Hi everyone! I'm looking for an experienced children's book illustrator to help bring my first picture book to life! A little about me and the book: I'm a deaf mother of two, disability advocate, and accessibility professional. I've spent much of my career advocating for disability inclusion, and this book is a very personal extension of that work. The manuscript is completely written, and I'm ready to find the right creative partner to bring the story to life. The story follows a young child and their deaf mother as they navigate an everyday adventure involving her "magic ears" (hearing technology). It's a warm, playful, and heartfelt story that introduces young readers to hearing disabilities, celebrates differences, and encourages curiosity as well as a story that opens conversations for parents with disabilities to talk abou their disability with their children or loved ones. At its heart, this is a story about the relationship between a mother and her child, and the everyday moments that make their bond special. The main characters are a mother who uses a hearing aid and her young child. The illustration style I'm looking for: I gravitate toward illustrations that are whimsical, expressive, warm, and full of personality. Some books whose artistic styles I admire include: The Rabbit Listened by Cori Doerrfeld for its gentle, expressive characters and emotional storytelling. Gustavo, the Shy Ghost by Flavia Z. Drago for its rich, detailed backgrounds, warmth, and personality. I'm looking for an illustrator who can balance expressive characters with thoughtfully detailed environments. The illustrations should feel cohesive throughout the book, with particular attention to: Character consistency: Facial features, skin tones, hairstyles, clothing, hearing devices, and other defining details should remain consistent throughout. Cultural representation: I'd love an illustrator who understands Hispanic/Latino representation or is excited to research and thoughtfully incorporate these details. Child-friendly illustrations: A style that feels inviting, memorable, and appealing to young children and their parents. Experience illustrating characters with disabilities is a wonderful bonus. I'm equally happy to work with someone genuinely interested in learning about hearing disabilities and committed to representing them accurately. Project scope: I'm looking for illustrations and design for a 7" × 10" children's picture book. The deliverables include: Front cover illustration and design Back cover design Endpaper design Title page Dedication page 20 fully illustrated story pages Page 21: An educational note explaining "magic ears" and hearing technology in a child-friendly way. Page 22: About the author and illustrator. Print-ready final files suitable for publication, along with agreed-upon digital formats. I'm open to discussing the layout and whether certain illustrations work best as individual pages or two-page spreads. Budget: $1,200 USD (negotiable) This is my first children's book, and I'm funding the project independently. My starting budget is $1,200, although I'm open to discussing pricing depending on experience, portfolio, and the proposed scope of work. I'm also happy to establish a milestone-based payment structure that works for both parties. A little transparency about my previous experiences: I've worked with two illustrators on earlier attempts to bring this book to life. Unfortunately, the first illustrator used AI-generated artwork despite our agreement prohibiting its use. The second illustrator approached the project with genuine enthusiasm and heart. However, as someone still developing their illustration experience, the final artwork didn't fully align with the artistic direction, consistency, and level of refinement I envisioned for the book. Both experiences taught me a great deal about the creative process and the importance of finding the right collaborator. At this stage, I'm looking to work with someone who has an established illustration portfolio. A few important requirements: Human-created artwork: I'm specifically seeking an illustrator who creates their own original artwork. Generative AI artwork is not permitted for this project. Strong portfolio: I'd love to see examples of complete illustrated projects, especially work demonstrating character consistency across multiple scenes. Clear communication: A defined timeline, agreed-upon milestones, and regular progress updates are important to me. Commercial rights: Since this book will be published and sold, we'll need a written agreement outlining commercial usage rights, ownership, attribution, and deliverables. Interested? Here's how to apply! Please comment below or send me a message with: Your portfolio: A website, Behance, Instagram, or another platform showcasing your illustration work. Relevant experience: Have you illustrated a children's book or another sequential storytelling project? Your style: Which examples in your portfolio best represent the style you'd bring to this project? Your pricing: Whether my proposed budget works for you, or what you'd quote for the full scope. Your availability: Your estimated timeline for completing the project. A little about you: I'd love to know what interests you about this particular story. If your portfolio seems like a strong fit, I'd be happy to share additional details about the manuscript, character references, and artistic direction. I'm excited to find the right person to collaborate with and finally bring this story into the world. Thank you for reading! ❤️   submitted by   /u/Altruistic_Diet_1617 [link]   [comments]