Chrysalis Art Collective: An Invitation to Artists
Your art deserves
a spine, a cover,
and a permanent home.
Some art is meant to outlast the scroll. We're building premium illustrated books with independent artists. Your vision belongs inside one.
One piece of art.
Here's exactly what happens.
Simple, transparent, and built to respect the work you create.
You create one illustration
One original piece inspired by a scene from the book. Something you feel genuinely called to create. Your creativity, your vision, your voice — in a story worth telling.
We publish it in a premium book
Your illustration goes into a coffee-table quality hardcover alongside other artists, each bringing their own distinct voice to the same story. 8.5×11, full color, 70lb Ultra Premium paper — printed and shipped directly to every reader who orders one.
What we get from your art
We receive the right to publish your illustration in our books and to produce and sell official Chrysalis prints of your work. That's the full scope of our license. Any animation, film, or media use requires a separate agreement, with you at the table.
What you keep: everything else
The original is yours. Sell your own prints: paper, canvas, digital, whatever you like. Exhibit it. Put it in your portfolio. Use it however you want — the only things we ask you not to do are publish the same piece in another book, or license it for film, animation, or motion use without us. Those conversations we'd have together.
A plain-English breakdown of rights, because this should never be confusing:
Every participating artist (including the writer) splits 70% of all net profits equally. Chrysalis keeps 30% to fund operations, advertising, and future projects. Paid quarterly, with full reporting every time.
How this compares
to the way things usually work.
If you've never worked with a publisher before, here's what the standard deal actually looks like, so you can decide for yourself what feels fair.
The typical illustrator experience
- ✕ Illustrate the entire book for a flat fee, usually $3,000 to $6,000 for seasoned artists, less for newer ones
- ✕ Sign over the rights to your illustrations. The publisher owns them.
- ✕ No royalties. No ongoing earnings. One payment and it's done.
- ✕ Can't sell prints or license your work without permission
- ✕ If the book sells 100,000 copies, you still made $4,000
- ✕ Your name may appear, but your website probably doesn't.
What we're offering instead
- ✦ Contribute one piece: something you wanted to make anyway
- ✦ Keep your rights. We only get publishing and official print rights.
- ✦ 70% of all net profits split equally among every contributor, forever
- ✦ Sell your own prints freely. 100% of those sales stay with you.
- ✦ At 5,000 copies sold, contributors can earn between $3,000–$5,000 from profit share alone, from a single piece of art you created and still own
- ✦ Earn an extra 15% on every sale you drive through your personal affiliate link
- ✦ Buy copies at just $2 over print cost to sell in person: at events, exhibitions, and directly to collectors
- ✦ Your bio, photo, and website link in the back of every copy printed
We're not saying the traditional model is wrong. It's just built for publishers, not artists.
We built this one differently, on purpose.
Here's how that path compares to this one.
Getting an agent isn't wrong. But it's a long road that often ends with a publisher taking your rights anyway. Here's what that journey actually looks like.
The traditional path to publishing
- ✕ Query dozens of agents with rejection the most likely outcome. The process often takes months or years.
- ✕ Agent takes 15-20% of your earnings permanently, on every deal they negotiate, forever.
- ✕ Agent gets you into a publisher who typically takes your rights. You've now paid a middleman to lose ownership.
- ✕ Publisher expects a full body of work, not one illustration.
- ✕ Publisher controls marketing. Your website may or may not appear anywhere in the book.
- ✕ Royalties of 5-15% if you're lucky, after the agent's cut, on a deal that took years to secure.
A different way in
- ✦ Apply directly. No gatekeepers, no query letters. We review your work and be in touch as soon as possible.
- ✦ No agent. No commission. Your profit share comes directly to you every quarter.
- ✦ You keep your rights. We get publishing and official print rights only. Everything else stays yours.
- ✦ One illustration. Something you feel called to create, not a full portfolio commitment.
- ✦ Your website in the back of every copy printed. Your affiliate link. Your coordinated launch. Your audience grows.
- ✦ 70% of net profits back to contributors. No middleman taking a cut between you and your earnings.
You don't need an agent to get published here.
And getting published here doesn't stop you from pursuing one later.
Three ways
your art pays you.
You don't just get paid once. Your art keeps working for you: passively, continuously, and on your terms.
Profit Share: Every Book Sold, Everywhere
70% of net profits go to the contributor pool, split equally among all participating artists. Every sale through every channel earns you lifetime royalties, after all print and shipping costs. Automatically. Quarterly. With full reporting every time so you always know exactly where the numbers come from.
Affiliate Link: Extra 15% on Every Sale You Drive
Once formally accepted, you receive a personal link to the book's sales page. Every book sold through your link earns you an additional 15% on top of your profit share. Share it once and earn every time someone buys. The affiliate link is yours for as long as the book sells.
Personal Copies: Buy at Cost, Sell in Person
Purchase copies at just $2 over print cost and sell them in person: at events, exhibitions, studio sales, or directly to collectors. Every dollar from those sales is yours. No split, no reporting, no permission needed. Personal copies are for physical sales only and not for resale through online storefronts or platforms.
Artists who contribute to multiple Chrysalis books earn from multiple streams simultaneously,
all from work they've already created.
Each page,
a different world.
These aren't uniform illustrated books. They're curated collections of distinct artistic voices. Each page a surprise, each artist a reason to turn the page.
Style is the point
We actively seek artists with different aesthetics. Painterly, watercolor, oil, mixed media: the variety is the experience. Your style doesn't need to match anyone else's in the book.
Stories worth illustrating
Public domain fairy tales and original stories, narratives that already live in the imagination. Each scene is yours to interpret in your own way. We curate the collection, not the art.
Curated, not open
We review your work before accepting you into a project. Every artist in a Chrysalis book belongs there. That selectivity is what makes being included meaningful.
