The 5 most common mistakes when commissioning book illustrations

Commissioning illustrations for a book seems simple, but it’s a process full of traps. Authors often don’t realise how much the way they communicate their needs affects the final result. The difference between success and disappointment often lies in small details - in how the commission is phrased, when the work starts and how you approach contact with the illustrator.

After years of working in my studio I see the same mistakes over and over - and I know they can be prevented. They affect especially authors trying their hand at self-publishing without prior publishing experience. In this article I’ll show you the five most common traps that authors fall into when commissioning book illustrations, plus concrete solutions for avoiding them.

Mistake 1: a brief that’s too vague - “I want nice pictures for my book”

This is by far the most common mistake I encounter when working with authors. Someone writes: “I’ve written a wonderful book and I’d like nice illustrations.” The phrase “nice pictures” is so general that it practically means nothing. The analogy would be going to a restaurant and ordering “something tasty” - the waiter has as much information as I do after a brief like that.

What an illustrator actually needs

I need concrete information to create illustrations that truly serve the book. Without details I can only guess at expectations. The result? Disappointment on both sides - the author gets something different from what they expected, and I waste time trying to read unspoken needs.

A good brief answers the basic questions:

• what the book is about, what mood it has, who the main character is
• who the target group is (a book for 3-6 year olds or for teenagers)
• what style you prefer (realistic or fairy-tale, colourful or monochrome)
• how many illustrations you need and at what size (full page, smaller elements)
• what the timeframe and budget range are

An example of a brief that works

“I’ve written a fairy tale for children aged 4-8 about a little hedgehog looking for its place in the forest. The story is warm and optimistic. I’m looking for colourful, friendly illustrations in a watercolour style. I need about 10-12 full-page illustrations.”

A description like this lets me quickly assess whether the project fits my profile of children’s book illustration and what the realistic time brackets will be. The more context, the easier it is for me to land on what you really need.

Mistake 2: not setting the budget at the start of the collaboration

The question “and how much will it cost?” thrown in at the end of a conversation leads to disappointment on both sides. Most often it happens like this: the author talks about their vision for half an hour and only then asks about price. It often turns out their budget doesn’t cover the real costs of the project.

Why the budget defines the scope of what’s possible

My illustration quotes are always individual - they depend on the number of illustrations, their complexity and the deadline. But one thing is certain: the budget defines the scope of what’s possible. A book with 6 illustrations needs a different approach than a book with 30. That doesn’t mean a cheaper project is worse - it’s simply different in scope, style or number of pieces.

Hiding the budget leads to frustration on both sides. The author gets a quote exceeding their means, and I waste time preparing a proposal the client can’t afford. It’s like designing a luxury house when the budget only stretches to a studio flat.

Be transparent from the start

Check market rates, set your range and state it up front. The sooner I know your limits, the better I’ll tailor the proposal. Maybe we can achieve a great effect with fewer illustrations? Maybe it’s worth dropping some full-page images in favour of smaller vignettes? A professional illustrator wants to create the best possible work within your budget, not extract the maximum amount of money from you.

Mistake 3: assuming the illustrator will guess your vision

Descriptions like “it should be sort of… you know… magical and atmospheric” I hear regularly. The author has a very specific vision in their head but can’t put it into words. I’m not a mind reader. Your “magical and atmospheric” can mean something completely different from my understanding of those terms.

The problem of subjective interpretation

Each of us has different associations with the same words. What’s “delicate” to you may be “bland” to me. What’s “dynamic” to you may be “chaotic” to me. Everyone interprets these words differently, which leads to frustration and endless revisions.

The result of such communication? Disappointment, corrections, extra costs and wasted time. I create an illustration based on my understanding of your words, and then it turns out it’s completely not what you had in mind. The revisions begin, the discussions, and the collaborative atmosphere sours.

Communicate concretely

Send visual references, describe the emotions, give examples from similar books. Find illustrations you like and explain why. Describe how the reader should feel looking at the illustration. Give details: which colours dominate, whether the lines are soft or sharp, whether the characters should be realistic or stylised.

