This is my first time having to go through this process and it is quite alien to me. There are things that I would change going forward with future endeavours, and it is important to always have these things in the back of your mind when going forward with any project that you go ahead with in the future.
Do not be afraid to speak up. If you have hired someone to do something for you be sure to make sure that you do not back down from what you want. You are paying someone for their services to aid you going forward so do not be afraid of speaking your mind. If you don’t like something let them know. Majority of the time Illustrators and people that work in creative services prefer if you speak up and say what is on your mind. Not only does it push the creative to broaden their horizons and meet your brief, it helps you to get what you need out of the job.
Plan ahead. Whilst something is going on in the background, it is important to get all your ducks in a row so when it does come to fruition it doesn’t hinder the plans that you have to propel your journey forward. For example, whilst my book was in the process of being illustrated, I was looking into creating my business account that I am working under, setting up Amazon KDP as much as I could. I made and created my social accounts and made sure that I had some idea o what I was going to do once the project was complete.
Do Research! When coming up against this industry and knowing what I know now, it is important to scout the market and understand what sells and what doesn’t. The last thing you want is to create a great product but no one wants it. Whilst doing research it is important to figure out your target audience, the kind of illustrations you want, how long you book is going to be, what formats you want it to be in etc. It may seem like a task that will take some time to gather all the information. But it will be rewarding in the end.
I believe that doing the above and anything else that you hope to do in order to extend your reach and the way you work together as a team will really help to boost not only yourself but your project too.