I Am Recruiting An Artist/Illustrator

Here's the story:  I created a book that I called, "Kid's Coloring Calendar 2014" using free clip art and templates that I found in Microsoft Office.  When the book started to sell I decided to double check the copyright status on the artwork.  It is really nice art and it was hard to believe it was free.

After some research I found that the art came from EducationWorld.com. The Education World website offered the same calendar template on their website, but it includes a copyright statement on each page.  That copyright is removed on the version that is offered through Microsoft Office.  When I contacted Education World they indicated that yes, the artwork can be copied and used in education settings, but it cannot be sold for a profit.  They were unaware of the templates being offered in Microsoft Word.  Microsoft indicates they started offering the templates in Office '97, and the Education World representative was not with the company back then.

I am confident that the calender I made was put together using artwork offered in the public domain with no copyright restrictions.  But I have chosen to respect the copyright of Education World.  I personally detest copyright infringement.  I immediately ceased all sales on my printed version of the Kid's Coloring Calendar and I now offer it as a free download.

Artist Recruitment

I am now recruiting an artist to help me create a new Kid's Coloring Calendar.  I am looking for someone who can make traditional coloring pages that are themed to match the seasons. Compensation will have to be negotiated.  I am willing to offer a commission on sales or a flat rate.  However, I have a small budget and this is not expected to be a large revenue stream.  The greatest reward may be seeing your art in print and hoping that it may become popular.

I operate a small family owned publishing company that currently has 11 titles in print, with more on the way. We are exploring the possibilities for several theme based and purpose driven coloring books.  This book may be the first in a series of children's books that we publish.  The artist selected to work on this project may be asked to collaborate on future for-profit projects.

If you would like to find out more about this recruitment, leave a message here or email me at Jim@StirlingBuilder.com.  I suggest you download a copy of the current project to see what the art looks like that I am replacing.