More Than an Illustrator

‍If you’ve seen any of my recent posts on Instagram (k.j.noe_author), you’ve seen some examples of the amazing artwork to be featured in my upcoming book. The Lionmaker would not have such tremendous illustrations, were it not for God working out the details, one step at a time, along a sli-i-i-ghtly winding path.

When I first got the idea for The Lionmaker, I envisioned a 24- or 36-page picture book for kids 4-8 years old. But the more I wrote and dug deeper into the story, the more I felt this book may not fit into that format, and my book designer later confirmed those suspicions. Still, I had very real visions of these characters and their world in my head, and I knew I wanted some illustrations, even though this had become a short chapter book for middle grade readers.

Very particular about art

I have drawn for as long as I can remember, and still enjoy making art. That being the case, I am very particular about the type of art presented in books and can be drawn into or turned away from a book, simply by looking through the illustrations. So, finding an artist for my book was my top priority, though perhaps that would not be what most consider the “best place” to start. But God definitely knew what He was doing!

I began looking first on sites like Fiverr and Reedsy. Plenty of freelance artists can be found there, as well as fairly transparent pricing, alongside samples of their style of art. Honestly, I still struggled to find artists that captured the aesthetic for which I was aiming, and the few I found who did either a) were not available for some time, b) said they incorporated “some” AI (a definite turnoff, for me), or c) basically said “Uh, I’m the artist, and I don’t really need or want a lot of input from you—please give me space to create.” That latter was also tricky for me, and while I understand an artist must be allowed to lend his/her voice to the work, this was my world, my story, and my vision, and I didn’t want to feel as though I had no say in it.

About to give up

Feeling rather discouraged, I resorted to simply googling “Children’s Book Illustrators.” I scrolled through dozens of artists, searching for someone who “got” what I was trying to do. I did not want too “cartoonish” of characters. I did not want basic line-drawings. I wanted colors and shading and light. I wanted a sort of “earthy” look and feel, and not too “modern” or simplistic. When I landed on Beth Snider, I stopped scrolling and went to her site: www.bethsniderart.com. I saw from her samples that this was somewhere I could start, and didn’t know what else to do except fill out her “contact me” form, and ask her cold what would need to happen for her to consider working with me. Truthfully, being an unknown name in the book world (when she had very clearly produced many books, with many authors!), I sort of expected a polite form letter in return, something to the effect of “Thank you for your interest, but we are not accepting new clients at this time.” I could not have been more wrong, nor more shocked by her response.

No turning back!

First, her reply was thorough. I mean, it looked when I opened it like a reply from an old friend! And her first three sentences?

“Thanks for reaching out about illustration! I love that your book is faith-based. It's the kind of thing I love to work on, being a Believer myself.”

I was sold. Here was someone who would “get” what I was trying to do. And as I looked at the link she sent me about working with her, I read this:

“By choosing self-publishing, an author has the unique opportunity to contribute to and collaborate on the visual embodiment of their story. Publishing companies just don’t offer the same involvement. The author and illustrator rarely even communicate, if at all.”

So again, I felt confident that if I worked with her, I’d be able to have some input. She asked to see my manuscript, and I sent it…very nervously. She was the first “stranger” to whom I’d shown it, and I was nervous that the good reviews I’d had from beta readers so far were only because they knew me, and wanted to be encouraging. I was actually having second thoughts at that time, on whether I should invest in something that felt so risky. Beth’s response felt confirmation from God, at just the time that I needed it, that this was the right thing to do.

She had read the whole manuscript, in its very first-draft-messy form, and loved it. Her first four sentences this time?

“Thank you so much for sharing your story with me. I am actually blown away by how incredible it was!!!! I really can't express enough what a wonderful, epic, meaningful, creative story it was! I immensely enjoyed reading it” [emphasis her own].

As I continued to read her extremely encouraging review of my story, I cried. It’s the first moment I felt convinced that this story could be a blessing to others beyond my nieces and nephews, who were my very limited intended audience. Beth could have just said “Yes, that’s a good story,” and moved on, but she continued to analyze what she liked about it, what other works it reminded her of, and even what author my writing brought to mind, which astounded me. She probably doesn’t even know the impact her kind words had on bringing this book into being.

Unfortunately, though she wanted to work on my project, she was booked for another year, so I would have to wait to have her illustrate. While I was disappointed, she informed me that she also ran an art agency and could connect me with other Christian artists who absolutely did not use any AI. She connected me with my illustrator, Stewart Long, and you already know how amazing that connection turned out to be for me! (My journey with Stewart deserves a post of its own, so stay tuned!)

More than an illustrator

Beyond helping me nail down my illustrator, Beth connected me with Tamara Dever, founder of TLC Book Design. (Tami also deserves a post of her own, because that story is incredible, in and of itself.)

Beth has continued to be available for any questions regarding the illustration process, and has constantly been thorough in her replies, wise and kind in her words, and helpful in her suggestions. She has begun to feel more of a friend than simply a “Children’s Book Illustrator” that I googled, and I shall always be grateful to the role she has played in bringing The Lionmaker into being. God used her to guide my steps in the right direction, and I’m so thankful she was willing to be used of Him!