The best book illustrators for hire in the United Kingdom

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Berenice 5 star rating

Cambridge, United Kingdom

Award-winning designer working across print, websites, branding and marketing. Passionate about accessible design.

Genres: Literary Fiction, Fiction, History, Humanities & Social Sciences, Non-Fiction, Anthologies, Classics, Women's Fiction, Writing & Publishing, Short Story, Middle Grade, Children's, Education & Reference, and Children’s Non-Fiction.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed
  • Cambridge University Press
  • Pearson and Penguin
  • M&M Communications

Laura 5 star rating

Bath, United Kingdom

I am an award-winning freelance Senior Book Designer, Illustrator and Artist with 28 years experience in the Publishing industry.

Genres: Picture Books, Children's, Fiction, Nature, Non-Fiction, Poetry, Anthologies, Music, Humanities & Social Sciences, Short Story, Education & Reference, and Children’s Non-Fiction.

Work experience:

  • Usborne Publishing, Wolverhampton
  • Usborne Publishing, London
  • Self-employed

Vanessa 5 star rating

London, United Kingdom

🟡 Experienced book designer available for book cover and interior book design/typesetting, specialised in Self Publishing. 🟡

Genres: Romance, Fiction, Biographies & Memoirs, Non-Fiction, Business & Management, Christian Non-Fiction, Religion & Spirituality, Poetry, Thriller & Suspense, Humor & Comedy, and Self-Help & Self-Improvement.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed

Jack 5 star rating

St Austell, Saint Austell, United Kingdom

Book covers and visual story telling is my passion. I enjoy creating characters and worlds in the sci-fi/fantasy genre

Genres: Young Adult, Fiction, Action & Adventure, Historical Fiction, Short Story, Mystery & Crime, Fantasy, Science Fiction, and Thriller & Suspense.

Work experience:

  • Land Rovers UK
  • Alderac Entertainment Group
  • Lone Shark Games
  • Self-employed

El 5 star rating

Manchester, United Kingdom

Vibrant, stand-out illustration with a lively style. Perfect for children's books, fashion editorial, and travel genres

Genres: Travel, Non-Fiction, Short Story, Fiction, Education & Reference, Children’s Non-Fiction, and Fashion & Textiles.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed

Jem 5 star rating

London, United Kingdom

I have over 20 years experience in designing bestselling book covers

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Thriller & Suspense, History, Humanities & Social Sciences, and Non-Fiction.

Work experience:

  • Simon and Schuster
  • Transworld

Jason 5 star rating

Hassocks, United Kingdom

Book jacket design designer with over twenty years experience in the industry.

Genres: Literary Fiction, Fiction, Business & Management, Non-Fiction, Political Science & Current Affairs, Humanities & Social Sciences, Philosophy, Mystery & Crime, Thriller & Suspense, and Technology.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed

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Peter 5 star rating

Edinburgh, United Kingdom

Publishing professional with over ten years' experience, specialising in cover design and layout for non-fiction and sport.

Genres: Biographies & Memoirs, Non-Fiction, History, Humanities & Social Sciences, and Sports & Outdoors.

Work experience:

  • Birlinn Ltd, Arena Sport, Polygon
  • Self-employed

Edward 5 star rating

Brighton, United Kingdom

Graphic Design professional with over 20 years experience specialising in cover design and illustration.

Genres: Biographies & Memoirs, Non-Fiction, Business & Management, Nature, Historical Fiction, Fiction, Thriller & Suspense, Fantasy, and Literary Fiction.

Work experience:

  • Warner Music
  • Penguin Books UK
  • Self-employed

Jenny 5 star rating

Edinburgh, United Kingdom

I'm an experienced book designer and illustrator. I specialise in all fiction and non-fiction genres from kids books to cook books and more!

Genres: Humor & Comedy, Fiction, Picture Books, Children's, Biographies & Memoirs, Non-Fiction, Cooking, Food, Wine, & Spirits, Health & Wellbeing, Home & Garden, Art, and Humanities & Social Sciences.

Work experience:

  • Penguin Random House New Zealand
  • Penguin Books New Zealand
  • Book Design Ltd (now Smartwork Creative)
  • Pearson Education New Zealand
  • Self-employed

Senior Art Editor for Guinness World Records, Art director for Carlton, Art Editor for Quercus, Senior Designer for DK. 28 years experience.

