You’re right that writers, for instance, do work on spec all the time. BUT spec for writers and spec in the illustration/design world are completely and totally different. When a writer writes an article or book on spec and then sends it out to potential buyers, if those buyers turn it down the writer still owns 100% of his work. The publisher turned it down and that’s the end: the work comes back to the writer and he can do whatever he wants to next with it. There are rarely any illustration/design spec “jobs” where this is the case. If you look at most any spec competition or RFSs, all that I’ve ever seen say you relinquish all future rights in perpetuity EVEN IF you do not “win.” So the promoter can keep your work and use it for whatever profit they want, forever, without compensating or even crediting the artist. For a publisher or magazine to do the same upon turning down a spec manuscript is unheard of.

I am not familiar with how music companies do it, but I’d be very surprised to learn that anyone who submits a demo tape gives up all rights to that music.

There’s nothing wrong artists creating art and then trying to sell it. But giving up their ownership to companies who did NOT buy it but merely looked is a smarmy underhanded practice that must be stopped.

I think this reveals how deeply you misunderstand the concept of spec work.

A portfolio does not have to be generated from “working” relationships. Mine is almost 100% comprised of projects that interest me personally, not work I’ve done prior (that’s what a resume is for).

Furthermore, many artists, designers and writers routinely work for free John Scalzi being an excellent of the lattermost.

The difference is, there is no expectation that he will do so for credit, for a prize, or for any other benefit other than it amuses him to do so.

The expectation of sites like Pixish is substantially different. They expect you will work for free, in exchange for a largely worthless gratuity of “credit” or a “prize.” If, that is, your work “wins.”

What happens if that amateur is talented and looking for a break? We all have to start somewhere.

Spec work is a fact of life for creative people. Unpublished writers write entire books without a contract, then send them to publishers. Young filmmakers produce short films to show to studios. Freelance writers write articles, then send them to magazines to try and sell them. Musicians record demos. Artists create their art, THEN try to sell it.

The key point is that, while most people need to do some pro bono or spec work to get a portfolio going and start getting work, professionals can’t survive on it.

Truly talented people - as well as those with a good business brain - will be the ones who make a career of it. People who aren’t good will have to scratch around with the good amateurs and newbies looking to make a name for themselves.

As a freelance writer, I face more competition than designers, as everyone can write - or thinks they can. Yet I earn a living and don’t worry about ads on Craigslist or bloggers picking up the odd paid bit of work. I accept that there are different scales of clients. Small businesses will not pay good rates for writing work when they can get it cheaper. The key is to cultivate good, long-term clients and personal relationships with large businesses.

And I started out by writing for free. This whole No-Spec idea is flawed. Designers and writers MUST do spec work to get started because you can’t get work until you have a body of work to show!

While it’s generally an IT rag, I regularly read The Register for its coverage of technologies and software pertinent to my work in illustration and design. One issue they like to drive home again and again is that of “user-generated content”, such as ad agencies’ use of sites like Flickr to lift fotos for use without pay — let alone credit — in major national and international ad campaigns (see the recent brouhaha over stolen/uncredited fotos in a T-Mobile campaign). The Register’s reporters in this context, with brutal honesty, have referred to this whole “user-generated content” situation with Web 2.0 as “Sweatshop 2.0″, and rightly so.

Thank Dog the Web 2.0 bubble is, apparently, finally about to burst.

regardless of whether or not the artist retains the rights to their work, what’s to stop a client from telling the winning artist to incorporate some of the other themes they’ve been privy to? or does Powazek truly believe that a client will take whatever they’re given without question?

All he did was clarify that Pixish is a site offering clients a place to go where they don’t have to pay for all the work created for their projects.

Where the illustrators and photographers joining in, are creating new work on the speculation of a return

What does that sound like to you?

Pixish, Spec Work, and Graggers

“Also note that the power relationship has changed. Clients aren’t taking advantage of designers in secret.”

So instead, they are taking advantage in public?

And he’s STILL insisting that creating new illustrations and photography for clients is not working on spec, while creating new designs is.

How is that?

Yes, it’s the classic spec contest model. Sad.

Interesting qualifications (from their web site):

RESTRICTIONS: All entries become the property of the Los Angeles Times Media Group, who will have the irrevocable right to use the entries for any purpose in any medium in perpetuity. Entrants waive any claims for ownership, royalty, right or remuneration for use of their contest entries. Entrants also agree to allow use of their names, voices, photographs, likenesses, and contest entries in any medium for advertising and promotional purposes in connection with this contest.

Which means win or lose you give up all rights to your work product.

Oh dear … it’s so classic.

Attention All Graphic Designers!
Reply to: (see message body)
Date: 2008-02-14, 9:10AM

You’re invited to submit your logo designs and concepts for the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books’ new comics and graphic novels area, “THE COMIX STRIP”.

No pay, but logo artist will receive credit any time logo is used in advertising, signage, or other collateral.
For more details, visit http://www.thecomixstrip.com