Here are some questions that have been emailed in and posted in place. Hopefully this helps answer questions that may possibly be frequently asked!
When is the last day for submissions?
We are currently only accepting entries for the online gallery, and for archival sake in the case that there are future books. For more information, see below. Originally, the due date was March 18th, 2007. The deadline for the book has now been extended to March 31st. The Kissybook website however, will continue to collect and host kissy pictures as a fun internet project archive :)
When artists submit to Kissybook, can we write our name and website on our submission for the advertising benefit?
If you are filling in that information on the submit form, it will be added that onto the image (following a specific design convention). So just fill that out, with your real name or the name you want on your entry, and it will be done for you. All your work of course, will be credited to you. Unfortunately, this is the only compensation currently available to all donating artists, I'm sorry!
Can I send in more than one submission?
Of course! It doesn't increase your chances of getting in the book, as I don't plan on putting in more than one entry from each artist, however all of the drawings will be archived online. This way it won't make it unfair to other people who only sent in one submission, though artists are free to try out more than one concept.
I have drawn two pictures / I have collaborated on two images with a friend. Can we both be beside each other?
Er, sometimes, I guess? They'll both be on the website, and if both of you are printed in the book, your images will have a chance at being paired up, even if it's not guaranteed. It might be a rare chance, considering that the way the book is meant to be "read" is non-linear, and the images in the gallery show up randomly, so please keep this in consideration.
I can't put in published work. Does "published" include personal websites, forums and online galleries (like DeviantArt)?
Yeah, kinda. This is to discourage the use of unoriginal work, that's all. It is to avoid legal troubles (just in case) because I just want to be absolutely sure that people are not ganking or stealing other people's drawings and submitting them to me. You can, however, after you submit your entry, put up your original drawing wherever you'd like. That way, if someone does indeed steal your marvelous entry, I will have a double and catch them in the act!
I've finished my entry and I want to show my work. I'll even link you.
That'd be great! Once the work is completed, you can 'publish' it anywhere, online or in print, because it is your artwork and Kissybook claims no right over it other than to be able to include it on the website, or even better, in the book :)
My entry is in the gallery and it looks kind of screwed up?? What happened and can I fix it?
Kissybook entries, upon reception, go through a batched process of cropping and getting names added for the online galleries. Sometimes, when the template requirements are a bit off, parts of the image will get cut-off in unexpected ways, or the kiss area does not line up. Text and symbols will not get flipped properly, etc etc.
If these things bother you,
please send me an email letting me know of the revisions you would like to see done. If it is a minor detail, sometimes I can just fix it myself, but due to the volume of entries I cannot always double-check every single one. If you would rather do the changes yourself, then GREAT!
Shoot me and email and we can arrange transport of the files, and I will replace the online file with your new, revised one.
I reeeeeaaaalllly wanna get published.
Kissybook is ideally going to include the most marketable and original entries, but maintain a varied look. The judging of this is pretty subjective, I know, but the gallery is available for perusing if you want to see what other people have drawn. I guess I am looking for interesting concepts of identity as well as unique uses of colour, composition, and space. Most of all I am looking for submissions that fit the proper printing requirements (ie 8.5 x 8.5 inches, at least 400 DPI) --
if the entry is brilliant but is in a low-quality format, I just can't print it
:\ Watch your specs, people!
I sent my entry in time for the first deadline, March 18th.
Thank you so much! Without you, the project would never have mobilized the way it has. We greatly appreciate you efforts, and for this we'd like to offer you some private perks! If you have not received an email about it,
please give me a shout.
Oh no! I can't open the templates!
Oh no! Are you trying to open the printable ones? They are pretty huge files, you have to right-click and save them to your computer first. Perhaps try printing out a lower-resolution version of the template? If that doesn't work, go analog and meaure out the lines yourself, with a ruler?
Does the subject have to be drawn in profile or can she/he be in an angle (as long as the lips are positioned correctly)?
Everything is fine, as long as the lips are in the right place and the subject looks more or less like they are actively participating in the kiss. Kissybook entrants are encouraged to twist the rules. Please remember and watch where the bleed areas are though! You don't want your character's lips to be cut off, nor too far away from the edge that they are kissing air.
I'm primarily a traditional artist, and work mostly with traditional media. However, since one of the submission rules is to use only the color palette shown, does this mean all of the submissions must be art that is colored digitally? I could always make an attempt to replicate the palette non-digitally, or else adjust the hues later in Photoshop, but using traditional media means there's no promise of being able to get it to match up.
That's perfectly okay! The colour palette is not there for any specific technical printing reasons, it's just to ensure that everything matches up visually. Trying to replicate the palette with your chosen medium works just fine for this intent, so long as it is later scanned. Digital files in this case are also just being used for information transport, to try to get a more international feel for the project, but traditional media entries are not to be discouraged! Keep in mind that the colours may get adjusted later for printing, as some of the colours might become duller in translation, but with a few mixed media entries Kissybook can only get richer in diversity.
