How to hire a children’s book illustrator

February 9, 2021 Nathan Shelton

I get messaged on a fairly regular basis from someone looking to hire an artist to illustrate their brand new children’s book. I do my best to help as much as I can, but it can be very time consuming on both sides to go through the same series of questions and answers every time. I appreciate that everyone is unique and the amount of knowledge, experience and prior research that someone has is certainly varied, and I would thoroughly recommend doing as much research as you can on the subject very early on in your writing journey. This will definitely save you (and others) a lot of time and energy in the long run.

In an attempt to make things easier for all involved I’ve tried to put together a series of questions and answers on the subject in general. I have tried to research all this information as much as I can, but as mentioned please also do your own research in other places too. You can never have too much information, and there are so many ways to achieve your goal of publishing a children’s book that there’s no ‘right’ way. As I said everyone is unique, and every author who is looking to bring their children’s book to life will have a unique journey. Not everyone is looking to be the next Julia Donaldson, not everyone is looking for a publisher, and not everyone is perhaps even wanting their book to be a public thing. Expectations, plans, hopes, dreams and budgets are all different.

Writing your own children’s book frequently asked questions

This list of frequently asked questions will hopefully help provide a simple guide on what should be expected on this magical children’s book journey of yours. This is not an exhaustive list, but should give you a broad idea of the journey. So, here’s a list of questions you should ask yourself before you approach an illustrator, and some answers to the questions that illustrators commonly get asked.

Do you need an illustrator for your children’s book?
How long does it take to illustrate a children’s book?
What if the book illustrations need changes or artwork revision?
How much does a children’s book illustrator cost?
How much should you budget for you children’s book illustrations?
How do you find a publisher for your children’s book?
What about self publishing your children’s book?
Will your children’s book be a success?

Do you need an illustrator for your children’s book?

In short, no ( but it all depends on what you want for your book). If you have a great manuscript then you can simply submit it to a publisher. You do not need any illustrations to submit your children’s book manuscript to a publisher (unless you are an author/illustrator yourself). If the publisher decides it’s right for them, they will normally pay you an advance (some money upfront) followed by royalties (a cut of the profits for each book sold) in exchange for the right to print and sell your book. They will source an illustrator, pay all the production costs and help market the finished book.

If you are looking to go down the self publishing route (we’ll come to this topic later), then you probably (definitely) will have to find an illustrator to work with.

How long does it take to illustrate a children’s book?

A children’s book can usually take from 3 to 6 months to complete, but this depends on the illustrator and the unique nature of what’s needed for each individual book. Every illustrator will work at a different pace, and take a different amount of time to produce their unique style of work. Depending on the illustrator’s other work commitments, a fully illustrated children’s book could well take longer than 6 months, so you’ll need to discuss this with the illustrator.

What if the book illustrations need changes or artwork revision?

Once the artwork has been finished and approved by the author/client then that is final and the obligation to create the work for a set fee is concluded. However, if changes are requested after the final approval then it’s usually not a problem, but you should expect a further fee (maybe on a per hour basis) to apply. It’s usually ok to make changes, but this will entail extra work that wasn’t considered in the initial project.

How much it will cost is dependant on the type of changes you need and the type of artwork that’s been created. For example I create my work using vector software which is fairly easy to amend even after final artwork is created. But, if an artist has created an original watercolour piece, then it may be that the artwork will have to be created from scratch. That’s obviously a much more costly endeavour. The illustrator’s other work commitments also obviously need to be considered, especially if you’re up against your own deadline for printing. Try to think ahead and consider all the consequences.

How much does a children’s book illustrator cost?

When you look for that perfect illustrator that will bring your children’s book to life, remember that you are hiring a professional. A professional illustrator will usually have a wealth of experience gained over many years of illustrating. They have bills to pay, just like anyone else, and the projects they decide to work on need to pay enough to justify their time. You need to know your budget and be prepared to pay a fair market price for the work you need. Every illustrator will be in a unique situation or point in their career when you contact them, and this can mean that costs can vary from illustrator to illustrator. But, as a general guide and depending upon the length of time it will take to illustrate your book (how many illustrations, how complicated, how detailed etc), the amount of research that may be needed, and any other requirements or requests, the cost could be anything from several thousand pounds upwards. Top illustrators with sought after work will cost many, many thousands of pounds.

Most illustrator’s can only really share their rates and accurately quote on a job after they have seen a finished manuscript or at least a detailed outline of the work. A decent illustrator will be honest and open and should be consultative when they decide if their skill and style is right for the story and that they’re a good fit and you can both work together. Illustrating a children’s book is not a quick thing to do, and the relationship between author and illustrator needs to be positive from the start.

