The Illustrator's Guide: How to create an exceptional freelance illustration career

by James Hughes, Michael Parkin (Illustrator)

Are you new to the illustration business?

Fresh out of college, changing career or in your early years as an illustrator?

The Illustrator’s Guide gives you the essentials to kick-start your professional freelance career – and make it outstanding.

This book is the ultimate companion for creatives entering the world of freelance illustration. It will be your companion all the way from enthusiastic beginner to confident professional.

Packed with expert, step-by-step guidance, top tips and exercises, this practical book shows you how to be an illustrator that stands out from the

Discover what you need to get started
Find your drive and create a winning mindset
Curate a portfolio that clients love
Form great habits for your creative practice
Get feedback that supports and improves your work
Find quality clients and get hired
Manage your money and business efficiently
Price work and handle negotiation
Deal with licensing, rights and contracts
Secure an agent and work as a team

The complete motivational toolkit, The lllustrator’s Guide won’t just help you create your illustration career.

It’ll help you make it exceptional.

Genres: Art

229 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 12, 2023

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Reviews

[Eline · Rating 4 out of 5]

Zo’n fijn boek! Ik heb al meerdere soortgelijke boeken gelezen, dus een groot deel was me al bekend, maar het is heel fijn om vanuit James’ expertise als agent te lezen - zijn Instagram pagina is ook een waardevolle bron van informatie.
Vond de hoofdstukken over onderhandelen en koude acquisitie echt eye openers en goede reminders hebben!

Ga dankzij dit boek waarschijnlijk meteen een project afketsen waar ik al even over aan het onderhandelen (en twijfelen) was en geen geweldig goed gevoel over had, want zoals James zegt: “When you have no clients, at least you have time to go out and look for good ones. But you can’t do this if you’re being kept busy by bad ones.” ❤️‍🔥

[Maksym Filipenko · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very motivational and packed with great advice on all necessary topics to kick-start a career in illustration

This is a great book from an illustration agent and YouTuber James Hughes whose work I've been following since 2023. His YouTube videos really helped get my career going and reach clients I never thought I'd be working with within the first six months of actively looking for freelance illustration work. I live in Ukraine, so ordering a physical book was a bit too expensive for me, but luckily in July 2024 James announced a big discount on the digital edition and it was a perfect deal for me. The digital version comes in both PDF and EPUB formats. The latter was a great option for me, I was able to read it comfortably on my smartphone.

What I like about this book is how easy it is to read. Every chapter is easily digestible and packed with useful go-to tips. I also had a feeling you can start reading it from any chapter and it would still work for you (although I read everything in order).

Even though I was not a complete beginner at the time of reading, there were still a lot of useful things I noted for myself: from getting feedback on my portfolio to negotiating with clients and improving my time-management.

One thing I wish it had is real-life examples from James' illustration agent experience instead of made-up situations - I always find stories from personal experience more motivating. But that is just a minor note that doesn't really affect the quality of the book.

Overall, this book is perfect for those in their early stages of illustration career. I'd also recommend it to more seasoned illustrators as a refresher, because there is always space for growth and improvement, and James' advice can be applied at any stage of your career.

[Alicia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Few people know as much about the illustration industry as James. With his background as a former illustrator and current agent, he has written one of the most complete guides for emerging illustrators looking to take their first steps into the industry, improve their portfolio and reach out to potential clients. This book is a must-read for anyone in the early stages of their career 🙌🏽

[Daniel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wish I had this guide when I started in illustration. The book has everything you need to know if you want to start a career as a freelance illustrator or how to better navigate your career if you already started. The information is very well structured so you can come back to specific paragraphs or chapters when needed. I plan to keep to book close to my working desk.

[Robert · Rating 2 out of 5]

A lot of generic info. Work hard, be patient, ask for feedback, be professional, follow up with clients, network, track expenses etc.