Here is author, Kelly Tucker, of "I'm Not Afraid Of Needles!," at her first book signing. It is a true story written from the POV of her daughter, Skyler, who has a rare blood disorder.
I had a great experience working as the illustrator on this project and would happily work again with Kidstalk anytime!(Publisher that produces a free quarterly magazine for parents here in Texas)
If you are approached by a self or independent publisher, my advice is this:
*Create a contract
Before any sketching takes place, discuss a contract and fees and get your agreement in writing. This protects everyone involved.
GAG has a letter of agreement you can adapt to fit your needs (thanks Janee!)
This is also a good book to have in your home library.
*Request advance payment
With this project, I requested half at sketch approvals and the other half at job completion. Also I asked that there be a kill fee in the contract. This means if for some reason your publisher decides to "kill" the assignment, you still receive compensation.
How much should I charge to illustrate a book?
This is a very difficult question to answer. It really depends on your experience in the field and what you feel comfortable with.
To help, ask how many pages they want illustrated.
Do they want spot illustration, half page, or full page spreads?
Color or black & white?
What is the deadline?
*Most of all, do it because you are excited about the project.
We (illustrators) hear many horror stories about working with new independent publishers or self publishers. Before you say "no" automatically, get to know them and see if you can come up with an agreement that you all can get excited about! There are exceptions to the rule and for me this assignment was one of them.
Nice project Roz and what a cute little girl!
Posted by: laura | August 19, 2005 at 07:01 PM
What a great project!I´m still afraid of needles...I bet most kids are braver than me!
Posted by: Bea | August 20, 2005 at 02:12 PM