Support for Indie Authors discussion

Trying to hit every kind of market. I also provided a coloring book for my print book. That makes audio, coloring, and regular. I was thinking of writing a play! LOL Has anyone provided a coloring book for their print project and if so, how was it?

Yes, I did an accompanying coloring book for my children's picture book, Ornaments of Love. I hired an illustrator through Fiverr and she created beautiful coloring pages. People really like the coloring book. Getting the word out there and promoting it so more people know about it is the challenge!

Sharlin wrote: "Yes, I did an accompanying coloring book for my children's picture book, Ornaments of Love. I hired an illustrator through Fiverr and she created beautiful coloring pages. People really like the co..."

Did you do a bundle at any time? Children's Book + coloring book?

I'm going to be offering that at Christmas fairs because it's a Christmas book. I'll give a price break if people buy the set.

I just did mine as a giveaway. I give them out when I do presentations or when I mail a complimentary copy of the book to a prize winner or for a review.

Carole - I am getting ready to give mine as a give away when I ask for more sign ups on my website. I am thinking of bundling for Christmas, both books and coloring book. I haven't thought of a price yet.

Sounds like a nice idea. Adult coloring books are trending right now.

I write/illustrate children's books; but, I've never done a coloring book before and I'd be interested it trying it in the future. I like the idea of using it as a bundle or a promo offer/giveaway.

This might be a silly question, but how do you get a coloring book self-published? Are there specific companies you use that print on the coloring book type of paper?

I used Create Space to print my coloring book and used their standard paper, 8-1/2"x11'

Sharlin wrote: "I used Create Space to print my coloring book and used their standard paper, 8-1/2"x11'"

Sharlin, thanks for sharing this information. Do you think that coloring books in the literary world are being done mostly by those authors of 'childrens' books only, or have you heard of other genres going in that direction? Thanks!

Gippy wrote: "Sharlin wrote: "I used Create Space to print my coloring book and used their standard paper, 8-1/2"x11'"

Sharlin, thanks for sharing this information. Do you think that coloring books in the liter..."

Adult coloring books are HOT in Georgia right now and have been for a year, I'd say. That's why I chose to do one. I used Create Space also. Since my print book is one of vignettes, it fit perfectly with one story per coloring page to match the read story. My illustrator is fantastic. In real life she designs children's books as well.

Lee wrote: "Trying to hit every kind of market. I also provided a coloring book for my print book. That makes audio, coloring, and regular. I was thinking of writing a play! LOL Has anyone provided a coloring ..."

I illustrated a coloring book for another author, Alex Bledsoe. He writes fantasy books, and I created the coloring book to go along with them.

I have two projects right now. One is a historical society that would like a coloring book for their town's history. Another is a band that wants a coloring book of themselves, to sell at concerts. I seem to have hit a niche market.

I have a question, though: What should I charge these people? With Bledsoe, I took 50% of profits. With the historical society, I'm meeting them on Monday, and I can't decide if I should charge them per drawing, too? In addition to commission. I'm not making much money on the Bledsoe coloring book. The band I think I should definitely charge beyond comission, because they really aren't very well known.

What is a reasonable price for my services as illustrator, do you think?

I'm so glad this thread exists! I actually came up with an idea the other day to make a Adult coloring book for one of my horror books. I had lots of questions and seeing this thread I notice many of the questions have been answered.

I am surprised to know that you can publish a coloring book with Createspace. I was thinking publishers that more accepting to illustrations would likely publish a coloring book but if CS does then I guess I'm good to go. I do have a few questions I'd like help with.

-Should you hire an illustrator or can you also use people you know to draw the illustrations for you? I know quite a few people who can draw, they aren't professional but they have serious drawing skills.

-Seeing that Adult Coloring books are hot right now, how would someone go about marketing and reaching the audience?

-What would you price a coloring book at?

-If the illustrator is doing most of the work for drawings based off your work then how does payment and royalties work?

I have three colouring books on the go (which were published professionally by someone else, in other words, not me) and I absolutely love it. Also, adult colouring books tend to be themed

Andrea wrote: "I have three colouring books on the go (which were published professionally by someone else, in other words, not me) and I absolutely love it. Also, adult colouring books tend to be themed"

What do you mean by, "on the go"?

I've not finished them all yet. In other words I'm still doing them. I've got "Fractals" which is nearly finished, I've got a floral themed one (present from a relative) and a miscellaneous one (present from sister)

"On the go" is like, if you're currently doing something, like, reading a book by Stephen King, for instance

Oh, you mean you're coloring them? I thought you were drawing your own coloring books! Glad I asked. :)

Sharlin wrote: "...I did an accompanying coloring book for my children's picture book, Ornaments of Love. I hired an illustrator through Fiverr and she created beautiful coloring pages. People really like the co..."

