How is it Practiced Today?

Children’s book illustration is a growing industry for illustrators as children’s books are becoming increasingly recognized as being important literature for a child’s development and to encourage the enjoy of reading.

• In publishing, new illustrators will be paired up with already established authors. This also happens with new authors collaborating with successful illustrators. It would make sense to do this since having someone on hand who has more experience can improve the collaborative experience and may begin a longer-term partnership for their future career.

• Illustrators always have creative freedom when making characters/artwork for the story they are working on. They do follow physical descriptions that is given in the text but there tends to be room to add interesting and creative details to a character. Some may even encourage illustrators to add their own flair sometimes. It is always good to have some communication between the editor/author and illustrator since having feedback in the planning stages can help create artwork that reflects the story and adds something new and interesting visually.

• Social media plays a significant role in the industry today and how publishers/authors find illustrators for their books. Instagram and a personal website help others to find your artwork. An online portfolio shows your style, how you work and what you are interested in drawing/making. This is extremely important to show because people will look for an artist that they feel has a style that fits their story and what they want it to look like.

• An agent is someone who oversees the business side of a creative’s career. They work with both illustrators and authors. They help with things such as getting projects ready to submit to publishers, contracts, rights over work that could be adapted and dealing with negotiations. They help someone in the early stage of their careers and give advice on creative decisions and working with publishers.

As the children’s book industry evolves and the practice changes, illustrators must be aware of recent developments and contemporary trends as they navigate how to establish themselves in their field.
Illustrators need to understand the roles and responsibilities of the professionals involved in the career path and how to maintain those relationships effectively.