The Elusive Illustrator: Finding an Artist for Your Book

illustrator Jared George cropGuest Post
by Jared George

I imagine it’s gotta be rough to have an amazing idea for a kid’s book, or have an amazing novel, but it needs the right art to really make it pop. Am I right? Where do you find the illustrators? I mean you know they’re out there. Hundreds, even thousands of them, but where do you find one for your project?

The truth is we are literally everywhere. Just shut your laptop wherever you happen to be writing, stand up, and walk to the nearest comic shop or locally owned coffee shop. When you walk in, say in a slightly loud voice “I’m looking for an illustrator for a kid’s book.” (or whatever your project.) Now you will be beating hungry artists off with a stick. You might be reading this and saying “That’s easy for you to say I’m not a people person.” or “I don’t have a comic shop / locally owned coffee shop” The second option is…dun dun dunnnnn… Continue reading “The Elusive Illustrator: Finding an Artist for Your Book”

How an Author Can Start a Love Affair with an Illustrator

kathy rowe's comic-con bannerNo, this is not an R- or X-rated post on how to fall in love with an artist; it’s a few tips you can use if you’re looking for an illustrator. Let’s face it, artwork isn’t cheap, especially when it comes to books and even more so with covers, comics, and graphic novels. The cost of a decent cover can set you back $500 or more for a known artist. And you might want to stick your head in the sand when it comes to comics or graphic novels — those can run into the thousands of dollars.

So, what can you do? Continue reading “How an Author Can Start a Love Affair with an Illustrator”