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How To Find an Illustrator for Your Book

August 13, 2011 by Joanna Penn 147 Comments

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OLD POST ALERT! This is an older post and although you might find some useful tips, any technical or publishing information is likely to be out of date. Please click on Start Here on the menu bar above to find links to my most useful articles, videos and podcast. Thanks and happy writing! – Joanna Penn

One of the most common questions I get is how to find freelancers for all kinds of publishing tasks. Illustrators are one such sought after group of people and today Lisa M. Griffin, illustrator & designer gives us some tips.

You have decided to self-publish your completed manuscript and have decided on a company to print your book. Great! But you still have to make a critical decision, the artwork. Namely, who can do it, where do I find them and how much should I pay them?

A few self-publishers have a variety of illustrators to choose from, and this is a good option to begin with. I would suggest doing additional research, as there are many talented illustrators working today and you might find one more situated to the style you envisioned for your book.

A wonderful place to start (and consider joining) is the Society of Children's Book Authors and Illustrators. This is a member based creative organization and it holds a wealth of information on publishing such as industry tips, directories, artist portfolio's and contact information. Another source is Childrensillustrators.com, which is primarily a portfolio directory site. It is a visual playground of creative talented sorted by medium, style and subject. I recommend this site if you are unfamiliar with the artistic style you want – reviewing portfolios will give you a better understanding to your preference. Also, don't forget the power of a good Google search. Most professional illustrators have both a blog and website, which gives you a more intimate look at the creative person behind the art.

Ok, you have done your research and found a few illustrators that you are excited about and would like to contact… now what? I would suggest a few things to consider before sending a query letter or email.

1. How many illustrations do you need? For a picture book, will it be full page spreads or single page art? If it is a young adult book, maybe one illustration per chapter? What is the layout size of your book? Will you be needing spot illustrations too? You get the general idea, right?

2. Set a realistic budget for art. Do not expect a professional illustrator to do your book for free, for their portfolio or for a split of future royalties. If you are approaching an experienced, professional, illustrator with a query you should do so respectfully and be prepared to pay them for their time, effort, talent and experience. To give you an idea of current industry rates for children's picture books (based on a 32pg book) estimates range from $3,000 – $12,000, plus royalties. To break it down another way, if you estimate that an illustrator is creating 20 original illustrations for your book and you are paying them $3,000 for art that is $150 per illustration. Now consider how much time goes into each illustration, starting with thumbnail sketches, revisions, pencil outlines and final color. Oh and don't forget the cost of supplies, along with the artist's time.

3. When you find the perfect illustrator and you are both happy with the creative arrangement, it is important to remember one more thing. Let he/she do their work. Yes, talk about your manuscript and give them an idea of the scenes you want illustrated, but allow room for creative expression. You approached this person because you loved his/her art, right? So trust in the illustrator you hired to breathe life into your story and give him/her some creative freedom. If you are unhappy with a certain composition tell them early on and explain why. I much prefer getting revisions in the early stages to eliminate surprises during final color. Trust me, most artists have developed a thick skin over the years and can take constructive feedback – especially during preliminary work.

Self-publishing is not an inexpensive endeavor. But if you believe in your story and want the satisfaction of having a beautiful book, then you need to recognize that quality illustrations are an important ingredient in the editorial and marketing value of the book.

Good luck to you!

Lisa M. Griffin, illustration & design
www.lisamgriffin.com
http://lisamgriffin.blogspot.com

Top image is one of Lisa's illustrations.

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Filed Under: Publishing Options Tagged With: illustrating, illustrator

Comments

  1. Lynda says

    January 7, 2016 at 2:24 am

    Looking for ilustator for roughly a 21 page childrens book.

    Reply
    • Davina says

      January 9, 2016 at 4:42 pm

      Hi Lynda,

      Did you have a particular art style you were looking for? If you have the time, feel free to check out my gallery. I have worked on over a dozen childrens books so far. I would love to help you with your book too. 🙂

      Reply
      • magdalena says

        April 25, 2016 at 10:34 am

        First: I write Spanish only, but my stories are translated into SIMPLE English. The stories are Bible based, about 15 pages, and may use about 15 illustrations, each one. One at a time, of course.

        I have in mind the illustration for each one of the stories,

        Reply
        • Christine says

          May 8, 2016 at 10:53 am

          I have illustrated several books, including church and Bible lessons for children and invite anyone interested in children’s illustrations to look at samples here.

          http://www.coroflot.com/christinegibson

          Please don’t hesitate to contact me! Thank you and best wishes

          Reply
  2. Carl Grubb says

    January 11, 2016 at 8:25 am

    I am an Illustrator / Graphic Designer. I’m trying to find some freelance work online but having a difficult time connecting with publishers. Please help. Thanks.

