iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

anoosha syed ✏️ @anooshasyed.com · 21/06/2025

That’s what got me here!!! Everyone starts off as a beginner, but the ones who succeed are the people who keep pushing and believe in themselves to get better, especially thru all the ‘ugly art’. It’s a necessary part of the process haha. Read the full post here: open.substack.com/pub/anooshas...

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anoosha syed ✏️ @anooshasyed.com · 21/06/2025

Our school was small; so no internships, no visiting pros, no career pipeline like my friends had at CalArts or Sheridan. I didn’t have the same connections or resources, and it constantly felt like I was behind. SO I worked 10x harder to catch up. I wasn’t the best. But I was consistent.

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anoosha syed ✏️ @anooshasyed.com · 21/06/2025

In high school, being the only one who could kind of draw, I was the ‘art kid’. People would say ‘wow, you could work at Disney!!’ But uh… my work wasn’t great lol. I was a big fish in a small pond. I wasn’t good…. But I believed in myself and it made me want to get better!

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anoosha syed ✏️ @anooshasyed.com · 21/06/2025

This is Lesson #1 in my new series “10 Lessons from 10 Years”; a look back at the messy, non-linear career journey that got me to where I am now.

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anoosha syed ✏️ @anooshasyed.com · 11/06/2025

I made a video walking you through my entire TEN YEAR career journey year by year. From my first book deal to burnout, creative pivots, and figuring out how to be an artist and a parent at the same time. Watch here: youtu.be/QzfOuBQqJD0

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anoosha syed ✏️ @anooshasyed.com · 16/05/2025

My book LOST STICK won the Blue Spruce award of the Forest of Reading; Canada’s largest recreational reading program! ✨✨✨ I was told that 10k schoolchildren across Canada voted for my book. Thank you kids and the Ontario Library Association! I am now a multi-award winner hehe

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anoosha syed ✏️ @anooshasyed.com · 26/04/2025

Say hello to my new portfolio!! 🙌 A hub for everything Anoosha, all my creative work, and my free accessible art resources! Check it out at anooshasyed.com

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anoosha syed ✏️ @anooshasyed.com · 23/04/2025

Find the full blog post here: open.substack.com/pub/anooshas...

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anoosha syed ✏️ @anooshasyed.com · 02/03/2025

Ramadan Mubarak 🌙 I pray that everyone has blessed month of peace, self-improvement, spiritual growth and forgiveness. I have such FOMO since I am not able to fast this year again but hope to make the most of Ramadan in the ways that I can.

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anoosha syed ✏️ @anooshasyed.com · 10/02/2025

✏️ Which of these skills do you already have, and which are you working on? Let me know in the comments!

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anoosha syed ✏️ @anooshasyed.com · 10/02/2025

✨ Can your characters express emotions clearly? Do your compositions create movement and flow? Can you maintain consistency across multiple pages? These are just a few of the essential skills every children’s book illustrator needs.

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anoosha syed ✏️ @anooshasyed.com · 10/02/2025

Publishers aren’t just looking for beautiful illustrations; they want artists who can bring stories to life in a way that resonates with young readers, and know HOW to create publishing specific artwork. Thread: #kidlit

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anoosha syed ✏️ @anooshasyed.com · 06/02/2025

♥️My new book THE SALT PRINCESS is on sale until 2/7!♥️ Use code PREORDER25 at Barnes&Noble for a 25% discount on all upcoming books, plus another 10% off for Premium members! This is a great time to preorder all your favourite new books :) Find it here: www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-salt-p...

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anoosha syed ✏️ @anooshasyed.com · 04/02/2025

In this post, I’m breaking down the six main types of children’s books you can illustrate so you can get a better idea of what might be the best fit for your work. Are you drawn to bold, simple illustrations for younger readers? Or do you prefer creating expressive artwork for storytelling?

Graphic Novels (Ages 6-18)

✔️ Illustration Style: Comic-style sequential art
✔️ Page Count: 50-300+ pages
✔️ Text: Dialogue-heavy, told through panels

Graphic novels blend text and visuals equally with panels and speech bubbles. They range from early readers to young adult audiences and can be black & white or full color. They have a long page count plus multiples panels per page equaling to a lot of art!