Some illustrators may also be able to do the layout for children’s books, and the cover design etc, so will be able to provide final artwork ready to be sent straight to the printers. This may come as an additional cost, or be part of the service but is something you’ll have to do if self publishing. If the illustrator is unable to do this, you may also need to hire a designer who can turn the artwork and manuscript into a print ready product, which will definitely add to the cost.

How much should you budget for you children’s book illustrations?

The internet does throw up a few examples of costs for the illustration of children’s books and usually the figures are so broad and outdated that they often prove of little use. The Graphic Artists Guild has previously estimated that a colour 32 page children’s book will cost you between $3,000 and $60,000 USD plus royalties. The Association of Illustrators have previously estimated that it’ll cost between £3,000 and £5,000 GBP for the advance, plus royalties on top (royalties can vary but may typically be between 5% and 12.5%).

The above prices are now quite dated, and seem a bit on the low side compared to my recent experience including when this topic is discussed in forums and guides elsewhere online. If truth be told it really is impossible to put any kind of exact figure on it in an article like this, and what you will be quoted will absolutely depend on the unique specifics of the book, what illustrator you want to work with, what style you need, and the overall experience (and fame) of the illustrator.

You usually get what you pay for (but as we all know spending a fortune doesn’t necessarily guarantee you greater results). You may be lucky and be able to get an illustrator straight out of college for a decent cost, but experience does usually shine through when it comes to the finished product. Do your research first and find a style you like before approaching illustrators.

Before you start work with any illustrator you will need to create a contract with payment dates, artwork dates, and copyright restrictions for both the author and the illustrator.

Payments will normally be made at different stages throughout the project as work is completed and approved. There will usually always be an upfront percentage to pay before any work is started. This upfront fee will normally not be refundable as it’ll also be the kill fee if the client decides to scrap the project or work with an alternative illustrator after work has begun.

Here’s a couple of links to the books on Amazon:

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How do you find a publisher for your children’s book?

Do your research! Different publishers may specialise in children’s books for a specific market, be it a certain age range, demographic, style of writing, or certain topics. Find out who might be the best publisher for your book by getting your hands on a copy of the Children’s Writer’s and Illustrator’s Market or the Children’s Writers’ and Artists’ Yearbook. Both books will list publishers and their contact information, what their terms are, and what sort of thing they are looking for. There will also be some information about how to introduce yourself and your manuscript to different publishers.

They will also include information on the international markets, industry magazines, any contests that are relevant, agency details, and also articles from artists, illustrators, authors, publishers, and editors. Understanding expectations and gaining as much knowledge as possible before you send your manuscript will save you time, effort and money! It’s also worth a mention that it’s best to not annoy any publishers who are already super busy by only sending them the right ‘type’ of work in the correct format. They don’t have time to be sifting through every detail of every book idea they receive and your amazing manuscript may be discarded and denied before it’s even been seen properly.

Here’s a couple of links to the books on Amazon:

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What about self publishing your children’s book?

Self publishing your children’s book is not to be taken lightly. It is a LOT more work than the traditional publishing route, and you will probably have to learn a whole load of new skills as you go. When you’ve poured your heart and soul into writing your book it’s easy to lose the ability to step back and fairly judge the work you’ve created. You will certainly need the opinion of others to gauge how good it is, and not just from friends and family. You will need to be very sure of your own work and willing to heavily invest your own time and money to have any chance of making your book a success.

Once you’re sure the book is good enough you will definitely need to look into choosing your own illustrator. Look for someone who’s style you like and don’t try to push a different style onto an illustrator that has a very different portfolio than what you’re after. You will need to pay for the illustrations to be created and agree the future licensing rights to use the artwork. There are also costs to consider for the book printing, for proofreading, for distribution, for marketing and advertising, and you’ll be in charge of doing all your own sales. You might be able to market your books at a craft fair or market of some kind, and a local bookstore may be happy to host a signing. Some schools may offer the chance to read your book to the kids, and hopefully provide an opportunity to sell some copies too.

Self publishing can often be sold as the easy way to get your book published, but don’t believe the hype. Self publishing is a lot of effort however you break it down, and the more work and money you invest in your book, the more chance it has of being a success (regardless of how good it actually is).

Here are some links to some useful books on Amazon:

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Will your children’s book be a success?

I have to be honest and say that almost all the would be children’s book authors who get in touch with me don’t actually get their books published (well, they certainly don’t use me to illustrate them anyway). I have only seen a tiny number of the many manuscripts I’ve read over the years as a final published book anywhere, whether it be in a bookshop or online. This doesn’t mean that you should give up on your dream at the first hurdle, but it does mean you need to be aware of the realities of this very competitive industry.

Do your research and manage your expectations. Invest your time early on and you’ll save yourself and everyone else a lot of effort in the long run. Don’t give up, just know what you’re getting in to! (and enjoy the journey)

More sources of information that may help: