Part of our guide to licensing cartoons as an author (coming soon)
Do trade and academic books license cartoons the same way? Yes. At CartoonStock the publication license works the same way whatever kind of book you’re writing: print run, territory, format and edition. What changes is which of those parts you’ll spend time on, and that depends on the book.
What Stays the Same for Trade and Academic Books
Every cartoon needs a license, however serious the book around it. The cartoon runs inside the book at less than half a page, and it stays exactly as the artist drew it. You can change the caption font to suit your layout. Anything more needs our written agreement first.
Every cartoon also needs the credit www.CartoonStock.com close to it, which how to credit a licensed cartoon in a book (coming soon) covers in detail.
And every license pays the cartoonist, whether the book is a monograph or a bestseller.
Cartoons in Academic Books
Academic authors often use cartoons as evidence rather than decoration. A chapter might reproduce a cartoon so that it can discuss what the cartoon says about its period or its subject. That doesn’t change the license. If the cartoon itself appears on the page, it needs one, however closely your text analyzes it.
Three things usually matter most for cartoons in academic books.
Print run. Monographs often have small print runs, which puts them in our lowest band of 1–5,000 copies. Add any expected ebook downloads to the printed copies before you choose. Our post on which license size to choose when you don’t know your print run (coming soon) explains how.
Territory. Academic titles are often sold internationally, in print and as ebooks through online platforms. If readers in the US or Canada can buy or download the book, choose worldwide.
Who’s clearing. Academic authors often clear their own permissions. If you’re not sure whether that’s your job or your press’s, read who handles image permissions, the author or the publisher (coming soon) before you buy.
Cartoons in Trade Books
Trade books use cartoons differently. The author often picks a cartoon to land a specific point, and that choice can come late in the writing.
Print runs are usually larger, so check which band your publisher expects. Trade books also sell widely, so worldwide territory is the common choice.
Two things deserve extra thought in trade publishing.
Covers. A cartoon on the cover needs a custom license, because our standard license covers use inside the book only. Using a cartoon on a book cover (coming soon) explains what we need.
Promotion. Trade books are usually marketed actively, and a good cartoon is tempting to reuse. Using it in social posts or ads is a separate use from the book itself. See promoting your book with a cartoon (coming soon) for how that works.
Edited Collections and Textbooks
Edited volumes appear among both trade and academic books, and they add a layer, because several contributors may each want a cartoon. Agree at the start whether each contributor licenses their own or the editor licenses them all, since licenses can’t be transferred afterward.
If your book is a textbook with workbooks, teacher materials or digital components, ask us about our publication and product family license. It covers print, ebook, web and related derivative works for the life of that edition, and relicensing images for a new edition or reprint (coming soon) explains how it works. Publishers comparing sectors will find more in how cartoon licensing differs across publishing sectors (coming soon).
The Bottom Line
Trade and academic books license cartoons the same way. For academic titles, focus on small print runs, worldwide territory and who is clearing. For trade titles, check the band, and plan early if you want a cartoon on the cover or in your marketing. CartoonStock licenses cartoons for both, from more than 750,000 cartoons by over 1,000 cartoonists.
Licensing cartoons for publishing · Ask us about your book
Q&A: Cartoons in Trade and Academic Books
Q: My chapter analyzes the cartoon in detail. Does it still need a license?
A: Yes. If the cartoon appears on the page, it needs a license, whatever your text does with it.
Q: My academic book will be open access. How do I count copies?
A: Count your expected downloads alongside any printed copies, and choose worldwide territory, since the ebook will be available everywhere.
Q: Can you help me find a cartoon on a specific academic subject?
A: Yes. Email us with what you’re looking for, and be specific about the point the cartoon has to make. That usually matters more than what appears in the drawing.
Keep Reading
Questions to ask before licensing a cartoon (coming soon)
Related Posts
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- Do I need permission to use a cartoon in my book, and what happens if I don’t? (coming soon)
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- Using cartoons in a self-published book (coming soon)
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- Filling in your publisher’s permissions log (coming soon)