Artist question to an author

[Harvey Walls 0]

Hi everyone,
Question. Is it customary to ask to see a portion of the author's story before you commit to being hired to draw it for them?

[Nyrryl Cadiz]

@Harvey-Walls-0 Definitely. You need to first learn what your signing up for before you commit to it.

[StudioLooong]

I agree with @Nyrryl-Cadiz , you need to make sure that the story is a good fit for you before signing on. I wouldn't agree to a job without at least getting a synopsis. If you are working with a bigger property (Disney, Marvel, etc.) they may withhold details until you've signed a non-disclosure agreement.

[Harvey Walls 0]

Thank you for your help. I just want to do the right thing. It appears the author was not committed since I haven't heard back since I asked her (no reply back in 3 days so far). I guess there are a few steps you can perform beforehand to weed out the ones who aren't serious about committing? Any tips?

[Nyrryl Cadiz]

@Harvey-Walls-0 ask for the budget. If they want you to give your rate, give them a reasonable estimate. If they’re not serious, they’ll try to make you work next to nothing or not even contact you again. Don’t feel bad when they do. It wouldn’t have been a good fit.

[StudioLooong]

@Harvey-Walls-0 When I get random picture book inquiries from authors, this is the message I send. For me, I find that it's flexible enough not to scare off the people who seriously want to work with me but direct enough that I'm not wasting my time with someone with a $200 budget for their entire picture book:

Hey [name]!

I'd love to hear a little more about your project. I would need some more information on what kinds of illustrations you are looking for and what your manuscript is about before I could give you an accurate quote. I also try to make sure that all the projects that I take on are a really good fit for me and my style of illustration before moving forward.

Just to give you a ballpark, usage rights for 28 to 32 illustrations would start at around [price] for black and white illustrations with a full color cover illustration and at around [price] for full color illustrations throughout. The rate may vary depending on the complexity of the project and I am always willing to negotiate for a project I feel is a great fit.

Let me know if you'd like to talk thorough what you have in mind in more detail, I'd love to set up a call with you.

[Harvey Walls 0]

@Nyrryl-Cadiz totally agree. Thank you so much for helping me confirm.

[Harvey Walls 0]

@StudioLooong extremely helpful! Thank you for taking the time to do that!