Novella Editorial is building a curated directory of freelance illustrators specialising in children's books, and we're looking for talented artists to join our network.

Novella Editorial works with authors and publishers on a range of book projects, connecting creative ideas with the editorial, design, and production expertise needed to bring them to life. As part of our growing network of creative professionals, we are looking to build relationships with illustrators whose work we can confidently recommend to our clients.

Rather than looking for one particular style, we're interested in discovering a wide range of illustration styles, techniques, and visual approaches – from traditional and hand-drawn work to digital illustration, watercolour, collage, graphic styles, and more.

WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR:

We're particularly interested in illustrators with experience creating artwork for:

- Children's picture books;
- Early readers and children's fiction;
- Educational and activity books;
- Character-driven stories;
- Covers and interior illustrations.

You don't need to have worked with a publishing company before, but you should have a strong portfolio that demonstrates your ability to translate stories, characters, and ideas into engaging visual work. We're looking for illustrators who are:

- Creative and visually distinctive;
- Comfortable interpreting a brief and developing artwork from a manuscript or story;
- Reliable and able to work to agreed deadlines;
- Open to feedback and revisions;
- Professional and communicative when working remotely;
- Familiar with preparing artwork for print and/or digital publication.

What joining our directory means: If selected, your work will be added to our Novella Editorial Illustrator Directory . When a client comes to us looking for an illustrator,



we may present them with a selection of artists from our network whose styles and experience are a good fit for their project.

Joining the directory does not guarantee a specific number of projects or commissions . We are looking to build long-term professional relationships and introduce our illustrators to suitable opportunities as they arise.

CURRENT OPPORTUNITY

We currently have an author looking for an illustrator for five new children's books , so we're particularly interested in hearing from artists who are available for a multi-book project.

If your style could be a good fit, we'd love to see your work.

Please send us To be considered for the directory, please provide:

- Your portfolio – ideally including children's book work, character design, or narrative illustration;
- A short introduction about yourself and your illustration style;
- Your pricing/rate card , including, where applicable, your rates for interior illustrations, covers, character designs, complete book illustration packages, and revisions;
- Your typical turnaround times ;
- Any relevant information about your experience working with authors, publishers, or editorial clients;
- Your availability , particularly if you are interested in the current five-book project.

If your pricing varies depending on the complexity of a project, that's absolutely fine – we're happy to work with indicative rates or price ranges. An important note about AI

Novella Editorial is committed to working with original, human-created artwork .

We do not commission or provide AI-generated illustrations, graphics, or other visual material for client-facing commercial projects. This requirement applies to all freelancers and contractors working with Novella Editorial.

Interested?

If you'd like to join our illustrator directory – or be considered for the current five-book project – please apply with your portfolio and pricing information.

We'd love to discover your work and, if there's a good fit, introduce it to the authors we work with.

📌 Freelance Children's Book Illustrator (Italia)
🏢 Novella Editorial
📍 Italia