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Member only guide to the Australian book industry.
We publish benchmarks on recommended rates of pay for writers and illustrators because fair remuneration is vital.
When festivals, schools, journals and other organisations agree to a fair rate of pay, they make it possible for creators to make a living. We’ve created these benchmarks by consulting with industry organisations, individuals, authors and illustrators.
All rates exclude GST
Show me the rates for:
Book Illustrations
The following rates are based on A4-size projects. Rates can be increased depending on detail required, research involved and conceptual input required. For ‘one-off’ or single illustrations paid on a flat fee without royalties add 20 per cent; for online usage, a limited time agreement of a maximum of two years and an indication of the type of access should be specified.
Black and white
$71
Colour
$103
Quarter page or chapter head
$231
Half page
$366
Full page
$490
Double page spread
$619
$323
$512
$728
$969
Cover
$1,400
Book Illustration rates were reviewed and updated in December 2020. We are commencing our review which should be complete by September 2024.
As we will every year, a WPI increase has been applied (July 2024.) We appreciate it may take organisations a budget cycle to update their own rates.
ASA Guidelines to Comics Rates and Conditions
NB: This is a general summary only and not intended as financial advice. They are intended as a minimum & creators are encouraged to negotiate the best deal that can be achieved. Inevitably rates will need to be tailored to your individual circumstances.
Contact the ASA on 02 9211 1004 or email [email protected] if you have any queries regarding this information.
We encourage you to read the Australia Council for Arts report – Graphic Storytellers at Work which includes a section on making a living as a graphic storyteller.
Concept sketches /Storyboards
B & W: $59-$71 per piece
Colour: $91-$107 per piece
These rates can be used when artists are employed only to produce concept art or model sheets for a project
Thumbnails / Roughs / Layouts (Comics page / panel)
$37-$54
Layout artists can be attached to a project to work exclusively on storyboards (rough sketches in a panel layout usually on an A5 page). The panel layout artist focuses on design of panel points-of-view on each page, using the script as a guide.
Pencilling (traditional or digital media)
$107-$215 per page
Applies to clean pencilled artwork
Inking or Line Art
$80-$161
Includes shading
Colouring (digital colouring)
$107-$161 per page
Covers (digital): $310 per cover – two pages
Painting (traditional media)
$215-$375 per page
Covers (traditional media): $536-$1071 per cover
Flatter
$18.00 per page
A flatter is a colouring specialist that prepares the inked or sketched comic book page for the colourist with digital art software such as Adobe Photoshop.
Lettering (Traditional or digital media)
$37-$54 per page
This job involves creating print-ready caption boxes, sound effects, thought and speech balloons and titles.
Writing (story and script)
$80-$107 per page
Writing involves creating the story outline, page breakdowns and script.
Cartoon / comic strip (print and webcomic)
$161-$208 spot cartoon or comic strip
For additional cartoon/comic strips rates, please consult the recommended rates at Australian Cartoonists Association Professional Rates, November 2020.
Zines
$54-$80 per page
Zines are low-circulation self-published mini-comics or mini-magazines using original or appropriated text and images, which can include sequential art (comics content). They can be hand-made or digitally produced and are usually photocopied.
Convention sketches
Up to individual artist
We recommend artists charge for convention sketches, as some recipients collect free sketches then trade them for profit (e.g. sell them online). Make sure all pieces are signed and dated. For more information and tips on pricing convention sketches, check out this article by Julie Ditrich, 2014
Original finished comics pages for sale (pencilled, inked and/or coloured)
We recommend artists rank their pages in the following groups: Covers and A, B and C pages and work out rates on a descending scale according to grouping, popularity of the published work and reputation of the artist. Make sure all pieces are signed and dated. For digital files, Non-Fungible Tokens (NFT’s) are usually sold via auction through an agency. Beware of any agency charging greater than a 20% fee and seek further professional advice.
Commissioned artwork (one character piece or landscape or object sourced from comics properties)
For artwork rates, please see the ASA’s Book Illustration rates or the National Association for the Visual Arts Practitioner Rates
Editing / Script Assessment
$59-$80 per hour or $17-$27 per page
Increase rates by 20% or more if doing a written script assessment. Refer to the Institute of Professional Editors for more editing rates and advice.
