Looking For An Illustrator?

I am not starting any new projects until at least late Fall of 2013, (I'm still working on Little Raindrop!) however I like to line up my work to plan ahead. You are welcome to send me an email to see if I am interested in your project that falls into one of the following categories:
-Small Illustration or Painting Commissions, 12"x12" or less
-Illustration of children's books published Traditionally or Self Published, not vanity or print-on-demand (Not sure of the differences between the various publishing types? Brush up on your knowledge of the topic by checking the links below.)
-Magazine art and other smaller publications
-I know I'm forgetting a lot of other options, so just ask me via email and I'll let you know... (and will promptly add it to my list of yes's or no's!).

For Small Illustration or Painting Commissions, kindly send me an email, MLCillustration (at) yahoo (dot) com, with the following information:
-Size and media of your choice
-Subject of piece
-Estimate date you would need the art to be completed by.

For Illustrated Picture Books
There is a lot of information out there to be learned about the publishing industry and the way things work. If you are looking to submit your story to a Traditional Publisher (such as Random House, Scholastic, etc.) then our collaborating would be moot. They prefer story submissions to be made OR art submissions, and the only case they will take both at the same time is if the author is also the illustrator. In this particular case, I would direct you to this site: http://underdown.org/basics.htm

However, if you plan to self-publish, you will need to know which KIND of self-publishing. There are all sorts of different ways one can do this. I have decided in the past, (after a long debate with myself, and much thinking), that I will not be taking any new clients that are choosing to go the route of Vanity Printing or Print-On-Demand (POD) services. It may sound unfair, but this is for the sake of my career, and I prefer to choose projects with the end result of books in a bookstore, and many of them! I'm not just here to draw, I also want to make some money. To learn more about the different kinds of publishing, you can visit these links:

On Self-Publishing, vs POD vs Vanity
http://www.underdown.org/publishing-options.htm
http://www.underdown.org/self-publishing.htm
http://www.sfwa.org/for-authors/writer-beware/vanity/
http://www.sfwa.org/for-authors/writer-beware/pod/#Service

What To Expect if You Self Publish
http://www.underdown.org/lucas-miller.htm
http://ecprinting.com/selfpub.html

How to Market Your Work
Practical Steps to Promote Your Book
Blog Tours by Greg R. Fishbone
Publicize Your Book! by Jaqueline Deval

Now, assuming you already know that you aren't submitting your work to a Traditional Publisher, and that you are already planning to self-publish the career-friendly way, then we can start talking business. Kindly send me an email, MLCillustration (at) yahoo (dot) com, with the following information:

1)      What is your story about?
2)   I will need to read your manuscript in its entirety prior to deciding whether we are a good match. (I will sign a Nondisclosure Agreement if you want to protect your story from being stolen. Of course, I  would never do such a thing, though I realize you never truly know a person until you live with them. And I live with enough people already, so signing my name on a piece of paper is easy enough!)
3)      Is there a specific piece of art of mine that you could “see” in your book? That matches your story’s theme/feeling? Is there another professional artist whose style that also matches your story? Do you have a particular vision for your story? I’d like to see what you’re seeing in your mind’s eye.
4)  What is your competition? What other books out there are similar to yours in topic or illustration style, and how do they differ…what makes your story unique? Are there other books that have the layout you are looking for, or anything else out there you can use for an example? Be prepared! This part will need to be done!
5)      Have you had your manuscript professionally edited? (If not, I know someone I can refer you to.) Have you seriously plotted your page turns, and eradicated all near-rhyme in your verse? Is the story’s layout pretty much ready for illustrations? Have you done all necessary research for historical/political accuracy? (These do not necessarily need to be already done; just getting a feel for what the project entails.) ARE YOU OPEN TO CHANGES AND IMPROVEMENTS?
6)      What is your game plan? When do you plan to have the book finished? Do you already have a printer, a copyright, an ISBN number? Are you aware it takes an artist six months to a year or more to illustrate a picture book? (I'm more along the year-or-more end of the spectrum.)
7)      Ask yourself what your budget is. Don’t tell me your answer! But make sure you know what you’re getting yourself into, and that you can handle the responsibility both financially and time-wise. Be sure to do some of your own research to know what to expect. (View some links above and below to learn more.) This will be, after all, a business transaction and a huge responsibility.
8)  Have you been published before? Why are you going the route of Self-Publishing?

I will let you know if your project interests me, and with enough information I can even give you a quote. Generally, my rates can range from $1,000-5,000 (and it can vary) depending on the scale of the project, what needs to be done, how detailed the art will be and which style I’ll be creating it in. If you are okay with the quote, I move onto the next stage and draw up a few character sketches and a full-color sample illustration to send to you. (There is a fee involved with this, which is then waived if you and I choose to collaborate.) If you are happy with the results, and want to move on with the project, then we are in business! Here are some helpful links about working with artists:

On Working With An Illustrator
http://www.susanhartung.com/questions.html

On Pricing Artwork/What Determines Cost
http://escapefromillustrationisland.com/2009/11/20/escapee-speaks-things-to-consider-when-pricing-your-work/

I thank you for taking interest in my work, and even for making the effort to read up to this point. Your support is priceless and very much appreciated!
Best of luck to you!
~Melanie