    Reply
    • Thomasorley says

      February 10, 2016 at 10:46 am

      I need some art work doing for a book cover! Are you up for that. Just the prototype for now. Tom.

      Reply
    • Christine says

      August 24, 2016 at 6:35 pm

      Hello

      I may be interested in your work. Can we talk.

      Reply
  3. Jennyann says

    January 14, 2016 at 10:30 am

    Hi my name is Jennyann,

    This article is right on point. When I work with my clients. I love when they have a general idea of what their looking for, but not to detailed where they’d like me to create the exact same image in their head. Which of course I cannot do. I can only draw from my creative expression using the ideas they’ve presented to me.

    So I wanted to drop in here to invite you to my online portfolio.

    My Illustrations are diverse, playful, and full of spark. I work with traditional media, and my work with loaded with color, movement, and imagination . Oh and Magic! I’m currently freelancing and looking for more projects.

    I can work with you to make it happen.

    Visit my portfolio at http://paintisthickerthanwater.com/portfolio/illustrations

    Reply
  4. Tonya L says

    January 20, 2016 at 12:10 am

    Hello. I was wondering if anyone has an example of a contract between an author and an illustrator that they would share?

    Reply
  5. sara says

    February 3, 2016 at 6:18 pm

    Hi my name is Sara. I’m trying to get my children’s book published. I want it to be colorful with great Illustration. I know I’ll probably have to spend at least a couple thousand. Can you recommend Illustrators for me? Or sites that I can find a serious Illustrator? Thank you!

    Reply
    • Valery says

      February 4, 2016 at 3:41 am

      Hi! I will be happy to work in your project.
      We can discuss your price – I’m quite approachable illustrator with a good experience(over 5 books published) . You can see my work here https://www.facebook.com/artvaleriaillustrator/
      You can also write to me on facebook or mail artvaleria12@gmail.com
      🙂

      Reply
  6. lisa m griffin says

    February 4, 2016 at 10:05 am

    I am happy to see that almost 5 years from the original posting of this article, it is still generating conversations and questions. This is a question that I receive almost weekly through email and I think that professional organizations, networking and general research are still good methods of finding an illustrator for your work. Honestly, I have not done a self-published book in many, many years as most of my picture book projects are contracted through publishing houses. When I did work with self-published authors, I did not enter the relationship lightly and we discussed the project in detail before moving forward with a schedule, project outline and contract. If you are serious about writing and producing your picture book project on your own, I would highly suggest joining SCBWI, The Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators. They are an invaluable resource for creative professionals and offer many workshops, meet-ups and national/regional events that will further educate you on the industry.
    Persistence is key in this industry! Keep honing your craft, work from the heart, and make sure you have good influences and support around you. Good luck with your project!
    Lisa

    Reply
  7. Tricia Clark says

    February 6, 2016 at 5:55 am

    I’m an artist/illustrator and came to this article to see which sites you recommend for finding illustrators- so as to know where to showcase my work!

    But this article is from 2011. I’m sure more collectives for illustrators looking for work have popped up over the years- could anyone recommend other sites not listed above? Sites that indie writers, who are looking for illustrators, frequent?

    Reply
  8. John Hogan says

    February 10, 2016 at 8:06 am

    Thankyou for the advice Joanna. As an illustrator it is ever more difficult to glean new clients, in a progressively saturated market. However it is possible with persistence and determination. http://www.johnhoganillustration.com

    Reply
  9. Scott Forsyth says

    March 5, 2016 at 2:14 pm

    I started writing my first children’s book in Feb 2012 then done another book finished in 26 Feb 2013 then finished my third book 22 Aug 2013 and I started my forth book on 9 September 2013, when I started I did have a illustrator to be but the work was to much for her then I found another illustrator well family problems and now I am looking for another illustrator, my first book is on a true story and the others just followed, I was a ECE for 12 years and I always wanted to wright children’s books, now I can I am having problems finding a illustrator, can anyone help me out, my first book is published and on sale but it only has clipart on it the now.

    Thank you
    Scott Forsyth

    Reply
    • Ira says

      March 7, 2016 at 1:15 pm

      Dear Scott,

      Maybe my works will be good for your project?

      I’m a children’s books illustrator with more than 6 years of experience and 10 published books in the last 3 years.

      Please, view my works via next links:
      http://baykovska.com/
      https://www.behance.net/ira_baykovska

      If you’re intersting, please contact me ASAP demirajka@gmail.com

      Thank you for taking the time to read my application and look at my portfolio.
      Kind wishes,
      Ira.

