A helpful Timeline Tool for book illustration

How long does it take to illustrate a picture book?

Hi everyone!

Last summer I wrote about my experience illustrating a picture book in 2.5 months. That was 2.5 months from signing the contract to launch date - it was quick! And it was my first book!

Now that I’ve illustrated 3 more books, I am feeling much more confident about my picture book process, and I am much more prepared to organize my time for a successful process. When a new client reaches out, the first two pieces of information they’re curious about are:

• What will it cost?

• How quickly can it be done?

To respond to these requests more efficiently, I created tools for myself with Google Sheets to quickly estimate the fee and the timeline. Today I’m sharing the Timeline Tool, and if you’re curious about my Picture Book Pricing Guide, you can find it here. At the bottom of this post, I’ve included a link to the editable Timeline Tool for paid subscribers. It’s pre-loaded with dates and formulas, so all you have to do is plug your start date and the number of weeks for each step.

Then you’ll have a timeline that is ready to share with clients and you’ll be feeling as prepare as this red panda scout!

When I receive a request for a potential book gig, and the client asks for a timeline, I look at my schedule and think about how long each of these steps will take: