If you're an unpublished author and have written a children's book, or are looking to do so and understand that the visuals are just as important as the story, this post is for you. I have compiled a list of questions I am frequently asked about working with an illustrator when submitting a proposal for a children's book. I love this question because 1, it's always great to meet people who are interested in writing books for children—we need more stories with a wider range of representation—and 2, it's a great opportunity to share what I know.
Before I get into my responses there are two things I'd like to mention:
• My responses are for those who are interested in pursuing the publishing house route, because I have not produced any books using through self-publishing I can't really speak on what that process entails. If you're interested in self-publishing some of this might be applicable, but most is very different. So one of the questions you have to consider is: how will you get this book out in the world? With self-publishing a lot of the production, distribution, promotion, editing, etc. will fall on you but you pocket most of the revenue made from your book. Working with a publisher allows you to use their resources but you're paid in advances and royalties, which are percentages of the revenue made from your book. You have to weigh the benefits and disadvantages to decide what works best for you and your vision.
• My responses are for those who are interested in pursuing the publishing house route, because I have not produced any books using through self-publishing I can't really speak on what that process entails. If you're interested in self-publishing some of this might be applicable, but most is very different. So one of the questions you have to consider is: how will you get this book out in the world? With self-publishing a lot of the production, distribution, promotion, editing, etc. will fall on you but you pocket most of the revenue made from your book. Working with a publisher allows you to use their resources but you're paid in advances and royalties, which are percentages of the revenue made from your book. You have to weigh the benefits and disadvantages to decide what works best for you and your vision.
• Another thing to note, I am speaking from the perspective of an illustrator/author who has worked with several publishing houses, but that does not mean my experience is the rule. Every relationship between an author, publisher, and illustrator is unique so please keep that in mind.
How do I find an illustrator?
When looking for an illustrator it really depends on the look and feel you're thinking about for the story. For example, if you want more realistic drawings, abstract, modern, or traditional. This is when working with a publisher helps if you haven't done this work before. Publishers have an in-house art director to offer guidance, and they have a lot of experience on how to pair the right illustrator with the right story. With that, it's often better to wait and see what the publisher or art director has in mind. Sometimes they have great insight on what the market needs, or have access to illustrators who are new, or know illustrators who have done work like this before or are passionate about the topic. There are so many factors to consider, but don't bog yourself down with this yet. Focus on getting your story completed.
I have a story completed, is it typical for the author to pay for the illustration up front or would a payment arrangement come if the book is published through the publisher? In self-publishing, I'm not sure if it's typical for a writer to pay up front, but if you do self-publish I recommend offering an advance, which typically is a chunk of money for the time the illustrator is putting in to illustrate the book, and then offering royalties, which is a percentage of revenue for each book sold. It's a fair way to share the wealth, especially if the book does really well. But it is really up to the illustrator. They can work with you to determine what makes sense for the budget and time.
If you're going the publishing house route and really want to have some illustrations to accompany your proposal I recommend finding an illustrator you'd like to work with and offering a fee for them to do 2-3 illustrations to submit with your manuscript to help sell the book. Then when the rights for the book are purchased, the publisher can pay you and the illustrator an advance. The lowest advance I've heard for an illustrator doing a children's book is $9,000, which is sometimes broken up into 2-3 payments over a period of time from the beginning to the delivery of final artwork.
Don't be afraid to pursue a book deal without an illustrator though. Visuals always help with a picture book, so it is very important to have them incorporated into your proposal. Another way to sell the idea is by creating a really beautiful submission letter with some background info about your story and why this topic is so important to you. In your proposal consider creating a page featuring artists you'd like to work with, or a moodboard of images that represent how you imagine the look and feel of the book.
Any tips on finding a publisher? I think the most important thing is to be clear on your story, be clear on the message, audience, and purpose before reaching out to any editor or publisher. Once you clarify those points that should guide you on who to reach out to. Choose your top three editors/publishers that make sense for the book. Look at their other titles and figure out where your book fits among them. Editors want to make sure it's the right fit, and it helps if you do the work for them first.
Also, something important to think about, how will your book live beyond the shelves and pages? In this digital/social media world editors love hearing how you envision the book inspiring other content. Like educational material for classrooms, worksheets, events or workshops, and how this story can live online. Think about how you can build a whole story or brand around this book. It sounds like a lot but think of it as something fun. This doesn't have to be elaborate, these can be three bullet points added to your submission.
I really hope this information helps. It's a lot to think about and can sound overwhelming but editors get so many submissions every day, and these are tips that can really help a manuscript stand out. The most important thing is to crystalize the story and be passionate about the message, and everything else will fall into place.
Here is more information on submitting a proposal or manuscript:
Chronicle Books offers great resources for submitting a manuscript, even if you don't submit to them I think it's great to read over their suggestions. I've used their guidelines to write all of my proposals.
And here is a great post about submitting Children's Books to Chronicle. On their blog they also have a great post on the book process from manuscript to book shelves.
And more information on finding illustrators:
