Work With Us: Illustrators
Illustrate Books That Help Children Learn to Read
At Beautiful Books, our books are designed for children just beginning to read on their own. We publish joyful, confidence-building stories that help kids fall in love with reading.
What We're Looking For
If you’re a visual storyteller who cares deeply about the impact of your work, we’d love to connect. Our books span a range of themes—from cozy forest tales to roaring truck adventures—but all of them feature:
- Emotionally rich characters
- Engaging storytelling
- Thoughtfully composed illustration
We require that all artwork is created digitally, but we’re drawn to styles that mimic traditional media—textures that feel warm, handcrafted, and organic.
Want to Work With Us?
We’re looking for freelance illustrators for upcoming decodable children’s books. Projects are work-for-hire and include a 32-page book, cover art, character development, and collaborative art direction. We’re especially interested in illustrators who can create expressive characters, warm digital textures, and strong visual storytelling for beginning readers.
Email us at hello@beautifulbooks.com with:
- A link to your portfolio
- 3-5 samples most relevant to children's books
- Your availability over the next 3–6 months
- Your typical turnaround time for 12 illustrated spreads
- Your general project rate range, if you have one
- A short note about your experience and what draws you to Beautiful Books
We can’t wait to see your work!
How We Work
+
- We provide clear art direction, illustration references, and project expectations.
- We value collaboration and illustrator input
- We communicate in a friendly, organized, professional way.
- We aim for realistic schedules and smooth project management.
What the Books Are Like
+
You can view our current titles here.
- Most books are 32 pages (12 illustrated spreads plus front/back matter).
- Text is minimal and tightly controlled,so the illustrations carry much of the storytelling.
- Books are created for beginning readers, with joyful characters and wholesome themes.
- Each title is part of a series, so character consistency is important.
Timeline & Scheduling
+
- We use clear contracts before work begins.
- We agree on milestones and deadlines in advance.
- We aim for realistic timelines and professional feedback cycles.
- We pay promptly according to the contract schedule.
Long Term Opportunities
+
- Each of our books are part of a series, so we love building long-term relationships with illustrators.
- A successful first project may lead to additional books or series work.
- Your artwork may have long-term visibility in our catalog.
Good Fit / Not a Fit
+
You may be a great fit if you:
- Love storytelling for young children
- Can create expressive, consistent characters
- Enjoy collaborating from manuscript through final art
- Work digitally but bring warmth and texture to your illustrations
- Are comfortable with work-for-hire children’s publishing projects
This may not be the right fit if you:
- Only work traditionally and cannot provide digital final files
- Prefer Disney-style or highly abstract illustrations
- Are not interested in series work
