Is illustrating a self-published book worth it?
I have illustrated 4, so yes! Here are my tips...
I recorded audio for this newsletter, so click the play button to hear it. I felt I rambled a bit, so hopefully listening is a nice option to have!
Hi everyone!
First and foremost… did you hear the news??
invited me over to the studio for coffee on Wednesday, and before we knew what was happening… we were planning Lilla’s Art Chats with Katie Stack, a new series of live zooms about everything from getting clients to art supplies to what it means to have a creative brain!I am beyond honored and so excited to be doing this series of lives with Lilla! Read more about Lilla’s Art Chats here.
The first Art Chat will be on Thursday, February 6 at 11AM EST, so mark on your calendars! Here’s the zoom link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85929044978
How to Work on a Book Project with a Non-traditional Publisher
Now that you’re all caught up on this super exciting news, let’s get into the regular weekly newsletter…
This post is the first installment of a new multi-part series about How to Work on a Book Project with a Non-traditional Publisher, such as a self-published author or a non-profit organization. Over the past two years, I have illustrated four books with clients who fall into these categories, and honestly, each experience has been wonderful.
My experience with non-traditional publishers
When I left my teaching job two years ago, I was pretty convinced that I would only work with traditional publishers. I had heard horrible stories of artists getting stuck in tough situations with self-published books, and it seemed that most people agreed it was best to aim for working with big publishers.
So… when my cousins reached out about a book they had written (just one week after I left my teaching job), I was really hesitant to work on the project, because of all the things I mentioned above. But because they are family and because the text was both hilarious and really meaningful, I agreed to illustrate the book. I told them I’d still prefer to do all the “good business practices” like use a contract, stick to deadlines, etc… They were both fully on board, and 3 months later, the book was out in the world!
It was such a wonderful process and I will be forever grateful to them for giving me the chance to illustrate my first book. I learned so much through the process, and the overall success of the project completely changed my outlook on working with self-published authors.
Shortly after, I worked on a second book for another self published author, and then I worked with a non-profit for my third book. Both of those were also great. So I am here today to share my experience about working with non-traditional publishers in case anyone else is looking to work with this type of client, too.
