How to Find a Children’s Book Illustrator

To find a children’s book illustrator, start with portfolios from SCBWI, publishing marketplaces, and artists whose books you admire. Choose a few illustrators who fit your story. Then compare their work, ask for quotes based on the same project details, and agree on the artwork, revisions, deadlines, and usage rights before work begins.

Your goal is to find someone who can carry your characters and story through the whole book. A useful search looks at both the pictures and the process behind them.

Start with your publishing plan

If you plan to submit your manuscript to agents or traditional publishers, check their submission guidelines before hiring an illustrator. SCBWI explains that the publishing house’s art director selects the illustrator for a traditionally published book. You usually don’t need to pay for finished pictures before submitting your story.

If you’re self-publishing, you’ll arrange the illustrations yourself. Start looking at portfolios early, but finish major story changes before commissioning the full book. A changed setting or ending may require new artwork.

Where to find a children’s book illustrator

SCBWI Illustrator Gallery

The SCBWI Illustrator Gallery is a useful starting point for children’s book art. SCBWI says its gallery provides work samples, artist websites, and contact details. Review each illustrator’s portfolio, then ask whether they accept self-publishing projects.

Book publishing marketplaces

Reedsy’s illustration marketplace lets authors review portfolios and request quotes. Focus on artists with examples that match your book’s needs. Check whether their service includes interior art, a cover, layout, or only some of those tasks.

Illustrator directories

The Illustrators For Hire directory lists artists by specialty, including children’s books. Follow the portfolio links and look for scenes with the kinds of characters, settings, and action your story requires.

Books and author referrals

Visit a library or bookstore and look through books for your intended age group. Write down the illustrators’ names, then find their websites or agents. If another author recommends someone, ask about communication, revisions, and delivery of the finished files.

Keep your first shortlist small. A shortlist of three artists gives you room to compare approaches without turning the search into a second project.

Look for storytelling across several pictures

Review connected scenes from a book. Reedsy’s hiring guide recommends checking an illustrator’s consistency and how their images work in sequence.

Use these checks while you review each portfolio:

·       Character consistency. Check the same character in different poses. Look at the face, body proportions, clothing, and any details that identify them.

·       Emotion and action. Can you tell what the character feels and what is happening before reading the words?

·       Changes between scenes. Look for a mix of close views and wider scenes that helps you follow the action.

·       Room for text. Check whether the page has space for words without covering faces or details the reader needs.

Hypothetical example: Your story follows a child through a school day. Ask to see examples of a character sitting, running, speaking, and looking worried. Then check whether that character remains recognizable in every scene.

Also ask which parts of a finished book the illustrator handled. The art, lettering, cover, and page layout may have been done by different people. That answer helps you understand what their portfolio demonstrates.

Prepare a project brief before asking for quotes

A project brief describes the work you need. Reedsy’s marketplace guidance highlights the image count, illustration types, and revision terms. Send each illustrator the same brief. Include:

·       The intended age group and a short story summary.

·       Your manuscript and whether editing is complete.

·       The planned book size, publishing platform, and print or ebook editions.

·       The number and type of illustrations you expect to need.

·       A few style references, with a sentence about what you like in each.

·       Your budget, preferred schedule, and any details the pictures must show.

If you don’t know the illustration count, say so. Ask whether the illustrator can help plan it. A spot illustration is a small image on part of a page. A full-page illustration covers one page. A spread extends across two facing pages. Ask how the artist prices each type.

Separate story facts from preferences. A cast on a character’s arm may matter to the plot. The color of a chair may be open to the illustrator’s judgment. Clear priorities leave room for the artist to contribute ideas.

Use a sample to test the working relationship

Before ordering the whole book, consider commissioning one sample scene or character sheet. Reedsy’s hiring guide recommends budgeting for a paid test. Agree on its price, revision allowance, and permitted use before it starts.

Choose a scene that tests something your book needs. For example, use an interaction between two characters if your story depends on facial expressions. Include the text for that scene so you can discuss where it will go.

Pay attention to the exchange, too. Does the illustrator ask useful questions? Do they understand your feedback? Can they explain what will change and when you’ll see it? A sample gives both of you a chance to check how you work together.

Compare the full cost and scope

Ask for a written quote that identifies each piece of work. Confirm whether character designs, backgrounds, cover art, lettering, formatting, and revisions are included. Ask about any platform fees or other charges that affect the total.

Hypothetical example: One quote includes 12 spreads, a cover, and two rounds of sketch revisions. Another includes 12 single-page images and no cover. The illustration counts look similar, but the work differs. Ask both artists to quote the same brief before choosing.

If your budget is limited, discuss changes to the plan before hiring. You might use a mix of spot illustrations and larger scenes. Ask the artist what can be simplified while keeping the story clear.

Agree on rights and working terms

Put the agreement in writing. The Association of Illustrators’ licensing guidance calls for a written agreement for commissions. Your agreement should identify the work, payment stages, deadlines, revision limits, cancellation terms, and credit.

It should also state how you may use the artwork. Discuss print books, ebooks, advertising, translations, territories, and how long permission lasts. If you plan a series or merchandise, raise that before signing.

Payment alone shouldn’t be treated as proof that you own every right. The U.S. Copyright Office explains that creators generally own their work, with exceptions such as qualifying works made for hire and transfers of ownership. Read the terms to understand whether you’re receiving permission to use the art or a transfer of copyright.

Ask what happens if you need a new pose or a different illustrator for a sequel. Clear terms now can help you plan later books.

Plan the approval stages and final files

Ask the illustrator to explain their process. In his walkthrough of a book illustration project, illustrator Leo Hartas describes getting author approval on page sketches before adding color. Agree on your review stages, feedback deadlines, and what counts as an extra revision.

Confirm who will combine the pictures and text into the final book. Illustration and formatting are separate tasks unless the quote includes both. Name the person responsible for the cover layout and the files you’ll upload to the printer.

Amazon KDP recommends at least 300 DPI for print images at their intended size. Share your printer’s specifications before artwork begins. Confirm the image dimensions, file formats, and whether editable files are included.

Discuss bleed if the art reaches the page edges. Bleed is the extra image area beyond the trim line. Keep text and story details away from the cut edges and the center fold. KDP’s paperback guidelines explain its requirements, including delivery of the interior as single pages rather than two-page spreads.

Leave time to review a printed proof before release. Check the text size, color, page order, and anything close to the edges or binding.

Questions to settle before you hire

How long will the illustrations take

Ask for dates for the first sketches, your feedback, finished artwork, and file delivery. The schedule should account for the illustrator’s availability and the time you need to review each stage.

Can I hire an illustrator who has not published a book

You can consider an artist at any career stage. If they have no finished book to show, ask for connected scenes and a sample. Confirm who will handle the book layout and print requirements.

Should I choose the lowest quote

Compare the included work first. Choose an artist whose samples fit your story, whose process you understand, and whose full quote fits your budget.

Take the next step with your book

Write your brief, choose three illustrators, and ask about availability and quotes. Use their portfolios and replies to decide whether a sample is the next step.

At Publishmojo, we offer children’s book editing, consulting, illustrations, formatting, and cover design. Contact us with your story, intended age group, and publishing plans. You can also view Sam Wright’s children’s book illustration service on Fiverr to discuss your project.