If it was me and I was able to get $12,000 for it, I would go for it. But thats only because I have a full time job and this would be a side job for me. I would put up with any issues for the money LOL. But if it was my main source of income, its not worth it to me. But thats my opinion. Best of luck on whichever route you take.
I've met with a self-publishing author before, it was my first time, and after discussing her needs, I came back with what I though was a reasonable $2500 (which was way too low already) and she said she only had $800 to spend on the project. I didn't work with her. I have a feeling this person doesn't have that type of money, but if so heck yeah! lol. Thanks!
@bharris Only 2 weeks ago I had a client I knew was going to be a nightmare client off the mark because of his constant emailing back and forth. I quoted him a high price and told him that if he wants art to my standard then it's going to cost him x and that if x was too high for him, then I can point him to a Facebook group with local art students who'd be able to do it cheap but that it wouldn't be done in my style or to my standard in quality. He thanked me and told me I was too expensive. 3 hours later, he called me and said that he wants me to do the job for the full price.
You are a business and your talent is worth money. Don't compromise for deadbeat clients who are just going to give you the run around and ask for endless revisions, etc. I place all the things about revisions and costs in my contract. If they don't like it my way, I don't want them as a client, it's as simple as that. It may sound harsh, but we're on the planet for not a lot of time, so I'm not going to spend time doing things I don't want for people who don't respect me.
Respect yourself and the client will get your best work anyway.
Ace
@bharris: did you mean $12,000 or $1,200?
Because I don't understand why you'd say you're taking a hit for $12K. Isn't that more than what you could even get (on average for a newbie illustrator) as an advance from one of the big publishers?
If it's really $12,000 then I'd say go for it. Again though, making sure you have a contract in place 
I'd run the other way! I've had to tell a few people no and I don't really feel I know what I'm doing as far as publishng goes. I did some illustrations for one author that I love working with . I didn't get paid a lot but I enjoyed the work, it was good practice and I didn't feel bad about that decision. She told another self published author about me (and my cheap work-I asked her not to tell people what I was working for after that). I agreed to do one or two illustrations for him for $20 ! He was so nit picky and I redid them so many times. I mean I know I am not prefect but so many redos for so little money. He ended up only taking one of them and I was paid $20. I lost a lot of confidence in my art ability and got paid peanuts for it. I am surely a beginner at illustration and don't expect people to be knocking my door down unless they think they can get a good deal from my hard work-which was much better than what he had even if there were problems. Fortunately I don't need to make a living from my art but I still want to be valued for what I can do. It feels awful to be used and paid almost nothing for it.
I don't have any more to add, just to say that I have been in a situation like that too, illustrate a book for someone who knows nothing (no, his name was not Jon ^^ ) but after accepting, I had to pull out. the effort is not worth it, I realized that I'd better spend this time in personal projects that will really benefit my portfolio
now I just stay away from all these and I answer nicely that I'm too busy working on other things
@audrey-dowling I agree that the time would be better spent on personal portfolio pieces than on these low-paid projects. Its easy to think "Well, some money is better than none!" but if you're not excited about the project, it shows, and the money becomes not worth it really quick. Good portfolio pieces that you really love and did because YOU liked the idea will do much more for you in the long run, in my opinion. Of course, I don't exactly speak as a professional illustrator with a great client list or anything--I'm still figuring this all out too. But at the SCBWI conference my portfolio was full of pieces I made because I wanted to and people really seemed to respond to that.
3 things come to mind right away after skimming through most of what everyone has told you.
What falls under your job description is the ART. That's it. Sure you do art direction, but even books with 20 pages NEED an outside art director that usually comes from either the publisher, in this case the Client doing it themselves. They're not hiring you to art direct. That is a separate job in itself, that isn't required of you as an add on. If you want to make a contract that says you will art direct your own work AFTER the fact... that requires allowing them to change everything you do, as your doing it... which yes, is fine if you're covered financially for changes. And everything will need revision especially with difficult clients, which this person is before you've even met. RED FLAG!
If you had a nightmare job from Disney, would you turn it down? HELL NO!!! You'd sell your mother's favorite chair and tell her it got lost in the fire. It's Disney, it's a once in a lifetime chance, it's immortality. But this guy is not Disney. You can't go into every job thinking I'm gonna treat this like I'm working for Disney. It's a great thought, but you'd be killing yourself for something that obviously is more about the experience, than it is about the benefits. And that's fine if you wanna do that... I hear people like to backpack alone through Europe. NOT ME. I'm a city boy... I like room service, working toilets and cable TV.
Some people like to rough it. That's what this is gonna be...
As should yours be to you. As should everyone's time be to them. Even this author. If he hasn't found the right artist, ask him why, really ask him what was wrong with all those people? What did he like, what did he out right hate? What didn't work with him personality wise? What didn't work with him as far as their work ethic, their approaches, their answers to disagreements, etc... You're going on a DATE. As far as I'm concerned this is about to be a personal relationship with a finite time period. But it's gonna be personal. You're gonna look back at it someday and say that's how I spent the summer of 2016, working with Joe Killjoy and his book, How to bore me to death volumes 1-12.
So ask yourself. Is this job, worth my time? Even if you're starting out, what are you gonna learn or take away from this job? Money is not the answer to all things. If you're working for money, you're in the wrong profession. I can name about 8 things that will get you more money in half the time, that are more enjoyable than doing this... but I am not you.
You're already entertaining the notion, so something inside you is curious. You're willing to give this guy the benefit of the doubt even though you know and see the red flags everywhere. Denial is not just a river in Egypt. Just kidding. But seriously if you think you've got the right stuff to do this, and the money sounds good, and you wanna know the answers to all these questions, go for it. May the wind be at your back...
In all seriousness, good luck to you, and let us know what happens.
@DanetteDraws I meant $12000 but it would be over the span on 8-9 moths, so not really worth the time and energy if I hate the project, and after reading the book I know I'm not going to work with him, at least not until he hires an editor and wants to go legit.
@Marsha-Kay-Ottum-Owen I'm so sorry! That sounds awful and a true hit in the gut learning experience. I hope you've got your confidence back though! Thank you for sharing. I do not think I'll be working with him, but I do plan on meeting him.
@audrey-dowling lol, Jon. Yes I agree that personal projects are a better way to spend time!
@Bobby-Aquitania Great insight and summery Bobby, and humorously put! I agree with all of your points and everything everyone said has really hit home for me. I don't plan on working with this author, but I do plan to meet with him still as I'd like the practice and practice in stating my contract, fees and values, nicely of course.
@bharris said:
@DanetteDraws I meant $12000 but it would be over the span on 8-9 moths, so not really worth the time and energy if I hate the project, and after reading the book I know I'm not going to work with him, at least not until he hires an editor and wants to go legit.
Ahhh that totally makes sense then. If it were more like 3 months that would be ideal, not to mention how you can already tell he'd be tough to work with which sometimes no amount of money is enough to deal with that.
@DanetteDraws It really would be a sweet deal! But my slower- newbie pace and other time demands, not to mention 40 pgs of illustrations would drag the project on a long time.
If it was me and I was able to get $12,000 for it, I would go for it. But thats only because I have a full time job and this would be a side job for me. I would put up with any issues for the money LOL. But if it was my main source of income, its not worth it to me. But thats my opinion. Best of luck on whichever route you take.
