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Friday, November 4, 2011
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
How to Pick a Children's Book Illustrator
Illustration in your children’s book can make or break your chances of getting published. Right now, the market is flooded with illustrators, some good, some bad, some horrible. Do you know how to pick an illustrator and how to decipher between the good and the bad? Read on to learn about what I look for in illustrators:
1) Find someone you can work with. What I mean by this is, find some that you can have a successful, professional relationship with. They may be the best illustrator in town, but if they are overbearing, too opinionated, arrogant, or non-collaborative, they will not work out. You will be meeting with this person often, giving feedback and trying to make the best illustrations for your children’s book. You want to make sure that your relationship with them will be successful and not tumultuous.
2) Get an experienced children’s book illustrator. Too many children’s books authors make the mistake of going to a friend who occasionally draws or is a graphic designer for an unrelated field. Though these friends are very talented, they don’t understand the field of children’s book illustrations: what captivates kid’s attention, what illustrations will complement your writing, how to create characters that you can brand. It may be tempting to give a friend a gig or a chance at publicity, however then don’t expect to see large successes with your book.
3) It’s not all about them, and it’s not all about you. This should truly be a partnership. This is a risk for the illustrator just as much as it is for you. Listen to them, hear their feedback, and make sure that you can actually work with each other. Refer to #1 if you feel that they’re starting to feel that they aren’t listening to your concerns or making it all about them.
I hope these tips provide some insight to the extremely competitive world of choosing a children’s book illustrator. Lastly, I’d like to recommend illustrator Erin Taylor who created the illustrations for http://www.bonnieleebooks.com/html/popular_children_s_books___mom.html. She was extremely creative, professional, and fun to work with! Here is her website with contact information: http://erintaylorillustrator.com/ If you have additional suggestions or recommendations of great children’s book illustrators, please add them to the comments below. I’d love to hear from you!
1) Find someone you can work with. What I mean by this is, find some that you can have a successful, professional relationship with. They may be the best illustrator in town, but if they are overbearing, too opinionated, arrogant, or non-collaborative, they will not work out. You will be meeting with this person often, giving feedback and trying to make the best illustrations for your children’s book. You want to make sure that your relationship with them will be successful and not tumultuous.
2) Get an experienced children’s book illustrator. Too many children’s books authors make the mistake of going to a friend who occasionally draws or is a graphic designer for an unrelated field. Though these friends are very talented, they don’t understand the field of children’s book illustrations: what captivates kid’s attention, what illustrations will complement your writing, how to create characters that you can brand. It may be tempting to give a friend a gig or a chance at publicity, however then don’t expect to see large successes with your book.
3) It’s not all about them, and it’s not all about you. This should truly be a partnership. This is a risk for the illustrator just as much as it is for you. Listen to them, hear their feedback, and make sure that you can actually work with each other. Refer to #1 if you feel that they’re starting to feel that they aren’t listening to your concerns or making it all about them.
I hope these tips provide some insight to the extremely competitive world of choosing a children’s book illustrator. Lastly, I’d like to recommend illustrator Erin Taylor who created the illustrations for http://www.bonnieleebooks.com/html/popular_children_s_books___mom.html. She was extremely creative, professional, and fun to work with! Here is her website with contact information: http://erintaylorillustrator.com/ If you have additional suggestions or recommendations of great children’s book illustrators, please add them to the comments below. I’d love to hear from you!
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