Finding and Choosing an Illustrator - Step 1 : Get Your Manuscript Professionally Edited
Finding and Choosing an Illustrator
This 7 step guide will help Authors who are interested in learning how to find and choose an illustrator. Like everything in this industry it is not always straight forward and there are many factors to consider. Let's get started! :)
Step 1 : Get Your Manuscript Professionally Edited
You may be saying, "Well that seems counterintuitive! I came here to learn about finding an illustrator, not an editor!"
And you are right. But this is the first step. Professional illustrators require the manuscript to be professionally edited before they begin illustrating. This is because it can cause all sorts of issues including additional costs for the author if the illustrator starts and the story changes part of the way through.
Editors are not just for grammatical errors but also to ensure the story is appropriate for the targeted age group, words used are not too complex for target age group, they can give feedback on your story and push it even further to be a great book. Perhaps there are parts that don’t make sense or the resolution is missing or unclear. Sometimes it’s even the dialog, it can be unrealistic for a child of that age to say (it may sound too “grown up”). You will also want to have your story reviewed by others like in a critique group (wwwSCBWI.org often has local critique groups depending on your location).
So to save costs, time, and keep your illustrator happy, get that script edited and finalized! ??????
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