Joyriding into Image Research: A Cautionary Tale

By Elizabeth Shreeve

This is a story about falling in love. It’s got a happy ending—a beautiful book and new friendships with artists around the world. It’s also a tale of honest mistakes and slippery slopes. If you’re starting a book involving image research, I hope it will help. 

 First, some advice. Several wise authors, like Sarah Albee and Stephanie Bearce, have provided resources for free/low-cost photos (see below for links). Did I follow their guidelines? Well, sort of. Their recommended sources didn’t quite fit the bill for my topic. Which led to…

MISTAKE #1: Straying from low-cost image sources.

My image research began when I signed with Atheneum/Simon & Schuster to write Dinosaurs to Dragons: The Lore and Science of Mythical Creatures (July 21, 2026). It would be my first middle grade title and the first project for which I would supply images. How cool! The contract included an allowance for image licensing. There would be an illustrator, too. I had nothing to worry about, right?

Then I fell down a slippery slope. Actually, more like several extremely gorgeous, entrancing, wonder-filled slopes. I got lost in the artwork and neglected something important…

MISTAKE #2: Ooops! Forgot the “cost” column.

Over months of research, I became addicted to beautiful images. I explored online museum collections. I discovered original work by artists in Brazil, Chile, Germany, Haiti, and Nepal. I added these treasures to folders and inserted them into a spreadsheet. I mocked up spreads to show how images and captions related to text.

It was a joyride! As chapters took shape, however, I strayed farther from low-cost image sources. I needed help, so I hired a content licensing company, Photo Affairs. They alerted me to possible overruns, but my publisher turned down a request to increase the budget.

MISTAKE #3: Avoiding some simple math.

 Did I stop collecting photos? Nope. The vision of a gorgeous book overwhelmed any remaining common sense. I loved each image. As it turned out, so did the publisher’s designer. When it came time to lay out the spreads, they wanted to use almost everything in my folders. Yikes! Photo Affairs began securing permissions—and the costs came in high.

We managed some discounts. But the layout was fixed, and it was stunning. How could we possibly cut the rendering of Cretaceous dinosaurs in Mongolia? Or the charming bunyip… the medieval dragon… or the gorgeous Polynesian sailboat? They all deserved a place on the page alongside Violeta Encarnación’s original artwork.

Did I go over budget on the image licensing? You bet.

Do I realize that authors don't want to spend a significant part of their advance on image licensing? Absolutely, and here are some pointers.

1. Read these posts and, to the extent possible, stick to the recommended image sources. 

Sarah Albee, “Image Research and Permissions: A Survival Guide.” NF Fest, February 15, 2023. 

Stephanie Bearce, “Picture Perfect.” NF Fest, December 13, 2022. 

Sarah Albee, “Behind the Books: Finding Photos forNonfiction Books.” Celebrate Nonfiction. February 28, 2017. 

2. Before signing a contract, confirm who pays for licensing of copyrighted images or text. If you’re responsible, make sure you’ve got an adequate budget. Stick to it! 

3. Be serious about image research. Find primary sources. Get inspired! Here’s an excellent post by Patricia Newman: “Getting to the Heart of Your Photos.” NF Fest, February 5, 2025. 

4. Make an image spreadsheet, including a column for costs (see example in Sarah Albee’s “Image Research and Permissions” post, above). Take time to periodically update your projected costs. For my book, the average licensing cost was around $80. I paid $100/image for most of the original pieces obtained directly from artists. You can do better by sticking to free/lower-cost sources.

5. Beware of art galleries! They tend to be expensive. 

6. As early as possible, confirm the number of images and required licensing terms with your editor. Set a schedule for delivering licenses and high-resolution files in order to avoid expensive last-minute sourcing. Ask your publisher for any existing accounts with photo stock libraries (e.g., Alamy or Shutterstock) and arrange to use their discounts. 

7. Don’t assume that Wikipedia is a reliable source. Are their files available at a high resolution? Do you need to trace back to primary sources? 

8. For a book with many images, work with a consultant. I highly recommend Photo Affairs. They easily cover their fees by finding discounts and lower cost options. 

Buckle up! Image research can be a joyride, and it doesn’t have to break the bank. 

 

About the Author: Elizabeth Shreeve writes children’s books that spark curiosity about Planet Earth. When not gallivanting about for a new project, Elizabeth lives in northern California with her family, including Hector the PaleoDog. Her next book, Dinosaurs to Dragons: The Lore & Science of Mythical Creatures (Atheneum/Simon & Schuster, 2026), includes gorgeous illustrations by Violeta Encarnación and an embarrassing number of photographic images. Other upcoming titles include Germ Wars: Time-Traveling through the (sometimes gruesome) History of Children’s Health (Zest/Lerner, 2027). Visit her at https://elizabethshreeve.com/ and @ShreeveBooks.

 

Writing about a Living Subject: Tips & Challenges

By Danna Zeiger

It is a rare gift to be able to write about a living subject. 

