I Hired a Fiverr Children’s Book Illustrator (This is what happened)
Short answer – it worked, and the results genuinely surprised us.
Children’s book illustration is one of those things that sounds like it should cost thousands. After testing Fiverr, we can tell you it doesn’t have to – if you know what you’re doing and pick the right seller.
Here’s exactly what happened, what we paid, and what we’d do differently.
Why We Tried Fiverr for Children’s Book Illustration
The children’s book market is booming in the UK. Self-publishing on Amazon KDP has made it genuinely possible for first-time authors to publish and sell illustrated children’s books without a traditional publisher.
The sticking point for most people is the illustration – it’s the most expensive and time-consuming part of the process.
Traditional children’s book illustrators charge anywhere from £1,500 to £10,000 for a full picture book. For a first-time self-publisher testing the market, that’s a significant financial risk.
Fiverr seemed like a logical place to look for an alternative.
What We Were Looking For
Our brief was a 12-page picture book aimed at children aged 3 to 6.
We needed:
- A warm, friendly illustration style – think soft colours, rounded characters
- Consistent character design across all 12 pages
- Illustrations sized correctly for KDP print formatting
- Files delivered in high resolution suitable for print
We set a budget of £150 to £300 for the full project.
How We Found the Right Illustrator
This took longer than expected – and it was the most important part of the whole process.
We searched “children’s book illustration” on Fiverr and filtered by Top Rated Sellers. We then spent time going through portfolios rather than just reading gig descriptions.
Children’s book illustration is highly style-dependent.
What looks charming to one person looks wrong to another. We shortlisted five sellers whose style genuinely matched what we were looking for, then messaged all five with our brief before committing to anyone.
Three replied promptly and thoughtfully. Two sent copy-paste responses. We hired from the three who engaged properly.
The seller we chose had:
- 181 five-star reviews
- A portfolio showing consistent character design across multiple pages
- Clear mention of KDP formatting in their gig description
- A response time of under two hours
We paid £220 for 12 illustrations including one round of character design approval before the full project began.
The Process – What Actually Happened
Day 1 to 3 – Character design
The illustrator sent us three character concept options based on our brief. We chose one with minor tweaks – a slightly warmer skin tone and rounder eyes. This was approved and locked in before any page illustrations began.
Day 4 to 14 – Page illustrations
Pages were delivered in batches of four. Each batch came with a message asking for feedback before moving to the next batch. This was genuinely useful – small adjustments were easy to make at this stage.
Day 15 – Final delivery
All 12 illustrations delivered as high resolution PNG files with transparent backgrounds, plus JPG versions. Sized correctly for KDP at 300 DPI.
Revisions used – two minor ones
One background colour change on page three, and a slight resize on page eight where the character felt too small in the frame.
The Results – Honest Assessment
What impressed us
The character consistency was excellent. The same child appeared on all 12 pages looking recognisably the same – different poses, different expressions, but clearly the same character.
This is harder than it sounds and is where cheaper illustrators often fall short.
The colour palette was warm and cohesive throughout. The style matched the brief closely without us having to push hard for it.
The communication was professional and proactive. We never had to chase for updates either.
What could have been better
The background detail on a few pages was simpler than we’d hoped.
Busy, detailed backgrounds cost more – our budget got us clean, simple backgrounds which work perfectly well but won’t win any awards for complexity.
One illustration required a more significant revision than we’d anticipated – a perspective issue on page seven that the illustrator fixed without complaint but added two days to the timeline!
Overall verdict – genuinely good value
For £220 we got 12 consistent, print-ready illustrations that would cost several times more from a traditional illustrator. For a first self-published book testing the market, it was exactly the right decision.
What We’d Do Differently
Allow more time. We had a tight deadline and it added unnecessary pressure. Budget at least three weeks for a 12-page project with a good illustrator.
Be more specific about backgrounds. We assumed the illustrator would add rich background detail. We should have discussed this upfront and budgeted accordingly.
Ask for a one-page sample first. Some illustrators offer a paid sample page before committing to the full project. On a project this size, £20 for a sample page is worth it to confirm the style works before spending £200 plus.
How Much Should You Budget?
Based on our research across multiple Fiverr sellers:
- Per page illustration (simple style) – £10 to £25 per page
- Per page illustration (detailed style) – £25 to £60 per page
- Full 12-page picture book package – £150 to £400
- Full 32-page picture book package – £350 to £900
Character design fees are sometimes included, sometimes charged separately. Always clarify this upfront.
Is Fiverr Right for Your Children’s Book?
If you are a first-time self-publisher testing the market, yes – absolutely. The risk-reward balance makes sense. Spend £200 on illustrations, publish on KDP, see if the book sells before investing more.
If you are an established author with a proven audience and a traditional publisher deal, you probably want a more bespoke arrangement with a dedicated illustrator. But that’s not who Fiverr is for.
Ready to Find Your Illustrator?
Browse Fiverr’s children’s book illustration gigs, spend time on portfolios, and message at least three sellers before committing. The right illustrator is out there – and they’re more affordable than you think.
Browse Children’s Book Illustrators on Fiverr