      Reply
    • Davina Kinney says

      March 15, 2016 at 12:17 pm

      Hi Scott,

      I am sorry to hear about your other two illustrators not working out for your latest book. But 4 books in less than 2 years, that’s really impressive! I would be happy to illustrate your latest book, and hopefully more books in the future. I’ve been illustrating since 2013 and have illustrated 16 books. (9 of them already published)

      I use digital art as my medium so colour and lines are clean and crisp for printers. My art style has been likened to Disney with a touch of anime mixed with my own flare. You can browse through my portfolio and the covers for my illustrated children’s books here, http://www.davinakinney.com

      If you have any questions or would like to talk more, please email me at, davinakinneyillustrations@yahoo.com

      Thank you for your time, and best of luck to you!

      ~Davina “Viv” Kinney

      Reply
    • A.K Baquinquito says

      March 24, 2016 at 2:42 pm

      Hi Scott,

      Are you still looking for an illustrator?

      I am an illustrator. You can email me at AuvryD@gmail.com so that I will be able to give you my samples if you are still looking for someone to work on illustrating your book.

      Reply
  10. Luis Peres says

    March 21, 2016 at 6:22 am

    Now, this is an article. Simple and straight to the point. I totally agree with you, particularly at that point you mentioned that clients should allow for an illustrator to be free to do what he thinks it´s best for a book.
    After all we are like all other professionals. If someone comes to us, we always tend to think that they trust a professional to know what works best for what they need. We don´t go to the dentist and insist that he sould pull our teeth the way we think it´s best.

    I recently lost a commission because someone approached me based on my online portfolio, said she loved my style, artwork and all that. Then we agreed on my rates and I started to create the illustrations, only to find out that she didn´t wanted my style of pics at all. None of what the client wanted was in the first place depicted in my site, gallery or portfolio but the person just assumed that because i´m an illustrator I could draw all styles of art and most of all I could see from the text what style was inside her imagination.
    I really don´t understand how come many folks choose an artist based on his portfolio and then be completely surprised when the work it comes out is actually based on that style and nothing else !

    Anyway, great article and if someone out there is looking for an illustrator with my style of artwork, let me know. Visit me at http://www.icreateworlds.net

    Reply
    • Davina Kinney says

      March 23, 2016 at 11:56 am

      Oh man, I have had this happen to me as well. In the end its nothing but frustration on both sides.

      I had to calmly explain to the client that I was unable to duplicate the particular they were wanting from a different artist, nor did it feel right to copy another artists personal style that they spent most of their life to develop.

      After all, you wouldn’t ask Metallica to play country music even though they also have a guitar.

      Reply
      • Luis Peres says

        March 28, 2016 at 10:20 am

        I must be cursed or something this year…I was just approached by another potential client that loved my portfolio but wanted me to create a series of books depending on that I could emulate at least at 90% another illustrator´s style…which it was too expensive and so this person is looking for someone that can imitate the needed style but wants it done not only cheap but extremely accurate…

        Something tells me this is not gonna be a good year for me….

        Reply
    • Christine says

      August 24, 2016 at 7:22 pm

      Hi.
      I looked at your site, why would anyone change their mind about your illustrations. Your work is amazing and if I could afford you, I would snap you up in the blink of an eye…Phew to have you do the illustrations in a book I have written for a beautiful little girl, would be heaven!

      Reply
  11. Sarah says

    March 23, 2016 at 1:40 pm

    I commented on this post a long time ago and I’m still finding it helpful and very interesting!

    As a multi-media artist and illustrator, I think it’s interesting other illustrators don’t like to attempt other styles. I actually welcome this type of challenge regularly and enjoy trying to create different looks or styles. That being said there’s always a common theme in my work, but I do strive to do new things and push myself.

    My first 2 books are being are coming out this year and it has been an experience working with an author and independent publisher! I would recommend trying to be very open minded in the situation and trying to go outside of your comfort zone.

    Feel free to checkout my website! http://www.scashmun.com

    Reply
    • Luis Peres says

      March 28, 2016 at 10:25 am

      The problem for me is not going in different styles , but being asked to imitate other person´s. I have a different style for children art, another for concept painting, book illustration,etc because i would be bored to death creating always the same thing. The problem is when clients want everything done in other illustrator style, usually because that other person charges real good for the artwork and the people that wanted that imitated do not want to spend money to get originality or quality.

