Hire the best Editorial Illustration professionals

From infographics to weekly cartoons, editorial illustrators aim to make content more fun and engaging for readers.

So how do you hire editorial illustrators? What follows are some tips for finding top editorial illustrators on Upwork.

How to shortlist editorial illustration professionals

As you’re browsing available editorial illustration consultants, it can be helpful to develop a shortlist of the professionals you may want to interview. You can screen profiles on criteria such as:

• Aesthetic fit. You want an editorial illustrator who understands the art direction your brand is trying to use.
• Project experience. Screen candidate profiles for specific skills and experience (e.g., turning charts, graphs, and stats into infographics).
• Feedback. Check reviews from past clients for glowing testimonials or red flags that can tell you what it’s like to work with a particular editorial illustrator.

How to write an effective editorial illustration job post

With a clear picture of your ideal editorial illustrator in mind, it’s time to write that job post. Although you don’t need a full job description as you would when hiring an employee, aim to provide enough detail for a freelancer to know if they’re the right fit for the project.

An effective editorial illustration job post should include:

• Scope of work: From magazine covers to article graphics, list all the deliverables you’ll need.
• Project length: Your job post should indicate whether this is a smaller or larger project.
• Background: If you prefer experience with certain industries or design tools, mention this here.
• Budget: Set a budget and note your preference for hourly rates vs. fixed-price contracts.

Ready to create cartoons, cover art, and other graphics for your print publications? Log in and post your editorial illustration job on Upwork today.

EDITORIAL ILLUSTRATORS FAQs

What is editorial illustration? 

Editorial illustration is the practice of creating artwork for publications such as newspapers and magazines.

Here’s a quick overview of the skills you should look for in editorial illustration professionals:

• Editorial illustration
• Vector illustration
• Cartooning
• Graphic design tools (e.g., Adobe Illustrator, GIMP, Inkscape)

Why do you want to hire editorial illustrators?

The trick to finding top editorial illustrators is to identify your needs. Is your goal to create eye-popping visuals for a magazine spread? Or do you need a cartoonist to contribute satirical cartoons to your newspaper? The cost of your project will depend largely on your scope of work and the specific skills needed to bring your project to life.

How much does it cost to hire an editorial illustrator?

Rates can vary due to many factors, including expertise and experience, location, and market conditions.

• An experienced editorial illustrator may command higher fees but also work faster, have more-specialized areas of expertise, and deliver higher-quality work.
• A freelancer who is still in the process of building a client base may price their editorial illustrations more competitively.

Which one is right for you will depend on the specifics of your project.

How long should you contract an editorial illustrator to complete your project?

As difficult as it is to estimate how long you will need an editorial illustrator, budgeting time is very important to keeping your project on track.

Be prepared to budget more time for more-demanding editorial illustration projects. For example, designing art for a single magazine spread will typically take less time than transforming data into a series of infographics.

What are the steps involved to hire editorial illustrators?

Here’s how to hire editorial illustration consultants in four simple steps:

1. Identify your project needs, whether it’s designing a book cover or drawing a satirical cartoon.
2. Define the scope of work and write a detailed job post. Be specific about deliverables (e.g., contribute a weekly cartoon for the Sunday newspaper).
3. Review proposals and shortlist potential editorial illustrators for unique skills needed to bring your project to life (e.g., creating a mosaic out of thousands of photos).
4. Interview editorial illustration talent to gauge whether they’re the right fit for your project. Here are some sample interview questions.