Choosing an Illustrator for Wembly

“Did I make the right choice?”

“Will she be easy to work with?”

“Will I be easy to work with?”

“Am I making a good investment?”

“Is she going to make Wembly look good?”

I asked myself the following questions after signing the contract to team up with the illustrator, Antonella Fant for my first children’s book, The Adventures of Wembly the Pug: Wembly’s First Day of School. Finding the right illustrator was the most important part of my entire process to create this book. Early on, I found myself anxious about whether I made the right choice and second guessing my decision.

If Wembly doesn’t look right, my confidence in the entire story would be shattered. “He has to be perfect!!”, I shared with Antonella as we met for our first consultation after the signing of our contract and my first installment of my payment to her. To me, the quality of the stories illustrations can make or break the success of any children’s book. This is why I spent so much time, countless hours researching and working to find the “perfect person” to be my illustrator.

If I knew at the time, how good Antonella was going to be, I would have been so much more relaxed in the initial meetings. Good news, it didn’t take long for me to realize I had a gem of an illustrator and feel so fortunate that we found each other.

How I came to find Antonella is an interesting example of persistence, patience, and a little bit of good fortune…

Researching My Options

Before I found Antonella, I researched various artist agencies that represent illustrators as well as individual artists I found appealing and who seemed to have the “energy in their art” that I was looking for. My research consisted of me combing through artist profiles from artist agencies like the CAT Agency, The Society of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators (SCBWI), Lemonade Illustrations, to Advocate Art as well as looking at individual artists that caught my eye when I was at my local bookstore, or from past interactions with them. In fact, I kept the business card of one gentlemen I met 3 years prior while I was on a business trip in Sydney, Australia because I liked his work so much.

All told, I must have connected with and requested an audience with nearly 40 illustrators, either through agencies or individual to see if there was a fit and if it made sense for us to team up together on this adventure of Wembly the Pug.

Finding the “Right One”

Coming into my search I had already determined how much I was will to spend as well as the timeframe that I need final art to completed in order to have time for my December 6th, 2022 book launch. So, part of the challenge of finding the “right one” was dictated by the artists availability to meet my aggressive timeline as well as the willingness to do the work within my set price point. So, having a large group of illustrators to start out, I felt confident that I was going to find someone who would accept both criteria.

Well, good thing I reached out to so many and didn’t hang on to a couple illustrators that I “had to have” because of the nearly 40 illustrators that I put feelers out for, only THREE replied that they would be willing to accept my asking price, with only ONE agreeing to the timeframe as well. It’s almost as if illustrators are busy or something. Ha ha !! Because I was adamant about keeping the timeline, I was left with only one option, and that was Antonella “the Right One” Fant!

Now, a pessimist might say something like you ONLY found one illustrator? Maybe you should change your timeline or increase your price point. But, I had a plan and I was sticking to it, and Antonella was going to be the perfect person…. I think. Turns out, she was better than I could have ever imagined!!

Antonella Fant - Author & Children’s Book Illustrator

Victory! An Illustrator is Found

The rest, as they say, is history. I can confidently answer all of the opening questions I asked myself with an emphatic YES!!!

“Did I make the right choice?” YES

“Will she be easy to work with?” YES

“Will I be easy to work with?” YES

“Am I making a good investment?” YES

“Is she going to make Wembly look good?” YES

If you want to learn more about Antonella and her amazing artwork please check her out at www.antonellafant.com or on Instagram at @antofant