Your audience finds you
Every reader who loves your piece has your website right there in the back of the book. No algorithm standing between you and them. Direct and permanent.
Many voices, one launch
Every contributor promotes on launch day. Independent audiences, united for one coordinated moment. The collective reach is what makes presales work and advertising possible.
It compounds over time
Each Chrysalis book you're part of adds another passive income stream. Your contributed art keeps earning long after you've moved on to new work.
Choose your
story.
Each project has its own scene list, timeline, and artist roster. Apply for the one that calls to you (or both). Spots are filled based on artistic fit, not first-come.
Jack & the Beanstalk
A bold, modern retelling — where classic and visionary art collide
Jack doesn't just climb a beanstalk. He crosses into another world entirely. This retelling invites artists to reimagine the story through their own lens — whether that means lush storybook illustration, surreal psychedelic landscapes, dark and gritty realism, or something entirely unexpected. Every artistic style is welcome here. The giant's kingdom has never looked the same way twice.
The Caterpillar's Journey
A story about becoming exactly who you were always meant to be
A little caterpillar wakes up one morning with no memory of who it is or what it's supposed to do. It tries to jump like the grasshopper, buzz like the bee, burrow like the worm, and soar like the birds. Nothing fits. But something deeper is stirring — something that can't be rushed, only felt. This original illustrated story moves through humor, heartbreak, friendship, and transformation, ending with one of the most joyful moments in all of children's literature: becoming exactly what you were always meant to be. Each scene is a world unto itself — playful, emotional, surreal, or tender. Artists who love expressive characters, rich natural settings, dream sequences, and emotional storytelling will find something here that calls to them.
You're welcome to apply to both. Each project is its own contract and its own income stream.
How to
join us.
Simple, intentional, and built to respect your time.
Apply with your portfolio
Share your name, contact info, and links to your work. Tell us which project excites you. No lengthy forms — just enough for us to see who you are as an artist.
We review your work
We look at your style, your voice, and how your art might fit the book we're building. Acceptance is based on artistic fit, not fame or follower count. We be in touch as soon as possible.
Choose your scene
If accepted, you'll receive the full story and a list of open scenes. We'll suggest scenes we think suit your style — but you can request any open scene and pitch us your vision for it. It's a conversation, not an assignment.
Sign, create, earn
A formal contract locks in your terms. You get your confirmed scene, your affiliate link, and 60 days to bring it to life.
We review every application personally. If your work feels like a fit, you'll hear from us as soon as possible.
Everything you
want to know.
What rights does Chrysalis actually get?
We receive an exclusive license to publish your illustration in our books and to produce and sell official Chrysalis prints of your work. That's the full scope. We cannot use your art for animation, film, merchandise, or any other media without a separate written agreement, negotiated with you directly. Everything else stays yours.
Can I sell my own prints of the same piece?
Yes. Completely and freely. Sell them through your own channels, at events, through galleries, anywhere you like. 100% of those sales belong to you. We sell official Chrysalis prints through our own platform. That's entirely separate from anything you do independently.
Can the same illustration appear in another book or be licensed for film or media?
No. That's the one restriction we ask for. The license Chrysalis holds covers book publication only. Your piece has a permanent home in a Chrysalis book, and we ask that it stays that way. Beyond that, your art is yours. Prints, exhibitions, portfolio use, and licensing for other purposes are completely open to you. Any film, animation, merchandise, or media use (by anyone) would require a separate written agreement with you directly involved.
How does the 70% profit split work exactly?
After all print and shipping costs are covered, 70% of net profit goes to the contributor pool, split equally among all participating artists. Each contributor earns lifetime royalties on each book sold depending on the book's retail price and the number of artists in that project. Payouts are quarterly, with a full breakdown every time so you always know exactly where the numbers come from.
What does Chrysalis do with the 30%?
The 30% covers operating and administrative costs: the things it takes to run the platform, manage production, handle legal and accounting, and develop future projects. Most traditional publishers keep far more than this while paying artists far less. It's our goal, as the model matures and grows, to increase the artist payout percentage over time.
What is the affiliate link and when do I get it?
Once you're formally accepted and your contract is signed, you receive a personal link to the book's sales page. Every book sold through your link earns you an additional 15% on top of your profit share. It's yours for as long as the book sells.
How are artists selected?
We review your portfolio and look for artistic fit with that specific book's world and tone. We love hand-painted work but we're genuinely open to all styles and mediums. The goal is a curated collection of distinct voices, not a uniform look. New artists are as welcome as seasoned ones. What matters is the work itself.
How do scene assignments work?
Once accepted, you'll receive the full story and a list of currently open scenes. We'll suggest the scenes we think suit your style best — but this is a conversation, not a directive. If there's an open scene you feel strongly about, you can request it and share your vision for how you'd approach it. We do our best to match every artist with a scene they're genuinely excited about. Final scene assignments are confirmed before the contract is signed.
When do I actually get paid?
Presales fund the print run. No payouts happen until production costs are covered. Once the book is profitable, earnings are distributed quarterly with a complete summary report: book sales, print sales, production costs, and net profit calculations. No estimates, no guessing.
Is there any upfront cost to participate?
None. Zero. You contribute one piece of art to a project you believe in. When the book sells, we all share in it together.
Is there a formal contract?
Yes, always. Every participating artist signs a formal agreement before work begins. The contract locks in ownership, the exact scope of the license, the profit split, the timeline, and payout terms for that specific project. No handshakes. No surprises. Everything in writing.
Create it once.
Let it live forever.
One piece of art. A permanent place in print. Your name in every copy. And earnings that keep coming, long after the work is done.
Apply to Contribute ArtworkWe're actively building both books right now. If your work feels like a fit, we want to hear from you.