You’ve written a book. Now it’s time to get that book on the shelves, but you have no idea where to start. And if you’re like most people, you think the easiest part will be choosing a cover. But have you ever tried to hire an artist for your book cover?
When it comes down to hiring an artist for your book cover, there are a few things that you’ll want to consider beforehand.
This tutorial will go over what you should be looking for in an illustrator. We’ll review some of the most important things to consider when choosing an illustrator,
1- Does their style fit with your story?
When hiring an artist for your book cover, you want to make sure that their style fits with your story. You can’t just hire anyone—you need to make sure that the artist’s aesthetic meshes well with the tone and feel of your book.
If you’re writing a children’s book, you might want an illustrator with a more cartoonish style and bright colors. If you’re writing a thriller, you might want someone with a darker and more realistic style.
Ensure that the artist’s style fits their audience. For example, if you’re writing for adults, it would be weird to hire an illustrator whose work is primarily geared toward kids.
2- Do they have a history of working with authors?
If you’re looking for a book cover artist, one of the first things you should do is check their work history.
Why? Because working with authors like you is what they do, they should have a track record of doing it well. If they don’t have one, that’s a red flag.
If they have a history of working with authors, that’s great! But don’t stop there. Look at their portfolio and make sure you like what they’ve done in the past. If they haven’t worked with authors before and you’re still interested in hiring them, ask them about their process for collaborating with authors and see if it matches your expectations.
You can take the help of leading illustration agencies such as Artistique International who have the finest book cover designers to choose from.
3 – Are they available to work within the time frame you need?
When hiring an illustrator for your book cover, you want to make sure they can work within the time frame you need.
Why? You don’t want to spend all that cash on a designer and then have them take a month or two to get back to you with your finished product. That’s not what we call “efficient!”
And who wants inefficient illustrators? Not us!
In addition to checking whether the illustrator has a schedule that fits yours, it’s important to check what kind of deadlines they prefer (if any) and how flexible those deadlines are. This way, if things go wrong (and they often do), you’ll know what kinds of adjustments might need to be made for everything to get done right on time.
4- Budget
Money is a big deal when it comes to hiring an illustrator. You don’t want to get ripped off.
So, make sure that the price is fair based on their work quality and experience. If they’re new and just starting, they’ll probably charge less than someone who has been in the business for years and has worked on tons of book covers before.
Also, make sure that the price includes everything. If you’re paying for just one piece of artwork (like a cover), make sure that price includes revisions if necessary and any other expenses related to creating that piece of art (like hiring models).
Conclusion
We hope you’ve enjoyed this guide to hiring an illustrator for your book cover. We’re sure you can’t wait to get started on your next bestseller—and we’ll be right there with you, applauding you from the sidelines!
So what do you think? Are you ready to start your search?
If so, check out Artistique International. They’re one of the top illustration agencies out there, and they have a wide variety of talent to choose from—all at reasonable prices.
