If you're seeking reprint permission, be sure to contact me well in advance of your deadline. I'm a one-man band, and it takes me awhile to get around to these things, and you're just going to have to bear with me. If you need permission to reprint cartoons in a book, I require payment in advance--I know it's a nuisance, but I've been burned by "payment on publication" policies more than once. (And if your book is going to press next week, don't even bother writing--I just don't have time to deal with last-minute requests.)
Also, this is important: unless you're talking about picking up my cartoon to run on a regular basis in your publication (in which case, the red carpet will be rolled out for you and none of this applies), I really don't have time for the usual fee-negotiation dance. You know your budget and your print run--tell me upfront what you're offering.
Any reprint requests which do not state specific fees upfront will be ignored.