Draws

How do you send illustrations to a publisher?

I wrote a book and I haven't sent it to a publisher yet, but I want to draw illustrations for it and I don't know where to put them. Do you put them on the pages with the poems or do you put them on seperate pieces of paper and then send the book. I need help I'm so confused!

Public Comments

First, most publishers will assign their own contracted artists to make illustrations for their books. The exception is made for children's books. For these, some publishers will accept submissions from author/illustrators, or author and illustrator collaborations. But you have to realize that each publisher will have their own standards for accepting submissions. The normal routine is for the author to obtain submission guidelines. You have to do some research to find the addresses of the publishers. Then you write them, asking for a copy of their submission guidelines. Be sure to send along a stamped, self addressed envelope (SASE). They will mail the guidelines to you. In your letter, be sure to include your desire to illustrate your story. Be sure to read and follow these guidelines. Most publishers get so many submissions, that the first ones to get rejected are the ones that don't follow the guidelines. These often get discarded without being read. Some want a hard copy printout of your story. Some prefer a digital version. Some will accept email attachments and some will not. Some of these guidlines can be VERY specific, such as requireing double spaced lines and margins of a certain size. Font family and font size is sometimes specified. And each publisher will be different. A good source for information and addresses is a book, published annually, called "Writers Market." This book would be a great start for your research. Good luck!