Can I use a little bit of (insert colour here)?
Technically artists are allowed to mix the colours in the palette, therefore any combination of those colours is allowed. For instance you can mix black or white into any of the other colours to create every tone you can get out of them, or even mix black and white to get grey, mix green and magenta to make whatever that is, etc. So as long as it's a combination of the palette colours it's good, though we ask that the palette colours are mostly predominant.
What about tints and shades of the different colours?
Yes, totally! Since black and white are in the pallette, and when you mix black or white with the other colours you get tints and shades. Ha ha!
I am a Photo major!
Well, the definition of 'illustration' is loose at best. While we probably won't accept fully traditional-looking photographic submissions, collage-type entries are totally okay.
Can I use a painted style on my submission? or does it have to be clean ink and color?
Totally, you can! Do it! Mix the colours as much as you want, but try to make sure that the only colours you are sampling are the ones in the specified colour palette, so that your work is unified with the rest of the submissions.
What if I can't work/scan/output in high-resolution? or only want to make a web submission, not one for the printed book?
If you can't send in a high-resolution file, unfortuantely we cannot print your entry in the book, the file will not be high quality enough. However if it is only for the website, low-res is fine! Just make sure your file is not smaller than 600px by 600px at 72 PPI..
If I put up my free time to do a freebie piece of art for your Project, at least I shouldn't have to buy a copy.... C'MON!!!!
Well yes, it is a 'free' piece of art, and artists are not receiving any other compensation. However it is stated on many parts of the website that Kissybook is a community project based on equal donation work. As the curating publisher, I too am donating my own time and money to set up this whole project. Sure, I guess I am sort of getting graded for this, but in my opinion the project has grown larger than that, and way more work than a regular school assignment. I am willing to donate the time to put together this website and the book, and then basically paying upfront for an uncertain amount of books (which is a HUGE financial sink for a student) as well as not making any money off of this. While Kissybook uses a commercial-type process in order to get done, it is not a commercial venture. It does not make me happy to not be able to give anything back to the other artists other than a bit of promotion, but unless there is enough pre-orders and widespread commercial interest in Kissybook I cannot promise the artists something I cannot provide them. If I theoretically end up printing only 200 books at like $10 apiece, but there are 50 artists (which is around what I would like), that is $2000 in printing, $500 (1/4 of the total profit!) of which I am not getting back, including website hosting fees and other miscellaneous expenses that don't even pertain to printing! If you would rather not put out the time to do something for a fun project, then that is your choice, but thems the breaks.
So it's not possible AT ALL to get a free copy, as an artist? It's a bare, stinkin' minimum.
There is a slim chance. Say Kissybook is picked up by an actual publisher, or picks up enough momentum so that the amount of estimated books is high enough that the production price is significantly cheaper, this artists can get a free copy. If instead of 200 books, I end printing 1000+ books, it won't be as much of a risk or giveaway to print 50 or 100 extra books because the price of each individual book is way cheaper. This is why promotion for the project is so incredibly crucial at this stage, a feat I can't do alone. So, if Kissybook is hailed and lauded and paraded around enough, perhaps yes, artists can get a free copy. I'm not trying to earn pity here or guilt anybody, but the reality is that I'm a student, it is a full-colour book, and a crazy endeavour. (@_@
How do preorders work?
For now preorders are non-committal. There is not a price set yet. Basically it is more like an email list, and when Kissybook is out I'll email everyone with updated information. It's also a way for me to keep track of Kissybook's popularity and give me an idea of how many books to print: the more preorders there are, the more I'll print, and the cheaper it becomes for you! People who pre-order early can later get a special promotion price on the book too!
Where does my donation go?
It goes to miscellaneous expenses such a promotional items and website fees, and if there's enough, into printing costs.
Oh no I missed both deadlines!!! Are you going to be making a second book?
I really can't say at this point. As much as I would like to make more (possibly thicker? themed? more professional?) books, it depends on how on the popularity of the first book, the production, how it sells, etc. A large factor is also my availability during my next and final year of schooling!!! It is a lot of work for one person. Perhaps if more people would like to get involved with the project, it could become something big, but right now I should probably be focusing mainly on the creation of the first book, hehe...
Aw shoot. But I made an entry, what am I supposed to do with it now?
Send it in anyways! It'll go in the online gallery to kiss everyone else in there, and will be archived and considered in the case that the opportunity for a second book arises.
I have time / money / enthusiasm / would totally make a second book.
Then please contact me and we'll discuss passing on the torch :) I'd really love to see other Kissybooks being curated and made by other people.
|
