Argyle Fox Publishing works with all sorts of authors, including children’s book authors. Unlike a traditional publishing company, we allow our authors to hire their own illustrators. (Some even have their friends illustrate their books!) However, it’s important to be careful when hiring an illustrator. Otherwise, you may wind up getting ripped off.
Keep reading to learn the risks of finding your own artist and one simple way to negate these potential dangers.
The Dangers of Hiring Your Own Illustrator
The internet has made it easier than ever to find an artist you like. Hiring that illustrator from a social media page or another page they create and own can be tricky. Don’t misunderstand. It’s possible to connect with an artist on Instagram and have a great experience. It’s also possible to wind up with a few problems, including:
- Artificial art. If there’s no way to vet the artist, you may receive AI art or even copyrighted images stolen and sent to you. Over the years, we’ve had both happen with our authors. Fortunately, we detected this issue and helped our authors find new, legitimate artists.
- Lost funds. Send a fraudulent artist funds through PayPal, Venmo, or another method, and you may never see those funds again. We’ve had authors turn to us after losing thousands of dollars to scam artists. Such an event can sour authors against publishing.
- Incorrect image size, quality, or other specs. If you don’t understand page size, bleed and gutters, color modes, and resolution, you may not get useful images from your artist. They may be too small, not include bleed, have characters in the gutters, or be low resolution. Any of these can cause problems you may only notice when it’s time to go to print.
Hiring Illustrators the Safe Way
Not interested in these problems when hiring an illustrator? There is a safer way—by going through websites that connect you with freelance artists. These sites (such as Upwork or Fiverr) make it possible to cancel a job if you have problems. So, if the artist sends an illustration that includes AI or copyrighted work or can’t seem to create art in the size or promised, you get your money back.
Of course, it’s still possible to have issues through these sites. If you don’t give clear direction and set clear expectations, you won’t get what you need. But as long as you explain what you need, you should be in good shape.
Again, if the artist doesn’t hit the mark, cancel the job and find another artist. It can be frustrating, but it’ll save you headache moving forward.
Or Leave the Hiring to Us
Hiring an illustrator can be intimidating. Getting help can be a lifesaver, especially if you’re not sure what specs to give the artist or how to merge the art and text in a book format or create a book cover that will print properly. That’s what Argyle Fox Publishing is here to do. We handle all the behind-the-scenes steps to help get your picture book off your computer. From editing to illustrations, interior and cover design, and beyond, we make sure your book meets your vision, while you maintain control every step along your publishing journey.
So, what should you do if you think we might be the publisher for you? Submit your manuscript for consideration today.