Project Management / Mentoring / Consultancy
$155 per hour
Consultancy can include talent scouting
Comics rates were reviewed and updated in August 2023. The next review and update will take place in January 2025.
Freelance Writing
Freelance rates of pay vary considerably, depending on a variety of factors including the type of organisation commissioning the work and the level of experience of the writer.
Please note that these rates are applicable to short-term, one-off freelance writing projects only. They are not intended as a benchmark for sustained periods of independent writing.
The below rates are estimates only and do not seek to represent actual market conditions – some commissioning editors may be able to offer more than this and some may offer significantly less.
MEAA recommends the below rates:
Per day
$1104
Per half day
$736 (2/3 day rate)
Per hour
$277
1000 words or more
$1123 then $1.03 per word.
For current market rates, check out RATE TRACKER on MEAA’s website. This rate tracker has real data updated by freelancers based on their own experience of who pays what.
Freelance Writing rates were reviewed and updated in December 2021. The next review and update will take place in December 2024.
Poetry
Poetry rates of pay depend on factors such as how the poem was initiated, where it appears and if a reading takes place.
Refer to the categories and relevant recommended rates below:
Journals
For submissions to poetry or literary journals.
$63 – $135 per poem
Print and/or digital
Print (excluding journals)
For example, inclusion in an anthology of poetry in print/digital
Up to $447 flat fee for a maximum of 135 lines
$520 – $832 flat fee for a suite of poems regardless of length
Commissioned
$312 regardless of length where the poem is commissioned for publication/reading but does not include any other activities.
$520 regardless of length where the poem is commissioned for publication reading and also includes a reflection (feedback), prompt (what inspired the poem), and video and audio recording.
For corporate partner commission, up to $1,040
Readings
Rates are variable depending on the following: emerging poet/published poet, online reading/face to face reading, live reading/pre-recorded reading, recording/no recording, print/no print, length of time of reading.
Recommended range: $104 – $239
For example, a pre-recorded, online, 10-minute reading by a published poet where the poem isn’t shared exclusively in print would attract a rate of the low end of the range, perhaps around $104
Festivals
Rates for festival appearances depend on a number of variables such as: emerging poet/published poet, online appearance/face to face appearance, live appearance/pre-recorded appearance, recording/no recording, print/no print, length of time of reading and if part of a panel.
Recommended range: $101 – $780
$104-$208 is a basic reading fee, $101 being for a single poem; then $208-$780 being for extra responsibility/time/preparation etc.
Education
Rates for a school appearance depend on a number of variables such as: emerging poet/published poet, online appearance/face to face appearance, live appearance/pre-recorded appearance, recording/no recording, print/no print, length of time of presentation and if it’s a workshop taking considerable preparation time.
See school appearances.
NB – A poet is considered emerging when they are unpublished, have 1 collection or less and/or have less than 5 years of experience doing workshops, performances running a professional practice.
Poetry rates were reviewed and updated in December 2021. The next review and update will take place in December 2024.
Public Appearances
Based on consultation with festivals, libraries and authors, as well as recent survey results, the recommended rates of pay for non-school public appearances such as festivals, libraries, clubs, community groups are:
These cover all types of appearances including virtual/online presentations.
In conversation appearances (1hr or less)
$325 as interviewee/subject $488 as curator/interviewer
Recommended fee for a 1:1 appearance includes live streaming of the appearance and recordings made public for an agreed period of time.
Panel appearances for 1hr or less
$249 for panellists$488 (chairperson)
Recommended fee includes live streaming of the appearance and recordings made public for an agreed period of time.
Workshops/One-off presentations
$389 1 hour$650 Half day$975 Full day
Workshops take considerable preparation time and include authors’ intellectual property. If a recording of the workshop is continually made available online, the ability of an author to book future income producing workshops may be undermined. Therefore, we recommend authors negotiate an additional fee for recordings based on the length of time the recording is made available. For example:- an additional 10% on top of the appearance rate for each week the recording is available.
