There is more to writing, formatting, editing, proofreading and publishing a book than simply writing words that tell a story and giving it over to the next step in the process. Some manuscripts can easily go without any kind of illustrations while others practically demand some sort of imagery. For example, a long lengthy novel does not need to have a lot of pictures to tell the story. A children’s book, on the other hand, is much better with them because visual aids are what grab and keep a child’s attention on the story.

While it is true that kids love illustrations, it also true that the majority of adult readers prefer illustrations or photographs that give more meaning to what they are reading. The reason for this is that illustrations do much more than sit on a page and look pretty. The images lend the story extra perspective and depth that words alone may not be able to do. For example, a non-fiction book containing information about percentages and values of specific items may be easy for some to figure out without anything extra. Think about that same hypothetical book and add pictures and charts that explain the same things sitting neatly on the page.

A book with pictures and graphs will be read and used a lot more often than the one that contains only words and explanations. The reason for this is actually quite simple - human eyes are naturally attracted to images even when they are in black and white or sepia tones. Our eyes can’t help themselves. Sure, we could easily just read the words but our mind will quickly look to images for extra clarification when it’s available. This does not mean splatter the pages with a whole ton of pictures, graphs, and illustrations. Adding illustrations is a very delicate process that needs to be addressed in a meticulous manner.

Readers do tend to look at books with some visual aids but no one wants a page that is overrun with pictures for everything. It’s best to choose an image that is the most relevant for the topic being discussed at the moment. This is not intending to suggest that every book needs pictures because that would be a huge mistake. An author should use illustrations when the subject needs something more than words can describe. The point is, illustrations are a good thing when used in the proper locations of a book.

As a reader and a writer, I can honestly say that I have seen several books that have way too many pictures. There have been just as many books that have found their way to my desk that had no illustrations when they should have had some visual aids.

While it is always up to the writer whether or not they want to use imagery, a good rule to follow when writing a book of any kind is to always consider your audience and what they would enjoy most. After all, what good is writing anything at all if readers can’t get involved in what we are saying?

If you choose to use illustrations these are the things to remember:

Children’s books usually contain a good portion of images that tell the story. Fiction and non-fiction books for teens and adults are great with images that work with the story or information being given. Use images and illustrations that enhance the story and avoid overcrowding the page. Always make sure that your images make the information or the story easier to understand and avoid using pictures that are not part of the topic you’re discussing. Don’t forget, illustrations are a great thing when used properly. Even adding a simple drawing in the middle of a chapter can be a nice enhancement as long as it lends weight to the plot but doesn’t take away from the story due to irrelevance.