We’re here to offer no-nonsense advice for illustrators and image-makers navigating a creative career. At The Good Ship Illustration, we are all about finding y...
Is there enough work for illustrators? The truth about illustration jobs in 2025 - a rising tide floats all boats 🚢🚢🚢
Doors to the Business Course (for illustrators!) are open TONIGHT! We're going to be having a chat over on Instagram and you're more than welcome to bring your business of illustration questions along. Be lovely to see you there. We're @thegoodshipillustration over on Insta.🚢This week, we’re diving into the live illustration industry. How much work is actually out there, how to get it, and whether it’s the right fit for you.We grilled our Katie and found asked her...Is there really loads of work for illustrators, or has it been a slow year?What’s this new Illustrator Jobs Board all about? (Live illustration gigs, client budgets, and real-life illustration job opportunities.)What actually happens in a live illustration session?How much do clients pay for live scribing, and how can you charge more?If you’ve wondered about going into live illustration - or just want to see what clients are paying - this episode's for you!p.s. If you’re curious about Katie’s Live Illustration Jobs Board, you can find it over on Substack here.Timestamps:00:25 The big debate: good year / bad year 01:50 Why 2024 was overwhelming 03:15 The Jobs Board experiment 04:40 What kinds of jobs are coming in? 06:00 UK vs. international jobs (and why some illustrators have upped their rates after seeing the budgets). 07:15 What actually happens at a live illustration gig? Is it really 8 hours of solid drawing? 08:30 What do clients want from a live illustrator? 09:40 The most requested topics: AI, data, and… scrubbing data with a sponge? 11:00 How much do clients pay for live illustration? 12:15 The tech side: Do you need to be a tech whiz to do this work? 13:30 Live illustration vs. fashion illustration gigs 14:45 The Jobs Board results so far 15:30 Should you try live illustration? The skills overlap with mapping, editorial, and even school visits 16:50 Katie’s Live Illustration Course is coming soon! (If this episode got you excited, stay tuned 🤓).If you like the sound of the live illustration course, you can register your interest here.See you next time! Byeee 🚢💨Come and say hello! ✏️ @thegoodshipillustration🌏 www.thegoodshipillustration.comp.s. We love answering your illustration questions. Click here to submit your question for The Good Ship Illustration Podcast 🎙
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14:51
Feelin' guilty about not drawing as much lately? [A Good Ship Illustration permission slip]
"I'm not drawing as much anymore - Aghhhhh! Is this ok!?"If you feel like you’re not drawing as much as you “should”, then you’re definitely, absolutely not alone. In this episode, we share our drawing ebbs and flows, why guilt often sneaks in, and how to let yourself off the hook when life gets lifey.We chat about:The natural phases of a creative career (and why it’s A-OK not to be drawing all the time).Why forcing yourself to draw can backfire.How other creative stuff like sewing or gardening can feed your illustration work.Finding the balance between illustration, work, and real life.How to quiet the mean voice in your head.See you in there!Come and say hello! ✏️ @thegoodshipillustration🌏 www.thegoodshipillustration.comp.s. We love answering your illustration questions. Click here to submit your question for The Good Ship Illustration Podcast 🎙
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13:34
What size should your picture book be? (And other silly mistakes to avoid.)
