I’m often asked if I can recommend an illustrator. Children’s authors, in particular, need to connect with a good illustrator, especially if they plan to self-publish (establish their own publishing company) or go with a pay-to-publish company.
While some traditional publishers will purchase the entire illustrated children’s book package, many prefer to hire their own illustrators. In these cases, hiring an illustrator might be a waste of your money. This is something that should be considered early on.
I want to talk to you today about choosing the appropriate illustrator. Of course, you want to work with an artist who can do the type of illustrations you want. There are practically as many types of artwork as there are artists and not every style is suitable for every project. So when you are exploring artists, you’ll want to study their websites, which should be a showcase of their work, to discover if they can handle the simplistic or intricate, fanciful or realistic type of illustrations you desire, for example.
But you also want to work with someone who has a good work ethic. It’s not easy to find a good artist who is also reliable—someone who can meet deadlines, for example. That’s why I recommend choosing an artist who has already established a business around his or her art. What are the signs that an artist may to be dependable?
• He or she comes highly recommended by another author. Ask the author if the artist followed through in the manner and within the time that was agreed upon.
• They respond to your forum or discussion group post for an illustrator. This indicates that the artist is proactive and possibly has a business head as well as an artistic heart.
• The illustrator has samples they can show you.
• The illustrator has created a business around his or her art and can offer references.
I know many good illustrators. But I would recommend only a handful of them to authors.
Some of our SPAWN members are artists. SPAWN (Small Publishers, Artists and Writers Network) was started by Mary Embree in 1996 as a face-to-face networking organization for anyone involved in publishing. She envisioned authors coming together with artists and meeting printers, editors, publicists, agents, publishers, screenwriters and others for the purpose of collaboration. SPAWN meetings also provided opportunities for authors to connect and learn from one another. Not much has changed over the years, except that we no longer meet in person. SPAWN is international and we connect online in many ways.
We continue to learn from one another, support one another and there is still collaboration going on. If you are an author seeking an illustrator, publisher, moral support, answers to questions about the industry…or if you are an artist looking for work, check out what we offer at SPAWN. http://www.spawn.org
Learn more about me and my work here:
http://www.patriciafry.com
http://www.matilijapress.com
Remember, the first 25 people who order my new book from me get a free copy of “Over 75 Good Ideas for Promoting Your Book.” Order the new book, “Promote Your Book, Over 250 Proven, Low-Cost Tips and Techniques for the Enterprising Author” today: http://www.matilijapress.com/promoteyourbook.html
Thank you, Patricia, for a very frank discussion on this topic. What you’ve said is so true. I know because I hear it often from new clients who have gone down the road of self-publishing and often have sad stories to tell. I have been a book designer and illustrator for over 25 years and have had the opportunity to not only hone my skills, but also have seen all sides of publishing as it has changed its face over these many years. And now there are new challenges with the plethora of online publishing options on the web.
In my opinion, all books need to have individual attention given to them, from the unique styling of the content to the very important cover, and this is most especially true for children’s books. It takes more than a good designer or illustrator to accomplish the task—it takes a good business-minded person to get the job done. Creatives have a bad reputation for not having this balance of “brains,” but this is what I hope sets me apart in my field. This IS my business, and even though it is what I truly love to do every day, I still treat it as a profession.
I am grateful to have joined SPAWN where I can connect to the clients and other support professionals who share my love of this business. I am currently working with Karen Stevens, another SPAWN member, on her upcoming book soon to be shared with the world, and I know how critically important it is to make her happy so she becomes one of my best salespersons.
Speaking of sharing, I will be sharing your links, Patricia, with many of my other author/clients. Your content is fabulous!