Need an artist for a kids novel! Excellent chance of being published!
Parallax
Posts: 10
Hey everyone! I appreciate you taking the time to check this out. Don’t let my post count fool you, I’ve been around the CGS forums since the first one, like 5 crashes ago. I even guested on their Blackest Night #4 special episode.
Here’s the deal: My friend and I have written a kids book, or more appropriately, a Young Novel. We have been unsuccessful in procuring an agent thus far, however we have found ourselves in the very fortunate position recently. A person within one of the largest children’s book publishers in the world is very interested to read our book!
HOWEVER, they want to see illustrations for the book along WITH it in order to read it. Now we were planning to eventually get art for the top of each of our chapters but we thought that would come later--once we’d gotten an agent and all that. But since we do not have one yet, it’s on us to find an artist—and fast!
And so we have come here, to a forum that I have been loyal to for many, many years now. I know there are talented folks that cruise these forums that just might be looking for stuff to draw.
Some basic information about the project: it is a kids book with a cast made almost entirely of children. There will be about 40 chapter-leading illustrations required for the book, PLUS a front and back cover. If we like how each other does their thing, then we will of course provide you the book in order to complete the vision of the world and to assist with your illustration composition ideas.
So if you ARE interested, please let me know here and I’ll either post the necessary details for two sample drawings or I’ll private message them to you directly. If you have any samples of your own art you’d like to post here or message to me that you think might be good for a kids book (even without knowing the details), please feel free to do so!
Thanks very much for reading this and I hope to hear from as many of you as possible that are interested!
Here’s the deal: My friend and I have written a kids book, or more appropriately, a Young Novel. We have been unsuccessful in procuring an agent thus far, however we have found ourselves in the very fortunate position recently. A person within one of the largest children’s book publishers in the world is very interested to read our book!
HOWEVER, they want to see illustrations for the book along WITH it in order to read it. Now we were planning to eventually get art for the top of each of our chapters but we thought that would come later--once we’d gotten an agent and all that. But since we do not have one yet, it’s on us to find an artist—and fast!
And so we have come here, to a forum that I have been loyal to for many, many years now. I know there are talented folks that cruise these forums that just might be looking for stuff to draw.
Some basic information about the project: it is a kids book with a cast made almost entirely of children. There will be about 40 chapter-leading illustrations required for the book, PLUS a front and back cover. If we like how each other does their thing, then we will of course provide you the book in order to complete the vision of the world and to assist with your illustration composition ideas.
So if you ARE interested, please let me know here and I’ll either post the necessary details for two sample drawings or I’ll private message them to you directly. If you have any samples of your own art you’d like to post here or message to me that you think might be good for a kids book (even without knowing the details), please feel free to do so!
Thanks very much for reading this and I hope to hear from as many of you as possible that are interested!
Comments
And a friendly warning: I have NEVER heard of a publisher or agent who would not read a manuscript if it was not accompanied by illustrations. As a matter of fact, most publisher DO NOT WANT illustrated material, as they prefer to match up writers with artists themselves, even for children's books and picture books.
They are also reticent to look at a manuscript with illustrations because it opens the publisher up to accusations of copyright infringement if they eventually do hire a different artist. And for the author to be able to pick the cover artist is almost unheard of, unless you are already a recognizable talent.
Beware that these people may be looking for a ready to print book they can run off with.
If there is perhaps a less money-centric artist (no offense--everyone's gotta make rent) out there that is just getting going or maybe just looking for a non-school assignment to keep their chops sharp, then perhaps two sample pieces of art that could possibly lead to published work might not be such a waste of time, you know? And even if nothing comes of it, it was still a fun (hopefully) exercise that could still yield possible portfolio pieces, no?
Anyway, as for worrying about them stealing it, it's a friends of family friends situation so that will not happen. Plus it's copywritten.
I would advise anyone interested to at least look into getting a contract before making any deal.
I write and illustrate my own books, and I can tell you what a chore that can be!!
amazon.com/The-Vixen-Sorceress-Chas-Melville/dp/1440472831/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1364048533&sr=8-1&keywords=vixen+sorceress
There is no way I or any sensible artist would (or should) take on that size of a job without a respectable commission! Or a contract!
It's a shame since I usually enjoy the forum so much but man I was hoping if there were negative responses they wouldn't imply that I'm somehow an idiot. Wrong there, too.
Thanks for checking the thread, people. I'm all set now. I've now got 3 separate books being looked at for publishing so it's a shame nobody from the CGS boards will be a part of them, but again, I understand.
Thanks anyway.
Good luck with your projects.
Bye bye :(
Work performed by talented people is worth something.
Hey, I've got an idea. I have a cover and 40 illustrations, and all I need is a book written around them and my publisher will be willing to look at it. Unfortunately I can't pay anything, but you might get published.
See how that sounds?
Tonebone: If I was someone who hadn't had anything published yet, I would DEFINITELY consider taking on such a project if I had the available time. Not too many people get paid for their first attempt at something (see my 6 short films, one of which won in the Phoenix Film Festival Short Competition that year), and if they do, it's not much. I would consider it (FOR MYSELF) an internship equivalent. And I did indicate that if we DID get paid, it would be split.
John_Steed: That's fair. But I did only have the two responses to go off of. And I'm not leaving the forums, just kinda giving up on this since the reaction is NOT what I expected/hoped for.
And in addition, I never said I needed an ACCOMPLISHED, PUBLISHED, ETC. artist. I just said ARTIST! It could be someone JUST STARTING OUT sketching that wants to try. And I wasn't asking for 40 illustrations up front with no guarantee. If someone had INQUIRED about it rather than pooping on it, then they might have found out I'd ask for 1, maybe 2 examples of art to see if the style fits and if it does, we can go from there. There IS A CHANCE the writing is good and an artist might WANT to work on it because they believe in the material. But they wouldn't KNOW that without inquiring, would they?
If you want to post an opportunity and simply receive replies of those interested, try one of the thousands of sites where you can post for artists specifically. This is a forum. You are absolutely welcome, but we discuss things. My dad used to say if you don't want to know every ailment of an old person, don't ask how they're doing.
And as for a few of us spoiling this for you, I'm sorry you feel that way. As an artist, my knee-jerk reaction is to protect fellow artists from heartache and headaches. Not trying to dissuade, just inform. Again, that's based on what I have learned in my professional and personal experiences as an artist, over 25 years worth, which I feel may be useful to others.