How to find an Illustrator for your book

Illustrated and formatted by Veronica Stanley-Hooper

I have helped a lot of indie authors with illustrating and formatting their books.  Everyone of those authors  has started the conversation with me with a hesitant tone. No wonder! The world has become smaller with social media connecting all of us.  Connection seems like a good idea until you are bombarded with inbox requests and random offers. How can you tell who is a scammer? How do you avoid being scammed? How do you find an legitimate illustrator to be a partner on your literary journey?

How can you tell who is a scammer? Avoiding a scam is on everyone's mind. Both indie authors and illustrators are scammed on a daily basis. So, how do you avoid the scam artist. Here are some easy tips.

1. Ask for a telephone or video call.  This is my #1 suggestion. Communication is key in developing a great working relationship with your illustrator. Believe me this is a partnership that will either prove to be a wonderful "marriage" or a messy "divorce" and who wants the latter?!  Start off your journey to finding the perfect illustrator for your project by doing some speed dating! Schedule a short call with all of the candidates you are courting. Have a set of questions that you need answered by your illustrator like-- what's your availability? can you provide examples of the books you have completed for other authors? can I talk with any of your previous clients? do you have a set procedure or timeline  breakdown for the projects you accept? Of course other questions can be asked but these are just a few to start you off. Then ask yourself , "Did I like the way this illustrator answered these question? Any red flags or concerns?"
2. How do you avoid being scammed? This one is harder to answer because even with the best precautions some people still get scammed by illustrators.. Having a solid contract is the best way to avoid problems. An example of a contract template that I have used is below for you to download and modify.  Of course you need to check with your lawyer to see if this contract will be useful for your needs as an author.
3. How do you find a legitimate illustrator? I am an illustrator and the clients I have worked with have found me in various ways. Several authors found me on Facebook Pages for children's book authors and illustrators. While there are some pages that are full of scammers there are many pages that are not. Join a few and lurk for a few days. You'll be able to determine by the kinds of posts and replies which pages/groups are legitmate. From there create a post requesting an illustrator. BE SPECIFIC!

• Include examples of the art style you are looking for and credit the illustrator.
• Cite how many illustrations you are looking for OR how many pages your book is. (Make sure your manuscript is fully edited and in it's FINAL form BEFORE you start illustrations.)
• Share your timeline for completion. (Be aware- legitimate illustrators need between 4 mths to 1 yr +  to complete book illustrations depending on the complexity of the art you desire.)
• Know your budget.--but don't state it in the post.  Realistically you can expect to spend anywhere from $2500 -$10,000 for illustrations, depending on the style and complexity of the art.  Learn more about crowd funding if you don't have the investment money in hand for quality illustrations. Be wary of anyone that offers a lower amount than the above. There are many illustrators that will state they  charge less, but keep in mind that you get what you pay for. These people are often working several jobs at one time, live in countries with struggling economies, or are just flat out scammers.

Another place to find a quality illustrator is on websites such as UPWORK and FIVERR. These websites offer protection for both the author and the illustrator by taking a portion of the fees exchanged. Scammers are on these sites too , so be sure to research the illustrator you are looking to hire.

Finally, one last resource for finding a quality illustrator for your indie book is  OakieBees. This website only offers indie published books. You can browse the selection of titles to find books with an illustration style you like then research the illustrator of the work. Every single illustrator found on OakieBees has worked with an indie author.

I sure hope this article has helped you determine your path for finding the perfect illustrator for your work. Let me know in the comments which path you choose or maybe you have another thought on how to find a quality illustrator. I look forward to hearing your thoughts.

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