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Can I send a self-published book to a mainstream publisher?
I’ve found an illustrator to work on a book I’ve written. She’s a wonderful illustrator and our working relationship is very good. We’ve agreed an amount of money for her illustrations – most of which she’s already completed – which, of course, I will pay her.
My question is:
Can I have self-publish a book which is illustrated by an illustrator and send the same book, without the illustrations, to mainstream publishers?
Comments
But to self-pub and then send to a mainstream publisher - what does that say to the publisher? For a start, no book stays the way it is written, it will have editor input, and will change. so then there would be two versions out there, the edited one and one the publisher would consider sub-standard, and the self-pub book would be in direct contention with the mainstream one - no publisher would consider it.
I wouldn't mind losing money. I would be self-publishing with a book on demand publisher. If a publisher liked my book, can't I just cancel my book on demand account and offer the rights to them?
Also, if the illustrator has been paid for the sketches and has their name in the book, what rights do they have, if a mainstream publisher likes the book and wants to publish using their illustator?
Send the book to publishers in the first instance if you have confidence in it. but without the illustrations.
Sorry, but that's the best analogy I 'can' come up with.