Steve Riley: Illustrator & Publisher

  I recently interviewed William Steven Riley, illustrator and publisher. Most people know him as Steve or Steven. In his family it was common to go by your middle name. He works from the comfort of his California home. "I love it, but it does mean that sometimes I don’t get things done as fast as I probably would having an office." His wife home-schools their two children, and Steve  loves having the family close-by.

Steve is currently working on Furnatche the House Dragon, written by author Honey Apotos. The story is about a family who discovers a baby dragon in the basement furnace. Steve is also finishing The Little Flame written by Denise Gary, his good friend and CEO of Kids Need To Read.  The Little Flame is a heartfelt adventure meant to inspire kids to pursue the important things in life while maintaing healthy relationships.

When asked how Steve chose this line of work, he admitted it chose him, almost by accident. He reached a point in his life when pursuing unimportant careers needed to change. “If I don’t give something else a try, then this will be my life.”  Life was not awful,  just not what he wanted. After some soul searching, writing and illustrating children's books were his best chance to succeed.

Steve now has three titles the Little Ty Cooney National Wonders Series.  They are Little Ty Cooney and the Big Yosemite Race, LittleTy Cooney and the Big Yellowstone Mystery, and Little TyCooney and the Grand Canyon Tour Company.  Other works include author Derek Sabori's book Lu and the EarthbugCrew Zap the Energy Spikes. The illustrations were a collaborative effort between he and Mark Wayne Adams. Steve has three other books written. He is also collaborating with with World Class Climber, Dean Potter on a story about his life, which many people would say are just plain crazy.

Most all Steve's character ideas are born in sketchbooks. "I will be drawing one day and some random sketch will just come to life in my imagination," Steve says. His written stories generally evolve around characters, not a specific plot or theme. "All the story elements are there in the characters just waiting for me to discover them." His Ty Cooney series began in Yosemite Valley with a little raccoon that lived under his family's porch. "I sketched a little cartoon picture of him and that picture inspired the rest."

The only career for Steve before publishing was managing restaurants in Yosemite Valley, California. It required very little of his creativity, and focused on managing people, resources, and providing customer service. His experiences inspired the entrepreneur within him. Publishing has been frightening and rewarding for Steve. "Frightening because if I fail there is no safety net. Rewarding because, when I succeed the rewards are mine." said Steve. The combination of those two things keeps him highly motivated.

Steve is an independent publisher and illustrates for other independent authors. I asked him to offer insight to other's considering independent publishing. His first words of advice were to develop a business plan on how to sell books. "This is a business driven by money.  Money is derived from sales. If you have a great book and no way to sell it, you are in trouble. If you execute a good marketing plan, then your book is going to make you money." Money isn't the most important thing to Steve, but paying the bills is a publishing priority. 

"I think the most significant moments for me were the first moments of the journey. The first time I held in my hand a real true-to-life published book, that I wrote and illustrated." says Steve. "Upon the arrival of my first 5,000 books, I stood back and looked into my garage at the enormous pile of boxes. My wife and I took pictures with the pallets. It is comical to think of it. I still smile when I see those pictures." Steve said. To him those moments cannot be taken away, because the first memories were the best.

Steve didn't hesitate when asked if he would start his publishing career again. "I absolutely would, in a New York minute!" Steve replied. The one thing he would change would be to start before he graduated High School. "I always had silly ideas and funny pictures of crazy characters floating around in my head. I never believed they would ever amount to anything." Steve replied. Starting younger would given him nearly twenty years longer to build upon his success. "I recommend not hesitating or making excuses. I would just do it." He also recommended choosing the correct college institution. His education was a good, but felt an art school would have provided more opportunities.

To contact Steve Riley visit his website at:  http://tycooney.wordpress.com

32 Page Picture Book Budget

"What will I invest?" is a question I'm most often asked. There are many variables to producing a traditional hardbound 32 page picture book. From number of illustrations to location of printing. The choices are many.

First be a business owner. A business plan, profitable budget, and research attributes to a higher success in publishing picture books. Below is a sample budget I use when planning a 32 page full color, hardbound, picture book project.

Note:  This is a guideline and each project is unique.

Picture Book Estimated Budget:

1. Copyright: $45.00.  If a publisher supplies the copyright, confirm it's in the author's name.
2. ISBN: $250.00 (Block of 10). If eBook, print books, or a series is the goal, multiple ISBN's are needed. This fee is required for authors forming a publishing company. If an author's publisher supplies the ISBN, the publisher retains control over an author's book.
3. Professional Editor:  $500.00 - ?  This fee is based on word count, time, and number of editorial reviews. Having a professional editor review before illustrations, after illustrations, and during the printer's press proof is smart.
4. Professional Illustrations: $8,000.00 deposit with 10% royalty. A picture book requires an average of 32 illustrations. This includes Body Illustrations, Cover, End Sheets, and Title Page. Many illustrators consider a spread as one illustration. Use thumbnails or page breaks to get accurate quotes. If a book is not 32 pages the illustration price is reduced. Request samples of their work.
5. Graphic Design: $1,000.00. Seek an all inclusive Graphic Designer who provides book layout, logos, scanning, art enhancements, along with press and web files for marketing purposes. Request samples of their work.
6. Printing: $7,500 - ? Printing is based on 2500 copies of a 32 page hardbound book at $3.00 per book. Distributors and book retailers request 50% off the retail price. A $15.00 retail price equals $7.50 net sale. Less print and illustration cost, the profit is estimated around a $1.50 per book. Request samples of multiple printers' work.
7. Shipping: $750.00 - $1,500.00. This is a one time fee to ship books from the printer to the warehouse. This cost may also include shipping the books to a distributor. This expense is calculated by weight, number of pallets, and distance from the printer.
8. Climate Controlled Storage: $80.00 - $125.00 monthly. A climate controlled unit is necessary. Paper buckles with sudden temperature and moisture changes.
9. Distribution: $0.00 - ? Many new authors manage their distribution, while others chose a distributor. Distributors take 40-55% for distributing books to Amazon, Barnes & Noble, etc. The same percentage holds true for consignment in other retail locations.

Based on the numbers above, an average first print run of 2500 books can cost upwards of $18,000.00. Treat publishing as a business. Get fair and accurate quotes. Many publish with far less investment, however others publish with far more invested!

Publishers without a plan.

Many publishers commit in words not writing. As author or illustrator consider yourself the best sales person for your book. Passion sells volumes over a publisher's promises. Upon release, publishers should provide a 3, 6, 9, 12 month marketing plan for book sales. A plan commits all parties in writing.  

If this isn't the case, create a plan immediately. Infuse your marketing ideas into the book's success. Especially when the publisher hasn't!

Critique the publisher's professionalism. Are edits professional (typos, misspellings, etc.)? Do you have a professional layout (margins, text flow, etc.)?  Were professional illustrations used? Place your book on a table with books of similar content at the library. Is the book reviewed, read, or overlooked? Make notes of people's responses.

The goal is to share your story. To be considered professional expect professionalism from everyone on the team. If publishers aren't following through, evaluate whether the company is the best fit for your business goals. 

We've all had bad experiences with a project or team member. The experience teaches us to give in or become better business people.

Mark Wayne Adams

Award-winning Illustrator of Nicholas, that's Ridiculous! A Story About Being a Boy