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Book illustration services
A child cannot read the words yet. The pictures are the whole book to them. We match your story to an illustrator whose style fits it, design your characters with you first, and take every spread from sketch to print-ready art with your approval at each step. The artwork is yours to keep.
Tell us about your story and the kind of book it is. You get style samples and a written price within one business day. Nothing is charged until you approve it.
The short answer
Columbia Publication provides original book illustration by professional illustrators matched to each story: full-color picture books, spot illustrations for early readers and chapter books, cover illustration and character design. Illustration is bundled with publishing: lightly illustrated books from $1,500, a 32-page full-color picture book from $3,000 and board books or larger books from $5,000, each including editing, layout, cover, ISBN and distribution. Artwork is delivered at 300 DPI for print and in RGB for ebooks, with two revision rounds per illustration, and the author owns the art once paid.
Prices checked October 26, 2026 · Reviewed by Gia Kahn, Lead Editor · Next review November 2026 · How we check
Is this you?
In a picture book, the pictures tell half the story.
A parent reads the words. The child lives in the pictures, and notices everything: the ear that moved between pages, the color of a coat that changed, the background character nobody drew twice. Stock art, AI images and one-off commissions fail exactly there, and print rejects anything below 300 DPI.
We start with your characters, agreed with you before any page is drawn. Then rough sketches, color, and final art, with your approval at every stage, delivered at print specification and ready to publish with us or anywhere else.
Start here
Find your book below. Illustrated packages include editing, layout, cover, ISBN and distribution; illustration on its own is quoted to your project.
| Your book | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Full-color picture book | From $3,000, published | 32 pages, 14 to 16 full-color spreads, cover art, character design, fixed-layout ebook, ISBN and distribution |
| Early reader or chapter book | From $1,500, published | 8 to 15 spot or black and white illustrations, layout, cover, ISBN and distribution |
| Board book or a longer illustrated book | From $5,000, published | A senior illustrator, board book print setup, school and library metadata and launch support |
| Cover, characters or spot art only | Quoted to your project | Cover illustration, character design sheets or interior spot art, delivered as print-ready files |
Not sure which? Book the free illustration consultation below. You see samples from illustrators matched to your story before you decide anything.
Finding your style
The right style is the one that carries the feeling of your story to the age group reading it. A bedtime book and an adventure need different visual languages, even for the same age.
Soft, warm and nostalgic. Bedtime books, family stories and gentle picture books.
Clean, bright and consistent across a series. Adventure, humour and educational books.
Big expressions that make children laugh. Comedy, animals and character-driven books.
Classic and literary. Early readers and chapter books where art supports the words.
Textured and distinctive on the shelf. Creative themes and art-forward stories.
Grounded and respectful. Biographies, history and culturally specific stories.
Not sure which style fits? The free consultation shows you samples.
Get My Illustration QuoteWhat separates good from great
Same face, same proportions, same colors on page 1 and page 32. A character sheet is agreed with you before any spread is drawn.
Tension, surprise and calm paced across the book, so children ask for it again and parents buy it as a gift.
On Amazon your cover is smaller than a stamp. Covers are designed to read at that size first.
300 DPI, CMYK for print, RGB for ebooks, with 0.125-inch bleed on every edge, to Amazon KDP and IngramSpark specifications.
The process
| Stage | Typical time | What you approve |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Style and illustrator | Before you commit | Samples from matched illustrators; you choose the style |
| 2. Character design | 1 to 2 weeks | Front and side views, expressions and colors for each main character |
| 3. Rough sketches | 2 to 3 weeks | Layout and composition of every spread; changes here are easy |
| 4. Color roughs | 2 to 3 weeks | Palette, mood and lighting across the whole book |
| 5. Final art | 2 to 3 weeks | Finished 300 DPI files for print and ebook |
A fully illustrated children’s book, from character design to a published book, typically takes 10 to 19 weeks. Your schedule is confirmed in writing with your quote.
A real book
Yes. The Amylets Fantastic Adventures by Ameena Roberts is a 236-page children’s book for ages 3 to 12, published in hardcover and paperback in October 2025. We handled the editing, illustration, cover, formatting and publishing, and it is live on Amazon with Columbia Publication as publisher. See more in children’s book publishing.
When it is done
A child turns to their favorite spread before the story even starts, and points out the tiny detail in the corner. Your character looks the same on every page, the colors glow in print, and the book sits on the shelf beside the ones they already love. The artwork is yours, for this book and every one that follows.
Illustrated books
Each includes the illustration, editing, layout, cover, ISBN and distribution.
Early reader
From $1,500
Spot and black and white drawings placed through an early reader or chapter book, with type set for young eyes.
Pictures that keep a new reader turning pages, and a finished book published in print and ebook, without you hiring and managing an artist.
8 to 15 spot or black and white illustrations
Price My Illustrated BookMost chosen
From $3,000
Original art on all 14 to 16 spreads of a 32-page picture book, drawn from characters you approve first, plus a fixed-layout ebook.
A picture book that looks like it belongs on a bookstore table, with the same character on page 1 and page 32 and every illustration yours to keep.
14 to 16 full-color spreads plus cover art
Price My Illustrated BookCustom
From $5,000
A senior illustrator for board books, books over 40 pages or detailed art that needs more hours on every spread.
Art built for small hands and long reads, from an experienced illustrator, with the book set up for schools and libraries.
School and library metadata, launch support
Price My Illustrated BookYou see the art before you commit to it
Paid in full upfront once you approve the written quote. Need illustration only, such as a cover or character sheets? It is quoted to your project.
What you can count on
How it runs
We’ve started with Illustrations. Add anything else your manuscript needs, and a specialist sends an itemised quote within one business day. Free, confidential, no obligation.
Written quote within one business day. Nothing is charged until you approve it. 100% of your rights stay yours.
Questions
Illustration is best bundled with publishing: a lightly illustrated book from $1,500, a 32-page full-color picture book from $3,000, and board books or larger books from $5,000, each with editing, layout, cover, ISBN and distribution included. Cover, character or spot illustration on its own is quoted to your project.
Character design takes 1 to 2 weeks, rough sketches 2 to 3, color roughs 2 to 3 and final art 2 to 3. A fully illustrated book from start to publication typically takes 10 to 19 weeks, confirmed with your quote.
Yes. Full rights to the artwork transfer to you on payment, for the book, merchandise, promotion and future editions.
A standard 32-page picture book has 14 to 16 double-page spreads plus a cover. Early readers and chapter books usually have 8 to 20 spot illustrations.
No. Every illustration is original work by a person, made for your book.
Yes. The free consultation includes samples from illustrators matched to your story, before you commit to anything.
The manuscript should be complete and edited, but small changes are still possible during sketches, when the pictures sometimes carry part of the story better than words.
In full, once you approve the written quote. That reserves your illustrator’s time for the weeks your book needs.
Book type, age group and any ideas you have. A specialist replies within one business day with samples and a price.
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