Hey friends, I’m going to put out a children’s book, designed for the 2-5-year-old crowd, in e-only (Kindle, Nook, iPad). I want to price it at $2.99. It’s 32 pages, and the text is complete, but I need an artist to partner with me. Now, I’m probably looking for an artist that’s just starting out, or a very entrepreneurial artist, wanting to explore the world of electronic publishing, because there will be no cash exchanged between us, up front. But if you’re willing to experiment, and your skills are at the level of any children’s book out there, you might be the right artist for this project!
The Deal
What do you get? 1/2 of any profits, after it’s published, and we recoop any investment made to produce the files (I’ll front those costs). At $2.99 retail, that’s about $1 each, per book sold. All of the accounting will be very above-board. I’ll receive the royalties, and within a week, I’ll send you a copy of the statement, as well as a check. And we’ll get a lawyer to make it clean with a simple agreement (one of our production expenses). Plus, you also get “publishing credit” with an author that’s sold over a million children’s books. Not a bad thing for the ol’ resume.
So…if you’re interested, here are some specifics:
- The title is THAT’S HOW MUCH I LOVE YOU, a book written with my three kids.
- There are 15 pieces of artwork, plus a cover.
- Art should be square; keep in mind that it gets reduced to a 2 5/8″ square for Kindle, so fine detail isn’t necessary
- You can decide on characters–human or animals.
- A warm, inviting style will get high marks.
- Good color saturation is wonderful for this preschool crowd, to grab their attention. (See God Gave Us You for reference–but I’m not looking for replication of Laura Bryant’s amazing style; just giving you a color saturation touchstone).
- Text will appear BELOW your artwork, as a separate element, so there is no need to leave room for text.
TO SUBMIT:
I’m asking you to submit one color sample (P7, flowers) and black & white sketches of the rest, so I know you can carry character consistency.
P4
“Mama, do you know how much I love you?”
“No more than I love you, for sure,” she said.
Artwork: Mama and Child in kitchen, sharing a cookie.
P5 “Oh yes I do,” I said. “I love you way more than you love me.”
“Impossible!” she cried, snuggling close. “Do you know how many trees there are in the forest? That’s how much I love you.”
Artwork: Mama and Child spot, snuggling; big picture, the two of them, walking in forest, looking up at trees.
P6
“Do you know how many raindrops there are in a cloud?” I said.
“That’s how much I love you.”
Artwork: Mama and Child laughing, running/spinning/dancing in the rain.
P7
“Do you know how many flowers there are on the hillside? That’s how much I love you.”
Artwork: Mama leaning back on hillside covered with poppies; Child playfully popping up.
P8
“Do you know how many waves there are upon the sea?” I asked.
Artwork: Mama and Child on sailboat among merry (not threatening), countless waves.
P9
“Do you know how many grains of sand are in the desert?” she asked.
Artwork: Mama and Child “surfing” down sand dune.
BY JUNE 30: Scan your artwork and email jpgs to me: Lisa @ bergrencreativegroup dot com. I won’t use it for ANYTHING but this contest. However, in emailing it to me, note that you are giving me permission to post it, if you’re one of the three finalists, for the vote. On July 7-ish, I’ll decide on my top 3 contenders and then let my fans comment on their favorite. (Note: I changed this from a “vote” since it was brought to my attention that a vote could be skewed by campaigning.) Assuming you can get art done in August, we should have an e-book out, together, with your name on the cover and in all listings, as well as copyright, in late September. If you need an additional month, we can adjust the date.
I can’t wait to see who rises to the call. It’s a brave new world in publishing–in particular, children’s publishing–and I want to ride the wave. Do you?