"The better we all are at defending ourselves, the less we'll have to do it." So ends the introduction to Raymond Biesinger's new book. But what is the author urging we defend ourselves against, you ask - being ripped off, that's what. Not getting paid, chasing down payments, being imitated, not getting credited, not sticking to what was agreed - in plain terms, getting royally ripped off!
Biesinger is a well-known and respected illustrator with over 20 years of experience, and with big hitters such as the New Yorker on his client list. From his early days of chasing down $50 for a poster design so he could pay his rent, to confronting a government agency for stylistic theft - Biesinger has had to deal, as a lot of creatives do, with financial and creative exploitation. He is, however, definitely not the lie down and take it kind of illustrator, and this book is full of his personal experiences (9 of them), as well as his processes, techniques and tips for dealing with being ripped off.
Illustrated throughout and written in an approachable and often very witty manner ("Yes, I am vain enough to set up a Google alert for my own name"), this 'informal self-defence guide for independent creatives' is an indispensable book for everyone working within the creative industries, whether hard-nosed professional to green-horned newbie.
Size: 178 x 123mm (softback)
Pages: 200 (b/w illustrations throughout)
Publisher: Drawn & Quarterly
