Part of our guide to licensing cartoons as an author (coming soon)
What questions should you ask before licensing a cartoon for your book? Nine, and most take a minute to answer. At CartoonStock these are the details every license is built on. Work through them first and you’ll license the right cartoon, at the right size, first time.
1. Who Is Licensing It?
Decide whether you, your publisher or a picture researcher holds the license. Licenses can’t be transferred afterward, so settle this before anyone buys. Who handles image permissions, the author or the publisher? (coming soon) walks through each option.
2. How Many Copies Will There Be?
Add your expected printed copies to your expected ebook downloads, over the whole life of the book. That total sets your print run band. If you sell more later, you pay only the difference to move up. Which license size to choose when you don’t know your print run (coming soon) explains how to count.
3. Where Will the Book Sell?
Licenses cover either worldwide or everywhere outside the US and Canada. If the book will sell or be downloaded in the US or Canada at any point, choose worldwide. An online store open to buyers there counts. Territory rights for publishing (coming soon) explains the two options.
4. Which Formats?
A print license covers the ebook when it carries the same content in the same context. If you’re starting with an ebook only, say so, because an ebook license won’t stretch to print later.
5. Where Does the Cartoon Go?
A standard license covers the cartoon inside the book at less than half a page. A cartoon on the cover needs a custom license, so ask us before you license a cartoon for the front. Using a cartoon on a book cover (coming soon) explains the process.
6. Will Anything Change?
The caption font can change to suit your layout. Cropping, recoloring, adding text or combining the cartoon with other artwork all need our written agreement first. If your design depends on a change, ask us before you license a cartoon, not after.
7. Will There Be a Translation or a New Edition?
A translated caption changes the cartoon, so send us the translation for approval. Literal translations are accepted, and if the meaning shifts, we consult the artist. Licensing cartoons for translations and co-editions (coming soon) has the detail.
A new edition needs a new license for every cartoon you keep, while a reprint inside your band needs nothing further. Relicensing images for a new edition or reprint (coming soon) explains the difference.
8. How Will You Credit It?
Every licensed cartoon needs the credit www.CartoonStock.com in the immediate vicinity of the cartoon. Plan space for it in the layout. How to credit a licensed cartoon in a book (coming soon) has examples.
9. Will You Use It to Promote the Book?
Social posts, website pages, newsletters and adverts are separate uses from the book, so they need their own license. Decide now and license them together. Can I use the cartoon when promoting my book? (coming soon) covers the options.
Keep the Answers
Once you’ve worked through these questions, ask us about anything they don’t cover before licensing, then write the answers down next to the cartoon ID. That record, plus the license PDF you receive at checkout, covers everything your publisher’s permissions log (coming soon) asks for, and it makes every future edition simpler.
The Bottom Line
There are nine questions to ask before licensing a cartoon: who’s licensing, how many copies, where it sells, which formats, where it sits, whether it changes, whether there’s a translation or new edition, how you’ll credit it and whether you’ll promote with it. Send us those answers with the cartoon ID and we’ll get the license right first time. CartoonStock holds more than 750,000 cartoons by over 1,000 cartoonists, and every license pays the cartoonist.
Licensing cartoons for publishing · Ask us about your book
Q&A: Questions to Ask Before Licensing
Q: I don’t know all the answers yet. Should I wait?
A: No. License on your best estimate. If the print run grows, tell us and pay the difference. For covers, changes or translations, ask us first.
Q: Can you help me choose a cartoon?
A: Yes. Email us with the point the cartoon has to make, not just what it should show. The emphasis of the joke usually matters more than the drawing.
Q: Can I see the cartoon without a watermark before I decide?
A: No. Previews carry a watermark, and the clean, high-resolution file arrives once the cartoon is licensed.
Keep Reading
Do I need permission to use a cartoon in my book, and what happens if I don’t? (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)