Should I add an art note? (And the REAL question you should be asking yourself.)

"Should I include an art note?"

If you are writing a picture book that you are not illustrating, you have likely asked yourself that very question. And if you asked 10 authors, illustrators, agents, or editors, you would get AT LEAST 10 different answers. It's the art note conundrum.

But, let me back up and explain what an art note is, and why there's an even MORE important question to be asking yourself.

What IS an art note?

There will probably be moments in your story where the illustration MUST show something specific in order for the story to work. Here's an example from one of the picture books I'm currently working on:

I COULD have written "Hugo burrowed through to the other side with his spoon that had turned into a shovel. He was shocked to find himself in a jungle, staring at his cousins, who were the same size as him."

Ugh. WORDY. Part of the magic of a picture book is that the illustrations help tell the story! So, to keep the text concise and engaging, I often leave out the parts that the illustration can carry.

How do I include an art note?

Personally, my art notes are in blue font, and are right-aligned (like in my example above). Some authors use gray. Some left-align. Most use parentheses or brackets. Don't overthink this part.

When should I SKIP an art note?

Some agents and editors say they don't mind a healthy dose of art notes - it helps them get a keen sense of your vision for the story. Others say that art notes should be avoided whenever possible to leave room for the illustrator's vision.

As a general rule, when the art note represents your preference, but it's not integral to telling your story in a compelling way, cut it. For instance, consider an art note that says (Mr. Diego is an older man who wears a plaid shirt and a black hat. ). Will you tell the same story if Mr. Diego has a striped jacket and a blue hat? If so, cut the note.

Why? Well, the main reason is because the illustrator SHARES the story with you. They are going to bring a vision to the story just like you. And, since the illustrator is a professional artist, you have trust them to create illustrations that brings your story to life. Nine times out of ten, authors are amazed at what illustrators come up with, and are delighted by the little details or visual subplots that they'd never even thought of ! It's HARD for control-freaks (like me!) to limit art notes... but sometimes it must be done!

When SHOULD I include an art note?

1. In the beginning of a story, a brief note to describe the setting or characters, if it is not already obvious from the text. For example:

   

2. When the plot DEPENDS on the illustration to tell an integral part of the story, and it's not obvious from the text itself. In my example above, it's crucial that Hugo has a real-life spoon that has turned into an imaginary shovel that he's used to dig an imaginary tunnel to an imaginary jungle. AND I didn't say ANY of that in the text. So... art note!

3. If there are cultural details that need to be represented authentically. For example, in my upcoming debut picture book, Beauty Is Everywhere, one of the scenes takes place in the synagogue. I left art notes about where the action should be taking place within the synagogue.

4. Is there a secret that's only revealed through the illustration, but not the text? The reader is in on the secret... and that's fun!

5. When the text says the OPPOSITE of what the illustration will show. This is my favorite type of art note! Here's an example from Skully's Best Día Ever! by Rhode Montijo. The text says "there are no signs of trouble anywhere in the park!"

But if you look at the illustration... trouble abounds! Skully, the endearing, but not-so-trustworthy-narrator says one thing, but the image shows the exact opposite. Clearly, an art note would be necessary here if there were a separate author and illustrator.

Here's another example from The Very Impatient Caterpillar by Ross Burach:

The caterpillar thinks he has transformed into a beautiful butterfly, but clearly...

Which leads me to the question you REALLY should be asking yourself:

How are you leaving room for the illustrations to tell part of the story?

Could a reader close their eyes and listen to your story, understanding everything perfectly without seeing illustrations? If so, think about playing around with the text.

• Can you cut some text and let the art do some of the storytelling?

• Can the text be more abstract, while the illustration shows a more literal interpretation, or vice versa?

• Can there be a "secret" that the reader is in on because of the illustrations, but the narrator is in the dark?

• Could your text say one thing, while the illustration shows the opposite?

  
  

Experimenting with the text in this way may allow the voice of the story to shine through, and can encourage your reader to interact more with the text and illustration.

To close, I want to throw a GIANT shout-out to all of the amazing illustrators out there. Illustrators are nothing less than magic-makers, bringing text to life with mini-masterpieces, and creating enchanted pathways into storybooks for readers of all ages. I'm in awe of your talent! <3