opera13

I'm considering two different books, each posing unique problems I haven't read about before. One is an art biography of a living artist, for example, "The Art of Artsy B. Artist". The other is is a commentary of art that focuses on a specific series of books that has been illustrated many times and by many different illustrators, such as "The Art of Middle Earth".

While I have a great deal of knowledge on my artists and their work, I am not certain how to go about writing a book in either of these genres as far as copyright is concerned. I expect each to be very image-intensive. Do I locate and compile the images into the text, and then the publisher deals with copyrights permissions for said images? I expect I'll be approaching several of the artists for interviews, but as most of these images were probably done on commission, I doubt they own the copyright...I'm terribly confused. Any help would be appreciated.

aspiring

Artists do own their own copyright, but publishers have rights for distribution and thus you need to obtain permission from both.

However, I have to confess that I don't think this is a project for a first-timer unless the artist/art is fairly obscure and has not had a specific book like this written about him/her/it. I would think that books like this are written either in-house or by someone the publisher has worked with before. However, if you are determined, then you should put together a non-fiction proposal to submit to publishers before you even start asking for copyright. Read up on it.

opera13

You're probably quite correct in that this is not a good first-time project. And with no credits, the odds of succeeding in such a proposal are also pretty dismal. Unless ten years running one of the internet's largest sites on a related topic counts as satisfactory expertise. Actually, I want to write about Pauline Baynes, the artist who illustrated the Chronicles of Narnia, and the other book I was considering was a collection of Narnian art by many different illustrators. With all the commentaries that came out on the books recently, these gaps remain shockingly unfilled. There's just not a thing on either topic, and it's a shame. Perhaps if I wrote to Miss Baynes first and received her blessing, a proposal would have more weight?

Obviously, I need to read up on the proposal process for nonfiction. I've read a lot, but it's mostly been on fiction writing and submission.

aspiring

If you have researched your market (and it sounds like you have) then you may well have found a gap. However, as an unpublished writer, you need to prove on paper that you can write. I would be inclined to write a sample chapter first and then send it to the artist along with a detailed explanation of your proposal (so that she can see it's not just a vague idea). She may even agree to collaborate with you. Best of luck!