OK, you have decided to write a children's picture book but you can't draw a straight line. How do you find an artist. First if you are publishing traditionally, you will not submit illustrations with your book. Most large publishing houses have certain artist that they use for their books. They don't even care to hear your suggestions. Your job is to simply supply the words.
For our conversation, we will look at self publishing, and you will need to provide the illustrations. This was my first real challenge. I had no idea how to start so I just had at it. First I asked every member of my family if they knew how to draw. My daughter did but was not interested in being involved with that aspect of the books. Second, I asked every artist with a sidewalk stand if they drew illustrations. I found a neat young man from New York at the state fair, but my daughter did not like his drawings. Third, I called the local art galleries and asked if anyone was interested. Fourth, I looked up the local colleges and asked their art department heads if any of their students might be interested. Fifth, I contacted a trade college specializing in art students who would post your job for students to bid on. Sixth, I joined Yahoo Groups for authors & illustrators and posted my needs.
After numerous failures I decided to pay for the in-house illustrations for "Where is My Bennie?" In-house illustrations are expensive, and I could not afford to do all my books this way. But it was a great learning experience. They take you through all the steps necessary to produce a book. You supply illustration notes for each page of illustrations, view and approve the pencil sketches, and then view and approve the finished product of colored illustrations.
Finally, I did a web search and accidentally came across a job placement service called guru.com. After weeks of getting nowhere, this service was so easy and how I found my artist. You register with http://www.guru.com/ as an employer. You place a job description with a price range. You wait for artist to bid on your job. You will probably have ten plus bids the first day. After viewing the portfolios of the artist bidding, you award a contract. Look at my books to see what wonderful work they produce.
By the way, I have really made it easy for you by supplying information on how to get in touch with my artist at my Meet the Author page http://www.robinfalls.com/meetauthors.html on my website.
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Hi April,
Lisa Michaels here. I enjoyed reading this segment. As you know, I am an illustrator!
I often go to guru.com in search of assignments, but I have to say that I'm more than often dissappointed at the listings for writers that I find there.
Most of the time, when a writer places a job listing, they don't mention what illustrators need to know about the project. Like, for example, will there be a cover design needed as well? Are you planning to self publish? Will the illustrator be expected to place text within the illustrations? What time frame are you looking at? Are you looking for color or B&W. Do you have a printing company in mind, and (if so)what kind of document files will need to be downloaded to them?
Illustrators need to know these things when bidding for an assignment, in order to bid correctly.
Also, often the author's expectations are extremely unrealistic, because they are not artists and are unaware of the time involved to create the elaborate drawings that most authors desire...on average, 3-4 months.
And another thing. There's the payment issue. Guru takes a percentage from the illustrator, for "hooking them up" with the assignment. So the actual amount the illustrator receives is less than the writer is paying.
I find it insulting when an author offers to pay only $500 dollars for a 32 page picture book that will take over 3 months to produce! Who can live on only $500 dollars for 3 months? Traditional publishers offer royalty advances in the thousands and 10%-12% royalties after the advance has been satisfied.
All illustrators know that if a book is being self published, there are seldom(if ever)royalties offered. They will be receiving a flat, one time fee. So what is the incentive to work for less than minimum wage? Should we give up our self respect and give away our talent just for the satisfaction of untraditional publication in a book that may never be seen by the audience we seek?
The bottom line, is that this is a business, just like any other. Clients wouldn't expect their husband or wife to work for such low wages, so why would they think an illustrator, (who they're trusting with their masterpiece)would work for that? Yet I see it everyday, over and over.
People who can not draw, seem to think that we illustrators just plop down and pop out these colorful, imaginative, compliments to their manuscripts like it's easy-peasy. The truth is that it's every bit as difficult as the writing process...often more.
I can't tell you how many bad manuscripts I've been handed over the years by hopeful Picture Book writers. When writers ask us to illustrate for them, it's the same as asking for our personal endorsement. We must consider the quality of the project before we can agree to be a part of it. After all, we are placing our name on the cover as well!
I guess what I'm trying to get across to your readers is , if you are going to look for a PROFESSIONAL illustrator, be prepared to offer them a decent wage. Do your homework before you go looking. Decide how much of the project you are going to expect your illustrator to do for you. The layout? The cover? Text placement? Communicating with your printer? Hours and hours of pencil sketches to be approved and rejected?
It takes a lot more than just a few drawings to make a Picture Book worthy of the child who will read it!
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