Early in my writing adventure, I realized how tragically few books with disability representation existed, let alone cerebral palsy. I knew I needed to introduce the world to my dear friend, Dr. Kathleen Friel. I was lucky to be mentored by Dr. Friel in my very first undergraduate lab, studying corticospinal development and repair. She was patient, kind, funny, and also the first person with cerebral palsy I had met in academia… and she was researching potential therapies for cerebral palsy!

After countless questions from fellow writers, I thought it would be helpful to share tips for writing about living individuals based upon my experience. 

Tip #1

You must ask for permission, first, unless the living person is super famous (and even then, proceed with caution). Reading a newspaper article about someone isn’t sufficient fame to give you the right to write. Seek out the individual and obtain written permission. If you’re lucky, you might be able to interview them and ask some questions along the way.

Rewriting the Rules: Dr. Friel is famous—she has won national awards for her research and advocacy; she is a reputable and well-regarded researcher and professor; and she has even had articles written about her both in lay media and in scientific journals. However, she is not of “household fame” and I needed her explicit permission. Regardless, I wouldn’t dream of writing her story without consent.

I approached Dr. Friel before conducting my research, timidly asking if she would be up for my writing a children’s book about her. Surprised, perhaps amused, she said “sure!”! I sent her a few questions but mostly researched and used my own knowledge to write my manuscript.

Tip #2

Consider your subject! Think about accuracy. Think about how this person will feel when they read your manuscript about them! I recommend, for especially sensitive topics, finding sensitivity readers.

Rewriting the Rules: In my opinion, this is the hardest part of writing about a living subject—and probably made this project harder than any of my others. I had heart palpitations thinking of Dr. Friel reading my manuscript. What if she hated it? Disagreed with something I said? Wished I’d approached it differently? What if… I didn’t do her story justice? These very ideas kept me up at night. Dr. Friel is incredible in every right. If a reader walked away thinking otherwise, it would be entirely my fault. 

I sought multiple sensitivity readers through various drafts. I read articles and books about cerebral palsy and the different ways to approach it. I knew Dr. Friel’s research intimately well, having worked in the lab together, but I also reread her papers and even her Ph.D. thesis—which I had never done before! Although I’m a scientist myself, I still checked that even the most simplest of explanations were always accurate.

Tip #3

Share your manuscript with your subject only after it has been accepted for publication and with your editor’s explicit permission. There are many reasons: picture books are hard to envision for the untrained eye. Your subject isn’t necessarily a writer and might have a different vision. The final version will likely be different than what you originally drafted.

Rewriting the Rules: I know Dr. Friel personally and this was especially hard! Upon acquisition, I was able to share the exciting news, but I didn’t send her the manuscript until final approved edits. It turns out, my final version was quite different than the one I submitted—and so much stronger! I’m grateful to our team of four (incredible editors Carol Hinz, Leila Sales, and two sensitivity readers) examining every word. 

When I finally sent it to Dr. Friel, I cried with relief when she reacted so positively and excitedly!

Tip #4

Through the book process, collaborate with your subject! Seek their pictures, thoughts, etc.

Rewriting the Rules: Dr. Friel sent all kinds of childhood pictures that were helpful for Josée Bisaillon, the illustrator, as well as close-up pictures so that Josée could really capture cerebral palsy authentically.

Tip #5

Work on promotion together and have fun doing it! Share every review, award, and announcement with your subject!

Rewriting the Rules: Reveling in every positive review, every influencer share, every award with Dr. Friel has been the best reward! We’ve done events together, including a launch event, and a No Place for Hate sponsored interfaith discussion. Having Dr. Friel and her family share their experiences in-person are core memories. I could listen to them for hours! Their excitement and partnership in this adventure have enriched it beyond imagination. 

Writing about a living subject was nerve-wracking but also immensely rewarding. I love seeing my beautiful, inspiring, and smart friend everywhere!

 

 

About the author: Danna Zeiger’s debut STEAM nonfiction picture book, Rewriting the Rules: How Dr. Kathleen Friel Created New Possibilities for Brain Research and Disability (September 2025) was named Best of 2025 by School Library Journal and the Chicago Public Library, and won 2026 Outstanding Science Trade Books for K-12 by the National Science Teachers’ Association. Danna is also a 2024-2026 PJ Library Sephardic Stories Initiative writing fellow. Learn more about Danna, STEM, and nonfiction at https://www.dannazeiger.com/.

Teacher's Pet: Supplemental Guides Get Your Book Chosen

 by Louise M. Aamodt, M.Ed.

Authors love getting their books into classrooms. Teachers love quality materials that make their jobs easier. You can bridge this connection by creating free, downloadable materials to go with your book. 

Supplemental materials give your book an edge by helping teachers justify using your book in class. The materials connect kids more deeply to the concepts. They’re fun! And you, yes YOU, are totally capable of creating them. No need to hire someone, or languish away wishing your publisher would help. You don’t need to be an expert, a teacher, or a graphic designer. You just need to START. 

