How To Successfully And Efficiently Work With An Illustrator

OBJECTIVE: How to work with an illustrator.

These past 3-4 months I have commissioned 5 very talented illustrators for an AMAZING project (I can’t wait to share, but more on this soon. I promise!). And I used this opportunity to experiment with the workflow and level of interactions between me and the illustrators. 

Working with multiple illustrators at the same time made me notice a couple of things I myself always do and implement, but didn’t realize before when I was working with just one artist at a time. And because of these things I always seem to unknowingly implement, I didn’t feel overwhelmed or stressed, which really surprised me, as I expected a lot of gray hair, working on 5 books simultaneously.

So I really wanted to break it down for you, so you too can implement these while working with your illustrator. Following these guidelines will make this experience with your commissioned artist an amazing one.

So here are my top 8 guidelines to help you facilitate proper Author-Illustrator Etiquette:

TOP 8 Guidelines on How To Work With An Illustrator

1. Work out all the logistical stuff BEFOREHAND.

Working out all the logistical stuff beforehand will free up your mind, so you can fully concentrate on the actual illustration process.

This can usually be addressed and accomplished with an Illustrator Agreement or other such type of contract. Some outsourcing platforms offer to facilitate these types of agreements in exchange for a fee. But you can easily get around paying this fee by setting up such a binding agreement yourself. In it, you will want to address things such as:

• Deadline by which all illustrations should be completed 
• Agreed-upon cost per illustration 
• Single page vs. spread 
• Size of illustrations 
• Number of included revisions 
• Milestone payments 
• When working directly with an illustrator and not via an outsourcing platform, then how to facilitate the payments (e.g. Paypal) 
• Format of final images
• Cancellation procedures 
• Copyright 
• Non-disclosure stipulations
• etc.

2. Be (and stay) organized.

That’s something I teach my students in Children’s Book University very early on. From the folder setup on your computer all the way to how you name your individual files, an intentional naming method and staying organized will be instrumental when it comes to stress-prevention.

These, for example, are some of the folders I create for each of my books:

3. Always assume you are NOT your illustrator’s only client.

Because chances are, you aren’t. Honoring this thought, you can do two things:

• When naming your files, be sure you let your own name be part of that. For example, I usually name my files something like this:

PROJECT NAME_MY NAME.pdf

• Be sensible with your expectations as to when you should have heard back by from your illustrator. It may take him or her a day or so to get back to you. As long as you both are working within your set time frame, you should be good to go. If you do feel he or she may be getting behind, a gentle yet respectful nudge or reminder will generally do.

4. Be clear about what you want.

If you have a specific vision for your book in mind, be sure to let your illustrator know. I generally provide my illustrator with a very detailed Illustrator Brief like the one I offer in my Illustrator Survival Kit. This brief addresses things such as:

• Deadline (as a visual reminder)
• Requested size of your illustrations (indicating whether these are with bleed or without bleed)
• Character descriptions and examples 
• Description of each scene
• Cover design ideas/ wishes
• Title page ideas/ wishes

5. Provide feedback on your illustrator’s work in a clear and concise manner.

The more to the point your feedback, the more effective it will be. For this I suggest you create something similar to what I call an Illustrator Feedback form. I generally create two separate kinds:

1. Storyboard Feedback: This one I specifically create after I get the first round of sketches back, letting the illustrator know if those sketches are heading in the right direction
2. Illustrator Feedback: This one is for providing feedback on the colored or almost-finished illustrations

Using these forms allows me to stay organized, capturing my feedback on all illustrations in one single document. That little tweak to my workflow helps so, so much, as I no longer have to go on an email hunt within my inbox, trying to find the illustrations that require editing.  

6. See your relationship with your illustrator as a partnership.

Your book will be so much better if both you and your illustrator are invested in it.

A talented illustrator knows his/her craft, so let them infuse your ideas with their know-how and creativity. The more you let your illustrator be part of this incredible journey of yours, the more he or she will be invested in your book’s success.  

7. Be open.

This plays into the previous point I made above.

What I mean with ‘be open’ is to try to take a cue from your illustrator. How does s/he prefer to work? Based on that knowledge, what can you do to improve the workflow?

For example, some illustrators love to create all sketches first before diving into the coloring process, while others prefer to break up the sketching and storyboard creation by sketching and coloring one illustration at a time.

Try to be accommodating, if at all possible. 

8. Stand up for yourself and your book.

While you do want to incorporate your illustrator’s suggestions and be sensitive to their needs, don’t be afraid to speak up and ask for changes if you feel like your needs haven’t been addressed or met. It is, after all, your children’s book that you’ve been working on so very hard.

I’m often asked how to work with an illustrator. So it is my hope that these outlined guidelines above will facilitate the beginning of a fantastic work-relationship between yourself and your illustrator. 

There’s a reason why many outsourcing sites allow the illustrator to rate their employer as well, not just the other way around. Just like us authors, illustrators want to know they’re protected and feel that their art and their creations are being respected and valued.

Here are a couple of my own previous reviews as an employer by some of the artists I’ve worked with:

Following these suggested guidelines on how to work with an illustrator, you’ll ensure that you as a children’s book author show proper etiquette that will make illustrators want to work with you again and again.

In the end, it helps to remember that it isn’t just you that gets to decide whether or not you’ll work with an illustrator. Instead, remember that illustrators don’t have to accept your project. They choose to. It is always a two-sided exchange. 

Here’s to an amazing partnership between you and your illustrator, my sweet friend.

xo ♡

~ Eevi

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