N° 14 — Hiring
A studio service
Hire a children's book illustrator..
Finding the right illustrator for a children's book is often the most consequential decision an author makes. We take on a handful of commissions each quarter — and work with writers who want the book to feel made, not assembled.
The right illustrator changes the book entirely.
N° 01What hiring a studio means
Not a marketplace, a studio.
The easiest way to hire an illustrator is through Fiverr or Upwork. Prices start at fifty dollars. The result is almost always generic — a rendered child with no setting, no personality, no handwriting. There are exceptional freelancers on those platforms; there are also many bad outcomes.
A boutique studio is a different proposition. You're not buying a single illustration; you're buying a point of view — a way of looking at children's stories that runs through every spread. The output is visibly different, the investment is higher, and the match between author and illustrator matters more than the price.
01
Cover only
When the interior illustrations are already handled and you need only the cover. Fastest turnaround.
02
Full book
Cover plus all interior spreads, consistent characters, shared style across every page.
03
Character design only
When you need a reference sheet for the protagonist before commissioning interior work elsewhere.
04
Editorial consultation
For writers still shaping the manuscript — visual thinking that helps story decisions.
05
Series
Book one establishes the world; books two and three build on it at reduced cost.
06
Rush work
We don't generally take rush commissions, but occasional exceptions exist.
N° 02How to choose an illustrator
Match the book, not the portfolio.
The mistake writers make most often is choosing an illustrator whose portfolio they love — without asking whether that portfolio fits their book. A soft pastel illustrator can produce a beautiful book; so can a bold cartoonist. The question is whether your manuscript wants pastel or bold.
We help authors answer this in the first conversation. If we're not the right fit, we say so early and recommend someone else. A bad match is painful for everyone involved.
N° 03Investment
Three ways to work together.
Cover commission
from $1,400
Single cover illustration for a self-published book.
- Full-bleed cover illustration
- Character design as needed
- Spine and back cover composition
- Print-ready PDF
- 1 revision round
Full book commission
from $4,800
Cover plus all interior spreads for a standard picture book (24–32 pages).
- Cover illustration
- Up to 30 interior spreads
- Consistent character design
- Print-ready PDF + eBook files
- 2 revision rounds
Series
from $11,200
Two or three books sharing characters and style.
- First book at full tier pricing
- Subsequent books at 30–40% off
- Shared character library
- Marketing package per title
- Editorial coordination across titles
N° 04Questions
The answers we give most often.
- How long does a commission take?
- Cover-only: 4 to 6 weeks. Full book: 10 to 16 weeks depending on page count and complexity. Series: planned in phases across 6 to 12 months.
- Do you take unsolicited manuscripts?
- Yes. Send a short pitch and the manuscript or a representative excerpt. We reply within two working days with either a quote or a polite note that we're not the right match.
- Who owns the illustrations after commission?
- You do, for the agreed publication. We retain the right to show the work in our portfolio and case studies; we won't use it for any other publication without your written permission.
- Can I see roughs before committing to the full cost?
- Yes. After a briefing call we send initial sketches for one character or one spread. This is a paid discovery phase (around 10% of the full commission) that either converts into the project or ends cleanly if the match isn't right.
Start your book
Let's look at your manuscript.
Send us your project — a manuscript, a pitch, or just the idea. We reply within two working days with a realistic assessment and, if appropriate, a quote.