Genres: Children’s Non-Fiction, Non-Fiction, Education & Reference, Health & Wellbeing, Gaming & LitRPG, Fantasy, Fiction, Art, Humanities & Social Sciences, Sports & Outdoors, and Cooking, Food, Wine, & Spirits.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed
  • Guinness World Records
  • Quercus Publishing
  • Oakley Design Associates
  • Carlton Books
  • Dorling Kindersley
  • Swallow Books

Louise 5 star rating

England, United Kingdom

Hello, I am an Illustrator living & working in Somerset. My style is honest, inviting & brings the everyday to life.

Genres: Picture Books, Children's, Fiction, Cooking, Food, Wine, & Spirits, Non-Fiction, Poetry, Historical Fiction, Classics, Home & Garden, Weddings, Short Story, Middle Grade, and Fashion & Textiles.

Work experience:

  • Ernest Journal - Tina Smith, Jo Keeling
  • Author Andrew Sutton
  • The Hunterian Museum & Glasgow University
  • Curator of 'Museum of memory', Kate McStraw,
  • Tina Smith, Dan Linstead -Immediate Media
  • Pretty Nostalgic
  • Another Escape
  • Upper Hand Press. (William Cass, Author & Ann Starr, Publisher)
  • Marbella Club Hotel & Smokes Creative

A Japanese illustrator currently based in London, UK Speciality: Illustration for Landscape, Architecture, Cities

Genres: Travel, Non-Fiction, Holiday, Fiction, Calendars, DIY & Crafts, Coming of Age, Chick Lit, Women's Fiction, and Architecture.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed

Illustrator skilled in both traditional and digital techniques. My work is inspired by vintage illustrations.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Classics, Horror, Thriller & Suspense, History, Humanities & Social Sciences, Non-Fiction, and Fantasy.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed

Experienced Illustrator with a passion for beautiful books, excited by the prospect of helping Authors achieve their creative vision.

Genres: Mystery & Crime, Fiction, Contemporary Fiction, Classics, Poetry, Science Fiction, Short Story, Math & Science, and Non-Fiction.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed

A super friendly digital artist specialising in fantasy and sci-fi art for book cover work and illustration.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Horror, Thriller & Suspense, Gaming & LitRPG, Fantasy, Epic Fantasy, Middle Grade Fantasy, Children's, Steampunk, Science Fiction, Young Adult Fantasy, Young Adult, History, Humanities & Social Sciences, and Non-Fiction.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed
  • RedBedlam
  • Yazino

I am a cover designer/illustrator with over 20 years experience having worked with Penguin, LittleBrown, Harper Collins, Faber and more.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Literary Fiction, Legal Thriller, Thriller & Suspense, Mystery & Crime, History, Humanities & Social Sciences, Non-Fiction, True Crime, Young Adult, and Horror.

Work experience:

  • Harper Collins Publishers
  • Self Employed

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Hire the best book illustrators in the UK

You’ve done the hard work of getting a story on paper. Now let us help you find the perfect illustrator to bring your words to life.

In many genres, particularly those for a younger audience, the words and the pictures will become intertwined. Both should complement the other perfectly. If you think back to your most beloved children’s books, chances are that you still vividly remember the art that brought the story to life in front of your very eyes. So whether you’re publishing a children’s book or a technical piece of writing, your story deserves the illustrations that can illuminate it and take it to the next level.

But how can you find the perfect illustrator for your story? It’s probably not a surprise that talented illustrators are highly in-demand. But it’s not enough to simply be gifted. The ideal illustrator should have previously worked in your genre and have years of experience in the industry. More importantly, their style of illustration must match with your own unique voice.

If you’re struggling to find the right book illustrator to fit this profile, Reedsy can step in. Our book illustrators have worked for the biggest publishers and the most prestigious illustration agencies in the UK. We rigorously vet and accept only the top 3% of talent in the industry to ensure that you’re seeing the best freelancers available. What’s more, our platform lets you browse each illustrator’s individual gallery, so that you can get a feel for their illustration style before you commit to a collaboration. So what are you waiting for? Simply sign up for a free Reedsy account today to meet the perfect book illustrator for hire in the UK who can breathe life into your story.

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Step 2

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Step 3

Request quotes

Request quotes from up to five freelancers at any time. They’ll look at your sample pages to give you a tailored quote as well as a sense of how they work.

Step 4

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