The best young adult book illustration services

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Travis 5 star rating

Louisville, KY, USA

Fantasy map illustrator. Clients include Penguin Random House and Sourcebooks.

Genres: Science Fiction, Fiction, Young Adult Fantasy, Young Adult, Middle Grade Fantasy, Children's, Epic Fantasy, Fantasy, Gaming & LitRPG, Urban Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Magical Realism, and Literary Fiction.

Work experience:

  • Sourcebooks
  • Kidsbooks Publishing

Josh 5 star rating

Columbus, OH, USA

Illustrator for MG and YA publishing with a passion for captivating characters and emotionally driven narrative storytelling.

Genres: Middle Grade, Children's, Fiction, Action & Adventure, Fantasy, Short Story, Young Adult, Art, Humanities & Social Sciences, Non-Fiction, and Children’s Non-Fiction.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed
  • Elevate Pictures
  • Pawn Creative
  • Ohio Department of Natural Resources
  • Llewellyn Publishing

Lauren 5 star rating

Rocky Mount, Virginia, USA

An illustrator living amongst the folklore and trees of Appalachia creating art based on ritual, stories, and the aspects that call to her.

Genres: Anthologies, Fiction, Magical Realism, Literary Fiction, Urban Fantasy, Fantasy, Horror, Thriller & Suspense, Young Adult Fantasy, Young Adult, Short Story, and New Adult.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed
  • Xervéo

Reese 5 star rating

Albuquerque, NM, USA

Reese is an award-winning illustrator specializing in watercolor who loves historical fiction, horror, and fantasy.

Genres: LGBTQ Fiction, Fiction, Historical Fiction, Fantasy, Classics, Horror, Thriller & Suspense, Young Adult Fantasy, Young Adult, Historical Romance, Romance, Magical Realism, and Literary Fiction.

Work experience:

  • Fancypants SF

Jack 5 star rating

Atlanta, GA, USA

Professional illustrator (17+ yrs) specializing in book covers, games & concept art. History editor at Dragon's Armory. At the helm & ready.

Genres: Epic Fantasy, Fantasy, Fiction, History, Humanities & Social Sciences, Non-Fiction, Historical Fiction, Young Adult Fantasy, Young Adult, Action & Adventure, Comics & Graphic Novels, Comics Non-Fiction, and Thriller & Suspense.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed

Illustrator for adult and YA fantasy and speculative fiction with 5 years experience working in freelance illustration and character design

Genres: Epic Fantasy, Fantasy, Fiction, Romantic Fantasy, Romance, Dystopian, Science Fiction, Post-Apocalyptic, Steampunk, New Adult, Young Adult, Young Adult Fantasy, and Action & Adventure.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed

Mark 5 star rating

Athens, Georgia, USA

I'm an illustrator specializing in children, young adult books. I had worked with several independent authors as well as publishers.

Genres: Picture Books, Children's, Fiction, Classics, Action & Adventure, Young Adult, and Fantasy.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed

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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

Jamie 5 star rating

Washington D.C., DC, USA

I am a DC-based freelance cartoonist, illustrator, graphic journalist, occasional musician, and tokusatsu enthusiast.

Genres: Comics & Graphic Novels, Fiction, Science Fiction, Middle Grade Fantasy, Children's, Young Adult Fantasy, and Young Adult.

Work experience:

  • Papercutz
  • Starlight Runner Entertainment

Taylor 5 star rating

Seattle, WA, USA

Always open to hearing about new projects! I illustrate children's books and design covers, and I love to work in all genres.

Genres: Picture Books, Children's, Fiction, Middle Grade, Design, Non-Fiction, Short Story, Young Adult, Education & Reference, and LGBTQ Non-Fiction.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed
  • House Special

I am an illustrator specializing in digital inking. I create chapter headings, maps, character sketches and author merchandise.

Genres: Urban Fantasy, Fantasy, Fiction, Epic Fantasy, Paranormal Romance, Romance, Young Adult, Middle Grade, Children's, Gaming & LitRPG, Cozy Mysteries, Mystery & Crime, and Science Fiction.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed

Matt 5 star rating

Castle Rock, CO, USA

Cover illustrator specializing in Fantasy and Sci-fi. Clients include Penguin / Random House, Blizzard, Ghostfire, Elder Scrolls and more.

Genres: Action & Adventure, Fiction, Horror, Thriller & Suspense, Young Adult Fantasy, Young Adult, Fantasy, and Science Fiction.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed

Freelance artist/illustrator with a love of all things fantasy and sci-fi.

Genres: Action & Adventure, Fiction, Epic Fantasy, Fantasy, Gaming & LitRPG, Urban Fantasy, Military Science Fiction, Science Fiction, Time Travel, Young Adult Fantasy, and Young Adult.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed

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.

Rachel 5 star rating

Mesquite, NV, USA

I'm an illustrator with 10 years of experience as a freelancer in the publishing space. Whatever your needs, I'm here to help!

Genres: Epic Fantasy, Fantasy, Fiction, Urban Fantasy, Gaming & LitRPG, Contemporary Romance, Romance, Paranormal Romance, New Adult, and Young Adult.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed
  • King Show Games

Charles 5 star rating

Seattle, WA, USA

Illustrator - Charlie believes in a future where somehow, against all odds, we make it. Tell me a story, let’s bring it to life. 🚫No AI🚫

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

Caitlin 5 star rating

New York, NY, USA

Hello! I'm an illustrator, designer, and author with 20+ years of publishing experience, including self-publishing.

Genres: Young Adult, Fiction, Middle Grade, Children's, Home & Garden, Non-Fiction, Health & Wellbeing, and DIY & Crafts.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed

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Hire the best young adult book illustrators

Vibrant and full of beautiful, illustrated details, you usually can spot a young adult book the second you lay eyes on its cover. But not every artist can be a good young adult book illustrator.

Working on a book cover in this age of online shopping means balancing details with legibility in thumbnail format. A professional book illustrator will be able to use popping images and colors to attract the attention of young adult readers without overwhelming them.

And you can hire the best young adult book illustrators right here on Reedsy, including artists who have worked with bestselling authors like Holly Black and Jennifer Lynn Barnes. Sign up for free and send requests to top book illustrators today.

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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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