How much does it cost?
Congratulations on your children's book project that inspires your passion and love of quality literature for kids. My passion is providing stimulating artwork that immerses children in your story. There is no higher calling for an artist than to create art that motivates children.
But you’re wondering, “How much does it cost?” Well, it depends.
A typical 32-page children’s picture book with 14 to 15 two-page spreads and a cover can begin at around $3,000 with a moderate level of detail and often takes between two and three months to complete.
Projects that require a high level of detail in every illustration can often exceed $7,000 and can take up to five months to complete.
The final price estimate and timeline will be worked out in the first three steps of my process below.
1 - Learn
After you take that first step of completing the contact form (below), I like to schedule a Zoom meeting to get to know you and your project. As your partner, I need to understand why you wrote your story, as well as the emotions and message you wish to convey. We’ll also discuss your expectations for the artwork, what level of detail you desire, and your available budget.
If this goes well for you, I’ll ask for your manuscript and any reference images or photos you may have collected. It’s also helpful if you’ve identified any artwork from my portfolio that matches your vision for your story.
2 - Plan
Next, I’ll work on a logical page flow for your manuscript that matches your target page count. Most often, I recommend crafting the story for a standard 32-page format. I may offer minor suggestions or additions to create that all-important page-turn urgency for readers to be excited about what happens next.
I’ll construct a rough dummy showing the flow of your manuscript across all pages, with additional notes for the artwork. The artwork notes will describe the size, content, and detail that will elevate your story within your budget.
4 - Get To Work!
Our project will likely fit into three phases:
Character Studies: I’ll create first rough sketches, then color studies of two or more main characters of your story.
Sketches: Once you approve the look of our characters, I’ll work on sketches for each illustration in your story. Each time I finish a new sketch, I’ll alert you by email for your feedback. This phase is complete once you approve a completed book dummy, with all the sketches in place of the planned artwork.
Color: To make sure we have the right color palette, I’ll color in the front cover and one story illustration. After you approve those two color samples, I’ll begin working on the final artwork for each illustration. Each time I finish a new illustration, I’ll alert you by email for your feedback. This phase is completed when you approve a finished book dummy with all final artwork in place.
3 - Contract
If everything looks great, I’ll provide a contract that describes your project, along with all the other required legal niceties to ensure you’re comfortable working with me.
Payments for most projects are split into three equal payments. One-third to initiate our project. Followed by another third once you're satisfied with the sketches (see step 4). And a final third once all the artwork is complete.
All payments are handled via a secure electronic invoice from my business bank that accepts a wide range of payment methods.
Let's get started!
Use the form below to let me know about your project, and I'll respond as soon as I can.
