My Thoughts on Self-Publishing

Maybe it's the economic downturn, but lately, I and my colleagues have been approached by would-be children's book writers to illustrate their books on spec because they want to self-publish. 

Long and short of it:  I don't illustrate on spec. If I'm offered a fair advance, then I will consider it.  How much, you might be wondering?  Well, it depends on a lot of factors: number of pages to the book (a hint: the number of pages in a picture book should be divisible by 8.  So: 16, 24, 32, or 40.  32 pages is the norm), the complexity of the illustrations, the subject matter, etc.  But the lowest amount would be about $5,000.  And that's only an advance against royalties...illustrators also get a percentage of the sales as royalties. Plus keep the rights to their artwork.

Today, on LinkedIn, a person posting asked whether or not an illustrator would consider illustrating a book on spec, with payment only from a percentage of books sold. Because, after all, hiring an illustrator costs money (well, we DO make our living this way!), and well, how is someone to become experienced and published unless both the author and illustrator work on faith (and tons of hope that their book will sell!).

I want to post my reply here, because I think this is something people considering self-publishing should know.  Feel free to copy any or all of it and pass it on:

I always advise my students and up and coming illustrators to stay away from these proposals. While something like this can give the illustrator some experience, in the end, it doesn't help them gain ground in the industry.

I can't tell you how many times I've been approached with this very same proposal. Usually the illustrator winds up doing a ton of work for nothing, because the end product is either not marketable or poor in quality.

The sales, and subsequent percentage to the artist, all depends on how this author plans on marketing his books. Self-publishing is a risky venture, and it's expensive. Few people doing this realize, too, that they must also warehouse their books, and do the shipping themselves.

And remember, as long as illustrators do work on spec (because that's what this is, ultimately), they will always be 'struggling artists'.

...illustrators need to strive for...fair pay for fair work.

Everyone thinks they can write a children's book, few are successful. But many don't want to do the legwork that seasoned authors have done, i.e., working on their degrees in writing, attending conferences, joining critique groups and having their writing worked over by people in the industry.

Fledgling authors (and illustrators) NEED to realize that, just because they've opted for the self-publishing route, it does not guarantee that they will have a marketable product. And that's what this whole thing is about: producing a product that will sell.

That's why publishing houses are so selective about what they publish. They're in it to make money and to stay in business.

This year, Book Expo America will be back in New York City. Every year, Book Expo has a section of self-published authors or small presses that only publish a few titles. Nine times out of ten, the artwork is horrible on these books. Why? Because the author can't or won't pay for an illustrator who knows what he or she is doing. So all that money they spent to have this awful looking book (a.k.a., product) produced is down the tubes. Not to mention the few thousand bucks spent on the space at, and travel to, the Expo.

Now, if an author and illustrator wish to collaborate (and this is probably what you're considering), and they have a good, marketable product, then that's their business. But, and I repeat, this is NOT good for illustrators who have finished with their schooling, because it generally gets them no where. They MIGHT end up, however, with a few good samples to send to clients who will hire them for pay. If an author wishes to go into this field without doing the legwork I mentioned above, then they take on the risk of going nowhere themselves.

Authors who want to get published should talk to other authors who have been published. The newbies will find out that these seasoned pros started out by writing articles for newspaper and/or magazines, entering writing contests (there are lots out there), going to school, joining critique groups, etc. BTW, ... a great group for authors and illustrators of children's books is the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators ( http://www.scbwi.org/ ) This is a world-wide organization and will help this author hone his or her work, connect with others in the field, and offers great conferences, classes, workshops, etc., across the country and in whatever state this person resides.

....if [a person] really wants to pursue this, then [they can] contact the nearest college that offers degrees in illustration. A student can take this on as an assignment.

So...if you're considering self-publishing, and all of what I wrote above sounds very foreign to you, then that's a good indication that you didn't do your homework.  There are great books on the market for people considering getting into the children's book market, so do investigate those books before approaching an illustrator.  Here are a few:

• The Complete Idiot's Guide to Publishing Children's Books, 3rd Edition by Harold S. Underdown
• The Business of Writing for Children: An Award-Winning Author's Tips on Writing Children's Books and Publishing Them, or How to Write, Publish, and Promote a Book for Kids by Aaron Shepard
• 2010 Children's Writer's & Illustrator's Market by Alice Pope

These are only three.  And do investigate the SCBWI (http://www.scbwi.org/ ). 

nancy