A Kettle of Fish - Card Updates

[Pheebs]

Talk about one extreme to another! Like a blooming roller coaster in this house today!

Some of you may have heard me rambling on about "Maggy" at Ignition Licensing (they license Juicy Lucy!) Well, I left a message with her on Friday and have just received this email:

Hi Clare,
Morning - hope all is well with you? Thank you for your message - funny
really as I tried to call you Thursday evening on my way home, but
didn't have your mobile number on me. Obviously great minds!

I have been frantically busy this last 6 weeks - having two new clients
on board has meant much extra work and the trade fairs were positively
busy. So, I just haven't had the time to devote to anything else.

I do like your work but as we have discussed before this type of
creative needs a very different approach in terms of licensing. I am
about to start seeing a whole load of greeting card companies with my
other two new brands (neither of which is competitive to yours by the
way) and I will also be going to two books fairs over the next month.
I have also had a couple of mobile enquiries and I think Kettle of Fish
could work well in this category.
What I would like to suggest therefore is the following:

In the greetings, social stationery and publishing categories, where I
am talking to relevant manufacturers I will present your work as a
quirky new social expressions design license. The very least is that
you will get feedback and (hopefully helpful) comments and the very
best is that you will find a publisher and licensee in these categories.

With reference to terms, I thought we had discussed the commission
before, but I cannot find any record of me putting anything in writing.
We would look to a commission of 50% on any deals negotiated, any of
which are subject to your approval. Should a deal go ahead, Ignition
would look after all the paperwork and funnel through approvals to you.
Any deal and all product development are subject to your approval. At
the moment I would not expect to be your exclusive agent (although I
would hope you would see us as your exclusive agency partner in spirit
for now). However, you are still free to make direct contact with
manufacturers/partners. Please just keep me in the loop and I of course
will do the same thing with you. If Ignition starts to negotiate
deals, then I suggest we put the relationship on a more formal footing
and I can issue you with an Agency Agreement. Let's review either
way after New York Licensing show in mid June. In terms of royalties, I
would expect to be able to generate 5-8% royalties depending on
category and company. Please don't expect more until the brand is better known.

I couldn't begin to forecast anything for now as it is a bit of a
"finger in the wind job". Let's see what feedback we get from
companies.

If you are happy to work in this slightly ad hoc way to start with, I
will need a link into your new site and a PDF file of a good selection
of latest a/w which I can send through to companies for their
reference.
PDF's are safest because the creative cannot be re-worked. Please make
sure it clearly states the Kettle of Fish copyright! I also have the
presenter which is fine. Any further information about yourself and
the brand, your objectives, ambitions and background to the Kettle of
Fish would be great.

I am not in the office much today, but do try getting hold of me
tomorrow, or alternatively, drop me an email.
Many thanks and best wishes,
Maggy

EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE *pop*


This is _good_ news. VERY good news in fact! I know it's a high commission rate BUT due to A Kettle of Fish being completely new to the market then I can't complain at all!

I will speak to her tomorrow about it all because I'm curious to know who she has spoken to and confirm whether or not she will be taking my stuff to the exhibitions (she's pretty much said to me she will which is so exciting)

I feel far too excited. I don't know what will happen - if anything - but I stand a hell of a better chance at anything now I have Maggy on my side!

HOOOOOOO RAH!

*kicks £300 garden table people in the Nads*