Leah Palmer Preiss

Leah Palmer Preiss – Designer

I'm a professional freelance illustrator & calligrapher for fantasy & children's books. ~~ I love to make words & images dance!

Overview

I'm a professional freelance illustrator & calligrapher with extensive experience in book & magazine publishing, especially fantasy & children's books.


I can create imaginative & meticulous cover art (both digitally & with traditional media) as well as hand-lettering your title, to make your cover really stand out.


My illustrations and calligraphy have been selected for numerous art & design annuals & competitions, including Communication Arts, Society of Illustrators, Print, Spectrum, Visual Club, and RSVP. Please see my work experience for a partial list of past clients.


My cover fees start at $1250 & my digital process usually takes 6-8 weeks from start to finish. I'm not currently taking on fully illustrated picture books due to schedule limitations, but will consider interior spot illustrations as well as covers.


Thanks so much for considering me for your book!

Leah

Services
Fiction
Fantasy Humor & Comedy Middle Grade Middle Grade Fantasy Picture Books
Non-Fiction
Nature
Languages
English

Work experience

Self-employed

Jun, 1980 — Present

I've been working as an illustrator & title lettering artist for over 30 years. My illustrations and calligraphy have appeared in numerous art & design annuals, including Communication Arts, Society of Illustrators, Print, Spectrum, Visual Club, and RSVP.

CLIENTS INCLUDE:

Book Publishers:

HarperCollins; Hyperion; Disney; Little, Brown; Houghton-Mifflin Harcourt; Penguin; Random House; Candlewick; Macmillan; Viking; Henry Holt; Algonquin; David R. Godine; Penguin NZ; Hazard Press (NZ); Tarn Publishing (NZ)

Periodicals:

New York Times; Utne Reader; GAMES; Urbanite; Santa Fe Reporter; Horticulture; Eating Well; Woman’s Day; Delta Sky; Cricket; Spider; Ladybug; Cicada; Cobblestone; Weekly Reader

Portfolio

Winner of the 2017 Newbery Award The New York Times Bestseller An Entertainment Weekly Best Middle Grade Book of 2016 A New York Public Library Best Book of 2016 A Chicago Public Library Best Book of 2016 An Amazon Top 20 Best Book of 2016 A Publishers Weekly ... read more
The Old Man and the Cat

Anthony Holcroft

This is a stunningly illustrated story told in the style of a traditional fairy tale. An old man who lives near a forest looks and wonders at a tree full of birds on the river bank. He longs for them to come near him but they always stay away. When the old man... read more
The Kowalski family was a normal, middle-class family until the night of the "incident". From that day forward, Caitlin Kowalski is thrown into a depression so all-consuming it threatens to tear her family apart. Her husband, Henry, is trying his best to hold ... read more
Venturess

Betsy Cornwell

The young inventor Nicolette Lampton is living her own fairy-tale happy ending. She's free of her horrible stepfamily, running a successful business, and is uninterested in marrying the handsome prince, Fin. Instead, she, Fin, and their friend Caro venture to ... read more
A stunning debut about a magician’s apprentice and a one-winged princess who must vanquish the mechanical monsters that stalk the streets and threaten the faerie kingdom. Aspiring inventor and magician’s apprentice Felix Carmer III would rather be tinkering wi... read more
Haven Terra is a brainy, shy high school outcast. But everything changes when she isawarded a prestigious internship at a posh Chicago hotel under the watchful eyes of agroup of gorgeous strangers: the powerful and alluring hotel owner Aurelia Brown; hersecond... read more

Leah has 14 reviews

Professionalism

Quality

Value

Responsiveness

Mark C.

Mark C.

Apr, 2024

Leah was fantastic to work with again. She's done 3 covers for me, and I will continue to use her in the future.
Garrett G.

Garrett G.

Nov, 2023

I cannot say enough nice things about my experience with Leah! She is an amazing artist who captured my suggestions in a way I couldn’t have even imagined. Aside from her exceptional talent, her business acumen has been stellar. Not only has she been energetic, communicative, and professional, she did it in a way you would think you were working with your best friend. I can only hope I get to w...
Read more
Mark C.

Mark C.

Jun, 2023

Leah is fantastic to work with. Her artwork in impeccable.
Maram T.

Maram T.

May, 2023

Love working with Leah!
Mark C.

Mark C.

Feb, 2023

Leah exceeded my expectations and delivered a fantastic cover for my book!

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