Pricing for Middle Grade Illustration: 5 Questions to Ask
There are a few questions you need to be asking yourself as you go about pricing your illustrations for the world of the middle grade novel.
Today I am sharing 5 QUESTIONS you need to KNOW the answers to, in order to price yourself right and know what you are getting into as you traverse the middle grade book illustration field.
Here they are:
What kind of Cover Art?
What type of Interior Art?
Is this a Double Commission: interiors & cover combo?
Do you get royalties for cover art?
What are the benefits to being a cover artist anyway?
COVER ART
Know your market. Not all covers are middle grade, some are YA, early reader, or other. Middle Grade is a special market, usually with a decent price point. Ask them to share a bit about the story, and pay attention to the imprint of the publisher, as that can help determine their general audience. They will also tell you what readership it's for if they are a knowledgeable, legit publisher.
Determine content before accepting a fee. Is it a simple spot art cover? A character in a vignette? A fully rendered detailed wrap with back and spine? That will span the range. Ask for examples of the work you are being hired to do.
INTERIORS
These are b/w or greyscale, 99% of the time. But ask to be sure.
Make sure you know if you are being hired for: chapter openers, full pages, vignettes, etc....
Have the publisher show you examples of the content detail they want you to do for interiors.
BOTH
Both has pros and cons, pending how much time you have on your hands.
If you have the time, this can be a great combo deal, as you get more of the final fee and budget doing both.
ROYALTIES
This is a tough one to hear, but chapter book royalties are rare. They happen, but not as often.
BENEFITS
The benefits of Middle Grade illustration include:
Higher budget per piece of art than other types, including greeting cards, puzzles and other side hustles.
Ability to get sequels and further work, as a lot of time chapter books are series.
It can help prevent burnout.Keep your mind fresh and try something to spice up your illustration life, and not just the same picture books, greeting cards, or puzzles again and again.
Keep your schedule active, making money and balance: It's something to work on as you wait for those long picture book notes.
If you want to know more specifics on all the above -- such as about pricing, tips on negotiating, social media marketing, trend scouting, creating the right characters, and developing a portfolio bespoke to the MG market, then my course is for you!
The Middle Grade Illustration Master Class is
out now and open for enrollment! Check it out here.
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