How to Find an Illustrator for Your Children’s Book

If you are writing a children’s picture book or any other book that requires images, finding the right book illustrator is a must.

First of all, you want to find an illustrator who can create the “feel” you want for your book, and one whose fees fit within your budget. It’s usually best if the illustrator’s styles are already in line with your vision, because it’s much harder to get an artist to create outside of their current style.

This means that, as you search for an illustrator for your book, you will need to do at least two things: first, keep your eyes peeled for someone whose work you already like, and second, shortlist potential candidates while checking their portfolio.

Where to Find an illustrator

The good news is that you have plenty of sources where you can find potential illustrators for your book. Here are some of the best places to start your search:

Word of mouth: If you know other authors who have worked with illustrators, ask for their recommendations. This may not necessarily be a perfect fit for what you need, but the connection to an actual illustrator just may give you a helpful lead.
Writers’ groups: Get connected to writers’ groups, such as Facebook groups or online forums, particularly those for self-publishing authors, and ask for recommendations there.
Artists whose work you’ve admired: If you find illustrations that you like in a specific book, copy the artist’s name and find them through a Google search. Hopefully you will find contact details, such as a website, a blog, or a LinkedIn profile.
Social media: Use hashtags to your advantage: do a quick search for #illustrator and cross your fingers for a good match!

Websites for Finding Illustrators

Additionally, you can also scour websites dedicated to displaying portfolios of illustrators’ work. Here are some of the most popular websites, and you can filter your search by location, art medium, art style, subject, and many other options:

Alternatively, you can also post your need on job hiring or freelance websites, and hopefully, several people will bid on your project so you can choose someone to do your illustrations:

How Much Does an Illustrator Charge?

So now that you know where to find a potential illustrator, it’s best that you have an idea of how much you may need to shell out.

For front cover illustrations done by professional illustrators, the price can range between $500 to $3000, depending on how complex you want the cover image to be. Inside pages usually cost between $35 to $350 per page. If you want to have small cartoons across some of your pages, these will clearly cost less because of their smaller size.

If your children’s picture book is in the standard 32-page format, you will need, on average, about 20 full-color illustrations plus the book cover. For this, you will need to budget around $5,000 or more.

If you opt for a less expensive illustrator, be prepared to deal with someone with less experience, which means that it may end up costing you more in terms of money, time, and (hopefully not) regret. The good news is that, these days, we have a wider selection of freelance illustrators who may be willing to work for much less than the typical professional fees.

How to Hire an Illustrator for Your Book

Here are the steps you need to remember when hiring an illustrator for your book:

1. Get price quotes from at least three illustrators.

One of the most important things to remember before hiring an illustrator is to speak with at least three options, with price quotations and sample work from each. This helps you choose the best possible person for the work you need to get done, as well as checking that the price quotes you get are within reasonable range.

2. Get your agreement details in writing.

Put everything you agree on down in a contract, such as the cost, timeline, and copyright or permissions needed for the work. For example, will you have exclusive use of the artwork created specifically for your book?

Normally, you will own the artwork but the artist keeps the copyright; this means that, if you intend to use the artwork in items other than your book, you may need to get their permission.

Here is a checklist of terms you should include in your written contract:

Copyright agreement
Output required, including digital file size, format, and resolution
Timeframe for the project to start and submission deadlines
Number of edits/corrections that the illustrator is willing to do as part of the fee
Other helpful information you can provide

3. Show your work to the illustrator.

Clearly, you need to have finished your manuscript before hiring an illustrator. Then, upon paying the deposit, you will need to show the text of your children’s book to your illustrator in its actual layout on the pages.

This is important because the illustrator needs to read the story for context while also checking the space available for the artwork. They will also need to plan the artwork to fit with the text.

4. Check the illustrator’s proposed ideas.

After seeing your work, your illustrator will first give you some pencil or digital sketches called “roughs.” This will help you see if their ideas are on track with what you envision.

Be thorough before you give your approval. If it doesn’t feel right to you at first, give it a bit of time and go through them again. Possibly, the illustrator may capture an angle that you had not really thought of but that gives your story an added punch.

Feel free to request for changes, because a professional illustrator will appreciate any constructive suggestion.

Once you approve the roughs, your illustrator can finalize the illustrations, such as adding color, making them the right size for your digital file, among other tasks. You will only pay the full payment once you’ve given your final approval.

5. Keep in constant communication.

Throughout the process, be sure to communicate as clearly as you can, as often as you can. Children’s book authors and illustrators need to work as closely as possible in order to deliver a cohesive piece, a compelling story that draws the readers in.

For example, if you want a specific facial expression on the little girl on Page 5, say so. Remember that your illustrator cannot read your mind, even if he has read your story.

6. Make sure you have the right size.

In addition to communicating in terms of the style and look you’re going for, make sure you are also clear with the size of the illustrations you need.

Full-bleed illustrations are those that extend right into the edges of the pages, leaving no white margins. If the trim size, or final output, of your book is 8.5” x 11,” you will need a minimum bleed of 1/8 inch on all the outside edges of the pages.

If your illustration is only on one page, add the extra 1/8” on the top, bottom, and side of that page. If it’s on two pages, add the 1/8” bleed on all sides, plus space for the middle gutter, usually 1.5” wide down the middle for the book binding.

For spot illustrations, which don’t bleed into the edges of the pages, you will usually need a margin of 0.75” on all sides.

7. Confirm the file format and image resolution you need.

Do you need scanned photos of artwork from your illustrator? Make sure they are at least 300 pixels per inch (ppi) for the actual print size.

If your illustrator can create a vector drawing, it will likely be easier to use, because it can be printed at any size without losing quality or pixelating. A vector drawing means you will not have any problems with print resolution.

Working With an Illustrator

As an author, expect some challenges working with your illustrator, simply because you are two different individuals with different ways of viewing things. It will be important to remember that you cannot expect anyone to know, instinctively, exactly what you want.

But, the more you communicate these expectations, and treat your illustrator fairly and with respect, you have a bigger chance of having a productive and rewarding project with your illustrator. Hopefully, their work will help your story shine even brighter and make a difference in your readers’ lives.

Did you find this post helpful? Let us know in the comments below!

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