Finding the right artist for your self published book.

Aronna

Apr 19, 2008

Arts & Crafts

One obstacle in self publishing is finding an artist for your book. How to find and work with the artist to ensure you will get the book art that you want.

Step 1.

Finish the Book.

You want to have your book written. This will allow you to determine how many images you want in the book.

Step 2.

Create A Budget.

Set aside a budget for the artwork. Begin this before you start looking for an artist will give you a head start when you do find an artist.

Step 3.

Research Art Styles.

Search the internet and local book stores. Take note of which kinds of book art appeals to you. Find out what style of art appeals to both you and your story.

Different art styles may include: water color, oil, colored pencil, digital inking, charcoal and pen and inking.

If you have written a children's book, you will want color images.

Step 4.

Touch base with your publisher.

If you have already contacted a publisher, it is a good idea to see if they offer any artwork in the packages. Some publishers have artists listed for you to contact and work with. Other publishers offer cover art and such.

Step 5.

Find your artist.

Utilizing sites such as ifreelance and elance is a great way to find several artists of different styles. These sites allow the artist to bid on the project.

Suggestions for finding your artist;

* Once you find a few potential artists, do a google search on them to see how much of their past work appears.

* A professional artist will have a service agreement already in place. This should have the answers to any questions you have, such as resubmission policies, ownership of the completed work and so on.

* Create a good dialog with the artist and get their creative process established.

* Most artists will have a website as a portfolio. Take into account the layout of their website. If it is organized and easy to use, they will probably be a good choice.