Testimonials
It's been my pleasure to help numerous writer's become self-published children's book authors. Here's a small selection of the wonderful comments over the years that authors have said in regards to the artwork for their books and to working with me:
"You asked me to let you know how my book has been received last time we spoke. It has been wonderful! Everyone is impressed with the artwork and those who had not read the story before loved it. I've gotten several notes of congratulations as well. Thank you again for all your work, I'll definately ask you to do the next one as soon as I'm ready."
- Pat Cote (author of "Erin and the Snow Pizza")
"My book is making the rounds. The librarian at Slater/Marietta schools has reviewed it and raved about it. As soon as school gets underway they want me to come in and read it to the children. I've also dropped off a copy at Anderson and Travelers Rest, SC public libraries. Thanks to your illustrations and my story, Valley Dogs is sure to be a hit!"
- Debbie Stewart (author of "The Valley Dogs")
"I already received a couple of copies of Book 1 and it looks great. I sent a copy to my parents and they both were impressed as well. Thanks again for the illustrations and for helping with the publishing. Later today, I'll be sending you Book 2."
- Jivonne N. Prioleau (author of "Clyde" and "Clyde and His Messy Room")
"My copy has arrived from the publisher, Authorhouse. The illustrations are vibrant and fun. The book is beautiful."
- Ginger DeVine (author of "The Missing Goose Egg", "The Missing Pencils", "Hooray for the Circus" and "Where is Tomorrow")
"Once again Mike, you and your skilled staff have come through for me and my project. The attention to detail is not only excellent artistry, but is to be commended. I am very happy with my finished product and thankful once again my vision of the artwork for my project was captured, as I knew it would be. My finished book has been complimented over and over again. The one constant praise by everyone is what a wonderful story and how beautiful and amazing the details are of the illustrations. It was a pleasure working with you and your staff again and I hope to work together on more of my future work."
- Susan E. Estes (author of "The Choice of The Spirit Child" and "Tinycandy's Gift")
"I received the book and it looks absolutely amazing! Everyone that has seen it has been incredibly impressed� I cannot begin to thank you and your staff for the amazing job that you have done on this project!"
- Jeremy Cargile (author of "Melinda and Jeremy")
"When I wrote my book Monster Bash, I never would have imagined the illustrations to be as beautiful as they are. Mike is such a gifted artist. Not only is every page a visual masterpiece, there is humor and sensitivity in his artwork. I feel such a sense of pride when people read the book and they praise the illustrations. I was so fortunate to find and work with Mike Motz. Mike displayed a level of professionalism and artistry that exceeded my expectations."
- Stephanie Shulman (author of "Monster Bash")
"I would like to commend you on your professionalism and the wonderful talent of the artist who did the work. You both made what I thought would be a very arduous experience, extremely easy and enjoyable, and I wouldn't hesitate to use your services again."
- Margaret McMaster (author of "Babysitter, Out of Control")
"I chose Mike Motz's illustration group, as a first time writer, because his website was extremely user friendly. Upon emailing him with primary my desires and ideas, he responded within less than two days, as were all of our other correspondences. He also assisted me with questions outside of his immediate realm and was thoroughly helpful in my finding a reputable publisher. His production of the materials - the black & whites and the colors - came in a far sooner than was agreed upon and were as wonderful as I could have hoped. I would recommend Mike Motz to anyone I know who is looking for an illustrator and definitely plan to use his services for my future books!"
- Kimberly Scott (author of "Mommy, There's a Snotman Standing Next to You")
"It was a great pleasure working with you, Mike. You were very precise, honest and took time out to even talk about certain questions I had. The illustrations came out exactly like I expected. I am very happy with the work. I will definitely hire you again for my next children's book."
- Maria L. Torres-Chaparro (author of "Little Hawk")
"I wanted to say thank you for the wonderful work on creating my illustrations. I gave you a description of my story and you brought my book to life. I never had to ask for any changes, you were always on target. I will be using you for my future books."
- Stephanie Swindle (author of "Pants the Pumpkin")
"My book is in 5 stores and I sell it at tractor shows, etc. It looks amazing and I get compliments from everybody about the illustrations. I have told several people about your website and what excellent work you do, so hopefully you'll get work from the referral. The illustrations are perfect advertising because they are so awesome!"
- Emily Norris (author of "The Three Little Lawnmowers")
"As a first time self-publisher, I was thrilled with the ease of working with Mike. He is professional, committed and has a slew of talented illustrators to make your book come to life. I would recommend him to anyone."
- Laura Cassar (author of "Night of 1,000 Pumpkins")
"I thought I would let you know that our books are in sixteen centers for family services in Utah, as well as homeless and woman's shelters in Oregon and libraries in Kansas. The bright colors in the wonderful illustrations are delighting a lot of kids as we speak. Thanks Mike."
