My quick answer is yes. I am a legitimate illustrator! But how can you tell?
Many self-publishing children's book authors struggle to find trustworthy illustrators.
There’s nothing wrong with joining Facebook groups or freelancing websites to find them. Sometimes they would find the right person for the job. Sometimes they hire someone who seems perfect but ends up losing their money with no way to get it back.
Look, it goes both ways. I’ve had people approach me to get some art commissioned, or want to buy my artworks, only to find out that they are part of an elaborate Paypal scamming scheme. I’ve heard and seen those stories time and time again. So, here are some things to look for in order to tell a legitimate illustrator from a scammer:
They have a portfolio with consistent illustration styles
The best way to find out if an illustrator is legit is to google them right away. The biggest question is do they have a website or even an art social media account. If yes, then they have an online presence that sort of certifies they exist.
The second to spot is their art style. Many illustrators have signature art styles they stick to. However, it gets tricky when they showcase how they can do diverse styles to meet different clients’ needs. There are two things to remember:
1) Is there consistency in the art style? If they draw realism, do their realism artworks look consistent across the board? If they draw picture books, do they also look consistent? There are many ways to tell. 2) Do they post progress sketches? Can you ask them for a quick sample sketch on the spot?
From my semi-realism style, you can see that the eyes are drawn differently but are still consistent. I like circular pupils, with two white dots, to signify light reflection. It also looks more anime-ish which is a style I like to use.
For my children’s book illustrations, I like to have big pupils that cover most of the whites of the eyes. Still pretty similar to my semi-realistic style, but different enough to render a sort of childlike quality to it.
When picking an illustrator, make sure you like their art style too. Be specific about which work in their portfolio you like, so they know what you’re looking for and you get what you pay for. If the illustrator you’re talking to at the moment can’t do the style you want, there are plenty of others out there who can.
Watch out for anything that is obviously clip art or AI, even though the latter can be trickier than the former. Again, asking for progress sketches is a good way to know if they’re actually behind the illustrations.
They will meet you in person or on video
Any freelancer will communicate with you to learn about your project. With remote work being the norm, everyone sticks to keeping communication online. It's okay to begin communication on social media but switch to email for a more formal conversation. This way, you have a better way of tracking everything in writing.
Still, a good way to know that they are legitimate is that they are more than willing to meet with you via video conference. Talking face-to-face is the best way to share project information and ensures you're talking to a real person.
They charge industry prices and follow industry practices
Okay, hear me out. I’m not just saying this because I do freelance work. I’m repeating the phrase “You get what you pay for” here. I know it’s tempting to look at the millions of freelancers on Fivver offering their services for $5 an illustration. However, that doesn’t guarantee quality and they might just pull stock photo images that they will use repeatedly for different, unsuspecting clients. Also, even if that freelancer is legitimate, they obviously have a lot of learning to do about properly pricing their work.
Picture book contracts usually go between a minimum of $2,000 up to $10,000+ per project. Illustrators could charge per hour, per illustration, it varies from person to person. The reason this is the case is that there are tons of hours put into illustrating high-quality art. They are also people and have bills to pay, too. They need to charge a livable wage. Needless to say, legitimate illustrators also take into account who their client is. Are they trade publishers? Are they self-publishing authors looking to start their author business? Are they just an average grandma looking to create a book for their grandkids? Legitimate freelance illustrators take that into account when it comes to pricing and understanding the needs of their clients.
Legitimate freelance illustrators will also know how to properly format illustrations into a picture book layout. More importantly, they will give you realistic timeframes. Scammers will tell you that your book could be ready in a month. It sounds exciting, but think about the rush behind all that and the true amount of work put into the project just to meet that deadline. The average picture book is completed within 3 months AT MINIMUM. During the time of the project, your illustrator should update you consistently about the progress of the project.
They have a contract that protects both of you
Freelancers have contracts that protect you, your projects as well as themselves. Read it carefully. Contracts vary from freelancer to freelancer. Don’t rely on a verbal agreement or even a written agreement on Facebook. Have an actual contract that discusses the terms of your project that will protect both the client and the freelancer.
The contract should also reflect compensation and fees for the project. Some illustrators want royalties from book sales, or they might lend the license of the characters they draw for your book in case of merchandising. Others only want payment for the work and give the author full illustration rights.
You need to discuss this carefully with your illustrator so that you both understand what to expect and that you don’t have to deal with copyright issues later on.
I know these are a lot to take in, but it’s better to know who you are working and trusting your project with. It’s also good to gauge your expectations and educate yourself on industry practices. Legitimate illustrators aren’t out here to scam you off your money. They are here to help you. They will work with you because they believe in your work, and they are willing to represent it through their art.