Podcasts or permanently available audio/visual recordings
Increasingly, live appearances are subsequently made available as podcasts. In this instance, we recommend the presenter be paid an additional 20% on top of the appearance fee for the podcast or recording to be publicly available indefinitely.
Keynote (1 hour)
$1625 +
The flat rate will depend on the presenter’s speaking experience. An additional rate is recommended for recordings made public and podcasts. See Podcasts.
The ASA recommends rates of pay for public appearances, strongly believing authors must be fairly compensated. Organisers of festivals and events wanting to employ authors should have viable business plans that allow for proper fees. This includes fees for keynote speakers, featured authors or authors and moderators on panels, who spend many hours in preparation time. When smaller and/or volunteer run organisations struggle to afford the rates, authors can assess the fairness of rates offered, taking into account the size of the event, other inclusions offered and the personal benefits of appearing.
Public Appearance rates were reviewed and updated in July 2021. We are commencing our review, which should be complete by October 2024.
Primary and Secondary School Appearances and Workshops
These minimum rates of pay are designed for established, professional, freelance authors covering their own sick pay, holiday pay and superannuation. They include preparation and, appearance time, as well as travel to and from the venue but not extended regional or inter-state travel.
As with all such recommended rates of pay, the location and size of the school, your need for the work and your level of skill and experience will all play a part in the way in which you negotiate these rates. Highly experienced and skilled presenters may charge higher fees.
Please note that authors visiting schools must check if they are required to have a current Working with Children check and their own Public Liability Insurance.
The following rates are for virtual (online) appearances at primary and secondary schools. They are a guide only. They are subject to negotiation on a case by case, needs basis and may be tailored to fit the school brief and budget, and experience of the author / illustrator. All rates are ex-GST.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, we anticipate rapid development of online initiatives. These rates will be subject to continuous review as further feedback is obtained and strategies for remote learning develop.
1. Virtual Talks/Presentations – (live)
The following rates assume a virtual live presentation by an author / illustrator (the presenter) on the following conditions:
Recommended rates
1 x 60 minute session: $325
Add a 2nd session on the same day total: $460
Add a 3rd session on the same day total: $677
Size of student group
Recordings of Presentation
2. Online Workshops – (live)
The following rates assume an online live workshop by an author / illustrator (the presenter) on the following conditions:
Recommended rates:
1 x 60 minute session: $352
Add a 2nd session on the same day: total $488
Add a 3rd session on the same day: total $705
3. Pre-recorded Talk/Presentation
The following rates assume a pre-recorded presentation by an author / illustrator (the presenter) on the following conditions:
Recommended Rates
Single access to file: $303
Single School Session – presentation or workshop
$352 – 1 x 60 minutes
$433 – 1 x 90 minutes
Audience for presentations to be no more than 110 students.* Surcharge of $104 for every 50 students in excess of 110
Extended workshops/presentation incur a surcharge.
Workshops are for class-size groups.
Half-day
$488 – 2 x 60 minutes
These sessions are to be consecutive or with no more than a one-hour break between sessions. They must not be timetabled at either end of the school day.
Full-day
$705 – 3 x 60 minutes
$705 – 4 x 45 minutes
180 minutes of contact time
Extended Day – additional hourly rate
$195 Per hour (only if in addition to full day rate)
To be negotiated by author
Weekly Writer Residencies
To be negotiated by the author.
Rates vary widely depending on the preparation involved and level of customisation required in the sessions.
Extended travel
$65 Per hour in excess of 1 hour for a one-way trip
Fee covers petrol and extended travel time.
Travel & Accommodation – working away from home **
Full travel costs and accommodation should be provided. In addition, a minimum per diem of $81 per day should be paid to the author to cover food and incidentals.
*Please note that for children in K to Yr3, audience sizes need to be smaller and the session times shorter.
** Please go to the Australian Tax Office site if you would like more information on travel related expenses. https://www.ato.gov.au
School Appearance rates were reviewed and updated in April 2021. The next review will take place in September 2024.
