[ladtucker]

Hello!

I am new to the cafe!

I am looking for an illustrator for a children's book. The book is written, edited and has been vetted by my friends and their kids.

I am now looking to find an illustrator. It will be difficult, I understand, to find someone willing to work for commission; however, that will be my preferred method of payment. The book is 17 pages including the front and back covers.

Please share any leads you may have.

Looking forward to finding an interested illustrator!

Very Respectfully,

Tucker

 

[sunnyleo]

Hello!

I am new to the cafe!

I am looking for an illustrator for a children's book. The book is written, edited and has been vetted by my friends and their kids.

I am now looking to find an illustrator. It will be difficult, I understand, to find someone willing to work for commission; however, that will be my preferred method of payment. The book is 17 pages including the front and back covers.

Please share any leads you may have.

Looking forward to finding an interested illustrator!

Very Respectfully,

Tucker

I'm somewhat in the same boat (but only needing cover and "spot" illustrations for an lower MG book). Facebook has a half-dozen groups for Children's illustrators to post their portfolios. Instagram is also great for finding them. I've stumbled on two illustration sites full of illustrators looking for work:

https://www.behance.net/
https://www.kindrling.com/ (haven't found as many quality illustrators here compared to others).

$150-200ish per illustration is the approximate cost. Some less. Some WAY more (a friend who is a lead concept artist as a game dev studio wanted $1500 per drawing)

 

[ShayneRutherford]

I am now looking to find an illustrator. It will be difficult, I understand, to find someone willing to work for commission; however, that will be my preferred method of payment. The book is 17 pages including the front and back covers.

Hiring an illustrator to work on commission is not really a good idea. For one thing, you're asking an illustrator to take time out of their schedule to work on your project, for no money up front. If your book doesn't sell well, they will have done all of that work for next to no pay, which is hardly far. On the other hand, if it sells well, you could wind up paying far more than you would have if you'd just paid up front.

 

[CharlesUtting]

Aye aye,

Would love to jump in here. I'm also new to the cafe. Hello!
Two good sources if you're looking for illustrators might be:

www.hireanillustrator.com/
&
www.Reedsy.com/

Both spots may require making an account, I've never tried from the hire-er's side.

I would also second the difficulty of finding someone to work on commission. Ya'll are familiar with the classic: "FAST GOOD CHEAP, pick two." For someone to work on commission they need to be in a spot where they don't have immediate need of the cash, meaning they are either likely a hobbiest (which is a fine place to be and said with no judgment, but can correlate with skill/ quality) or will need to fit you in as their schedule allows.

Just some additional thoughts!

All the best,
Charlie

 

[Gessert Books]

By commission you mean you intend to pay by a cut of sales? Seems to be how most here are interpreting it. The only folks that will take you up on it will be very inexperienced, and they're not likely to do it twice which might put you in a spot if you intend to write more books and keep a similar style. In any case, when putting feelers out I'd recommend not using the word commission, as commissioning art means something else.