Do you want to earn real money from illustrating and maybe even writing your own books? Then let Lilla Rogers, with more than four decades of experience in the business, show you how! Today we’re going to meet just some of the Make Art That Sells students who did just that.
Books are a fantastic market for illustrators and creatives because they can provide months of work and they’re always in demand – according to market research agency Grand View Research, the global book market was worth around $151 billion in 2024 and is projected to increase to around $192 billion by 2030.
Want to learn how you can land a picture book illustration deal of your very own, or maybe even write and illustrate your own book (meaning you get paid TWICE)? Lilla’s comprehensive picture book courses – Illustrating Children’s Books and My Kid Book Pitch – will give you all the insight and insider info you need, and help you create ready-to-send pitches that contain everything an art director or publisher needs to see to give you that job.
Make Art That Sells students with the books they’ve illustrated and, in some cases, written: (l-r) Lynn Gaines, Erica Root, Darcie Olley, Maruga Koops, Sharisse Steber. Find out how you can get deals like this and save in our huge annual sale.
Plus right now you can get both Illustrating Children’s Books and My Kid Book Pitch – both running as LIVE courses in 2026 – for at least 30% and up to 50% off in our huge annual sale! Find out more and sign up here. Or get three courses curated especially to help you achieve your picture book dreams in the Get Me a Picture Book Deal bundle: find out more here.
Over the past few days, we’ve shared some success stories from Make Art That Sells students who’ve landed illustration jobs, and some who’ve been commissioned by art director and Make Art That Sells co-teacher Zoë Tucker after Zoë saw their art in class. Today we’re sharing some success stories from students who have both illustrated AND written their own gorgeous books – check them out below.
Erika Lynne Jones
Make Art That Sells student Erika Jones with her first author-illustrator book, Zara in the Middle, published by HarperCollins.
We’ve previously shared how Erika landed not one but two picture book illustration jobs after taking Illustrating Children’s Books, but now we’re delighted to share that her first author-illustrated book, Zara in the Middle, was published earlier this year by HarperCollins. Kirkus Review called Zara in the Middle: “An affirming, multigenerational story about just how tricky it can be to speak up.”
Erika told us: “Zara in the Middle is a multigenerational picture book about finding your voice and the strength of family. Zara loves living next door to her Grandma Jane and Granny Gladys, but sometimes it’s tough being stuck in the middle of them! Both her grandmas think they know what’s best for her, and Zara is too worried she might upset them if she says what she really wants.”
Gorgeous spread from Zara in the Middle, written and illustrated by Make Art That Sells student Erika Jones. Want to write and/or illustrate your own book? Save big on our career-changing courses in our big sale!
Erika added: “The story is special to me because it incorporates some pretty big aspects of my childhood and adult life. Zara’s people-pleasing quite accurately reflects the way I moved through childhood – not feeling free to voice my opinions and truth. While I wrap the story in humor, not feeling free to voice my opinions about things was actually quite heavy. But writing was therapeutic because I got to imagine the good that would have come out of finding my voice earlier in life. And maybe in the process, I got to leave some hints for caretakers about opportunities to stop and check in with less vocal little ones about what’s on their mind and in their hearts.”
Finding your own unique story that’s authentic to you is something that Lilla talks about in her picture book writing course, My Kid Book Pitch. Find out more about her innovative approach and how to write the book only you can write here.
Art by Erika for our student-favorite Illustrating Children’s Books course. Sign up now and save up to 50% in our huge annual sale!
Erika told us: “Illustrating Children’s Books, which I took twice, was the most instrumental in the journey and definitely impacted my ability to become agented and achieve all three of the book deals. My Year of Art School was instrumental as well.”
See more of Erika’s work on her website and Instagram.
Purificación Hernández
Purificación’s original concept for Chef Lupo, created in My Kid Book Pitch (left) and the published book (right). Ready to write YOUR book? Sign up now and save up to 50%!
Purificación already has a ton of picture book illustration and other jobs under her belt, but she recently got in touch to let us know that the book that she started writing in Lilla’s picture book writing course, My Kid Book Pitch, has been published by Clavis Publishing!
Purificación told us: “I wanted to take a moment to share some good news that started in My Kid Book Pitch. One of Lilla’s prompts inspired me to develop the story that later became a finalist in the biennial Key Colours Competition by Clavis Publishing.”
Full page spread by Purificación for My Kid Book Pitch. Her author-illustrated book has now been published by Clavis Books.
The competition attracted some 240 entries from 43 countries, so being chosen as a finalist was a huge achievement in itself.
However, Purificación added: “The news I’m excited to share is that the book has now been published!”
See more of Purificación’s work on her website and Instagram.
Paloma O’Toole
The front cover for Their Name is Alex, which will be published in May 2026 (left), and a character study (right).
Paloma is another Make Art That Sells student whose story that they wrote for My Kid Book Pitch has now been picked up by a publisher! Their book Their Name is Alex will be published by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers in May 2026.
Paloma said: “This is a book very close to my heart, about gender identity and fluidity and with lots of colourful fish!”
Paloma added: “Taking part in My Kid Book Pitch was one of the best investments of my life. At the risk of sounding dramatic, I cannot help but feel that it was life-changing for me.”
Paloma explained: “Lilla’s teaching methods trick you into lowering your critical inner voices and help you to make your best work while thinking that you are just playing and experimenting a bit. That’s how the idea for Their Name is Alex started to take shape. Every step of the process felt manageable and fun. Little by little you put together a fully formed pitch, and it’s an indescribable sense of achievement.”
Art by Paloma for My Kid Book Pitch, where they first started writing Their Name is Alex.
Paloma added: “Another valuable thing is the community of artists that take part in Make Art That Sells courses. Their advice, feedback and friendship helped me so much along the way and I feel that I have made friends for life. They say that it takes a village to raise a kid, and I think that in a way, Their Name is Alex is Make Art That Sells’ kid.”
Preorder Their Name is Alex here now. See more of Paloma’s work on their website and Instagram.
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We hope you enjoyed reading these inspirational success stories as much as we did! Find more alumni success stories here.
Ready to land a book deal of your very own? Don’t forget, My Kid Book Pitch is back as a LIVE course in 2026, with weekly deadlines and LIVE reviews with illustrator and former art agent Lilla Rogers to keep you motivated and accountable and doing your very best work!
Register for both My Kid Book Pitch and Illustrating Children’s Books right now and save 30% in our huge annual sale – or get them both in the Get Me a Picture Book Deal bundle along with Bootcamp Special: Character Play and save a whopping 40%. Shop our giant sale here.
See you in class!
- ON NOW! Save up to 50% off our career-changing courses in our huge annual sale! Click here to explore our sale pages, or download your FREE copy of our Sale Guide here. Get inspiring worksheets plus a 2026 calendar in our gorgeous free Playbook & Planner, Download your copy here.
- Tuesday, November 25th: FREE ZOOM at 3 pm ET/8 pm GMT with Lilla plus special guests top art agent Margo Tantau and brilliant author-illustrator Tamisha Anthony. Learn how to submit your art to agents from two agents with decades of experience plus an author-illustrator who has been there. Plus FREE course giveaway!
- Friday, December 5th: Celebrate the final day of our huge annual sale with Lilla in conversation with the brilliant and much-loved Meera Lee Patel at 12 noon ET/5 pm GMT in this FREE Zoom. Plus a FREE course giveaway!
Lots of love
The Make Art That Sells team xxx
