Hiring a Ghostwriter for Your Picture Book? Are Illustrations Included?

It seems lately that a lot of people who want a children’s picture book ghostwritten for them aren’t quite sure what they’re getting for their money.

I’m often surprised when a potential client asks if the price quoted includes illustrations.

And a number of queries I now get are about writing and illustration packages.

I’ve decided to address both these issues in this article, so I’ll be able to link to it when I’m queried.

1. What do you get when you hire a ghostwriter to write a children’s book for you, whether it be a picture book, chapter book, middle-grade book, or young-adult book?

According to Oxford Dictionary, a ghostwriter is “a person whose job it is to write material for someone else who is the named author.”

The keyword here is ‘write.’

A ghostwriter is a professional writer who will create a story, essay, speech, movie script, or other form of content. The ghostwriter usually remains anonymous. She’s a ghost and the client will be listed as the author of the book or other content.

Going back to the Oxford Dictionary, an illustrator is “a person who draws or creates pictures for magazines, books, advertising, etc.”

It’s the illustrator who creates the illustrations for the book, not the writer.

So, if you’re thinking of hiring a ghostwriter for a picture book, the ghost will WRITE the story for you.

If you’re self-publishing, you’ll be responsible for researching and hiring an illustrator to create the illustrations for the story. Although I offer my clients a couple of vetted illustrators and have created Writers on the Move Self-Publishing Service, which provides A-Z help through publishing.

If you’re traditionally publishing, the publishing house that gives you a contract will have the illustrations created for you.

Thinking about it… I’ve decided the problem some have is the term “write a picture book.”

When thinking of a ‘picture book,’ most people think of a finished product as a story and illustrations. I can see where the confusion comes into play. Hopefully, this article adds some clarity to the topic.

I’ve added some information about this on my Ghostwriting Page, too.

2. Do picture book ghostwriters offer story and illustration packages?

Not all ghostwriters offer packages.

But since I’m asked about it more often now, I now offer packages of a ghostwritten or rewritten story with illustrations.

These packages include front and back book covers, design, and layout. You’ll be given digital and print-ready files ready for uploading to publish.

Some services that can help publish a book include:

– Bookbaby
– The Book Designer
– Word-2-Kindle
– You can also find freelancers to format your book

Once you have the print-ready files, you can upload them to sites like Amazon KDP and IngramSpark for publication and distribution.

If you need help uploading your files for publication or you’d like to discuss a story to illustrations to publication package, send me an email to kcioffiventrice@gmail.com

I’m a working children’s ghostwriter, rewriter, and coach. I can help turn your story into a book you’ll be proud to be the author of, one that’s publishable and marketable.

OTHER HELP I OFFER:

HOW TO WRITE A CHILDREN'S FICTION BOOK
A DIY book to help you write your own children’s book.

FICTION WRITING FOR CHILDREN eCOURSE
4-Weeks / 8 Sections Guided Self-Study Program

WRITERS ON THE MOVE SELF-PUBLISHING SERVICE
Self-publishing help for children’s authors
(Picture books and chapter books)

You can contact me at kcioffiventrice@gmail.com. 

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