Think about your book’s content and mood. What do you want kids to learn, discover, or investigate? Which kinds of activities would best support that outcome? Here are some ideas:

• Character analysis

• Classifying

• Family/home connections

• Fiction vs. nonfiction, or genre study

• Jokes and riddles 

• Letter-writing

• Main idea and details

• Making inferences

• Memory game cards

• Music 

• Recipes

• Recommended reading

• Scavenger hunt 

• Sequence of events

• Summarizing

• Vocabulary study

• Websites for kids

• Word scramble

Let’s dive deeper by examining specific examples. 

Poke around the websites below. Look for buttons or pull-downs called ‘Free Downloads,’ ‘Educator Resources,’ ‘Curriculum Guide,’ ‘Activity Guide,’ etc. DO NOT COPY, obviously, but get inspired. Rabbit hole warning: This list is extensive, so start by exploring activities that would best fit your book. For the sake of word count, I’ve omitted subtitles and illustrator names, but illustrators, we see you!

• Art: Eileen R. Meyer’s “Design a Stovepipe Hat” for THE SUPERLATIVE A. LINCOLN

• Board game: Stephanie Gibeault’s THE DOG WHO SAVED THE BEES

• Bookmarks: Carrie Tillotson’s ALPACAS HERE, ALPACAS THERE

• Cause-effect: Jill Esbaum’s IT’S CORN PICKING TIME

• Charades: My “Verb Charades” for A FOREST BEGINS ANEW

• Coloring: Sarah Nelson’s FOLLOW THE FLYWAY  

• Crafts: Kirsten Pendreigh’s “Make Your Own Sea-Flake” for WHAT FISH ARE SAYING

• Crossword puzzle: Sue Heavenrich’s 13 WAYS TO EAT A FLY

• Discussion questions: Patricia Hruby Powell’s LIFT AS YOU CLIMB

• Educational standards: They can be a simple list, like for Sandhya Acharya’s LIVING BRIDGES, or complex like for Leslie Bulion’s LEAF LITTER CRITTERS.

• Experiments: Alisha Gabriel’s “Observing How Yeast Makes Bread Rise” for FUNGI ARE… MORE THAN MUSHROOMS 

• Labeling parts: Lisa Kahn Schnell’s HIGH TIDE FOR HORSESHOE CRABS

• Matching: Tanya Konerman’s MUD TO THE RESCUE

• Math, patterns: Annette Whipple’s WHOOO KNEW? THE TRUTH ABOUT OWLS 

• Math, word problems: Melissa Stewart’s NO MONKEYS, NO CHOCOLATE 

• Movement: Molly Beth Griffin’s yoga and stretching for RINGS OF HEARTWOOD 

• Poetry template: Rebecca Hirsch’s WONDER WINGS

• Predictions: Megan Clendenan’s “Predictions and Surprises” for JUST IN CASE

• Pronunciation videos: Teresa Robeson’s TWO BICYCLES IN BEIJING 

• Science: Laura Purdie Salas’s “Thunderstorm Life Cycle” for ZAP! CLAP! BOOM! 

• Social-emotional learning (SEL): Jessica Stremer’s LIGHTS OUT 

• Social studies, map: Amanda Davis’s “Map the Flag’s Travels” for 30,000 STITCHES

• Social studies, timeline: Vivian Kirkfield’s ONE GIRL’S VOICE 

• STEM: Leslie Barnard Booth’s “Crow’s Nest Design Challenge” for I AM WE

• Word find: Carrie A. Pearson’s VIRGINIA WOULDN’T SLOW DOWN!

Finally, coming from a teacher who selectively chooses which books to use in my classroom, here are some tips to help your book survive the cut: 

• Be handy, not fancy. Make your material easy to print out and use right away. 

• Keep it black and white. Few schools give teachers color printing access. 

• Touch on a variety of disciplines, such as math, art, writing, reading, vocabulary, science, social-emotional, social studies, etc. This helps an over-scheduled teacher find a spot during the day to dive deeper into your book. 

• Vary the brain power required. Offer some easier options such as mazes, word finds, or art. Offer some harder options such as main idea/detail, character analysis, or writing prompts.

• Provide the same activity in various levels of difficulty (see my “Mazes” example). Don’t get bogged down in specifying what age or grade level each is for; teachers will know what works best for their students. 

• I’ll probably take some heat for saying this, but if you’re uncomfortable figuring out the educational standards to go with your materials, skip them. Teachers will know. Don’t let correlating standards stop you from getting started. Let it go. 

• Add a QR code to printables with “Click here to visit the author’s website.” It’s free advertising when kids take the sheets home. 

Remember, you can do hard things. If you can write a book, you can write supplemental materials. Don’t let perfectionism or imposter syndrome paralyze you. 

Give it a try! 

About the Author: Louise M. Aamodt (rhymes with 'comet') has taught English Learners in public schools for over 25 years. As both a writer and a teacher, she loves sparking curiosity and making complicated concepts accessible. You can find her in the kids’ section of the library, or out watching bugs somewhere. Her picture book, A Forest Begins Anew, illustrated by Elly MacKay, debuts in May 2026 from Astra Young Readers. Learn more at http://www.LouiseAamodt.com, or follow on social media (FB @LouiseAamodtAuthor, Bluesky @LouiseMAamodt.bsky.social, or X @LouiseMAamodt).