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

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

Penny 5 star rating

Holbrook, United States

I have been lucky enough to work as a Children's Book Illustrator since 2007.

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

Work experience:

  • self employed

Jake 5 star rating

Blacksburg, SC, United States

With 2k covers and counting, I design genre specific 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

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.

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

Mary Ann 5 star rating

New York, United States

With 20+ yrs experience in fiction, rom-com, wellness and career guides, my clients include Simon and Schuster and PenguinRandomHouse.

Genres: Career Guides, Non-Fiction, Health & Wellbeing, Contemporary Romance, Romance, Fiction, Chick Lit, Women's Fiction, and Self-Help & Self-Improvement.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed
  • Penguin Random House

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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.

Talitha 5 star rating

Fort Wayne, United States

Experienced award-winning illustrator and designer. I can help with your next book concept!

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

Work experience:

  • Self-employed

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

Anthony 5 star rating

Centerton, AR, USA

Self-taught comic illustrator with a sharp sense of humor and a bold manga-inspired style, dynamic action and brutal details.

Genres: Comics & Graphic Novels, Fiction, Horror, Thriller & Suspense, Young Adult, Fantasy, Comics Non-Fiction, Non-Fiction, Art, and Humanities & Social Sciences.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed
  • Bentkey Ventures LLC
  • Spinrack

Freelance illustrator who specializes in characters, portraiture, and visual narrative.

Genres: Action & Adventure, Fiction, Fantasy, Gaming & LitRPG, LGBTQ Fiction, Paranormal Romance, Romance, Science Fiction, Urban Fantasy, and Young Adult.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed

Jessica 5 star rating

Philadelphia, PA, USA

I’m Jess, a passionate designer with a whimsical touch. I have 10+ years of experience with lettering and food & beverage illustration

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

Work experience:

  • Self-employed
  • Shutterfly

I am a professional designer, art director, and illustrator who loves books—working with publishers in Europe, USA, Asia, and indie authors.

Genres: Literary Fiction, Fiction, Humor & Comedy, Mystery & Crime, Space Opera, Science Fiction, Post-Apocalyptic, Young Adult Fantasy, Young Adult, Horror, Thriller & Suspense, Epic Fantasy, and Fantasy.

Work experience:

  • Coverkitchen

Digital illustrator specializing in hand lettering, patterns, and bright, bold, colorful designs

Genres: Middle Grade, Children's, Fiction, LGBTQ Fiction, Romantic Comedy, Romance, Chick Lit, Women's Fiction, Young Adult, Home & Garden, Non-Fiction, and Nature.

Bailey 5 star rating

Phoenix, AZ, USA

Children's book illustrator specializing in wildly imaginative stories, touched by whimsy and adventure, set in richly crafted worlds.

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

Work experience:

  • Arizona State University Print & Imaging Lab
  • Children's Learning Adventure
  • Lehi Valley Trading Company
  • Self-employed
  • Mesa Youth Creative Agency

Christian 5 star rating

Dearborn, MI, USA

My name is Christian, and I am an all ages illustrator and cartoonist with over twenty years of experience in digital illustration.

Genres: Comics & Graphic Novels, Fiction, Middle Grade, Children's, Math & Science, Non-Fiction, and Action & Adventure.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed
  • The Node Chronicles

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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

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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.

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