contract

Finding a Capable and Affordable Illustrator

Posted on by Brenda Poulos

Find an illustrator who can bring great visuals to your children’s book may end up costing you between $2,000 and $10,000 depending on how many illustrations you need and how well-known your illustrator may be.

This is a big investment in time and money, so you’ll want to find someone who is a perfect “fit” for your project. REEDSY, Upwork, and Fiverr are good places to look for your illustrator. Or, browse through children’s books on Amazon “LOOK INSIDE” feature, or visit your local bookstore, looking for ones which fulfill your vision. Their work will be credited somewhere inside each book.

Contact a few illustrators, making time to discuss your vision for your book and get their ideas, too. Send them examples of illustrations you have seen that are similar to what you’d like. Ask to see examples of their work.

Ask how soon they will be free to work on your project and how long it will take to finish the work. (It can often take up to three months). Share your timeline. 

Draw up a contract between the two of you, stating beginning and ending dates, how you will communicate, and how the fee will be paid. Some will want payment in intervals, some at the end. Be sure to discuss this upfront. 

You are doing the hiring, so choose someone you feel you will be able to work with easily. 

You are in control. You set the pace. You assess the quality of the work. And it is you who will pay the bill.

However, don’t base your decision on money alone or you will be unhappy with your final product. Remember, you get what you pay for.

Those Critical First Three Chapters

Posted on by Brenda Poulos

Shopping around for an agent and/or publisher? 

If you are fortunate enough to get a positive response, you’ll most likely be asked for a sample of your writing.

Whether you’re asked for one chapter or three, “put your best foot forward”—as parents often say.

Self-publishers bear the same burden for excellence. Those first chapters are critical in order to hook readers, give them a sense of what the book is about, and introduce the hero’s struggle.

It is from that sampling that you will be offered a contract or earn a sale. But keep up the pace and make sure you continue writing with that same level of quality right to THE END.