Style-Matched Direction
We study your story, audience and age band to agree an art style and palette before any drawing begins.
Illustration · Storybook
Storybook artwork, world-building.
Cohesive worlds, character sheets, and end-to-end art direction for picture books that become beloved objects.
- Service
- Storybook Artwork
- Starting price
- From $1,500
- Typical timeline
- 6–10 weeks from brief
- For
- Picture-book authors and publishers
- Revisions
- Two full rounds, then corrections
- Copyright
- 100% yours on final payment
Section 01: What's included
Everything you need, nothing held back.
Delivered in your name. Copyright assigned. Nothing rented.
- Full art direction document: world, palette, character sheets, and style guide.
- Spread-by-spread thumbnail sequence, approved before rendering.
- Complete picture-book interior art: 24 to 40 spreads.
- Cover front, back, and spine in the same style.
- Three revision rounds across the project.
- Print-ready TIFFs and RGB PNGs: all source files transferred.
Section 02: How it works
Five steps, signed off by you.
No surprises. Each stage closes before the next begins.
1
Brief & Proposal
A free consultation covering your goals, scope and timeline. A fixed-price proposal lands in your inbox within 48 hours.
2
Plan & Outline
Detailed outline or project map, approved by you before any work begins. No ambiguity, no scope drift.
3
Draft & Deliver
Work arrives in stages and you review and mark it up freely. Every project includes two full revision rounds.
4
Revise & Refine
Your feedback incorporated fully. Final polish, proofread, and quality check before sign-off.
5
Deliver & Hand Over
All files in every format you need, copyright transferred, and support through your first 30 days live.
Section 03: Portfolio
Books we've published.
A selection from our 214+ published titles.
Section 04: Testimonials
Authors who let us name them.
“
The fixed-price proposal meant I knew exactly what I was committing to before I signed
anything. The work came in on time, on budget, and I kept every right. That's rare.
★★★★★
James HartleyAuthor · 2025
“
I'd worked with three other services before American Publisher. The difference is the
attention. Nothing felt like it was being pushed through a system. The book looks and reads exactly as I
imagined it.
★★★★★
Sarah OkonkwoAuthor · 2025
“
Zero KDP rejections. They handled everything: metadata, categories, A+ content. My book
went live and correctly categorised on the first upload, and I haven't touched the account since.
★★★★★
Michael TorresAuthor · 2024
Section 05: From sketch to final art
We Turn Your Story Into Artwork That Brings It To Life
Custom Illustration
Every scene and character is drawn from scratch around your manuscript — never stock, never traced.
Built To Tell Your Story
Composition, expression and colour are shaped so each image carries the moment it was made to illustrate.
Ready For Print & Screen
Delivered at full print resolution and web-ready sizes, colour-managed for both CMYK and RGB output.
Section 06: Investment
Three editions, honest numbers.
No retainers, no hidden fees. Most authors choose the middle edition.
Starter Edition
The essentials, done well.
$1,500 · starting
- Core deliverables as scoped
- One revision round
- Standard turnaround
- Copyright assigned on delivery
- Email support throughout
most chosen
Full Edition
Everything, beautifully made.
Custom · quoted in 48 hrs
- Full scope as agreed in proposal
- Two revision rounds
- Priority turnaround
- Copyright assigned on delivery
- 30-day post-delivery support
Bespoke Edition
A tailored solution.
Quoted · per project
- Multi-volume or series scope
- Dedicated project manager
- Unlimited revision rounds
- Rush turnaround available
- White-glove delivery
Section 07: Guarantees
Things we put in writing.
Each of these is in your contract, in plain English, on page one.
Author retains 100% of rights.
Copyright transfers to you on final payment. We never licence, resell, or retain any claim on your work.
Fixed price, fixed scope.
The number in the proposal is the number on the invoice. If scope grows, we re-quote in writing before any additional work begins.
KDP-acceptance promise.
If your files are rejected at upload for a technical reason we caused, we fix it free, usually within 24 hours.
Confidentiality, always.
A mutual NDA is signed before any brief is shared. We never disclose client names, titles, or any project detail.
Section 08: How to begin
Four steps from idea to published.
-
Tell us about your project.
A short email or the contact form below. We respond within one working day.
-
Receive a fixed-price proposal.
Within 48 hours you get a written quote, a timeline and a one-page contract. No obligation and no sales follow-up.
-
Approve and we begin.
Work is delivered in agreed stages with review points built in. You're in control at every step.
-
Receive your files.
All deliverables in every format you need, copyright assigned, and 30 days of post-delivery support included.
Section 09: FAQ
Questions we're asked.
What's in the art direction document?
World description, colour palette, character sheets with expressions and poses, environment guides, and a style reference board.
How many spreads are included?
Standard is 24 to 32 spreads. Larger projects are scoped individually.
What file formats do I receive?
Print-ready TIFFs, RGB PNGs for digital and source files, all transferred on final payment.
Who owns the artwork?
Full copyright transfers to you on final payment.
Can the same illustrator do the cover?
Yes. Cover art in the same style is included as part of every storybook package.
Section 10: Related
Often paired with this.
Begin your book.
A fixed-price proposal in 48 hours. No obligation, no follow-up sales call.