Coloring books are a standard feature I provide for my clients on Fiverr. I'm a TRS there and the coloring books are usually offered on their websites as a free giveaway to get the kids involved in the story if they're not ready to buy yet...or a bonus if they do.

@Shoshanah: I have found that what I charge depends on the client. Most I charge up front...because I can't live off "IF-come" and so people's budgets tend to be a natural filter for me. My last client from Fiverr was for $4650 for a 26 page children's book in full color. Takes me about 2 weeks and I included a coloring book--which is simply the JPEG files before the book is colored.

Hope that helps.

- Jaime

Jaime wrote: "Sharlin wrote: "...I did an accompanying coloring book for my children's picture book, Ornaments of Love. I hired an illustrator through Fiverr and she created beautiful coloring pages. People real..."

Thanks! That's the kind of information I was looking for.

-Should you hire an illustrator or can you also use people you know to draw the illustrations for you? I know quite a few people who can draw, they aren't professional but they have serious drawing skills.

-Seeing that Adult Coloring books are hot right now, how would someone go about marketing and reaching the audience?

-What would you price a coloring book at?

-If the illustrator is doing most of the work for drawings based off your work then how does payment and royalties work?

Justin wrote: "-Should you hire an illustrator or can you also use people you know to draw the illustrations for you? I know quite a few people who can draw, they aren't professional but they have serious drawing..."

- it's entirely up to you who does the drawings. If you think your friends are good enough, use them!

- you market them same as other books, except you can run coloring contests on Facebook and stuff.

- coloring books go for $6-$10. (Make sure you have at least 30 drawings to color.)

-you have to work out payment and royalties before you publish. Sign a contract that makes it clear what profit sharing (or debt sharing) will look like. I signed a contract with Alex Bledsoe to split the proceeds 50/50, only because he has a big following and I felt that most (if not all) of the sales would be to his fans.

Shoshanah thank you for answering all my questions! Much appreciated. I'll attribute them and get started. :)

Shoshanah wrote: "Oh, you mean you're coloring them? I thought you were drawing your own coloring books! Glad I asked. :)"

I just had a thought right this moment : I could draw my own colouring books, but if I was going to get them published and put on the market, I would do patterns. You can't go wrong with patterns

I just attended an Adult Coloring Book event at my local library. It was a fun way to relax and put all your thoughts away by just sitting back and coloring. I enjoyed it.

It brought me back to this idea though. The images I colored were intricate, complex and detailed. They were also mainly designs although I did color a leaf with several designs and parts.

I'm now wondering, is it better to create the hard designs or images with the designs in them?(For example, the leaf with intricate patterns or a diamond with tons of patterns) or does it really matter? I'm thinking of doing both and having some quotes from my poems part of the designs.

Finally, as I was coloring I noticed the complex one and it didn't look man-made but almost machine made though I guess if someone is skilled enough I guess they can really draw the hardest images.

All of mine are hand drawn pictures of atual things with designs drawn inside them. I notice the reviews say, "hand draw," like some maybe aren't? It just depends on your style, what you want to do.

I also created a coloring book. I got great advice from Joanna Penn's interview with Meg Cowley. Meg used Createspace to publish. It's a super helpful interview! Here's the link:
http://www.thecreativepenn.com/2016/0...

Justin wrote: "I just attended an Adult Coloring Book event at my local library. It was a fun way to relax and put all your thoughts away by just sitting back and coloring. I enjoyed it.

It brought me back to th..."
Some artists use programs like Clip Studio Art and Photoshop to digitally draw their coloring pages! Or they hand draw the art, scan the image into the computer, and "clean up" the image.

I personnally drew my images by hand, but I may try a digital program next time. That would be a whole new skill to master, but it might be fun :)

As for how intricate to make the images, I think that's personal preference. Some colorists love little details and some find it too difficult.

Shoshanah wrote: "Lee wrote: "Trying to hit every kind of market. I also provided a coloring book for my print book. That makes audio, coloring, and regular. I was thinking of writing a play! LOL Has anyone provided..."

My illustrator and I are doing a 50/50 split.

I have a plan to do a coloring book of the series I'm working once I have the first three book arc is out. The idea appeals to me greatly, because it's a grounded, gritty noir and there are opportunities for some genuinely horrific illustrations!

I really love the idea of adult coloring books.

Still looking into getting my Coloring Book created!