[Poonam Posts: 12 Status: Offline I love kids' books!]

Hi,
I have worked with an illustrator on contract to create a picture book. 
Can I send my queries to agents who are seeking author/illustrators only ? Does it always need to be the same person? The illustrator will not be my partner in this case.

Regards,
Poonam.

[karen-b-jones Posts: 279 Status: Offline Will draw for money! WWW]

The term author/illustrator is shorthand for an author who is also an illustrator.  If they are looking for author/illustrators only, then they are not interested in submissions from people who are only one or the other. 

[Vijaya Posts: 7,316 Status: Offline Encourage WWW]

Yes, I believe that author/illustrator means same person when agents are looking for one.

[Debbie Vilardi Posts: 6,827 Status: Offline Language is so cool! WWW]

Poonam, in general, agents who accept manuscripts from authors prefer that the author not have it illustrated. It is up to the publisher to match the work with an illustrator. (Sometimes an agent will do it, but that is rarer.) An author/illustrator is another matter. In that case one person is bringing a complete vision of the work to life. So agents who say author/illustrators only for picture books will not accept work from anyone who is one or the other but not both.

[karen-b-jones Posts: 279 Status: Offline Will draw for money! WWW]

I think, sometimes, if it's like a husband and wife team or something, they might treat the pair together like an author/illustrator.  I've met at least one team that works like that, but I don't know if it's very common.  I doubt it, though. 

Besides, that's a special circumstance. 

[christripp Posts: 1,195 Status: Offline WWW]

Agree with what the others have said. There are RARE occasions where an Agent MIGHT rep both people in an Author & Illustrator team but the Illustrator is no longer involved in your book project.  While I have heard of a few Agents willing to offer rep of just 1 book, most look for clients they can represent (be it Author, Illustrator, or both) for their career/mulitple projects.
If you are thinking of trying for an Agent, I'd just send the query and (if the Agent site specifies) the pb manuscript (no Illustrations)