There are a few times a week that I will get an email or phone call about my rates or availability for children's book illustrations.  Sometimes these come from publishers and sometimes they come from those who wish to self publish.

Each time I need to craft a personal reply to the person and each time I find myself answering the same questions over and over but in different ways.  So here are some things that will help those who are planning to hire an illustrator for their book.

1. If you have a finished, edited, and great manuscript, by all means, submit it to a trade book
   publisher. They will pay you in some form, hire and pay the best printers and help you market
   your book.  You do NOT need any illustrations to submit your manuscript unless you are also the
   illustrator.

2. To find out who might be the best publisher for your book, get a copy of the Children's Writer's           and Illustrator's Market.  It is published each year and always available on Amazon.com.
    This volume lists all interested publishers, their contacts, their terms and what they are looking for.
    It also includes international markets, magazines, contests, agents and wonderful articles from             artists and authors as well as publishers and editors.

3. If you have been through the process and months have gone by with rejections or no responses
    and you feel your work is so good that it must be seen, then you may choose to self publish.
    This is a leap of faith.  You will be choosing your illustrator, paying a fair market price for the
    artwork, paying to have the book  printed, paying for design and book layout, paying for  
    distribution, paying for any marketing and doing your own sales wherever you can find a venue.         Your indie bookstore may or may not, host a signing. You may market your books at the outdoor       market places, or at events that you set up. Some schools have book nights where you can sell
    your books.

4. When you hire an illustrator remember that you are hiring a professional. You need to be
    prepared to pay a fair market price. Depending upon the length of time it will take to illustrate
    your book, the amount of research needed, and any unusual requests you may have you will
    pay a rate that could be several thousand dollars or many thousands of dollars.



5. My illustration costs for self publishers are shared with them after I have seen either the
whole finished and properly edited manuscript or at least a detailed outline of the work.
I ask that so I can determine if my skills will match the content of the work, and if I can do my best work for the client.  Because I can also do the layout, create the PDF for the printer and provide full color cover and interior artwork my rates are based on those factors.

6. A contract is issued with payment dates, artwork dates, copyright restrictions for both the author and the illustrator. Work can take from 3 to 6 or 7 months to complete.
Stages of the work are paid for in sections as the work is completed and approved.

7.) Any artwork that has been finished and approved by the author is final. However, if changes are made after the final approval a fee per                                                      hour for any changes will apply.

8.) Getting a trade book publisher to acquire your book is a long process but will be to your best
     advantage.

9.)  Should you decide to self publish your work contact the illustrator of your choice and together           create a contract that is fair for both parties.

Add a Comment