How to Find a Children’s Book Illustrator

One of things I enjoy about being a self-published author is being able to work with the illustrator of my choosing. But finding someone to bring the visual aspect of your book to life can feel daunting. They have to get it RIGHT, right?

Authors often ask me, “How did you find your illustrator?” My answer is always the same. I did my research. And I got lucky.

I had the good fortune of finding Emily Siwek’s book, “A Monster on Main Street” at the Ann Arbor Public Library. I instantly fell in love with her charming ink and digital illustrations. After a bit of Facebook sleuthing, I sent her a message to see if she was interested in any freelance work. One week later we met for coffee.

I felt very nervous waiting for her to arrive. It was almost like going on a first date. Would we be a good fit? What if she didn’t like me? What if I didn’t like her? How would I make a quick, polite exit?

But if you’ve ever met Emily you know that she is infinitely likable- and this was apparent from the very beginning.

I shared the concept for my first book, “The Great Latke Cook Off”. She loved the message of family tradition and friendly competition and offered to create a few sketches to see if she would be a good fit for the project. And that’s when the magic happened.

A few days later she sent me this sketch for the character of “Grandpa”. Without ever having seen a single photo of my family, she had created a character that looks EXACTLY like my dad. I hired her on the spot.

After that, we embarked on a six month sprint to turn “The Great Latke Cook Off” from a story in my head into a real book that you can have, hold, and enjoy with your family. We met every 2 weeks to review sketches, adjust layouts, and check in our production timeline. And drink coffee. There was lots of coffee.

When the book was published, we gathered our families together to celebrate- with latkes, of course! Since then, Emily and I have continued to collaborate. Because once you find an incredible illustrator, you don’t want to let them go!

We’ve now collaborated on 3 children’s books, and I can’t wait to see what else we might have in store in the future!

What about you? What was your experience finding an illustrator? Share in the comments below!

Finding an illustrator is just one step in the self-publishing process. Have questions about what else is involved in publishing and marketing your book?

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