: Re: Author and illustrator - Do publishers like authors who are also illustrators? Dr. Seuss did it, other authors in the past have done it, but I've heard that publishers like working with specific

@Gail2416123

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It depends.

I met unfortunately quite some aspiring authors who tried to make up for the lack of story quality by adding graphics or illustrations.

In the end, neither the story nor the illustrations achieved a professional standard.

But: there are some incredibly talented people, for example, Jenny Dolfen, nicknamed "Gold-Seven" on Deviantart who creates watercolor illustrations to die for and who has a great writing talent, too. (While still working as a teacher and not as full-time writer or illustrator.) Or Henry H. Neff a YA writer who created the illustrations for his book series. (I just don't like his drawing style very much. But that is a matter of personal taste.) Or Mercedes Lackey, who wrote some cool songs about characters and events in some of her books. Or Seanan McGuire, who is a published writer and a great (filk) singer.

Yet, for the majority of us mere mortal writers, the rule goes as following: Don't try to disguise weaknesses in your story with illustrations. Use every minute you would spend on the illustrations to improve your story instead. Both art forms need a lot of time, practice, and patience. Try to look for a publisher with a really good story or try to be a really good illustrator. Don't try to sell a mediocre story with mediocre illustrations.

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