      Reply
  12. lisa m griffin says

    March 24, 2016 at 4:57 am

    Sarah,
    I agree completely! As a creative, one should always be growing and developing. It is so odd to me to look back at my art (even in this article from 2011) as my illustrations have certainly changed, but in a good way.
    And as I have said before, while I don’t respond often I do try to keep an eye on comments here and it truly amazes me that the topic and my take on it, still resonates with people within the industry today.
    Thanks for all the comments and Happy Creating!
    Lisa

    Reply
  13. Nancy says

    March 29, 2016 at 6:09 pm

    Hi my name is Nancy. I ‘have decided to self publish my children’s book, I have several children’s books that I am writing based on social issues that our children face today. I want it to be colorful with Illustration that are fun for kids. Can you recommend Illustrators for me? Or sites that I can find a Illustrator? Thank you! I’m easy to work with and open to ideas from Illustrators with clever ideas.

    Reply
    • Olivia says

      April 11, 2016 at 4:31 pm

      Hello Nancy! I am a young artist who is interested in illustrating. I’ve illustrated several non-published works. You can view some of my work here on my website: oliviaroseart.com, or on Facebook (Olivia Rose Art). I am young, but I am definitely willing to work with you! I am an activist on the NYLC and social issues surrounding kids is something I am really passionate about.
      Contact me at livcolombo@gmail.com if you’re interested.
      Thanks,
      Olivia

      Reply
    • Sofia Passos says

      April 14, 2016 at 11:06 am

      Hello Nancy please check my website:
      http://www.illustrationforkindness.com/

      Reply
  14. Robert says

    April 23, 2016 at 4:00 am

    Looking for a children’s illustrator in my area of Toledo, Ohio. Have a series of children’s books ready for illustrations. I have examples of my characters already drawn. I want to stay with the same style. I cannot find my illustrator. Please contact me at rudezmousewriter@gmail.com

    Reply
  15. Terry says

    May 30, 2016 at 1:11 pm

    Hello,

    I am looking for a children’s book illustrator. This will be my second children’s book. My previous illustrator is not available. I am needing around 15-20 illustrations. I am looking to pay a set price. Illustrations can be simple color pencil or cartoon. If interested, please let me know.

    Ty’ree

    Reply
  16. Jodi says

    June 22, 2016 at 5:45 am

    I am looking for an illustrator of my children’s book about sea animals and birds. I wrote the book and need someone to illustrate about 5-6 pages (more books in the series will come after first book).
    Looking for someone that is experienced with publishing children’s book and published a children’s book before.

    please contact me ,
    Thank you

    Reply
    • Alicia says

      June 28, 2016 at 4:03 pm

      Hello Jodi,
      You could contact David Harmer, a renowned British watercolour painter who did the illustrations of my book. He has an experience of over twenty years, but isn’t snobby at all.

      His website is: davidharmerwatercolour.co.uk and his personal blog is at offtoafineart.com. I contacted him through his email, which is available in the contact section of the blog, and he replies pretty fast.

      Hope you find him helpful.

      Reply
  17. renecka mallory says

    July 30, 2016 at 11:38 pm

    Hi my name is renecka mallory and I have an 11 year old daughter who art work is amazing and she has an amazing imagination. She has so many different characters that she has come up with and has even drew by herself. People have been telling me for a long while I should try and get her art work into children’s books do if anyone is interested please feel free to let me know. Thank you

    Reply
    • Christine says

      August 24, 2016 at 7:25 pm

      I may be interested. Please contact me.

      Reply
      • Lorraine says

        September 6, 2016 at 8:39 am

        I maybe interested please contact me.

        Reply
  18. Teresa says

    August 8, 2016 at 12:20 pm

    Hi Renecka, please contact me so I can talk about your daughter potential doing work for me. t

    Reply
  19. George says

    September 5, 2016 at 6:24 pm

    Here is my story:

    In the last month, I wrote my first book, after that, I go to fiverr and find an amazing illustrator who gives me a very good price for 35 pages illustration. Here is his profile: https://www.fiverr.com/danyelayers (I don’t earn anything by sharing this with you, it’s just informative)

    After that, I go to Kindle Kids’ Book Creator ( https://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html?docId=1002979921 ) wich was very easy to use since I already have the text and illustrations. And I publish my book directly to amazon.

    In the first month I made over 520$ with my book (total investment was about 250$) and keep making money now.

    Some TIPS:
    *first 5 days I put my ebook on Promotion for free (to get some positive reviews)
    *I send my ebook to about 10 facebook pages about children ebooks to share it (about 30$)
    *I send my book to all my friends
    *I wrote about my book on 5 parenting forums (it took me about on hour)

    Reply
  20. Lorraine says

    September 6, 2016 at 8:51 am

    Looking for a Illustrator for my daughters book as well as a publisher. This is her first book and we are trying to figure out the steps as we go. Any assistance would be greatly appreciated.

    Reply
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