Where does an author of children’s books find illustrators? This should more so read, Where does an author of children’s books find the right illustrator for their work? Illustrator platforms are all over the internet across social media.
Tipping the pPen:
I can’t say this enough. CONTRACT CONTRACT CONTRACT!!!!! Quite often I find authors tend to reach outside if the US illustrators because they tend to be less expensive and more readily available.
If you are doing a series, my advice to you is to be able to get a signed contract. This may be hard when working with foreign illustrators. There is so much to take into consideration if you choose to. The laws may or may not vary and can get very expensive. And you want to own your character/s whether animal or human or objects. You DONT want t see them in other books.; In my opinion with the experience I enjoyed my 3-book run with my illustrator but working with him was exhausting once I learned how I wanted my books to be and what I did not want. I knew that I had to come through his work to make sure she was not duplicated nor any of the other drawings. And to my surprise, things were getting quite similar so I pulled back and now I have to wait until I find someone who can duplicate her but with growth and age. So you see why this is important. YOU MUST PUT IN CONTRACT EXACTLY WHAT YOU WANT!!! So know when to walk away.
When you choose an illustrator, be smart about it. Make sure that mutual respect is there. It’s all about things being understood mutually.
There are styles to illustrating...many different styles. What style do you see for you? What did you imagine? BNHM PUblishing has a few if you need one. See our website for info or send an inquiry through our contact page.
Here are a few: (remember even in each type there are various styles)
Pencil
Charcoal
WAtercolor
Acrylic
Freehand/Digital
Ink
Here are sites that can give you more insight into the styles of Illustrations. Thite just references to styles.
There are many styles and types within styles. It can be exhausting. This is why there is more than meets the eye. You must educate yourself but don’t get overwhelmed. Easier said than done but try. Take these into consideration no matter what:
Age
Character, object, animal
Audience
Where to:
Talk with your peers. Join Facebook Groups, MeetUps, Research through www.’s Instagram, Pinterest.
Also, try Amazon and where books are sold. Go through books that catch your eye. See who illustrated their work. Make a list and then try contacting the author about their experiences and the illustrators.
Hope this helped. Let me know in the comments. Check out the website for more info.
