Text and pictures.

Hi again. I am a trained artist. I got into children's books by being hired by a friend to make a picture book. It was a great gig. I have since taken a few classes and written a bunch.

There are some agents that represent writer/illustrators. Is the rejection rate as high for sending in dummies? I just got a reply from an agent that did not mention anything about my story, just that she only represents writer/artists. When I told her of my skills, she wrote send the pics too.

I don't know. I guess it is the power of the story, pictures and text together. It is cheaper and less time consuming to just write stories. It takes me up to two hours to illustrate a spread, just the pencilling. I would rather get a go ahead on a story then illustrate it.

I was taught by a full-time storyboard artist. He could finish a watercolor painting 11 x 15 inches in twenty minutes, while discussing the finer points of illustrating, and downing a glass of wine. This was in the evening after work. I work six times slower than him and if you include all the procrastinating 1000's of times slower. Two hours to pencil a two page spread is a reasonable amount of time.

Hi Kerr,

I have Kerrs in my family. We must be distant cousins. My relations are from Ohio and owned a funeral parlor. You know what, pictures do tell the story. I am going back to the drawing board and putting all that amazing stuff in that no writer could ever get the illustrator to do through a middle-man-publisher. I can imagine getting rejection after rejection for one of my stories because there is so much happening in the pictures that it amounts to the storyteller dictating to the illustrator.

Jeffery E Doherty said:

Your best bet is to write the story and send it in without the illustrations. A lot of the time, publishers like to team up a new author with an established illustrator or a new illustrator with an established author - basically to maximise sales. Picture books are expensive to publish and they need to be sure of sales.

Jeff

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Jeff,

This is exactly the type of advice that has held me back. If I had worked from my comics experience I would have made dummy after dummy and sent them to the agents that ask for author/illustrators. There are a lot of ways to characterise what translates into sales. In PBs, I believe it is the power of the writing and pictures together that make the story and sales. The trend is that agents and editors are considering more author/illustrators recently. Is it because it creates a more unified vision? Is it because the author's vision of the story is better than just using a good illustrator? Is it just the trend in artists becoming better trained at writing stories?

My argument is how do I get all of my visual goals for the story, the style, visual sub-plots, characterizations and mood by writing stage directions?

If I want the illustrations to be done in an art nouveau style and include the action of the main characters and fairies acting out sub plots, machines that look like they grow out of vegetation, and use all types of symbolism, who is going to jump on board until they see it? These things are not mentioned in the story and belong in the illustrations.

I have learned a lot about making PBs through taking classes and reading up on how to approach agents but this little thing about submitting the story first and then mentioning illustrations upon acceptence has slowed me down. It is like applying for a job as an art teacher and failing to mention I have a degree in art on my resume...because the most important part is having the teaching degree.

There are a few agents who only look at PB dummies would you like to know who they are? Check out my Santa book above. Scary pictures only belong in scary books, otherwise don't be afraid to take children along for the ride. Disclaimer...nudity and sex are inappropriate for most children's books.

And another thing for you writers out there, how about finding an illustrator, have them illustrate your story, and send it in as if you are the author/illustrator? Then mention at the end of the story that you are an author illustrator team. It makes the same sense as working with an artist/illustrator. In fact, it makes better sense if you are good match. It sure beats the old way that Jeff so eloquently defined.

Children's Writers: HIRE AN ARTIST!

Hi,

This is something that has got my goad lately. Through researching agents, I have discovered many that want to see PB dummies by author/illustrators. My take on it is that if you are a writer and you can find someone to illustrate your story go for it! The agents are not going to care if it the book was written and illustrated by two people rather than one. They want to see the highest quality PB they can get. They have given up on the old system. Maybe all the old guys are retired? If you can do this yourself do it. If you need to hire an illustrator do that.

My anger comes from the fact that I wrote an illustrated a children's book years ago and it is pretty good. I still want to put it through a very rigorous edit, but it stands well now. It is at the perfect place for it's story and sales will come. Follow the link ...Real Santa http://www.booklab.com/Pages/PageCo...0&pcatid=37c31fca-be31-40c8-888f-ab2581726fe7

I have a couple of dozen books that I am making the dummies for now. It beats spending my time writing and waiting for endless query letters about my stories without showing the editors my skills in bringing these stories to life. People love that Santa Book. I have another picture book waiting in the wings that leaves that book in the dust.

Thanks for the comradery. Good luck,

Patrick


Research

Anna Olswanger looking for artist-illustrators
http://www.lizadawsonassociates.com/agents.html

Book Stop Literary Only if you are an illustrator send a dummy
http://www.bookstopliterary.com/submission.html

Ethan Ellenberg Send color copies of sample illustrations
http://ethanellenberg.com/submissionguidelines.htm