Industry Insider – How to make a living as a children’s author and illustrator

Making enough money from book sales alone is hard. So how do most children’s authors and illustrators make a living? Our expert panel Tọlá Okogwu, Anna C Wilson, Rikin Parekh and Steve Cole will talk about income streams including making the most of both traditional publishing and self-publishing, school visits, funding opportunities, teaching and more. 

This event is in conjunction with our Children’s Writers and Illustrators Group.

Online Industry Insider events – free for all + donation

All donations made go towards the Society of Authors’ Access Fund. The fund is to help provide authors support for travel, subsistence, childcare or access needs for events, residencies, and retreats. If you would like to make a donation with your booking, please do so when registering for the event below.

What will this session cover? 

• How to find sources of income as a children’s writer and illustrator

Programme

• Welcome, introductions and housekeeping from Steve Cole (3 mins)
• Panel discussion chaired by Steve Cole, with Tọlá Okogwu, Rikin Parekh and Anna C Wilson (40 mins)
• Q&A with audience (15 mins)
• Summary and closing comments (2 mins)
• This event will be moderated by Hope Norman – Membership and Author Communities Administrator, SoA

The Line-up

Steve Cole

Steve Cole is a prolific British children’s author with sales of over 3 million copies. His work has spanned many genres, from science fiction and adventure to ‘cli-fi’, comedy and graphic novels. In addition, he is Creative Editor for BBC Books’ Doctor Who list. He lives in Aylesbury Vale.

BlueSky: @stevecolewriter.bsky.social | X: @stevecolebooks

Tọlá Okogwu

Tọlá Okogwu is an award-winning, best-selling children’s author of the Onyeka, Daddy Do My Hair and Aziza’s Secret Fairy Door (as Lola Morayo) series. A literacy advocate, she founded Read Bold, Wide and Beyond, encouraging children to build confidence and explore diverse genres. Tọlá lives in Kent with her family.

Website: tolaokogwu.com | Instagram/Threads: @tolaokogwu

Rikin Parekh

Rikin Parekh studied Foundation Studies in Art at Camberwell College of Arts and then Illustration at the University of Westminster, Harrow. He primarily worked as a Storyboard Artist/Creature Designer in the Film industry, while also working in retail, selling books for a national chain, and then on a Film/TV streaming site. He currently spends his time between working as a primary school SEND Learning Support Assistant, caring for his mother and writing/illustrating Children’s books. When he’s not drawing, you’ll probably find him at the cinema, the zoo, a museum, dog-sitting, or at a Comic Con with friends.

He is currently working on his second Author/Illustrator picture book and lots of other fun projects.

Website: www.rikinparekh.com | Instagram: @r1k1n_parekh | Bluesky: @rikinparekh.bsky.social

Anna C Wilson

Anna Wilson started her career as a picture book editor at Macmillan Children’s Books. She went on to be a Commissioning Editor at HarperCollins Children’s Books; the role included looking after the Paddington list for which she has since written two novels as a freelancer: Paddington 2 and Paddington in Peru, the books of the movies.

Anna freelanced for Puffin and Bloomsbury for many years, the highlight of this time being the job of proofreading Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. She has written 60 books for children ranging from picture books and non-fiction through young fiction titles to middle grade and young teen. Her best-selling titles include the Wainwright Nature Prize shortlisted Grandpa and the Kingfisher, the ALCS Education Award shortlisted non-fiction title, Nature Month-by-Month, a Children’s Almanac and her young fiction series Vlad the World’s Worst Vampire, which has been translated into 15 languages.

She has been a World Book Day author, a Richard and Judy Book Club pick, an Empathy Lab pick, and a choice for the Summer Reading Challenge. Her picture books and non-fiction titles for younger readers focus on our connection with and responsibility to the natural world. When Anna is not writing, she is leading essay workshops for the Royal Literary Fund or teaching others to write for Arvon, the HarperCollins Author Academy and the London Writers’ Salon. She is a Royal Literary Fund Fellow and lives near Penzance.

About the Children’s Writers and Illustrators Group (CWIG)

Our Children’s Writers and Illustrators Group (CWIG) is a professional community of writers and illustrators who create content for the children’s publishing market.

We campaign as a group on issues of specific relevance to us, as well as raising the profile of children’s books more generally. 

An elected committee directs the work of the group, and it is managed day to day by coordinator Sarah Burton. Please see the CWIG committee page for details and deadlines for upcoming vacancies.

Send us your questions

If you would like to send questions in advance, email HNorman@societyofauthors.org with ‘Making a living as a children’s author and illustrator’ in the subject header.

Accessibility

• Attendees will have the option to turn on the live transcript, to watch with subtitles
• If you require BSL interpretation for this event, please email events@societyofauthors.org

Booking

Please either use the form titled ‘Register – no donation’ or the option of the different ticket options with a donation amount depending on how much you would like to donate towards the Society of Authors Access Fund.