Bringing Stories to Life: An Illustrators Journey with Self-Published Children’s Book Authors
Updated: Sep 13
Erin is joined by her friend, co-worker, and illustrator Justin Dunn on today's episode of Press Publish. Justin uses his art to bring the author’s words to life on the page. Tune into their discussion on how Justin started as an illustrator and where he is now. From starting on Etsy to illustrating multiple books at a time, Justin shares his many experiences and lessons learned while working with self-published authors.
As an artist, you have to acknowledge your uniqueness and talents. It is easy to compare your work to others on social media, but recognizing the skills you bring to the table is so valuable.
When working with authors, it is important to have trust in one another that you are looking after each other’s best interests. Justin sets clear expectations with each of his authors from the beginning. He creates the space for authors to feel comfortable critiquing and making changes to his illustrations, ensuring them that no feelings will be hurt in the process. His goal is always to create characters that make the story come to life, even if that means going back to the drawing board a few times.
Beyond illustrations, Justin decided to publish from the other side as an author. He was curious about the self-publishing process and wanted to understand the joy of publishing by bringing a personal vision to life on the page. After hitting publish on his first book, he can now make more informed decisions with publishing and make his systems better for his own publishings and clients’.
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Keep Up With Erin and Justin on Instagram!