An example that works: “I want a mood like in the work of Beatrix Potter - delicate watercolours with lots of nature detail, warm but muted colours. The main character should be likeable but not overly sweet.”

One link to a specific illustration tells me more than a paragraph of adjectives.

Mistake 4: leaving illustrations to the end of the publishing process

“The book is already ready for print, only the illustrations are left” - this sentence always raises my concern. It means the author planned the whole book without thinking about the illustrations and now wants to “squeeze” them into a finished design.

Illustrations are an integral part of the book

Illustrations are not decoration you can add at the end. They affect the layout of text on the pages, the choice of typeface and its size, the book format, the paper weight, the binding method. They should be part of the process from the start.

Leaving illustrations to the end also means time pressure. “Needed yesterday” is not the best condition for creating good work. Haste leads to mistakes, superficiality and quality compromises. Under time pressure I can’t fully develop the creativity or refine the details.

The optimal order of the process

• finalising the text and proofreading
• consultation with the illustrator
• planning the page layout and design
• creating illustrations in parallel with typesetting
• final processing and preparing files for print

Leave yourself a time buffer - illustrations may need corrections. This way the illustrations will be naturally woven into the design, not “stuck on” by force.

Mistake 5: choosing an illustrator on price alone

“I found someone twice as cheap!” - when I hear this sentence, I immediately know that in a month this author will be looking for a new illustrator to repair the damage. The lowest price rarely means the best value.

The consequences of a hasty choice

People working significantly below market rates may have little experience, may not understand the process of creating book illustrations, may cut corners on time and quality or miss deadlines. Reworking weak illustrations later will cost more than doing them well the first time.

The result? Illustrations that don’t serve the book, don’t attract readers and don’t build the author’s brand. Often you then have to pay someone else to fix or completely redo the project. Savings at the start turn into double costs at the end, not to mention the frayed nerves.

Look for the best value, not the lowest price

Check the portfolio for style and consistency, read reviews, ask about the collaboration process. Compare holistically - not just price, but also quality, experience, punctuality. The illustrations will be with your book for years - it’s an investment in its success, not a cost to minimise.

If you’re planning a release aimed at younger readers, experience in children’s illustration is especially important - it’s a different skill from general illustration. It requires understanding how children of different ages perceive images, how to build safe emotions, how to hold the attention of the youngest reader. The industry knows this well - IBBY (International Board on Books for Young People) has been studying for decades what works in children’s books and what doesn’t.

A practical checklist before contacting an illustrator

Before you write:

• write down a description of the book (theme, mood, target group)
• find visual references (3-5 examples)
• set your budget
• prepare a realistic schedule with a buffer
• note down concrete questions for the illustrator

During the conversation:

• be concrete in your descriptions
• mention the budget early
• ask about the collaboration process and the number of revision rounds
• check printed books, not just digital portfolios
• agree on clear deadlines and communication rules

After choosing an illustrator:

• put the arrangements in writing
• plan regular communication
• leave time for corrections
• trust the professional on your side - micromanagement kills creativity

Good collaboration is the foundation of success

The biggest lesson from working with authors, for me, is that the best illustrations are created in an atmosphere of trust and clear communication. An author who prepares for the collaboration, conveys expectations concretely and leaves me room for creativity always gets better results.

Avoiding these five mistakes is not only a way to better illustrations - it’s a recipe for a calm, pleasant collaboration that brings satisfaction to both sides. Such projects produce books that stay in readers’ memories for years.

Remember the key principles: concrete communication saves time and money. Transparency builds trust. Planning ahead gives better results than firefighting. Quality is always more important than the lowest price.

With awareness of these five common mistakes, you can approach the collaboration with an illustrator confident that the process will be smooth and satisfying for both sides.

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Planning a book and want to avoid these mistakes? Write to me - I reply within 48 hours.