Some self-published children’s books look unprofessional because of the poor quality of the illustrations. It won’t matter that your book is well written, has great characters, and a terrific plot. Customers will only see the cover. All your hard work will be judged not worthy in a few seconds.
Self-published children’s books need professional illustrations. I encourage you to hire a professional illustrator/designer to present your book in the very best possible light. Hiring a professional will give your book an advantage over books illustrated by amateurs. So give your book a fighting chance and find a pro to do the job. It is important for self-publishing authors to choose their illustrator carefully. After all, with a picture book, the illustrator is telling one-half of your story. The illustration on the cover and the cover design will either encourage or discourage customers to pick up and buy your book. The inside illustrations will keep a child’s attention on the story and please the reader of the book.
A beautifully illustrated cover will add credibility to your picture book. Reviewers will be more likely to give it their time. Parents and grandparents will pick your book up off the shelf (or the Amazon page) and want to buy it.
If you are self-publishing a picture book you might wonder why children’s books need illustrations. Most authors really don’t want to spend the extra money to hire a professional illustrator. There is one very popular children’s book on the market now called “The Book With No Pictures” by B.J. Novak. It doesn’t use pictures but it does rely on cleverly designed typography to keep kids interested. The words on the page graphically whisper and scream silly words. A professional book designer was used for the book.
Other than that one book, I can’t think of any other children’s book without pictures. Chapter books have only a few illustrations. The cover, of course, and maybe at each chapter heading. The illustrations are there to just add a touch of interest and break up large areas of text. Lately, there is a movement to add more illustrations to newer chapter books. Some old favorites are being republished with more illustrations. Kids love them.
Examples of chapter books
Picture books are entirely different. The illustrations in picture books play a major role. The illustrations provide visual clues that are important to understanding the story. On each page, the illustrations act together with only a few carefully chosen words to create a complete story that is understood by children and enjoyed by parents.
Don’t doom your picture book to failure. Contact a professional children’s book illustrator to present your book in the most desirable way.
Examples of picture books
There are many places to find professional illustrators. Try these websites: The Society for Children’s Book Writers and Illustrator’s website (SCBWI), The Children’s Book Artists, Childrens illustrators, and Upwork.
I am listed on the SCBWI’s website (Dayne Sislen). I also have a website portfolio: http://DayneSislen.com
Contact me using the form below. I am happy to talk to you about your book. I am a professional children’s book illustrator and book designer with experience with picture books and chapter books. I promise not to share or abuse your contact information.
A few of the covers I have illustrated and designed.
Dayne Sislen Children's Book Illustration 