- PJ (Priscilla) Cowan (author of "Giggle, Grump, Gurgle", "PJ's Super Colossol Coloring Book", "Lovely, the Vain Fairy Princess", "The Adventures of Neddy and Teddy Fairy", "The Rescue of Bullyfrog", "One Brown Shoe", "Something Special", "Tilbee Toadlet's Trip to Town", "Rosy the Sweet-Smelling Skunk", and "Giant Question")
"Your illustrations truly brought my book to life and I'll always be grateful to you for that. When I look at it, it's perfect, the way I always envisioned it to be. Your drawings, the vibrant colors, the facial expressions, the details... everything very much to my liking."
- Mark Smythe (author of "The Snowman's Revenge")
"Mike, as a first time author, you have provided me with direction and advice that is priceless. The illustrations are beautiful and really bring the meaning of the book to life. The insight and creativity of the illustrations exceeded my highest expectations! Everyone who has seen the illustrations have been extremely impressed. Thank you for bringing I AM into reality.)"
- Eileen Cianciolo (author of "I Am")
"I have been holding "Bubble Gum Dreams" to myself for many years, not knowing how to go about sharing it, being a first-time author. From the first illustration I received from Mike, I knew I had found the right person. It was the highlight of my day to see what glorious, vibrant vision he would send next. He has brought my words to life and I cannot thank him enough for making a dream come true that I treasure so dearly."
- Mary Ann Castagnetta (author of "Bubble Gum Dreams")
"Mike, working with you has been a pleasure and a blessing! Since this was the first time I needed an illustrator for my first picture book, "Wendy Wonders: Why Are We Different", I was unsure of the process and heard some horror stories. Also because I was on a budget, I thought getting professional looking illustrations would be impossible. But when I came across your website and your sample pictures, I instantly knew I wanted to work with you. Since the first email meeting to the end of this process, you have been timely, accurate and professional! And budget friendly!!! I will definately use you on my next Wendy Wonders Series project. And I look forward to a long working relationship. May God continue to bless you!"
- Wanda Ball (author of "Wendy Wonders: Why Are We Different")
"I found the whole process enjoyable and although my computer skills are limited Mike's website made it easy. Mike was very patient with my requests and the suggestions he made were very helpful. Thanks again Mike."
- Maida Babb (author of "Memories of Home")
"Mike, thanks for all that you have done. You have made publishing my first book a truly enjoyable experience. Your professionalism and expertise has helped streamline the process tremendously. The artwork is amazing and I will definitely be bringing book 2 to you."
- Ryan Tipton (author of "Jade and the Walking Stick")
"I knew from the moment my book was written that I wanted to have professional illustrations help bring my story alive. I searched the internet, made a number of inquiries, and then thankfully discovered your web site. The Mikemotz.com site provided the most helpful information concerning illustrating and publishing books. I contacted you and my project was begun immediately. We communicated by email as I reviewed and commented on the sketches and color illustrations. My project was completed in just three weeks and I now have professional, artistic, and insightful illustrations that are now very much a part of my book."
- Ben Foster (author of "Life Lessons with Twila, George and Bertie")
"I never wrote a book before but I knew it would need pictures because it was a children's book. I couldn't find anyone to draw pictures for my book so I started searching the internet. Mike Motz's name came up. His website was friendly and easy to read. I took a chance and e-mailed Mike. He responded quickly. I was concerned about having slow dial up internet service and he reassured me that we could make it work. I was thrilled with his sketches and even more so with the colored pictures. I found Mike easy to talk to and I love his work."
- Cheryl Graff (author of "Teachers Are People Too")
"This whole experience was better than I expected! Mike Motz was straightforward and professional. All of my questions were answered in a timely manner. And, best of all...he respected my 'vision'. The contract was simple and the payment schedule was fair and easy. This is my first children's book and I can't tell you how amazing it was to see my words come to life with someone I trusted...thanks Mike!."
- Ashley Ganser (author of "Annie Says Hi")
"I had a wonderful time working with you and the process was so easy. Your responses were quick and you answered all my questions. The illustrations are exactly what I was looking for....they are adorable. I can't wait to get my book published. I am hoping to write more children's books and will definitely be using your services in the future! Thanks again for everything!"
- Henna Bhawnani (author of "Sweet Somethings")
"I was searching on the internet for a professional illustrator to portray the vision that I had for my first children's book. When I met Mike Motz, who knew that he would create the most vivid illlustrations I've ever seen! Thanks Mike, it was a real pleasure working with you, and I look forward to working with you again."
- Olympia J. Atkinson (author of "Kendahl and The Vision")
"You folks must have the patience of saints for trying to help new authors like me. I really appreciate your professionalism... I compared the prices and the information on each site before I finally chose you to do my first illustrations. I was taking a leap of faith since we have never met in person. And... this was a very important project for me. It is my first manuscript I want published. Please give my thanks to the illustrator and your staff for a job well done."
