Don’t Pick Up Your Pencil Yet: Set Expectations First (I Learned the Hard Way)
Working with Non-Traditional Publishers: Part 3
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Hi everyone!
This is the third newsletter in a multi-post series all about Working with Non-Traditional Publishers, including clients who are self-publishing their books. These could be individual clients, non-profit organizations, or anyone else who isn’t a traditional publisher.
I’m working on my fifth book in this category, and each project has been full of wonderful experiences, which is why I’m sharing about it with all of you! Sometimes we’re less inclined to be open about self-publishing clients, but there really are some good opportunities out there. Here are the first two posts in the series:
Working with Non-Traditional Publishing Clients: Part 3
Setting up clear expectations from the start (Do not skip this step!)
When working with a client is who self-publishing a book, whether it’s an individual, an organization, or even a family or friend, it is so, so important to set up clear expectations from the start.
In this post, I’ll be sharing about when to set up clear expectations and why this step is so important. Here’s an outline of the post:
A mistake I learned early on that taught me about setting clear expectations.
3 opportunities for checking-in with your client (before you start illustrating!) so you can set expectations, explain your process, and answer their questions.
Why these check-in opportunities make a difference.
So let me say it one more time… You need clear expectations from THE START!
To explain why, let me tell you a story about one of my first ever illustration commissions. It taught me a lot—mainly because I skipped some really important steps.
I started working on the project before finalizing contract details like pricing and timeline—mostly because I felt awkward about bringing them up. I was new, not very confident, and didn’t know how to lead that part of the conversation.
When I finally shared the cost at the end, the client was understandably surprised, so I lowered the price to smooth things over. But then I felt undervalued.
A few months later, I reached out when the artwork was being used in a way we hadn’t discussed. I hadn’t explained the difference between the illustration fee and usage rights, which can definitely be confusing—so of course the client assumed they could use the art freely. Asking for a new licensing agreement felt awkward, like I was the bad guy. And it all could’ve been avoided with a clearer conversation upfront.
None of this was the client’s fault. I just didn’t know how to set expectations. That project taught me the value of having open, honest conversations before the illustrating begins.
It is my responsibility to be clear about my process and industry standards with my clients. The ins and outs of the commercial illustration world may seem obvious to us as illustrators, because we’re in that world, but to someone in another field, it may seem very strange that they have to pay to use art in additional ways, or that illustrating a book takes months, or that resizing a piece from A2 to A4 is really not as simple as dragging an image larger or smaller! And since I want my client to be happy throughout the whole commission process, I don’t want any surprises to pop up along they way.
So how do I avoid surprises and set up clear expectations?