Does Any of This Sound Like You?

• You are passionate about your book’s message and up for doing what it takes to get it out there.

• You have wisdom to share for the benefit of future generations.

• You are a professional who wants to serve more people through the creation of a book that complements your work.

• You want to inspire imagination, open-mindedness, inclusivity, and a hopeful message for a better world that you believe in.

• You want to co-create a book with a team of professionals who can support you in doing it your way on your timeline.

If any of that rings true to you, then please read on kindred spirit!

Maybe you have tried to figure it out on your own and got frustrated  or didn’t know where to even start.  We get that.  Making a book is a fun, but complicated process with lots of steps!

Luckily, we have been around the block many, many, many times, and can support you, keep you on track, give you the checklist, and co-create with you the book of your dreams! 

How Do You Help Aspiring Authors Like Me?

LOVE this question!  We believe in being holistic in our approach so you have a go-to person in the process.  Here is how we serve our authors:

Capture Your Big Vision: When you contact us, we will set up a Zoom meeting with you to learn everything we can about your book! We will ask you some big, fun questions to help you contemplate everything you might do with the book depending on your goals and vision.

Find Your Style: Every author has a unique vision. We will help you define it and will create a character sketch in the process. We will move forward once you feel satisfied that the images match the style of your story and portray the message you want to share!

Co-Create Your Illustrations: From creating the character sketch, to the storyboard session, to the drawing, editing, and coloring of your illustrations, you will be involved and your feedback welcomed! We believe that the co-creative process is not only more fun, but leads to something greater than any individual can do alone!

Design Your Book: The words and images have to complement and enhance each other. We will get creative together choosing fonts and layouts and put it all together to have your book print ready for your self-publishing platform. We can also provide ideas for a more interactive design.

Proofread Your Book: Our writing professional will be sure that all your t’s are crossed and i’s are dotted as they help to correct spelling and grammatical errors. If anything stands out as a major error or is very confusing, they will suggest solutions.

Provide LOTS of Guidance: We have the checklist and know the order of things!  We will keep you on track for taking care of all the things to do while we are illustrating and designing to help you have a fun and smooth process.

Give You Tools: We have a toolkit just for authors!  It will help you think through how you want to create and promote your book in a way that feels good to you.  

Self-Publishing Support: Sometimes it just helps to have someone do something with you!  We will be there on Zoom as you self-publish your book on Kindle Direct (Amazon) and/or IngramSpark.  Although most people can figure it out,  the process can be tedious and our experience can help you to get through it with more confidence.

How Much Does it Cost?

Yes - let’s get down to the nitty gritty, shall we?

Standard Essential Package: $4750

This is our most common package.  It can be configured in lots of different ways, but it always includes:

• Vision Session

• Character Sketch

• Storyboard Session

• 12 Full-Page, Full-Color Illustrations with Highly Detailed Main Characters and Simpler Backgrounds

• A Unique Cover Illustration

• Design and Layout of Your Book Delivered in Print-Ready Formats

• Proofreading

Full-service Essential Package: $5500

This includes everything in the Standard package as well as:

• Tools, Steps, and Support for Self-Publishing (detailed above)

• Coaching Session for Book Launch and Promotion

More Bells and Whistles:  Price Varies Depending on Your Needs!

Once we know all that you would like to add, we will provide an individualized quote.  Here are options to consider:

• Custom Promotional Items: Price Varies Ideas include bookmarks, cards, journals, notebooks, workbooks, social media graphics, etc.

• Additional interior illustrations: Price Varies Some people just want more!  Or some stories are longer!  No worries - we got you.

• More detailed backgrounds: Price Varies Maybe your vision needs not only detailed characters, but lots of details in the background.  We can do this! 

• Coaching for Book Launch and Promotion: $300 We meet with you for two 60 minutes sessions to help you create a beginning foundation for promotion.  We can discuss a book launch plan, promoting your book through social media, and how to leverage interest from your current communities and networks in a way that feels just right to you.  

• Developmental Editing: $150+  If you do not have one already, the Studio Light team includes an experienced writer/editor.  (It is HIGHLY recommended that you work with an editor to bring out the very best in what you write.)  

• Writing Coaching: $300 This is a great option if you have a beautiful story or book in your head, but struggle to find the right words!  You don’t have to struggle alone.

How Do I Get Started?

Simply contact us so we can answer your questions and get to know you and your book better! (And, because we get asked this all the time - NOPE you do not have to have a finished manuscript to reach out!)

Other Common Questions You Might Have:

What Are My Payment Options?

We split the cost into 3 payments. A third is due upfront, a third about halfway through and and third at the end. We can take payment many different ways including credit cards, Zelle, Venmo, Paypal, and more.

Sometimes authors get funding to create their books. If this interests you, we recommend checking out crowdsourcing sites like Indiegogo or Kickstarter. If you want support with Kickstarter, we recommend reaching out to Victory Vision who can guide you in creating a successful campaign.

How Long Does It Take?

Another good question! From the date the contract begins, we usually turn a book around in about 12 weeks. This varies a little bit depending on the number of illustrations and how complicated/simple the book is as well as how quickly you as the author provide feedback.

Does My Manuscript Have to Be Finished Before Contacting You?

It sure doesn’t! It is ok to give us a call to find out more about the process so you can plan. We can also provide writing and editing support if needed.

Who is the Team and How Do You All Work Together? 

We have such a talented, kind, creative, passionate, knowledgeable team!! Karen Light, Chief Creative, Illustrator, and Coach, is the project manager for every project. Sometimes she carries out the creative work herself as well, but oftentimes it is a collaborative effort with our other illustrators, designers, and editors. Learn more about us here.

What if I want someone to self-publish for me?

That is another great option to look at! We have worked extensively with Goudelock and the 3 Bears Publishing as well as Fig Factor Media. We recommend checking them out! Victory Vision also provides 3 packages for Publishing Production and can even create Audiobooks.

Do I need a website?

You don’t have to, but it sure is great! We love to partner with Vision Starts. A great example of their work is the Maxine and Beanie series website.

What if I want more extensive marketing support?

Sure thing! There are so many people out there who can help you market your book. May we recommend Your Literary Prose?

Do you know of any writing support groups I can join to help me write my book?

Again, I’m going to recommend Victory Vision. They have a group coaching membership you can join for as long as you need it!

Have another kind of project in mind that needs illustrations? Let’s talk. We have created illustrations for online courses, marketing materials, and more.