Best for illustrators who: Love storytelling through sequential art and can work smarter and faster

Book Covers (Ages 8+)

✔️ Illustration Style: Single, polished artwork (sometimes wrap-around)
✔️ Text: None (other than title design)

Illustrated book covers are most common in Middle Grade (8-12) and Young Adult (12-18) fiction. Cover art needs to capture the book’s mood, audience, and genre at a glance.

Best for illustrators who: Prefer creating standalone images with strong composition. Usually requires a more mature style. Lettering skills are a plus!

Which Category is Right for You?

There’s no one right path—many illustrators explore multiple categories!

Which one fits your style the best? Let us know in the comments!

Save this post and follow for more portfolio tips.

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anoosha syed ✏️ @anooshasyed.com · 04/02/2025

There are many ways to work as a children’s illustrator, and each book category has its own unique format, audience, and artistic style. Some illustrators specialize in one area, while others adapt their work across multiple categories.

✔️ Illustration Style: Full-color, expressive, detailed
✔️ Page Count: Usually 32 pages, but can be any multiples of 8 like 24, 40, or 48
✔️ Text: Typically under 500 words, but varies

Picture books rely heavily on visual storytelling, where illustrations enhance minimal text. They can come in any genre and a variety of styles and medium.

Best for illustrators who: Enjoy storytelling through visuals, character-driven narratives, and creating immersive worlds.

Board Books (Ages 0-5)

✔️ Illustration Style: Simple, bold, high-contrast images
✔️ Page Count: 8-24 pages (shorter than picture books)
✔️ Text: Minimal (sometimes wordless), usually under 300 words

Board books are designed for babies and toddlers, meaning they need sturdy pages, rounded edges, and interactive elements (lift-the-flap, die-cuts, textures).

Best for illustrators who: Prefer graphic, minimalist styles and enjoy designing for very young readers.

Early Readers (Ages 4-8)

✔️ Illustration Style: Full-color, but simpler than picture books
✔️ Page Count: 32-60 pages
✔️ Text: Up to 1,500 words, structured for early reading skills

Early readers bridge the gap between picture books and chapter books. Pages have a balance of lengthier text, spot illos and spreads. These books are often part of series.

Best for illustrators who: Enjoy creating fun, structured visuals that help kids learn to read.

Chapter Books (Ages 6-12)

✔️ Illustration Style: Black-and-white illustrations, sometimes with a spot color
✔️ Page Count: 100-180 pages
✔️ Text: 5,000-15,000 words

Chapter books have few illustrations and focus more on text-based storytelling. Illustrations are usually one per chapter or scattered throughout to enhance key moments in the story. Because of the paper used the art is done in black and white and sometimes an accent color.

Best for illustrators who: Prefer black-and-white artwork

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anoosha syed ✏️ @anooshasyed.com · 04/02/2025

Thinking about illustrating children’s books but not sure where to start? Here are 6 ways to work as a children’s illustrator ✏️📚 #kidlit Thread:

6 Ways to Work as a Children’s Illustrator
(Not all children’s book illustration jobs are the same! Here are the main categories in publishing and how they differ.)

By Anoosha Syed

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anoosha syed ✏️ @anooshasyed.com · 30/01/2025

Have you ever realized you were charging too little? How did end up adjusting your pricing? If you guys like these types of posts, let me know! I could do a whole series on pricing if you want 😅

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anoosha syed ✏️ @anooshasyed.com · 30/01/2025

✸ Pricing your work as an artist can seem like a complete mystery, but staying at the same rate for too long can hold you back. If you’re constantly overbooked, struggling to cover expenses, or feeling undervalued, it’s probably time for an increase!

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anoosha syed ✏️ @anooshasyed.com · 30/01/2025

Are you undercharging for your work? ✏️Here are 5 signs it’s time to raise your rates. Scroll to see the key signs you’re undercharging and what you can do about it. #arttips

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anoosha syed ✏️ @anooshasyed.com · 20/01/2025

See all books mentioned here: bookshop.org/lists/muslim...

