In 2023 I signed up with Reedsy as a children’s book illustrator and designer and I haven’t looked back. So far I’ve illustrated and designed three picture books for Reedsy authors and I hope there are many more to come.
On the Reedsy platform, authors and publishers can find and collaborate with professional book illustrators, designers and editors. I’m listed under ‘Cover Design, Illustration, Typography, Book Interior Design and Production Management’, so I usually receive requests from authors who’d like the whole picture book designed as well as illustrated. Laying out the book comes naturally to me as I’ve been a graphic designer for over 25 years. It means I can get creative with the type here and there, and I know where to leave quiet space in the illustration for the copy. I’m also used to adding ‘bleed’ and working to print specifications, so I can provide the book as a print-ready PDF for the paperback and/or hardback, and most authors like me to also provide a fixed format EPUB and/or KPF file for the ebook.
I like how flexible Reedsy is – I can put my ‘out-of-office’ on if I get busy with other work, and I sometimes tune into their webinars hosted by other creative professionals on their site – you learn a lot from them.
Here’s more info about the picture books I’ve created via Reedsy so far.
Award-winning author Keely Walker asked me to illustrate her debut children’s book entitled ‘Jake the Sled Dog‘. Jake is a collie who spends his days herding sheep in the Yorkshire hills, but one day his owner decides to move to Alaska and Jake is like a fish out of water. There are no sheep-herding groups he can join at his new school, so he joins a sled-racing team instead. He has his work cut out, but with a lot of training and determination, he gets there in the end. More info here.
I loved illustrating this book, especially the rolling hills of Yorkshire. I’m right on the border between Lancashire and Yorkshire, so if I stick my head out of my loft window, I can see the Yorkshire hills on the horizon. The climates in Yorkshire and Alaska are quite different as you can see from some of the story illustrations. I used warmer colours for Yorkshire and colder colours for Alaska.
Keely left me a lovely review on Reedsy: “It has been an absolute privilege to work with J.C. Perry on my first illustrated children’s book. Jo showed an outstanding level of excellence and professionalism throughout the entirety of this process. She completed the artwork in a timely manner, meeting our deadline, while creating illustrations of the highest quality. Her communication is excellent, always responding to my emails, often within the hour. She provided valuable insights regarding the publication process, which as a first-time author, has saved me more than once. Jo understood my vision for this manuscript and succeeded in bringing my story to life. I look forward to sharing our book with the world. Her artwork is simply beautiful, and I hope to work with her again in the future.”
Author Christina McKee asked me to illustrate two children’s books for her, ‘Postcards from Papa‘ and ‘Hugs from Papa‘ which are both based on true stories about her family. Christina’s husband is a truck driver which means he’s away from home a lot. His daughters look forward to his postcards and his hugs, which was the inspiration behind the two stories.
It was a pleasure to illustrate these two stories and Christina was thrilled with the outcome. She left me this lovely review on Reedsy: “Jo showed an outstanding level of excellence and professionalism throughout the entirety of this process. She completed the artwork in a timely manner, meeting our deadline, while creating illustrations of the highest quality. Her communication is excellent, always responding to my emails, often within the hour. She provided valuable insights regarding the publication process, which as a first-time author, has saved me more than once. Jo understood my vision for this manuscript and succeeded in bringing my story to life. I look forward to sharing our book with the world. Her artwork is simply beautiful, and I hope to work with her again in the future.”
To join Reedsy as a publishing professional like me, you can use this link here.
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