A whole cast of professionals — developmental editors, line and copyeditors, beta readers, and literary agents, to name just a few — comes together to breathe life into the best novels. Each cast member works hard, but the author remains the star of the show.
Comic books and graphic novels are different.
Comic book artists and graphic novel writers must collaborate seamlessly and understand each other’s visions. The visual nature of comic books means the art will always take the starring role. Graphic novels wouldn’t exist without the comic book artists who illustrate them.
Hiring a comic book artist is daunting — the artist you choose can make or break your story. So how do you find the perfect comic book artist for your graphic novel?
Do You Need to Hire a Comic Book Artist to Get Your Graphic Novel Published?
So, you have a finished comic book script? Your script is polished and formatted correctly, and you are ready to move to the next step? You are the architect of your world and story, but you need a talented comic book artist to translate your ideas to the page.
When should you hire a comic book artist? Keep in mind that:
- Some publishing houses accept excellent comic book manuscripts without any artwork. These publishing houses engage their own artists. Others accept manuscripts without artwork and recommend a range of comic book artists for your graphic novel.
- Some publishing houses accept comic book writer and comic book artist combos. These publishers don’t usually look for a finished graphic novel; they expect you to pitch a limited number of pages.
- Comic book writers planning to publish their graphic novels independently have to hire a comic book artist.
Make sure you know what route you want to take before you look for skilled comic book artists to illustrate your graphic novel.
What Should You Consider When You Look for Comic Book Artists for Hire?
Choosing the right comic book artist to make your vision come to life is a massive undertaking. As you look for the best comic book artists, you will want to keep sight of the most important questions:
- Are you in love with the comic book artist’s work? Are you sure their art style is right for your graphic novel? As you immerse yourself in artists’ portfolios, don’t just evaluate the quality of the art. Ask yourself if the artist is right for your comic book’s characters and setting; can you see your characters living in a world the artist creates?
- Do you have a deadline in mind for the project? Is the artist you want available and able to devote all their time and energy to your comic book?
- Has the artist worked on similar graphic novels? Are they passionate about your world, characters, and story? Your story falls flat if the artist isn’t just as excited about the project as you are, so getting it right is crucial.
- Do you like the comic book artist you are thinking of hiring? Comic book writers and artists inevitably form a close working relationship. You need to be able to work together as a team to create a successful graphic novel.
Don’t choose the first comic book artist whose art you love and admire. Asking multiple artists to create a few pages of pencil work gives you a much better feel for each artist’s style. (No, comic book artists won’t give you free samples; you’ll have to pay for each page.)
Where Can You Find Talented Comic Book Artists for Hire?
The best place to look for skilled comic book artists depends on your budget. Your options include:
- Digital Webbing. This leading marketplace connects writers and comic book artists; you can use Digital Webbing to find comic book artists for hire and look for collaborations.
- Comic-book-artists.com. Another professional marketplace, comic-book-artists.com lets you find comic book artists for various projects.
- Reedsy. This literary marketplace lets you connect with the best comic book artists in your genre.
Graphic novel writers can also use Reddit, Upwork, Fiverr, DeviantArt, and LinkedIn to find comic book artists who share their vision. Even Facebook can be incredibly helpful; try the Connecting Comic Writers and Artists Facebook Group to discover talented comic book artists who are available now.
The web is full of aspiring comic book artists. Many are incredibly talented, but you will also stumble on your fair share of disappointing work. Comic book writers should commit themselves to finding the best possible artist. Don’t settle. Only hire a comic book artist if you genuinely love their work and know it’s right for your graphic novel.
Hiring a Comic Book Artist: Final Tips
So you want to hire a comic book artist? Remember that you’re doing so much more than that. When you sign a contract with a comic book artist, you decide how your audience sees your world and characters.
If your graphic novel becomes successful, the artist’s work will embody who your characters are.
Hiring a comic book artist is painfully expensive — you can expect to pay at least $180 for a page of pencil work and as much as $600 per page for penciling, colors, inks, and letters. That’s for a good reason. The comic book artist you work with spends countless hours illustrating your graphic novel and arguably works harder than you ever did writing the manuscript.
The comic book artist’s role in your manuscript is more “God” than “hired help.” Keep that in mind as you choose your artist, and always:
- Review samples of the comic book artist’s past work.
- Ask for references.
- Ask for paid samples.
- Ensure you click with the comic book artist before you forge ahead in your collaboration.
- Agree on the fee in advance. Some comic book artists work for an advance and royalties. Others have upfront fees.
- Honor the artist’s role in your graphic novel — without a comic book artist, your ideas will forever remain nothing more than a manuscript.