How to Hire an Illustrator
By Mary Kole
Mary Kole is a former literary agent, freelance editor, writing teacher, author of Writing Irresistible Kidlit, and IP developer for major publishers, with over a decade in the publishing industry.
Writing a book can be a daunting task, but sometimes coming up with a book idea and completing a manuscript is only part of the process. Especially if you’re working on a picture book, children’s book, or graphic novel that requires illustrations. Once you have penned your draft and revised it, the question arises: should you hire an illustrator for your book? If so, when should you do it, and how should you go about finding the perfect artist? I’ve prepared a comprehensive guide to help you navigate the questions of whether and how to hire an illustrator for your book project.
Do I Need to Hire an Illustrator?
Before pitching to traditional publishers or literary agents, it's essential to know whether or not you need to hire an illustrator. Children's books, especially picture books, will typically require an illustrator, but if you’re after a traditional publishing book deal, the house will select and pay for an illustrator on your behalf. It’s possible that your decision to hire an illustrator is premature, and you don’t need to source art for your project. Other genres of books for other target audiences are taken on a case-by-case basis. For example, nonfiction may not need an illustrator unless it requires visual aids like charts, graphs, figures, and tables. The writer is generally responsible for sourcing those, though sometimes the publisher can help.
Sometimes a writer will hire an illustrator to give gatekeepers “an idea of the project” before pitching to publishers. This can be an expensive mistake. It’s not necessary to have an illustrator beforehand, and having the wrong illustrations can make your pitch less compelling. Yes, great illustrations can theoretically give the publisher a better idea of the tone and style of your book, but this can easily backfire if the illustrator you hire isn’t up to industry standard.
If you're unsure, it's always better to err on the side of caution and wait to hire an illustrator. If a big publisher picks up your project, then you can hammer out financial terms for who’s responsible for commissioning art. (And sometimes, for picture books especially, publishers will prefer to hire an illustrator themselves, rather than working with someone you’ve sourced. It’s tough to have the kind of critical eye for illustration that an art director has, unless you’ve had the occasion to hire an illustrator before.)
Of course, if you intend to self-publish, you will be the one who has to hire an illustrator … and pay them. That’s why self-publishing a picture book, for example, is one of the most expensive strategies. When you hire an illustrator, you get what you pay for. Your artistic aspirations may not match your budget, especially for a first project, and this can be a prevalent issue with a lot of self-published illustrated projects.
Legal Considerations When You Hire an Illustrator
When you hire an illustrator, it's important to discuss the ownership of the work. Usually, the illustrator retains ownership to their individual images, but they'll grant the author or publisher license to use the images and their particular order and layout for the book project. The book itself then becomes a separate copyrightable work. A traditional publisher will typically offer an advance and percentage of royalties, and this will generally be split equally between the author and illustrator, unless one creator is significantly more notable than the other, in which case, they might be entitled to the higher share.
If you are self-publishing, or you intend to pitch a fully illustrated project to publishers, despite my advice against it, above, you will notice that a lot of agreements between an illustrator and writer are done on a “work for hire” basis. The person who commissions and pays for the project ends up owning the images.
You can negotiate with the illustrator in the event that the book reaches a certain sales threshold to trigger a bonus payment, or an additional payment if it ends up selling to a publisher. Some illustrators charge per illustration, while others may charge per hour or a flat fee per project. You will also need to establish whether revisions are included, or if they will represent a separate and additional cost. Most illustrated projects go through at least one round of revisions, either for certain images, or across the board. The best practice is to negotiate and agree on a fee that's fair for both parties.
Hire an Illustrator From Home
Finally, where do you find illustrators for hire? The easiest option is to search online on websites such as Behance, Instagram, DeviantArt, and Dribble, where artists showcase their work. General freelance hiring platforms like 99Designs, Reedsy, Fiverr, and Upwork are also good resources. If you’re looking specifically for picture book illustrators, you may want to join the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI), as that will give you access to member portfolios for people who are specifically learning the picture book illustration craft. Another option is to contact a literary agent, artist representative, or a traditional publisher for recommendations. I recommend seeking referrals and conducting thorough screenings to ensure you find the right illustrator for your book project, then hammering out all of the relevant agreement terms before you begin.
Hiring an illustrator can enhance your book project and make it more appealing to publishers, but it comes with certain responsibilities and significant downsides and costs, if done poorly. Self-publishing requires that you hire an illustrator as a matter of course, which can significantly affect your budget and the final product. When considering any project involving an illustrator, it's important to discuss the work's ownership and come to an agreement about the fee ahead of time. There are many talented illustrators out there, and finding the right one for your book can make all the difference.
Click here to purchase Writing Irresistible Kidlit, my book on fiction craft for MG and YA novels, out from Writer's Digest Books. This will show you my writing craft philosophy and give you lots of valuable advice, including tips for the novel revision process and self-editing. There are over 35 example novels cited and discussed throughout. It’s a valuable resource for any writer’s toolkit.
Click here to purchase Successful Query Letters, my book on query letters, including over forty examples with comprehensive notes on each one. There’s a ton of submission advice, best practices, and insider information in these pages, and you’ll really enjoy seeing what other writers are doing in the slush.