Indie authors are the lifeblood of what I do, creating illustrated character art, author portraits for their marketing and even full book covers. I work with authors who match my values and it’s time to shine a light on these wonderful people!

Hello Vie! Please introduce us to yourself and your books!

Hello! I’m Vie Portland and I help people Find Their Fabulous! One of the ways I do this is through my inclusive children’s picture books. In my first two books the main character goes on different imaginary adventures with her mum; Emily, the main character, has a limb difference but it’s not part of the story, as I wanted readers to see we all have far more in common than what makes us different.

My third children’s book doesn’t have a main character, as there’s lots of gorgeous children on every page; this book, called ‘Find Your Fabulous!’ is a confidence boosting, mindfulness encouraging, book, where many children will see them and their friends represented.

What will make people fall in love with your main characters?

They fall in love because they see children like them and their friends in the book; representation matters! We all deserve to feel seen.

What will surprise people most about your books?

Probably the inclusion. My third book is the most inclusive of the three, but the first two are still more inclusive than most. All of my books are written in a large print, suitable for the majority of visually impaired readers; my third book also has a BSL signed version, and a Braille edition available. As well as the representation across the books.

What is your favourite thing about being an indie, self-published author?

I love that I have final say in things, that I don’t have to follow trends, or limit anything, because every choice is mine.

What has been your biggest challenge or barrier to publishing your books?

Costs. I want to work with illustrators whose work I love, and not have to go for ‘cheap’ or AI, and those illustrators deserve to be paid well. I also choose to publish outside of Amazon, so people have more choice from where they buy the book, and that costs more. But I am very proud of all of my books, and they are all beautiful, so I wouldn’t want to do it any other way.

What has been your biggest challenge commissioning artwork in the past?

Thankfully, the illustrator of my first two books, I have known for years, and she is a friend, and I have followed the illustrator for the third book for a very long time and really wanted to work with her, so I haven’t had a problem commissioning artwork at all, as I know some fabulous artists.

How did you discover my work?

Through the burlesque community! I bought one of your prints a very long time ago, that still makes me smile, and I knew your style would really suit what I wanted for Find Your Fabulous! I also knew that you are as passionate about inclusion and representation as I am, and that really matters to me.

What appealed to you most about working with me and how was your overall experience?

I loved working with Lottie, and would love to work with her again. She understood what I wanted and created such beautiful images. After following her and her art for many years, and loving what I saw, I am so pleased that she exceeded the high expectations I had for her.

What does having appealing character art/book cover/author portrait mean to your marketing and to your readers?

It’s wonderful to be able to share beautiful images that so many children can feel represented by.

Are there any other professionals that you’ve worked with that you’d like to recommend to other authors?

I worked with the brilliant Dr Jennifer Jones, who is the reason why I started writing again, and she got me believing I could write a book (I’ve now written several!), and she also did the editing and formatting for my children’s books and my book for adults. And Donna Mcghie, who illustrated my first two children’s books, has a beautiful style reminiscent of Shirley Hughes, and is a joy to work with, too.

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