Genuine or Generated? A new author's nightmare.

New authors searching for illustrators - take heed.

As a relatively experienced 3rd gen illustrator, I try to pop into the groups and answer some questions for the newbies. One came up yesterday that’s all too common, and so I wrote this blog on it, first to save repeating myself, and secondly to offer some solutions. 

If you’ve found yourself here, chances are, you’re actively looking for an illustrator or you’ve already been approached by one (or several). You’ve probably trawled through Reedsy, Fiver, Facebook, Upwork and all the others. Maybe your gut tells you something feels off. Or maybe everything looks great, but you’re not sure what’s real and what’s AI, and you’re overwhelmed. Hopefully, I can help with that. 

Let’s start with the bottom line and work our way up: where there are people, there are scammers. It’s just the unfortunate reality across all platforms right now. Some of them are obvious. Some aren’t, especially if you’re new. Some are using AI-generated images and passing them off as their own work. Some are using AI and not hiding it — I have no beef with them within this context. The topic is divisive at best, but also highly nuanced, and ultimately, the technology isn’t going anywhere, and it will absolutely affect far more than us artsy-fartsy types. It's bigger than us, so I'm in favor of a pivot. With that said, I do care when people pass off AI as human hand-painted work to unsuspecting authors. That’s not fair, and it’s giving the rest of us a bad rap. The fewer of these scammers the better, so my aim is to spend a little time helping close the gap by weeding out a few of the fakes. 

The lady I spotted yesterday asking for some help, like many, wasn’t sure who to trust. She mentioned in her post that she had found one illustrator willing to work on a full-page sample at no cost. That was a red flag for me. I get emails from authors asking for my rates maybe 10 times a month, mostly just from my Facebook presence since I don't advertise on any of the major platforms. I turn some down if the project isn’t my vibe, but if I'm aligned and they can afford my work, and they want a sample, I charge. Can you imagine how quickly I would be out of business if I didn’t?

Here's an example of a recent sample I did for a client I'm now illustrating for:

You can imagine the time spent. So, samples should be paid for, which means it’s either a lucky first dip for this new author, a much simpler brief, or a scam. 

How to know: Some offer free, because they’re secretly using AI. All this takes is posting your idea into an image generator and pressing a button to see multiple image examples created by a machine. Some offer a free sample because they’re either not getting enough work in a dry spell, or they’re new and building a portfolio. Check. Not just their work, but their online presence. Did they just join Facebook last week and have 3 friends in Timbuctoo? If so, move on.

If the illustrator you've found is just new, then you simply have to ask yourself the level of commercial viability you’re seeking from this project; the other side of completing the book. Are you looking to make a return on your investment, or realise a lifelong dream and see how it goes? It’s good to be humble, but it’s also hard to backtrack once the decision is made. These first steps set the tone for the rest of the project; everything from what kind of relationship you’ll have with the illustrator (which determines how much you’ll enjoy the process over the many months to come), to how your launch will go in X months time (will it even be on time?) and of course the all important sales. If you’re only looking to make a few sales to your warm network, you can probably stop reading here. My advice past this point is really for those investing in something they want to see a return on. 

Ok. Here we go… 

Before you sign anything, check portfolios for consistency, check for accuracy and check websites and author reviews if you can. They will probably already have work published. I have completed 7 books. 6 have been published, another will launch this August, and I’ve started another 2. I’m full time. Some might say they have 130 books published. Check. Check for quality — are they genuine or generated? 

It’s going to be a learning curve, but I suggest you try not to put price as the only or even primary factor. Think of what you want as an end goal and reverse engineer that to whatever stage you’re at now; hopefully the beginning because as I say, it’s harder to undo or change the course once it’s in motion. Save, start a kickstarter, take out a business loan or sell a kidney, but don't just search for cheap. You will get what you pay for, if you get anything at all.

Note: Many of us offer payment plans to make it more manageable for authors, and this way you’re protected from paying up front and finding you were scammed. 

Also, check your contract! I can’t stress this enough. I’ve been burned by a client before. Thankfully, only once, but it made me revisit my contract with the eyes of a hawk. Every clause has now been shaped to explicitly protect me from future legal implications, particularly concerning indemnifications, termination and copyright.

If after all that, you still aren’t sure — you're welcome to reach out. I have valuable experience to bring to the table, and I’m very happy to vet potential illustrators on your behalf so you can avoid the scammers that prevent you from ever reaching your goal. I have also helped co-admin a large art community where my sole purpose was to spot AI disguised as human work, meaning — this isn’t unusual for me.

As you probably know already, I value my time and the entire industry, which has put food on the table for 3 generations of my family. This means I don’t offer my time, experience or skills for free. I have, however, split things up a bit to offer affordable options where you only get what you need, and none of what you don’t. If there’s something else that’s not covered, just ask. I have also listed in GBP, but I have a multi-currency account and can invoice in any currency, so you won’t be charged international rates. 

Here’s a breakdown of what I can do: 

1. Quick Portfolio Check – £30

Send me the artist’s portfolio or sample. I’ll give you a fast, experienced check-over. I’ll share with you a breakdown of what I think from assessing what you’ve sent. Consider this your first line of defense. If it validates your suspicions and you have other options, walk away while you can and before you've wasted your money. If you really want this person and their work to be real because it really aligns with your vision, and it’s not possible to tell at first glance (they may have just edited out those extra fingers on a character) move to my next option: 

2. Full Scammer Sweep – £70

For the ones that aren’t obvious, I’ll dig deeper: reverse image searches, look into the illustrator’s history, and provide a full report with my findings — including whether the art is likely AI, plagiarized, or genuine, and why. Some will literally just take another illustrator’s work and pass it off as their own. I have seen a few called out on the groups for that. I’ll pick that up with a sweep. There are tools online that offer AI checks, which are ironically powered by AI and regularly fail at recognition, they also wont tell you if the work has been stolen. Human eyes are still more accurate for this task.

3. Illustrator Feedback & Guidance – £70 p/h

Whether you’re choosing between illustrators or already working with one and want feedback on the work — I’ll give you an honest, experienced feedback report based on what I see, and how it aligns with your goals. I will be thorough, and it will serve as your starting point or guidance for revisions moving forward. We can do this via email or zoom, whichever you prefer. 

4. Contract Check — £30 per page 

This is a big one, for both sides. A contract must offer a fair, unambiguous framework for both parties to work safely within. If reading legal piffle isn’t your bag, and you need someone who can find weaknesses in the wording that might cause issues later, just ask. I’m not a solicitor, which I think we can all agree is reflected in the price. But I can help you shape it so you’re not left wide open to someone wanting to take advantage. 

Why? You’re investing your time, your money, and likely your heart into this book. The illustrator you choose will shape how your story is perceived, received and how readers connect with it. It will also directly affect sales and your reputation. If you’re serious about seeing your book/s succeed (however you define success), your early decisions around this stuff matter. That doesn’t mean you have to spend a fortune. It just means you need to be informed, cautious, and clear on what you want from the start. You need a plan. And if you’re new, you might need some help making one. 

Worth mentioning: every topic I cover can be found on the internet, some of which you’ll find for free or at least cheaper. I’m not gatekeeping — if you have time to dig, read and learn before starting out, power to you. If you prefer someone to go and ask, then I’m here. 

Either way, I wish you the best of luck, and if you’re new — welcome to the world of children’s books. It gets easier! You can also carve out a pretty magnificent space in it if you stick around.