To Take the Job?
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I think the framing of this situation is problematic. I think It might presuppose too much. Rather than starting from a point of "who should call who," why not just ask yourself what you want to be doing and be done with it? Starting from a place of "I'm the value supplier here, so folks should reach out to me" will inevitably cause you to frame any interaction in a certain way that may not always be accurate or useful. And it can drain you mentally.
I think the quick answer is do you want to start a business? Because that's what self-publishing is. Sounds like you don't. This person being a first-timer may not understand the industry or the upfront cost of making a book. It definitely doesn't sound like a "job" in the typical meaning of that word (paid every 2 weeks or with an advance, a clear chain of command, and the author assuming most of the risk etc). There may have been no contact because the author is not actually looking to "hire" you. Maybe they want a business partner that brings equal enthusiasm and shares the risk. Maybe they just don't know anything.
Might be worth it to have your dad check out Annosha Syed on YT to see how illustrators make a living (agents, queries, advances, portfolios, etc). Sounds like he is interested in your success.
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@Jonathan-W I would disagree that my reluctance to be the first one to reach out indicates that I don't want to start a business. I have an illustration business and have been a part of publishing three books through KDP. And, this potential client is aware I have published books before, have indicated interest in working with him in the past, and has access to my number.
Regarding the thought "I'm the supplier, folks should reach out to me" being problematic, do doctors reach out wondering if a client (yes, that's what the medical profession calls patients now) is in need of their services? Or does the doctor assume they know their services are available and wait for them to reach out? The latter, obviously. While there are many cases in which an illustrator must send out inquiries, this is not one of those cases. In fact I would argue in the world of self-publishing, it is rarely the case. This person is aware of me, and it's his delays that prevented this from getting off the ground before
I think also for an illustrator to get in as a business partner rather than getting paid sets a bad precedence. I don't know many illustrators who would get in as a partner and do what should be paid work without seeing a dime of funding prior to a book selling. We all know it takes a lot for a book to earn back its investments.
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@Jonathan-W Hard disagree. In this situation, it seems to be the author who is "presupposing" too much. He's been struggling to get his manuscript together for a decade and during all this time, is assuming that an illustrator will be available, waiting by the phone and jumping at the amazing chance to illustrate his book.
Something like insisting the client reaches out to us may sound petty, but it's actually important to establish boundaries and an equal relationship where the client values our time and expertise. Too many author/illustrator relationship where the author has no respect at all because they're convinced that as the paying client, their illustrator should be eternally grateful and be a yes man...
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@NessIllustration thank you! And just because its a family friend does not mean that I have to say yes. Or even that I will call him. I think it's important that we as illustrators set HEALTHY boundaries. Healthy boundaries do not drain us mentally, again as the previous post suggests. In fact, in waiting for him to reach out to me (and having given my contact info again), I am relieving stress from an already stressful life.
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@lpetiti Will Terry's "Where Do You Fit Into the Children's Book Landscape?" is a great playlist that your dad and the author might find informative.
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL7IC3Am6kUZPYxdkzLuDIckrQbrVGhCax
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The part where you father says the money would be good since you’re a teacher not working during the summer — the harsh reality with Amazon KDP is you won’t be making much unless you market the heck out of that book and that book is so super relevant/useful/etc that people can’t help but to tell others about it then maybe you’ll make some beer money.
In other words, if you choose to do this project, do it for a reason other than an income stream to pay the summer bills.
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@danielerossi oh I agree. I put money aside from every paycheck to supplement no income in the summer. I think he figures the money I get from the job (not the royalties, I've worked with KDP and self publishing enough to know NEVER to expect those) would help build our savings, even just a little bit.
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From what I gather, it’s sounds to me that you’re feeling uneasy about the potential of working with this guy. He sounds wishy washy, and seems to lack follow through. At this point, I don’t think he’s really all that serious, or he wouldn’t have taken a decade to get this book together. And with your uneasiness over the situation, I’d say it’s probably not the right fit. I would say just let it fall where it will fall and don’t give it a second thought until there’s an actual offer on the table.
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@lpetiti Just a note to consider, though you may already be well aware of these things... if the author does reach out to you and you agree to the project, make sure that he's had his manuscript edited and finished before you even start sketches. The project can take so many twists and turns if the text gets changed mid-way.
This is coming to mind because one summer seems like a short timeline for a book project. It might be just fine for you, but especially with an author who hasn't self published a book before, it may be a slower process than either of you imagined.
Good luck with everything!!
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@KathrynAdebayo oh yeah I’ve done self published children’s books in 3-4 months (way short times I know)
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@lpetiti i'd say give the author a call for courtesy sake and get this over with. But don't agree to anything yet. Just say you'd like to know about the project first. After which, you can decide whether to take it or not.
