FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

I have been asked a lot of questions over the years. These are the most common. Feel free to contact me with web design and illustration questions you don't see here. For more involved questions, please schedule a consultation. I’m available by phone, Zoom, or in person. I even consult by email if you prefer!

Click to reveal each answer:

There are a lot of factors that affect the cost of a website. The best way to get an accurate price is to schedule time to tell me about what you'd like. A lot of what I do is figuring out the best way to help people meet their goals—which is unique to everyone. For example, one person may want a website to help them increase sales, and another may want a website solely to explain a project. The approach to each goal is very different. I also consider budgets when deciding the best strategy. The great thing about websites is that they can grow as you go and expand anytime. Check my pricing page for more guidelines.

Thanks for asking, but the publishing world doesn't work like that. When a publisher invests in an author and acquires a manuscript, they have a vision for the book and will match an illustrator that fits best. One less thing for you to do! Join SCBWI for more information on the steps to take to submit to publishers.

It sounds ominous. However, a kill fee ensures that I get paid for my time if a client cancels a project before it is finished. The fee is generally 50% of the total cost of the job and will be specified in your contract.

Not unless you ask for this, and it says so on your licensing agreement. Before a licensing contract is signed, I need to know all the intended uses for the illustration(s). If you need exclusive rights, make sure to let me know. Most illustrations are licensed more than once for different projects over the years. The license specifies when, where, how many times, and by whom the art can be used before a new agreement is necessary. For example, if you license an illustration to be used in the first edition of a book and later decide you want to use the same image in a second edition (or on t-shirts, etc.), you will need to sign a new agreement for each usage. Using a piece of art beyond the licensing agreement can cause severe problems for me and others who have licensed the art for other purposes.

  • First – figure out your project, get clear on what you want, and know all the parts and pieces you will need. Some details will include final output requirements (size, color, black and white, etc.), how the art is being reproduced, and whether you need multiple resolutions and sizes for different outputs. Knowing the details will save time, money, and frustration in the long run.
  • Next, decide what your budget and deadline are. This will help me know what work to produce to meet your budget and expectations. I am very creative in meeting the parameters of a job combined with budget.
  • Then, contact me to discuss your project. After I know all the details, I will email you a quote with options and prices.
  • Once you approve the quote, I will send a contract with all the agreed-upon details and the deposit amount. Work begins after I receive the deposit.
  • I will create roughs that you will either approve or want to be revised. I will begin the final project when you approve the roughs or revisions. One round of revisions is included before the final art begins. Requesting more than one set of significant modifications will cost an additional amount which will be discussed before work continues.
  • The remainder of the job total is due upon completion of the job. On large assignments or long deadlines, one-third of the cost is due upon beginning the job, one-third is due after sketch approval, and one-third is due at completion. Otherwise, the total is split in two.

Be straightforward with yourself about what you want. Sit with it for a while if you're not sure. Then, try explaining it to a friend and see how it sounds. You might notice some things need to be clarified. The more concise your words and examples, the better. I will also ask questions, describe what I hear you say, and, when helpful—offer suggestions or clarifying examples of my own. After the job starts and I present ideas, you will have an opportunity to ask for revisions.

Rush fees apply when a job has a deadline that requires a faster-than-normal timeframe and a reshuffling of my schedule to accommodate it. A rush fee is a percentage of the total job fee. You will always know during bidding before work begins if your job is considered a rush job.

Without limits, jobs can get off track and go on for way longer than they should. It is an industry-standard to include one round of revisions to refine a composition, idea, or text to meet the parameters of the job description in the contract. Anything beyond that is billable.

For example (this really happened although the illustrations were different and you weren't involved): Client B hires me to do an illustration of an aspen grove, and I present sketches. Then they decide they want a tropical beach, so I do sketches for that.

Meanwhile, you're waiting for me to start your job, but I can't because Client B now wants an underwater poker game. As a result, I will never be able to meet your deadline, and I'm not getting compensated for the extra work Client B wants because there are no limits. Although it is great fun to be creative and explore possibilities, I am running a business. Boundaries keep us all on track and focused on the process at hand, all deadlines are met, and I can pay my bills.

Contracts are an important way for each of us to know how things will work so we can minimize the possibility of misunderstandings along the way. You know what to expect from me and my work, and I know what to expect from you. With all the job details taken care of, we can focus on the critical part — the collaboration and the end product.

The Headfirst HTML book is a great way to get started. It's a fun book; you will learn by doing, which is the best way to learn code.