So, here are a list of questions you need to ask yourself before you hire an illustrator, and some answers to questions that clients commonly ask illustrators during the course of hiring one. If you have a finished, edited, and great manuscript, by all means submit it to a publisher. They will also hire an illustrator, pay the production costs and help you market it. They list publishers, their contacts, their terms, and what they are looking. It also includes international markets, magazines, contests, agents and wonderful articles from artists and authors as well as publishers and editors. You need to be very sure of your own work and you need to be ready to invest your own time and money in making your book a success. Your local indie bookstore may be happy to host a signing.