🚢 The Picture Book Course closes TONIGHT!In this episode, we’re tackling three of the biggest picture book questions we hear all the time:1. What size should my picture book be? 2. Do I need kids to write picture books? 3. How do I get my book in front of a publisher? (So that they actually SEE it.)If you’ve been agonising over book dimensions, stressing about margins, or wondering whether your book must be a certain size before a publisher will even look at it, this episode's for you! Plus, we grill our Helen all about how publishers actually work, find out why your picture book does not need to be fully finished before you pitch it, and learn a sneaky way to speed up your storytelling skills (hint: it involves buying lots of books. Oh no, what a shame. Heh.)p.s. The Picture Book Course closes TONIGHT! If you're listening on Friday 21st Feb 2025, this is your last chance to hop jump and skip aboard before the doors close.The world has a your-picture-book-shaped hole in it.Let's fix that.It's time!Click here to read all about the Picture Book Course.Timestamps:00:25 Question: “What size should my picture book be?” 01:10 The real answer 02:50 What actually matters more than page size? 04:00 Bookshop logistics: Why your book needs to fit on a shelf. 06:15 Do publishers ever tell you the exact dimensions? 07:05 The BIG mistake 09:10 Why publishers love flexible illustrators. 10:30 The magic of working with an art director 12:05 The storytelling trick we might steal from Sydney Smith (Sydney Smith if you're reading this, it's a joke. 👀) 14:00 Should you apply to publishers, or just self-publish? 15:45 How to find the perfect publisher for your book. 17:10 Second question: “Can you write picture books if you don’t have kids?” 18:00 The surprising list of famous picture book authors who never had children. 19:30 The secret to writing picture books with emotion (even if you’re not around kids every day). 21:00 School visits, nannying, and other sneaky ways to absorb children’s interests. 22:00 Final call! The Picture Book Course closes TONIGHT at midnight! 🚀Join us over on Instagram (@thegoodshipillustration) for Art Club Live TONIGHT at 7pm UK time! Be lovely to see you there.x Come and say hello! ✏️ @thegoodshipillustration🌏 www.thegoodshipillustration.comp.s. We love answering your illustration questions. Click here to submit your question for The Good Ship Illustration Podcast 🎙
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20:15
The secret to *actually finishing* your picture book ❤️
First things first, we've got to let you know that the doors to the Picture Book Course are FINALLY OPEN AGAIN today! We'll officially fling 'em open tonight at Art Club (7 pm UK time over on Instagram. Our IG username is @thegoodshipillustration.) See you there! 🚢Right, back to the podcast show notes.In this episode, we’re answering a brilliant question from Lou, who asks:"I've got a picture book for adults. Is that a terrible idea?"The short answer = not necessarily, but it could be a tricky sell to publishers.The longer answer = this podcast episode! We discuss bookshop logistics, sneaky ways to get an illustrated book into adult sections, and why tweaking your idea just a little bit might make it way easier to get published.Plus, we talk about what to do when your mind is pinballing between story ideas, and how to anchor your book in a way that makes finishing it muuuuuch more likely.p.s. The Picture Book Course is OPEN! If you're listening before 21st Feb 2025, the doors are still wide open. Scramble aboard before they close for another year!Timestamps:00:25 Question: “Can a picture book for adults work, or should I pivot to kids?” 01:10 The practical problem: Where would it actually go in a bookshop? 02:50 Illustrated fiction for adults: Rare, but not impossible! 04:00 Gift books, philosophy books, and sneaky ways to get into the right section. 06:15 The Charlie Mackesy effect (a rare publishing phenomenon). 07:05 Should you self-publish? A way to test the waters. 08:40 Question 2: “How do I stop my story ideas from fizzling out?” 09:10 The pinball problem: Too many ideas, not enough finished books. 10:00 How we created Salty (and why anchoring your characters makes writing a lot easier). 11:30 A game-changing tip: Make a “character questionnaire” to build stronger stories. 13:45 Reminder: The Picture Book Course is open for one week only! We’ll be back next Friday with more questions and one last reminder before the course doors close.Join us over on Instagram (@thegoodshipillustration) for Art Club Live on Friday 14th Feb & Friday 21st Feb at 7pm UK time! See you there!Come and say hello! ✏️ @thegoodshipillustration🌏 www.thegoodshipillustration.comp.s. We love answering your illustration questions. Click here to submit your question for The Good Ship Illustration Podcast 🎙
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15:20
Saying no as an illustrator: dropping projects can boost your career.
Juggling too many plates, saying yes to everything, and wondering if it’s time to let something go... It's not a fun place to be. (And all three of us have been there, got the frazzled t-shirt). In this episode, we share the projects, jobs, and ideas we’ve binned along the way to make room for the shiny new stuff.We chat about:Why it’s okay to drop what isn’t working (even when you love parts of it).Illustrator school visits, online shops, and in-person events.The power of saying no. NOOOO!How dropping things helps you focus on what you’re brilliant at.Links MentionedWe made you some workshops and resources to help you navigate a creative career: The Good Ship FreebiesCome and say hello! ✏️ @thegoodshipillustration🌏 www.thegoodshipillustration.comp.s. We love answering your illustration questions. Click here to submit your question for The Good Ship Illustration Podcast 🎙
We’re here to offer no-nonsense advice for illustrators and image-makers navigating a creative career. At The Good Ship Illustration, we are all about finding your creative voice, standing out from the crowd, building career-longevity, and being yourself. We're Helen Stephens, Katie Chappell and Tania Willis - 3 full-time bread-winning (mmm, bread) illustrators working in 3 separate niches of the illustration industry. Between us, we've clocked up over 70 years of experience and illustration wisdom, and we're here to share it!You’d love your creative work if only you could find more time to do it, make more money, and feel confident with what you make. We believe you DO have what it takes, illustration needn’t be scary, and we’re with you all the way, along with the rest of the crew in our online community.
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