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anoosha syed ✏️ @anooshasyed.com · 20/01/2025

I know how important it is for kids to see themselves in the stories they read and a positive representation of their faith—esp in schools, where diverse books can make such a big difference. In a time of so much Islamophobia, it is more important than ever to support these books/creators.

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anoosha syed ✏️ @anooshasyed.com · 20/01/2025

January is #MuslimHeritageMonth and it is all about celebrating the history, culture, and contributions of Muslim communities. Here are some books I love from Muslim creators (including myself!) #kidlit ⬇️🌙📖

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anoosha syed ✏️ @anooshasyed.com · 15/01/2025

If you’re curious about the details—like my expenses, planning mat leave, navigating freelancing with big life changes, or tackling the challenges in the arts industry—I’ve shared a full breakdown on my Substack. open.substack.com/pub/anooshas...

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anoosha syed ✏️ @anooshasyed.com · 15/01/2025

My Challenges This Year: 💸Loss of Income Streams: Closing my Patreon, losing animation gigs, and removing affiliate links. 🎒Decline in School Visits: Only 7 visits this year compared to 31 in 2023. ✏️Fewer Client Projects: A significant downturn in bookwork inquiries and freelance gigs.

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anoosha syed ✏️ @anooshasyed.com · 15/01/2025

3️⃣ Maternity Benefits: I planned ahead to make sure I was covered during my leave. 4️⃣ Miscellaneous Income: Guest speaking, gallery sales, and YouTube ad revenue—though much less than usual with my limited capacity.

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anoosha syed ✏️ @anooshasyed.com · 15/01/2025

💵 income sources (Highest to Lowest): 1️⃣ Royalties: For the first time, royalties surpassed client work! That’s Not My Name! earned out, and it was such a proud moment. 2️⃣ Book Advances: I worked on 4 books, including The Salt Princess (coming in April—so excited for you to see it!).

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anoosha syed ✏️ @anooshasyed.com · 15/01/2025

✨ My 2024 Artist Salary Breakdown ✨ This year was a unique one for me as I was navigating maternity leave while continuing my career as a freelance author/illustrator. With half the year off, I expected a major dip in income. But surprisingly, I still reached six figures. Here’s how:

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anoosha syed ✏️ @anooshasyed.com · 07/01/2025

What were your wins in 2024? :)

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anoosha syed ✏️ @anooshasyed.com · 07/01/2025

Here’s what I got up to in 2024 as an illustrator and new mom! 🎒✏️

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anoosha syed ✏️ @anooshasyed.com · 26/12/2024

Happy holidays everyone!!! ✨#illustration

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anoosha syed ✏️ @anooshasyed.com · 17/12/2024

#artvsartist Between pregnancy, maternity leave, and my move to Texas, I didn’t do any personal art this year! I had four book releases and did some diary comics but hope to do more experimental stuff next year! See my past years below ✨

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anoosha syed ✏️ @anooshasyed.com · 08/12/2024

Yippee! LOST STICK was accepted into the SOI annual exhibit 🥰 #kidlit

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anoosha syed ✏️ @anooshasyed.com · 05/12/2024

Some picture books have a second ‘secret’ cover under their jacket… here are the two covers for my book LOST STICK! #kidlit

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anoosha syed ✏️ @anooshasyed.com · 29/11/2024

If you’ve ever wanted to purchase an original painting or print from me, now is your chance! 🌸🙌 @gallerynucleus.bsky.social has their Black Friday sale from now until Dec 2nd. Use code THANKS20 for 20% off! gallerynucleus.com/artists/anoo...

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anoosha syed ✏️ @anooshasyed.com · 29/11/2024

Did you know it’s #nationalillustrationday today? I’ve been illustrating for almost a decade, and while I mostly do children’s books, I also dabble in editorial and surface illustration!

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anoosha syed ✏️ @anooshasyed.com · 25/11/2024

Travel sketches from last year 🌷🌸

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anoosha syed ✏️ @anooshasyed.com · 22/11/2024

Please share your blue art! 💙🦋

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