• Imagine getting an email from an art director saying that they adore your art and would love to work with you …
• Imagine spending months creating winning characters and dreamy worlds for children (and adults) to fall in love with – and getting paid $$$ for it …
• Imagine getting a package in the mail and opening it up to find proof copies of your very own picture book, illustrated and/or written by you …

Children’s books are a HUGE market for your art and one that many illustrators dream of breaking into. And no wonder – even in our increasingly digital world, nothing quite beats the feeling of curling up with a beautifully written and illustrated book.

Whether you want to learn what you need to show in your portfolio to land kid book illustration jobs and build a show-stopping pitch, write your very own unique picture book story, or create eye-catching characters that will broaden and strengthen your portfolio so you get more work, we’ve got the career-changing courses you need – and right now they’re all heavily reduced in our big Spring Sale!

Want an arty book deal all of your own? Don’t miss out on this amazing FREE five part video series from art agent Lilla all about writing and illustrating arty books. Get it here.

Today we’re sharing five of the most recent kid book success stories from our brilliant students to inspire you – and maybe next time the artist getting that email or opening that package will be you!

Illustrating Children’s Books

Success story #1: Adam Ming

Posey Pearl is a Curious Girl is Adam’s third book illustration gig, but the first to hit the shelves!

Adam’s illustration career has gone from strength to strength since taking his first Make Art That Sells course. He recently landed a gig illustrating Posey Pearl is a Curious Girl, written by Australian television broadcaster Fifi Box: Adam told us that it’s actually his third book, but the first to actually hit the shelves, just two years after his first Make Art That Sells class.

Full page spread by Adam from Posey Pearl is a Curious Girl.

Adam added: “I always ask editors what about my portfolio stood out, and they always point to the work from Make Art That Sells! There’s magic in this place, I can’t wait for Illustrating Children’s Books 2023!”

See more of Adam’s art on his website and Instagram, and order Posey Pearl is a Curious Girl here.

SUCCESS STORY #2: Darcie Olley

Darcie landed her first children’s book illustration deal just three weeks after finishing Illustrating Children’s Books!

Make Art That Sells student Darcie (left) and her first children’s book illustration job (right), which she landed just three weeks after finishing Illustrating Children’s Books.

Darcie told us: “I took part in Illustrating Children’s Books this summer, as I wanted to learn more about how I could make my way into the book illustration market; and around three weeks after finishing the course, I received an email from the publishers Campbell/Pan Macmillan, asking if I’d be interested in illustrating a children’s board book all about minibeasts! I couldn’t believe the timing, they found me through my Instagram page, and I’m sure that posting my work from Make Art That Sells helped with this!”

Darcie’s full page spread for Illustrating Children’s Books. Learn everything you need to know to get picture book illustration jobs!

Darcie added: “Going pretty much straight from the course to diving into illustrating a book was a dream come true, and I’m hoping it’s the first of many for me. I’ve signed up for Assignment Bootcamp: Portfolio and Creating Collections for Home Décor for 2023, the courses are so amazingly full to the brim of advice, I just couldn’t resist.”

See more of Darcie’s art on her website and Instagram, and order There are 101 Minibeasts in This Book here.

Success story #3: Karen Obuhanych

Art by Karen for one of the five picture books she’s illustrated since taking Illustrating Children’s Books.

Karen is another Make Art That Sells student whose illustration career is going from strength to strength, with five children’s book illustration deals under her belt plus not one but two author-illustrated picture books!

Another of Karen’s illustrations. Save 25% on Illustrating Children’s Books in our big Spring Sale or save even more when you buy as part of a bundle.

Karen told us: “I just wanted to write and say thank you for your wonderful courses! Back in 2018, I dreamed of illustrating children’s books but didn’t know where to start and I discovered your Illustrating Children’s Books class. On a whim, I signed up and it was honestly life changing! Because of this course, I landed a fabulous agent and started work as a picture book illustrator in 2020.”

Full page spread from Karen’s first author-illustrated book, This Little Kitty. Want to write your very own picture book? Sign up for My Kid Book Pitch now and save big!

Karen continued: “I currently have one book published that I illustrated, with four more releasing in 2023/2024. And I just launched my debut as an author/illustrator in Jan 2023 with a follow up publishing Jan 2024. Thank you MATS for this fantastic course specifically and for offering inspiring, insightful courses for illustrators in many different media and genre. Mahalo!!!”

See more of Karen’s art on her website and Instagram

My Kid Book Pitch

SUCCESS STORY #4: Paulene Hübsch

Paulene has published her first authored/illustrated children’s picture book after taking My Kid Book Pitch.

Art by Paulene for My Kid Book Pitch (left) and Paulene with her first author-illustrated book, Ich mag Bäume (right).

Paulene told us: “I’m so proud that I published my first authored/illustrated children’s book in German at the beginning of November. The title is Ich mag Bäume (“I like trees”) and it’s about a fox who wants to find out why he likes trees, so he asks his animal friends who he meets along the way for help. The feedback I got from buyers is really positive and joyful, and that makes me so happy. I developed the story due to the My Kid Book Pitch course and packed everything in that I had learned from Illustrating Children’s Books. It’s because of this precious input and the brilliant teachers Lilla Rogers and Zoë Tucker (and of course of my work!) that I managed to do this. Thank you so much!”

See more of Paulene’s art on her website and Instagram.

Bootcamp Special: Character Play

Success story #5: Katrin Meiller

Katrin got in touch to let us know that she’d landed representation after building a powerful portfolio with the help of Make Art That Sells courses including Bootcamp Special: Character Play.

Art by Katrin for Bootcamp Special: Character Play. Sign up now and save 25% in our big Spring Sale!

Katrin told us: “Last year I took quite a few Make Art That Sells courses to get orientation for my art business and which markets might be a good fit for me. My favourite class was the Character Play bootcamp. I already loved creating characters, but this class really helped me to challenge myself and I’m so proud about the pieces I created. I put them in my portfolio and in the end they helped me get an agent. Yay! I’m so happy about that and wanted to share this with you!”

Art by Katrin for Bootcamp Special: Character Play. Want to make gorgeous art for your portfolio like this? Save up to 45% when you buy as part of a bundle!

See more of Katrin’s art on her website and Instagram.

We hope you enjoyed all of that beautiful eye candy!

Want to build a fabulous portfolio that will help you land representation and real paying children’s book illustration jobs just like these? Then hurry HURRY – shop our big Spring Sale now!

Lots of love

The Make Art That Sells team xxx

P.S. Want to write and illustrate your own beautiful non-fiction book for adults? Lilla’s brand NEW course for 2023, My Arty Book Pitch, starts THIS MONDAY, April 10th – and right now you can get it for up to 45% off when you buy as part of a bundle. Plus, join Lilla for a FREE live Zoom event this Friday, April 7th at 12 noon ET, and you could win a FREE place in class! Mark your calendar now!