What to send an illustrator with your manuscript
The more of this you have ready, the faster and more accurate the quote. None of it has to be perfect, and if you are missing the middle section entirely that is what the first sketches are for.
- 01
The story
The one thing nothing can start without.
- The complete manuscript, as a Word document or a PDF
- An illustration brief: page by page, or a description of each scene
- How many illustrations or spreads you need
- 02
The look
Helpful rather than essential. If you have none of it, that is what the first sketches are for.
- Character references or designs, if any already exist
- Visual references or a mood board for the art style you want
- 03
The book as an object
These decide the shape of every page, so the earlier they are settled the better.
- Book size and format, for example 8.5 × 8.5 in
- What you need for the cover
- Where it will be printed: KDP, IngramSpark or another service
- Any guidelines from your publisher or printer
- 04
The practicalities
What turns a conversation into a schedule.
- Your deadline
- Your budget, or the rate you have already agreed
If you are missing things
Only the manuscript is genuinely required. Character designs, mood boards and even the trim size can be settled together once the project starts, and plenty of authors arrive with nothing but the story. Send what you have. The gaps become the first conversation rather than a reason to wait.
What happens next
You get a fixed price and a schedule back, usually within two working days. Nothing is drawn until a written brief is agreed on both sides. A full picture book runs to around three months from that point to print ready files.