What Do Illustrators Get Paid for Illustrating a Book?
Just as there are dozens of different types of books, there are dozens of types of illustrators to employ to illustrate a book. One-off projects such as providing interior art for a book are best suited to freelance illustrators, and freelance talent typically commands a higher per-hour rate than full-time employees, because of the costs associated with self employment and the inconsistent nature of freelance work.
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Scope of Work
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The amount you’ll need to budget for an illustrator for a book depends upon the nature of the project. A few small, black-and-white line drawings command a much smaller fee than page-spanning, full-color illustrations used in a children’s story book. Before searching for or contacting an illustrator, develop a detailed proposal of the work needed so you can present the project as accurately as possible to receive an estimate from the illustrator.
Freelance Illustrator Fees
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Freelance illustrator fees vary widely. Depending upon the artist’s portfolio, skill level and demands on his time, prices may fluctuate wildly between illustrators. Writers Weekly lists a handful of freelance illustrators whose fees range from $20 per hour or $200 for a full-color 8 by 11-inch illustration up to $1,000 per interior illustration. Other illustrators such as Adam Strange prices pieces by the complexity of the work, pricing illustrations as $565 per element included in the final composition.
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Illustrator Salaries
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A publishing house with a large demand for illustrations may be better served hiring an illustrator onto staff instead of freelancing large amounts of work. Pay Scale, Inc. lists average salaries of illustrators in the publishing industry between $39,902 and $61,902 in November, 2010. Schools In the USA lists an entry level illustrator salary at $16,900, with an average salary of $32,260.
Technical Illustrators
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If you’re providing illustrations for a specialized book, such as a technical manual or medical text, you’ll need to employ specialists to tackle your work. Technical illustrators command a higher wage than general artists, with freelance rates starting at $800 for full-color illustrations from established medical illustrators like Megan Rojas.
On Speculation
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If you’re gathering illustrations for a book that has yet to be purchased by a publisher, you may negotiate prices based on a portion of projected royalties. Cegur.com lists ranges for speculative rates as a combination of an advance payment of $3,000 to $12,000 and a guarantee of 6.25 percent of sales.
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References
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