a stupid question about legitmate things

[kuwaizair.livejournal.com]

I am asking if this community has a 'sister community' where artists can ensure weird emails they get are from legtimate sources.

once myself and some others got emails for some fantasy website or magazeen saying they would like our art in it. This is the purpose of this topic, for seeing if some of these things are real and honest and not having any malintent.

I just got an email from omma@omma.us, with the topic message being "Include your art in the Art Book "International Contemporary Masters 200", so is this some kind of con or some thing safe? here is some copypasted content. Is this just an advertising?
-----------------------

"a global art book edited and published by Omma Center of Contemporary Art. www.omma.us

Artists should apply by sending at least 5 JPG images by email or their website address.
If the artist is selected, will be notified within 5 working days.
Place and availability in the book are subject to quality. All submissions are subject to acceptance."

the selection

Submit free for selection. Our art committee will review all submissions and make decisions on acceptance.

After notification of acceptance an inclusion fee is required.



INCLUSION FEE

The participation fee in $ USD might change according to daily rates. Please visit http://www.xe.com/ucc/ to convert currency

The page of each artist will contain the image of an artwork, a short biography, the website URL and contact information of the artist.



A. For one page 350.00 Euros or US $ 467.00

B. For two pages the cost is 550.00 Euros or $ 735.00 USD.

C. For four pages the cost is 900 Euros or $ 1,200.00 USD

D. For five pages 1,100 Euros or $1,470.00 USD



The artists will receive one free copy of the catalogue."

If they want to buy extra catalogues, they will get a 20% discount, unless

Comments

[bladespark.livejournal.com]

A legitimate publisher pays the artist money in order to use their art

If they're asking YOU to pay THEM, then it's not a "real" art book, it's just a money making scheme like poetry.com or any of the other vanity press.

[lastres0rt.livejournal.com]

Yup. It's like those "Who's Who" books for schoolage kids.

[bladespark.livejournal.com]

Oh yeah! I have one of those things! My mom thought it was awesome that I qualified for it, so she bought it. *laughs* So I have a massive volume in which my name, gpa, and a tiny paragraph about my accomplishments appears in 10pt font. I'm so special!

[theblackdragon.livejournal.com]

oh my god, i thought i was the only one with parents stupid enough to buy into that crap. i cringed every time it was mentioned, lol.

[beetlecat.livejournal.com]

Or the poetry ones where everyone gets their poetry included but they have to buy the book to see it. The publisher gets both content and customers with minimal effort, so no wonder they do it.

These 'pay for submittion' things are not always scams, but I would certainly never accept one that randomly trolls for artists. Good ones have people flocking to give stuff to them and don't need to solicit.

[amarafox.livejournal.com]

Not always true.

There are many illustration annuals or books that are almost like advertisingspace andf you pay an EXORBIDANT amount of art to get in them.

They're common in the design, illustration and photography business.

If Aether d'animeaux was mainstream, it would be the type of publication charge this type of a fee, to put it in perspective.

Just FYI.

[bladespark.livejournal.com]

Ah. I'm not familiar with Aether d'animeaux, I'm a costumer not an illustrator.

But this doesn't appear to be an advertising sort of thing, unless the translation is very poor. It calls itself an "art book."

Do such illustration annuals send out unsolicited advertisements like this?

[amarafox.livejournal.com]

Aether D'animeaux is a big furry art book muck a muck.

I get unsolicited invites to legitimate books, but this one does sound fishy.

My point is just that not all people asking for money to display your art in a book is a scam. Buyer beware, do your research is all :)

[gothwings.livejournal.com]

I'm one of the few artists to be accepted for Aether d'Animaux and the creator behind it has been nothing but professional. Many 'big name' artists of high quality work such as Heather Bruton, Rog Minotaur and Ultraviolet are all on board with this project.

It's a shame that so many seem to be naysaying it since it's positive media for a much maligned subculture.

[amarafox.livejournal.com]

I'm not naysaying it.

I think it's an excellent Idea, I'm just saying it's the equivalent to one of those illustration books.

I would not compare it to one of those high class books that charge for a page if I didn't think ti was on the same level.

[amarafox.livejournal.com]

The fishy comment was in reference to the thing the original poster said, NOT AETHER

[gothwings.livejournal.com]

a misunderstanding on my part there then :)

[amarafox.livejournal.com]

:)

[gymnopedie.livejournal.com]

Granted.. Spectrum and all other illustration books that have juries to get in, require you to pay at least 25 dollars per image, and they're very very legit. ;)



this though sounds fishy.

[agoutirex.livejournal.com]

Oh, COME ON. This is such an old scam that if you can't recognize it, you deserve to have your money taken.

Look,it says right there that they want to take your money, $465 per page. It's a scam.

[lupusetgruis.livejournal.com]

Reeks of scammyness!

[martes.livejournal.com]

It sounds like an Artist Workbook, where artists pay to have their work included with the hope they'll attract clients that way. I've seen lots of those books, but they're usually used by professional and corperate illustrators, not furry artists. I'd take a pass.

[schnee.livejournal.com]

It probably isn't a scam insofar as that they will actually print your stuff if you pay them; however, nobody's actually taking these pay-for-inclusion books serious, so you could just as well burn your money - it'd have the same effect. :P

[amarafox.livejournal.com]

Depends on the industry as to whether or not these eork.

The types of artist workbooks like Martes mentions above that are greared towards photographers and professional illustrators are taken seriously in the design and illustration world and are usually very beautifully put together.

I don't trust this one so much because the web site is really sub par, which gets my alarm bells going.

[amarafox.livejournal.com]

OK, before people get all crazy on me, I will say that this does look kinda fishy.

Your best bet when dealing with stuff like this is to do your research. Some libraries and the like at design and art schools keep copies of these types of books.

The biggest tip off to me that this is not great is that the web site is really awful. I would (and have) thrown money at places like applied arts magazine for the chance to get my work in, but I'd avoid these people like the plague. :)

[dinogrrl.livejournal.com]

I agree with the others, I give it a 95% chance of being a scam.

[akeyla.livejournal.com]

Jesus CHRIST! what cheap prices!
honestly, with that money you can soon publish yourself in your own book. YOu can buy a prime add on google or whattheheckever just dont feed this cheater...
Its like the dragonart page wanting one of my sculptures on their so tiiinyteeny sales page for "just one grand". My most expensive sculpture ever was 700$, so do the math....
quite honestly, somewhere this is an insult. Do they think we inhale our oilcolors and get that stupid to believe this?