Illustrations in a novel - yay or nay?

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I've been wondering lately, if I should try including illustrations in chapters occasionally. I've seen people do this on their novels and personally I like it, but I was curious about what others think :blob_hmm_two:

Do you have illustrations in your stuff? Do you think it helps the popularity or is it more trouble than it's worth? What's your opinion as a reader about it?

EDIT: I'm sorry if I duplicated a thread :blob_cringe: The one time I didn't check... I'll bonk myself out of here as a punishment :blob_thor: <-- selfbonk
 
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DannyTheDaikon said:
I've been wondering lately, if I should try including illustrations in chapters occasionally. I've seen people do this on their novels and personally I like it, but I was curious about what others think :blob_hmm_two:

Do you have illustrations in your stuff? Do you think it helps the popularity or is it more trouble than it's worth? What's your opinion as a reader about it?
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Yep, but more than the popularity, it helps my readers immerse in the stories I write.

Like these...

4) Chapter 7-5 (100 px).jpg
3) Chapter 8 (100 px).jpg
2) Chapter 3 (100 px).jpg
3) Chapter 8 (100 px).jpg


Though in my case, I limit my volume illustrations to just four per book, because I got limited time with work, business, commissions and writing.
 
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Succubiome

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Illustrations in a book, on average, do nothing for me personally.

If it's a comic, cool, I am developing an idea of what everything looks like from the art!

But if it's mostly words, I am developing a view in my head of what it looks like, and illustrations are someone else's take on it, and the most I register them is as "well that's mildly jarring", because you are showing me a picture of a character fifty pages after I already have a vague headcanon of roughly what they look like, and my headcanon looks different than the picture.

That said, illustrations in books have a long and storied tradition, and I don't think everyone reacts like I do to them.
 
prognastat

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Generally I would say it's value added to the novel. However it is going to cost time(if the writer is also the one making the art) or money to get the art made which is usually the problem. Because the time could also be used to write more and most people here don't earn at all or enough to warrant spending money getting art made for their stories.

Also wouldn't do too much just character introductions and very important scenes because otherwise you're just making a comic book with more words :ROFLMAO:
 
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Mortrexo

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Well, I have quite a few illustrations, but I usually place only a part of the illustration for the public, while I reserve the entire illustration for my Patreon. While it is expensive to have high-quality illustrations, I feel it's worth it.
It cost me quite a lot of money, but I find it worth it. Btw, I only support non-AI artists, so uploading the sketches, the different versions, etc, is also a plus my readers like. For example, this is a portrait of the MC of my novel, a public image:
 

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prognastat said:
Generally I would say it's value added to the novel. However it is generally going to cost time(if the writer is also the one making the art) or money to get the art made which is usually the problem. Because the time could also be used to write more and most people here don't earn at all or enough to warrant spending money getting art made for their stories.

Also wouldn't do too much just character introductions and very important scenes because otherwise you're just making a comic book with more words :ROFLMAO:
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I am originally a comic artist, but switched to novels because I need an assistant, and I can't find one (I have money to hire them, but we're having difficulty of synching our styles). The time I wasted looking for one, and repeating pages, was better spent on writing chapters, so I made that fateful decision by 2019.

As for the time spent on doing illustrations (because I'm the writer and the illustrator as well), in my experience, it doesn't matter much because with how I write my works: it falls into a schedule. I write in bursts, so my deadline for writing a manuscript is one month. After that, I take a break for a month or two, in which I use my break to draw and do other stuff like gaming, watching, reading...etc.
 
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Ye, handrawn them despite it looking like draft/sketch, but I do it for the charm of it.
The scenery or map, something eventful.

An image depicting forest burns, would give me rage.
Suggest to finish the volume then do the illustration.
 
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prognastat said:
Generally I would say it's value added to the novel. However it is generally going to cost time(if the writer is also the one making the art) or money to get the art made which is usually the problem. Because the time could also be used to write more and most people here don't earn at all or enough to warrant spending money getting art made for their stories.
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I can understand reasoning this. But on the other hand, it's not like it's possible to write 24/7 and with some time management I could be done without hurting either. That's, of course, for people who would do their art on their own.

Sleds said:
I use AI to make illustration for characters/beasts, some readers like it, it help them imagine how thing look. I also created a special chapter to include every Illustrations I use.
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Yeah, AI is a good option nowadays. Also separate chapter for illustration is a cool idea

Mortrexo said:
Btw, I only support non-AI artists, so uploading the sketches, the different versions, etc, is also a plus my readers like. For example, this is a portrait of the MC of my novel, a public image:
Click to expand...
If I do it, then I'll go either try sweating something out myself or commission, once I can afford it. I don't necessary hate AI, since I can see how it can help people, who wouldn't be able to afford commissioning an artist in the first place. Myself, I refrain from using it as my personal principle, so seeing manmade art is always a plus for me :blob_okay:

Aez_Nairo said:
Suggest to finish the volume then do the illustration.
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That's a good suggestion :blobthumbsup:
 
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