Children\'s Books

• Do you have advice for emerging writers or illustrators of Children\'s Books?

  Yes. Join the Society of Children\’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) if you\’re serious about entering the business of children’s publishing.

  Kidlit 411 is also a wonderful, ever-evolving resource. Their blog/mailing list is updated weekly.

  Harold Underdown\’s website is also full of advice and resources.

  And illustrator/designer Lynn Alpert curates a Pinterest board with some great resources resources such as online classes and useful blog posts. I\’m working on my own list of resources but Lynne is way ahead of me.

• How are childrens book illustrations priced?

  Hiring a children’s book illustrator FAQ from Hire an Illustrator .com covers this.

  Kathy Temean has a great post about this.

  The most common advice is to check \”The Graphic Artists Guild Handbook: Pricing & Ethical Guidelines\” and resources in the SCBWI\’s Book.

  An older video from Will Terry on How To Price Illustration for Children\’s Books, Editorial, etc. contradicts my advice to check with the GAG book above but there is merit in referencing both the book and this video.  Commentary on Will Terry\’s video fromGreatStorybook! here. 

  And… The Dark Art of Pricing by Jessica Hische.

• Will you illustrate my book so I can get it published?

  While I am beyond flattered that you are asking me, you do not need an illustrator to submit your manuscripts for traditional publication.

  Even if the illustrations are integral to your text, you can use illustration notes to communicate the bits that are crucial to your story.

  Artist & writer Dani Jones has an excellent post on this subject that answers this question a bit better than I can.

  And Bitsy Kemper also answers the question, \”I’ve written a children’s book…now what?\”

• Will you illustrate my book so I can self publish?

  I might. But only if I really love your project, you\’ve done all your homework, and you\’re ready to work harder than me. Illustrating a 32 page childrens book for me can take anywhere from 6 months to a year.

  Illustrator Elizabeth O. Dulemba wrote a great article called Hiring An Illustrator For Your Book.

  Artist & writer Dani Jones has a post on this subject as well.

  And Illustrator Randy Gallegos wrote a pamphlet called How to Commission an Illustration that is also quite useful.

  Last, I\’ll refer you again to Hiring a children’s book illustrator FAQ from Hire an Illustrator .com

  In the category of \”it never hurts to ask,\” I may be able to work with you on creating smaller scale projects. Please be prepared to answer the following questions to I can gauge the scope of your project:

  • How many pages is your project?
  • Who will be designing the layout (text/image placement & pagination)?
  • What type of Illustrations needed for your project (full page/full color, spots color/b&w/both, cover)
  • If the project is digital, will you need animation?
  • How many (of each kind of) illustrations are needed?
  • What is your illustration budget (be realistic), and payment arrangement?
  • What are the legal terms (advance with royalty, flat fee, work-for-hire)?
  • Who will own the illustration copyrights and what are the terms for illustration usage rights?
  • What is the time for project completion?