- Rinda Webber (author of "Angelique's Secret")
"I am a first time author and Mike and his illustrator made the experience a great one. First, I really appreciated all the information Mike provided about the publishing process and the pros/cons to various approaches. Once I chose to work with Mike the process went very well. Mike was very responsive and a great communicator. His illustrator provided some suggestions on top of my ideas for the illustrations which I really appreciated and incorporated. Last but not least, I love my illustrations. I would definitely work with Mike and his team again."
- Mary Barnes (author of "Is Today a Stay at Home Day?")
"The minute I found Mike's website all my questions were answered.
Everything was easy to understand and the process began to seem so clear!
Mike's illustrations are beautiul and from the time that I first emailed Mike until I received my CD has been a smooth venture. Thank you Mike."
- Melissa Jones (author of "The Blueberry Bandit")
"As a first time author the whole process was so overwhelming. When I found Mike Motz's web site, I felt a lot of the confusion subside as to how to go about getting my book illustrated. Mike was honest and helpful. I started out with 66 illustrations and that many pages for my children's book. Mike helped me to condense my illustrations to 37 and my pages to 31, which was a great savings for me and also helped to make my book a better book. Mike answered my many questions and I felt confident in his advice. The illustrator was great and when he changed the illustration it was always for the better. He was very good about coming up with ideas that made the illustrations even better than I had imagined. Both Mike and the illustrator were very easy to work with and I always was excited to see the next illustration. I would definitely go with Mike Motz again."
- Mary Jo Nyssen (author of "A Colorful Journey through the Land of Talking Letters")
"After a rather extensive internet search, I decided to get quotations from 4-5 potential illustrators. Ultimately, I selected Mike Motz illustrations because he offered the best combination of price & quality. His pictures are a wonderful enhancement to my story. I just hope that I can be as good at my craft as he is at his."
- Chandler McEwan (author of "O'Toole's Orchard")
"I don't know where to start to begin thanking you. You are such a gifted man and I'm so grateful to have been in touch with you and have you illustrate my book. With a brief description of what I wanted my characters to look like, you managed to bring them to life and they are beautiful. I received my first book in the mail today and when I opened up the box I cried with joy. The illustrations help tell the story that I have wanted to express for sometime. The colors are bright and beautiful and you can't help but fall in love with the Roo family. This evening I met with a friend and showed her the book, she read it and started crying (it appears it's a theme) and was just blown away by the story and illustrations and it touched my heart. So, from the bottom of my heart I want so sincerely thank you for making my dream come true. You are so gifted and interpreted my explanation precisely. I can't wait to work with you again. With admiration and gratitude..."
- Karen Below (author of "The Adventures of Koko and Joey - Family")
"Just passing along some positive feedback on the illustrations you created for Life Around a Lake. We haven't yet marketed the book for sale, but we've distributed almost 100 books to family, friends, and organizations that help underprivileged children. People consistently comment about your wonderful drawing style and use of vivid happy colors. We've also been very pleased with the CreateSpace self-publishing. Thanks again for your quality work. It was a pleasure doing business with you."
- Margie Young (author of "Life Around a Lake")
"I just wanted to let you know that I am so happy with how Samuel Rigby turned out! It is awesome! You did such an outstanding job, and I've had so many positive comments on the artwork! And Will has done a great job too. He explained all the Amazon information regarding accounts, sales, etc. He's a really nice guy."
- Ann Vance (author of "Samuel Rigby Loves Bugs")
"Just wanted to thank you and your illustrating team for all you did to help me get my first book finished and published! The artwork is amazing and you were able to capture the vision that I was wanting for my illustrations perfectly. I have gotten so many wonderful comments on the artwork and will definitely recommend you to anyone who is looking for an illustrator! I just wanted to let you know that my book received the Readers' Favorite Awards Bronze Medal in the picture book category."
- Cathy Leininger (author of "The Cow That Mooed Boo")
"This email is just to let you know how happy I am with the way my book turned out. I've gotten so much positive feedback on it. Everyone loves the colorful, whimsical illustrations! I'm working on another book and will definitely be in touch again when it's time for illustrations. In the meantime, I'll continue spreading the word about MikeMotz.com. Thanks again."
- Cheryl Woodward (author of "Bountiful Butterflies")
"Just want to say it was a pleasure to work with you. If I had known the process was going to be as relatively simple as it was, I would have self published
sooner. I believe that being able to achieve everything with one individual is what made it all so effortless. Your illustrator was also very accommodating and well informed. Thanks again for everything."
- Roberta Eng (author of "Weird Wacky Wonderful Wilma")
