The best book illustrators for hire in the United States

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Annemieke 5 star rating

Seattle, WA, United States

Hi! I'm a cover designer with 10 years of experience, specializing in YA fiction. Clients include HarperCollins and Galison/Mudpuppy.

Genres: Young Adult, Fiction, Architecture, Non-Fiction, Art, Humanities & Social Sciences, Design, Literary Fiction, Women's Fiction, and Self-Help & Self-Improvement.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed

Ashley 5 star rating

Portland, ME, United States

I'm an art director, graphic designer and illustrator that loves book design, typography and the interplay of graphics and text.

Genres: Romance, Fiction, Picture Books, Children's, History, Humanities & Social Sciences, Non-Fiction, Nature, Home & Garden, Middle Grade, Education & Reference, and Middle Grade Fantasy.

Work experience:

  • HarperCollins Publishers
  • Macmillan Children's Books
  • Sellers Publishing, Inc.

Jake 5 star rating

Blacksburg, SC, United States

With 2k covers and counting, I design genre-faithful covers that help authors look professional and convert browsers into buyers.

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Science Fiction, and Thriller & Suspense.

Work experience:

  • Print Depot
  • Self-employed

Candice 5 star rating

Iowa City, IA, United States

Award-winning fantasy illustrator. 100% hand-made with no generative AI. Providing cover design, typography, marketing assets, and more!

Genres: Magical Realism, Literary Fiction, Fiction, Young Adult Fantasy, Young Adult, Middle Grade, Children's, and Middle Grade Fantasy.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed
  • Bovard Studio, Inc.

Dana 5 star rating

Kansas City, Missouri, United States

I have illustrated children's books for Scholastic, Random House, Penguin, Grosset & Dunlap, HarperCollins and Simon & Schuster.

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

Work experience:

  • Self-employed
  • Hallmark Cards

Ricardo 5 star rating

Philadelphia, United States

I'm illustrator and Graphic Designer. I love the freedom children's book illustration brings. I love small details just kids can understand.

Genres: Picture Books, Children's, Fiction, Nature, Non-Fiction, Middle Grade, Life Sciences, Math & Science, Fantasy, and Action & Adventure.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed

Judith 5 star rating

Chicago, IL, United States

Lettering artist and illustrator for 25 years. Bold, clean, graphic style—bright color palettes—contemporary look.

Genres: Literary Fiction, Fiction, Design, Non-Fiction, Cooking, Food, Wine, & Spirits, Art, Humanities & Social Sciences, Themes & Motifs, and Plays & Screenplays.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed

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jon 5 star rating

Cleveland, OH, USA

Freelance illustrator based in the Mid West. I've been creating imagery for all sorts of projects and industries for over a decade.

Genres: Contemporary Fiction, Fiction, Biographies & Memoirs, Non-Fiction, History, Humanities & Social Sciences, Psychology, Classics, Literary Fiction, and Poetry.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed

Sara 5 star rating

Englewood, FL, USA

Children's book illustrator and character designer. Digital artist. Loves anything whimsical, cute, and bright.

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

Work experience:

  • Kristi Grigsby LLC
  • Joyin, Inc.
  • Alison Isaac
  • Siva K. C. Penamakuru
  • Ken Gagne
  • AviaGames, Inc.

Storybook book illustrator creating charming, detail-rich art that brings stories to life.

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

Work experience:

  • Self-employed

Caroline Teagle 5 star rating

Brooklyn, NY, United States

I am not accepting any new requests to collaborate at this time.

Genres: Biographies & Memoirs, Non-Fiction, Historical Fiction, Fiction, Women's Fiction, Entertainment, Mystery & Crime, True Crime, and Thriller & Suspense.

Work experience:

  • Penguin Random House
  • Random House
  • Penguin Publishing Group
  • HarperCollins

Catherine 5 star rating

Philadelphia, PA, USA

Versatile cartoonist and award-winning Illustrator, specializing in colorful and bold digital Illustrations!

Genres: Comics & Graphic Novels, Fiction, Humor & Comedy, Children’s Non-Fiction, Non-Fiction, Middle Grade Fantasy, Children's, and Picture Books.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed
  • Future House Publishing
  • Previously Pluto Games

Jessica 5 star rating

Portland, OR, USA

I have specialized in humorous illustration for about 19 years. I love working with both publishers and self-publishing authors.

Genres: Nature, Non-Fiction, Humor & Comedy, Fiction, Picture Books, Children's, Middle Grade, Home & Garden, and Comics & Graphic Novels.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed

sarah 5 star rating

Chicago, IL, USA

Illustrator with a passion for drawing delicious food and drink! Also a comics nerd, and the artist behind the Let's Make! cookbook series.

Genres: Cooking, Food, Wine, & Spirits and Non-Fiction.

Work experience:

  • Self-Employed
  • fathead design

Charles 5 star rating

Seattle, WA, USA

Illustrator - Charlie believes in a future where somehow, against all odds, we make it. Tell me your story! Let’s bring it to life.

Genres: Epic Fantasy, Fantasy, Fiction, Gaming & LitRPG, LGBTQ Fiction, Space Opera, Science Fiction, Steampunk, Post-Apocalyptic, Young Adult Fantasy, and Young Adult.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed
  • Coyote & Crow

Leticia 5 star rating

Portland, ME, USA

Professional illustrator covering the gamut from editorial to surface illustration, with over 25 years experience. Playful line, bold color.

Genres: Cooking, Food, Wine, & Spirits, Non-Fiction, Poetry, Fiction, Calendars, Nature, Home & Garden, Self-Help & Self-Improvement, and Holiday.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed

Julie 5 star rating

Decatur, Georgia, USA

Children's illustrator for picture books, chapter books, and board books. Bright, whimsical style with expressive characters

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

Work experience:

  • Self-employed

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Hire the best book illustrators in the United States

Whether you’ve written a picture book, chapter book, or technical book, you’ll need a stellar illustrator to bring your project to life. Of course, one of the great things about illustration is that there are so many different styles to choose from — but that can also make the process of selecting an illustrator rather difficult. From cartoon-like illustrations to more realistic drawings to simple line art, how can you decide which illustrator’s style is right for your book?

You may already know how you want your illustrations to look, especially if you’ve flipped through other books in your genre and can envision similar art alongside your story. However, if you have no idea what kind of illustrations you want, looking through professional illustrators’ sample galleries is the perfect place to start. You’ll be amazed how your ideas begin to take shape once you’ve glanced over just a few artists’ work.

That’s why, if you’re seeking a book illustrator for hire in the United States, you can’t go wrong signing up for Reedsy. Not only do we have tons of experienced professionals all over the USA, but you can start looking through their portfolios today — for free. You can even request quotes from the illustrators you love, so the two of you can begin creating a beautiful book together as soon as possible.

How it works

Browse profiles, request quotes, then collaborate.

Step 1

Apply filters

Reedsy is home to thousands of professionals. Select the specific services you need and narrow your search based on your book’s genre and requirements.

Step 2

Browse

Then, browse professional profiles to find out more about their personalities and past projects.

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

Collaborate

Once you agree on terms and a timeline, you’ll start collaborating using the many communication and editing tools available on Reedsy.