The best book illustrators for hire in the United Kingdom

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Nick 5 star rating

London, United Kingdom

I am a book cover designer with 20 years experience. I have designed everything from thrillers, crime books and illustrated womens fiction.

Genres: Literary Fiction, Fiction, Biographies & Memoirs, Non-Fiction, Historical Fiction, Mystery & Crime, and Thriller & Suspense.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed
  • HarperCollins

Jem 5 star rating

London, United Kingdom

I have over 20 years experience in designing bestselling book covers

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, History, Humanities & Social Sciences, Non-Fiction, Literary Fiction, Mystery & Crime, Action & Adventure, Chick Lit, Women's Fiction, Espionage, Thriller & Suspense, and Sports & Outdoors.

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

Patrick 5 star rating

Brighton, United Kingdom

With 30 years experience designing covers for the UK's top publishing houses, I also art direct, illustrate and do hand lettering for covers

Genres: Literary Fiction, Fiction, Action & Adventure, Historical Fiction, Fantasy, Thriller & Suspense, Cozy Mysteries, Mystery & Crime, Historical Mysteries, and Science Fiction.

James 5 star rating

Chester, United Kingdom

Simple, but fun pencil and pen illustrator. I love middle grade, chapter books, and non-fiction for kids and adults.

Genres: Middle Grade, Children's, Fiction, Children’s Non-Fiction, Non-Fiction, Middle Grade Fantasy, Business & Management, Health & Wellbeing, Self-Help & Self-Improvement, Epic Fantasy, and Fantasy.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed
  • James Warwood Books

Award-winning graphic designer, author and artist with 25+ years experience in cover design, layout, typography and illustration.

Genres: Picture Books, Children's, Fiction, Cooking, Food, Wine, & Spirits, Non-Fiction, Design, Photography, Writing & Publishing, Entertainment, Economics, Humanities & Social Sciences, and Political Science & Current Affairs.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed
  • Tate
  • The Guardian
  • AGM
  • APN New Zealand
  • The Independent

Hello! I can help give your book the cover that it deserves: bespoke, beautiful and bold. I've spent 30 years designing and illustrating.

Genres: Poetry, Fiction, Contemporary Fiction, Literary Fiction, Cooking, Food, Wine, & Spirits, Non-Fiction, Anthologies, Picture Books, and Children's.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed
  • Waverley Books
  • Department of Medical Illustration, West Glasgow Hospitals University

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Experienced Illustrator and Book Designer, originally trained as an Architect. Main focus in Cities, Transport and Technology.

Genres: Architecture, Non-Fiction, Education & Reference, Geography, Humanities & Social Sciences, History, Transportation, Travel, and Technology.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed

Hello, I am a creative Designer with more than 10 years of freelance experience working from London to the publishing market worldwide.

Genres: Action & Adventure, Fiction, Contemporary Fiction, Fantasy, Historical Mysteries, Mystery & Crime, Horror, Thriller & Suspense, Young Adult, Historical Romance, Romance, and Science Fiction.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed

Ben 5 star rating

Salisbury, UK

Illustrator, art director, and hand lettering specialist working with Bloomsbury, Penguin, Hachette, The Guardian, and The New York Times.

Genres: Short Story, Fiction, Contemporary Fiction, Coming of Age, Biographies & Memoirs, Non-Fiction, Humor & Comedy, Young Adult, Art, and Humanities & Social Sciences.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed

Whimsical, feathery and playful illustrator with a traditional flavour. Specialized in children's books, animals and starry skies.

Genres: Picture Books, Children's, Fiction, Children’s Non-Fiction, Non-Fiction, Middle Grade, Nature, Poetry, and Middle Grade Fantasy.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed

Mia 5 star rating

Shrewsbury, UK

I specialise in illustration for children aged 3-7. I create endearing characters using vibrant colour palettes, soft textures and detail.

Genres: Children’s Non-Fiction, Non-Fiction, Picture Books, Children's, and Fiction.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed
  • MarcoPolo Learning

Creative designer/Non-fiction Arts, Biography, History, and all fiction. 25+yrs experience.

Genres: Biographies & Memoirs, Non-Fiction, Art, Humanities & Social Sciences, History, Photography, Design, Contemporary Fiction, Fiction, Literary Fiction, and Children's.

Work experience:

  • Nam Aidsmap
  • Self-employed
  • Thames & Hudson

Children's Picture Book Illustrator and designer with a love for classical and whimsical designs through watercolour textures.

Genres: Picture Books, Children's, and Fiction.

Work experience:

  • TryHackMe
  • IncSub
  • Self-employed

Book cover designer and illustrator working primarily in adult non fiction and fiction.

Genres: Education & Reference, Non-Fiction, Music, Humanities & Social Sciences, Philosophy, Short Story, Fiction, Religion & Spirituality, and Writing & Publishing.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed

Professional illustrator with a passion for cover design. I create unique, vibrant art for independent writers and publishers worldwide

Genres: Short Story, Fiction, Poetry, Contemporary Fiction, Science Fiction, Philosophy, Humanities & Social Sciences, Non-Fiction, Art, Literary Fiction, and Math & Science.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed

Illustrator / designer with a conceptual approach to story telling through eye catching illustration

Genres: Young Adult, Fiction, Action & Adventure, Biographies & Memoirs, Non-Fiction, Urban Fantasy, Fantasy, Science Fiction, and Thriller & Suspense.

Work experience:

  • 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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