Frequently Asked Questions: Things I get asked often!

It's actually very straightforward! I can do most things for you, from help and advice with the initial idea, to creating the book itself, and of course - the illustrations! I also can advise and support you when you are dealing with the printers! 🙂 

I have outlined my easy 7 step process to give you an idea of how we can bring your book to life!

• Step #1: Send me your story
• Step #2: Storyboard
• Step #3: Illustrations
• Step #4: Book design and layout
• Step #5: Digital proof and review
• Step #6: Choose printing options
• Step #7: Receive your book

For more information on my process and examples of my work, please visit my Children's book illustration page.

My process is pretty simple:

This depends on a few factors, including:

• The length of your story
• The style/complexity of the illustrations
• The amount of illustrations required

As a rough idea, the average book (28 - 36 pages) takes around 3 months to complete from start to finish.

More complex books (i.e. More pages, detailed illustrations etc) can take up to 3-4 months to complete.

You do!

You hold all the rights to the book and all of its content, meaning you are free to do whatever you like with it. I do however reserve the right to use the illustrations for promotional purposes and to display in my portfolio as and when I wish.

A storyboard is used at the beginning of a book project to:

• Break up the story into pages
• Visualise each page (With illustration and text)
• Plan out the sequence of the story
• Ensure the story flows correctly

As the creator of your book, producing a storyboard in the early stages allows us to plan out your story visually, ensuring the illustrations and text sit well together and we have a clear direction of the story from beginning to end.

The ISBN agency in the UK used to be Whitakers, but they were bought and combined with Bookdata to create Neilesen Bookdata. They manage the process of allocating ISBNs as well as a number of things that you will need to know about and use as we get into this project.

You can visit them online at www.isbn.nielsenbookdata.co.uk or write to them at:
ISBN Agency

3rd Floor,
Midas House

62 Goldsworth Road

Woking

Surrey

GU21 6LQ
e-mail: isbn@nielsenbookdata.co.uk

They will send you an application form, after assessment and payment they will register and send you your ISBN pack. If you want more than 10 ISBN numbers or can't wait for their standard service - there are other chargeable options which are explained in the pack or on their web site. When your ISBN numbers arrive you will receive a nice pack which explains more about the usage of the numbers.

Print prices vary depending on amount of pages/material/size of the book. If budget is an issue, I can suggest printing options that are very cost effective, or if you are aiming to produce a quality high end book, I can help you achieve that too. But I do not do the printing myself and you will be dealing with independent printers. 

No, I don't charge any commission.

Once you have paid for my service, the books are yours to sell as you wish. I am a very honest an trusting person, so will trust that you will look after me once you are famous! 

There are lots of different print options available to you that can be a bit bamboozling when you start out! But never fear, I can help advise you on the best printing options that will suit the style, story and budget of your book.

Sizes: Some common sizes of picture books include A4 (Portrait or Landscape) and 21cm x 21cm square, but other sizes are available depending on budget.

Print Setup: I support you with the entire print process, from the book setup to liaising  with the book printer entirely for free on your behalf. I have established relationships with some great printers that my customers often use, but I am also happy to work with a printer that you have sourced yourself.

I don't take any commission from the printers, and after the initial print setup I leave you free to build your own relationship with your printer, making it easier for you to get more books printed as and when you want them.

In between 28 and 36 is the most common number of pages for an average children's picture book.

However, your book can have any number of pages, as long as the total number of pages is a multiple of 4 (because of the printing process).

To make things as quick and smooth as possible, I need the following things from you to get the ball rolling:

• A copy of your story (preferably proof read) 
• Descriptions of your characters
• An idea of the illustration style required (if you have a preference)
• A descriptive paragraph for the back cover
• A dedication for inside the book (if you wish to have one)
• A price? Would you like this added to the cover?
• Do you have the Barcode and ISBN? If so I can add those also to the design for you. 

Producing a series of books is a fantastic journey. Whilst it can be an exciting process,  it requires some planning too. Key factors to consider when planning your series are:

• Number of books/stories
• Are they going to be released in smaller sets?
• The cost to produce a series

 I also offer a promotional package to go with book sets, which can include a logo, website design and promotional print material. Lastly, I also can offer you a free listing to sell the book through this website! (Visit my picture book page for some examples!)

As many as you like!

Whether its 10, 1000, or 10,000 copies, you  can arrange for any number of books you require. 
Top tip! When printing books, the more copies you have the less the price is per book.