People often ask me how I found an illustrator for my children's books. I was really lucky as I'd known Aliecee for a while when I asked her to illustrate my books. I think I've known her for about 8 or 9 years now - WOW! I knew Aliecee was an artist, and had always admired her work.
When it came to putting Love Thy Fro together, I told Aliecee about my idea and it was like perfect timing as she said she'd always wanted to illustrate a children's book! I asked her to create some reference images for me and, when I saw the amazing job she did, I was completely sold. And, as they say, the rest is history!
Now I know not everyone will be as lucky as me so, whenever people ask me about finding an illustrator, I can't just say "ask your friend to illustrate it for you!"
The "where did you find your illustrator" question has been coming up a lot recently, so I thought I'd do a quick blog post with a few (hopefully helpful) tips on how to find the right illustrator for you.
Social Media
Don't underestimate the power of social media; you can find anyone on there for anything! This is where I advise you to start your hunt. Search hashtags, and look at the profiles that come up. People are posting all the time, so regularly check the same hashtags to see if any new pages come up.
Hashtags I recommend trying are: #ChildrensIllustrators #Illustrators #DiverseIllustrations #DiverseIllustrators #UKIllustrators (if you want someone UK based)
Also check out some authors pages and look at who they're following and who follows them. I find that my book page on Instagram, @CElishaBooks, gets followed by a lot of artists and illustrators.
Sidenote: Someone doesn't have to refer to themselves as an illustrator to be an ideal candidate for you. Check out artist's pages, too, because they may be up for the job.
Fiverr
Fiverr is a really good marketplace where you can find a bunch of creatives from various fields; including illustrators and artists. Their services start from $5 but, of course, illustration work will likely be a lot more than that. Many of the creatives on Fiverr are based in other countries like the USA or Pakistan.
Even if you don't find your illustrator on Fiverr, I definitely recommend you sign up because you'll likely be able to use their services for something else. Editing, flyer design, website work etc etc
Sign up to Fiverr now using my affiliate link. It's 100% free to sign up!
Freelancer
Freelancer is another platform, similar to Fiverr, where you can find freelance creatives who may be able to assist you with various tasks - including illustration.
Sign up to Freelancer now using my affiliate link. It's 100% free to sign up!
Word of Mouth/Networks
Lastly; ask your friends and family if they, or anyone they know, can illustrate a book! So many people have hidden talents we don't know about so it never hurts to ask. Your illustrator could already be in your life!
A key tip when searching for an illustrator: don't expect it to be cheap!
Each illustrator and illustration style is different but the main thing you're paying for is the time it takes the artist to create the work. You cannot expect to pay an illustrator £50 for artwork that took them, for example, 4 hours a day for 5 days to create. That's £50 for 20 hours of work. That's £2.50 an hour. Who's working for £2.50 an hour?! Not me! This is just an example. The exact amount of time it takes for your illustrations to be created will depend on a number of things including the illustration style you choose, the number of pages you have in your book etc. Of course you have to make sure the fee makes sense for your budget, but you have to also be realistic.
I hope these tips have helped you a little bit! If you have any further questions, feel free to leave a comment or drop me an email. Happy hunting!
