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*

[Zirax]

Before you jump in, can you contact Juicy Lucy and ask what the commission rate is for them? Maybe its me, but 50% seems like a real kick in the nether region. I don't know, if _that_ much commission the norm?

[BBx]

Thats really good news Pheebs

Hopefully you will be able to get some good feedback and get up a few more rungs.

Fingers crossed it all goes well - so proud of you and the progress you are making

*mwah!*

BB x

[Haly]

That's fantastic news
Congratulations Good luck with how it goes, I'm sure you'll excel You rock

[Pheebs]

Thank you people!

As for commission - the reason why it's so steep at the moment is because my cards haven't been on the market at all... therefore it's a huge risk to take to strike up deals as if they flop... they're in the poo poo!

I'm going to call up Maggy in the next 20mins and speak through some details with her - I remember when discussing monies prior she said that it would only be a 6 month - a year contract I would be drawn into so after that we could re-negotiate figures if my cards were to do supremely well!

For such a large cut and a much more of a mahooooooooosive chance to get into the industry limelight... then I'm willing to sacrifice that amount for a few months

*very excited* tis all good news

[petemc]

In the art world London based galleries take 50% and the gallery I work with in Liverpool takes 40%. It does sound bad but its fairly normal so you're not getting screwed or anything. Best of luck with it

[Garp]

Good luck hun!

[Pheebs]

Thanks petemc!

Just spoken to Maggy and I have to do as she's said pdf wise and also plonk together a bit about who I am, the ethos behind the works and so on and thheeeeeeen... she's going to send them off to a load of companies. She will also plonk them in another portfolio and take them to a number of exhibitions (book exhibitions and art and design) and see what interest is generated. Already one or two companies have asked to see my work though which is kinda nice!

Overall though... she didn't sound very positive (as in... she was very much "I don't know whether this will take off or not as it's a hard industry to get into" plus she thinks it's very bubblegum-esque) but all the same she's going to try. I don't know if that's speel or what but I am going to take it as proper because there's no use getting massive amounts of hope up on something that mightn't happen! Just glad I have more of a fighting chance now!

I mightn't hear from her for a couple of weeks though as she is bogged down but as soon as anything does come through she will let me know straight away.

So YAY but *nervous*. Hoping it works so much. Worth a shot really

[petemc]

I'd be wary of her if she was just like "This is great, fantastic and I'll get back to you." It sounds like she's being a bit more honest. As you say, worth a shot

[Zirax]

Well it is good news. It's not an industry I know about, but purely looking in it seemed high. Granted to get the visability yeah its worth it.