You hired an illustrator. The art is gorgeous. It is also for a different book.
The misdiagnosisThe misdiagnosis is that the artist misread the brief.
The real diagnosisThe artist read the brief. The brief was vague. Three contract structures catch this — milestone payments, three revision rounds, a kill fee. Build those in and the relationship survives.
Illustrator Contract Anatomy
| Section | Specific | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Milestone payments | 30% on sketch approval, 30% on color, 40% on final | Protects both sides |
| Revision rounds | Three rounds | More rounds = scope creep |
| Kill fee | If project cancels mid-way | Real number |
| Rights | What you buy: print, ebook, merch | Be specific |
| Credit | Where and how | Build into contract |
Three Brief Failures That Eat Budgets
- 'I'll know it when I see it.'
- 'Surprise me.'
- A pinterest board of seventy images and no constraints.
You hired an artist. Give them the gift of constraints. Constraints are not the opposite of art. They are the room art moves in.
Specific briefs make for happy illustrators. Vague briefs make for billable rounds.
The dare (not assignment)Before you send the next illustration brief, list five forbidden elements. That list is half the brief.
Image promptAn open sketchbook with a single rough drawing on the page. A pencil resting across. Painterly. Cream and sea-green. No people.
— The Book Maven
