The illustrator doesn’t tell YOU what to do, so don’t tell the illustrator what to do!

Professional Respect

You do your professional job with the text and the illustrator does his/her professional job with the art. Respect is the key here.

If you want to dictate some of the art to the illustrator, please put it in the text. Otherwise, let the illustrator choose.

Notes to Illustrator: when, why?

Is there any time you can send a note to the illustrator? Yes. When the text and art must conflict someway. For example, in Katy Duffield’s picture book, Farmer McPeeper and the Missing Milk Cows, the almost-blind-farmer-because-the-cows-stole-his-glasses keeps making statements about what he sees that are wrong. The story’s humor comes partly from the disconnect between what Farmer McPeeper sees and what the reader sees — we know he’s wrong!

In this type story, you do need to provide notes to the illustrator. But really, you don’t need much and maybe even just a note in the cover letter could be enough: “Because Farmer McPeeper is virtually blind without his glasses, he won’t understand that he’s really seeing the cows as they cavort and play.”
Then, let the illustrator take it from there.

WHAT IF YOU HATE THE ART? GET BEHIND THE BOOK

If there’s a mistake, point it out to the editor immediately and they will ask the illustrator to correct it. For my picture book, Searching for Oliver K. Woodman, it was a sequel to The Journey of Oliver K. Woodman, so the details had to be consistent between books. The illustrator, Joe Cepeda accidently changed a character from left-handed to right-handed; when it was pointed out, he immediately made the change.

If the art is simply — in your opinion — awful, you can again talk to the editor and ask them to reject the art or ask for it to be redone. But, most contracts don’t give you veto power and you must accept the editor’s opinion.

In the end, you must find a way to reconcile yourself to the illustrator’s vision. You can’t go around trashing the art, because that means you are trashing YOUR BOOK! You should resolve to never mention it outside your family and then, get behind the book and help promote it.

ACTION POINTS

Write notes to the illustrator for your manuscript. The, try to put everything absolutely necessary into the text itself. Read it over: do you really need that note to the illustrator to make the story work? Try to do without it, unless the art should contradict something in the text.

How to Write a Children’s Picture Book A Fiction Notes Ebook 110 pages packed with information. Everything in one, easy-to-read format. Instant access!

Goodreads Book Giveaway

Wisdom, the Midway Albatross

by Darcy Pattison

Giveaway ends March 11, 2012.

See the giveaway details at Goodreads.

Enter to win

What is the biggest mistake made when submitting a picture book to a publisher?

You do NOT need to find an illustrator

The question most often asked is this: “How do I find an illustrator for my book?”

You don’t. The publisher chooses the illustrator.
In fact, you cut your chances of selling in half, if you try to team up with an illustrator and submit a package. The editor may love the text, but not the art; or, love the art, but not the text. Either way, you get a no.

Reputable trade publishers do not want you to find an illustrator, or pay for an illustrator, or do anything more than provide illustration possibilities in your text.

After an editor decides to publish your picture book, they decide on likely illustrators by looking at factors like these:

1. Style. What sort of style seems best for this story? watercolor v. pastels? Modern v. traditional? Perhaps, collage?
2. . . .
3. . . .

Like You, the Publisher Wants to Sell Books

Always, the publisher is looking for ways to improve sales of your book by matching it with the best illustrator.

How to Write a Children’s Picture Book A Fiction Notes Ebook 110 pages packed with information. Everything in one, easy-to-read format. Instant access!







Goodreads Book Giveaway



Wisdom, the Midway Albatross

by Darcy Pattison

Giveaway ends March 11, 2012.

See the giveaway details at Goodreads.

Enter to win
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