
A: Yes. A license covers the copies you produce, whether they’re sold or given away.
Q: I only need the cartoon in an ebook. Can I license just that?
A: Yes. Count your expected downloads when you choose a band. If you decide to print later, you’ll need a new license, and we’ll arrange it at minimal cost.
Q: Can I license a single cartoon, or do I have to buy several?
A: You can license one cartoon on its own. If you need several, the image packs on our pricing page are usually simpler.
Keep Reading
Questions to ask before licensing a cartoon (coming soon)
Related Posts
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- Using cartoons in a self-published book (coming soon)
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- Licensing cartoons for trade and academic books (coming soon)
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- Filling in your publisher’s permissions log (coming soon)