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4:58 AM , , , ,


So much has happened since 2010, when I was chosen for the SCBWI Illustration Mentorship Program and offered my picture book illustration contract.

Here are ten things that I've learned since that year:

1. Getting a book contract doesn't mean the end of self-doubt. At least twice during each book project, I go through major "omigosh, I totally suck" angst.

2. The author and illustrator tend to get most of the public limelight but wow, there are so many behind-the-scenes people who help to get a picture book out into the world. Find out more about them. Be grateful.

3. Social media can be fun and rewarding, but it can also be a time vampire with energy-sapping Drama. Keep track of how much time and how you spend your time in social media, and be aware of how much emotional energy you invest. Also see #6 on this list.

4. When you're working on a picture book story, read everything out loud. You want your story to be FUN to read out loud, both for the adult and the young reader. Take the time to polish your manuscript before sending it off. As my editor Justin Chanda said, don't assume that short = easy.

5. Find a good backup system for your files, and be disciplined about doing it regularly. Save multiple versions. That way you won't freak out when you accidentally flatten and then save a Photoshop file with a zillion layers and realize you don't have a backup. Not that, um, I've ever done this. Set up an automatic backup system (I use Time Machine), a manual backup at the end of intense workdays (I use SuperDuper) and I also make version copies of illustration files.

6. Think twice before throwing rocks. Before jumping on a popular bandwagon of condemning someone in the industry because of something he or she said, think of the times when you've said something that could upset people if you were quoted out of context. Yes, there are worthy reasons for getting upset and a call for action...but before you go down that road (including retweeting/sharing someone else's inflammatory opinion), do your research and think hard about your motivation.

7. For every person who loves your book, there will be another who hates it. It's so hard not to take bad reviews personally, but try not to dwell. If you get a bad review,  commiserate in private with someone you trust but do NOT -I repeat do NOT- publicly post a response. Here's why. If you get a good review, celebrate the moment but don't let it go to your head.

8. If you're an introvert who is terrified of public speaking, don't wait until just before your book comes out to start practising. The sooner you start, the less terrified you'll be when you start being invited to do public speaking. Don't give in to the mindset "I just want to focus on getting published first, I'll worry about my fear of public speaking later, when I have to" like I did. Practice with smaller and informal groups first. Practice with kids as well as grown-ups. Practice in front of the mirror. Just practice.

9. Guard your time. Learn how to say no, even if it means disappointing people. This was the toughest for me. There are so many good causes, fun projects, small favors. Instead of saying yes to them all and then regretting it, choose just a few and embrace them.

10. Always make time to play. This can be difficult, especially when you have multiple projects on the go and upcoming deadlines, have a day job or school during the day, or other obligations that take priority. But if you don't make time to play (experiment, have fun with your art, etc.), then you and your work are going to stagnate.

I still feel like such a newbie and am learning so much about the craft and business every day. Did anything above help you? Do you have anything to add that might help others? Feel free to post below.

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Debbie Ridpath Ohi has illustrated books by Michael Ian Black and Judy Blume for Simon & Schuster, and her first solo picture book, WHERE ARE MY BOOKS?, comes out from S&S in May 2015. She blogs about reading, writing and illustrating children's books at Inkygirl.com. On Twitter: @inkyelbows.
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Over the years I have encountered a few creatures dwelling in my mind that can impede growth. Fortunately, these critters can be trained and kept in check. Below are my field notes from my experiences with the three most common species.


http://jessicalanan.com/

The Ego (Vanus Fragilis)

 Habitat: Your mind
Diet: Flattery and attention
Habits: Strictly solitary

The Ego is a sensitive soul. It craves reassurance and takes failure quite personally. Desperate to convince itself that it is valuable, the Ego and will avoid situations where failure might occur. "Don't enter the contest, don't send the manuscript!" the Ego will plead, because it's easier to say I didn't try than I didn't succeed.

Unfortunately for the Ego, failure is a necessary part of growth. We learn the most when we push ourselves out of our comfort zones and try new things. The best way to succeed is to increase our failure rate, and the best way to learn is to face our failures head on and look at what worked, what didn't, and why.

    Tips for Tempering an Ego:
  • Avoid overfeeding. Egos gorge themselves on attention.
  • Cultivate gratitude.
  • Remember: The Ego is not you—it just lives in your mind.
  • Set up a nice little Ego-cage in the back of your mind where it can stay out of the way.
  • Stay away from junk foods like flattery, which lead to a bloated and irritable Ego.

http://jessicalanan.com/

The Critic (Incuso Virosa)

Habitat: Your Mind
Diet: Negativity
Habits: Venomous. Often nocturnal, brings up worries at bedtime.

A wild Critic can lash out at your work (or life in general) with potent venom. “You aren’t talented enough,” the Critic will whisper in your ear. “Look at this other person’s work. It’s so much better.” The Critic will dredge up your mistakes and mockingly parade them before your eyes at your moment of greatest weakness.

As terrible as it sounds, A Critic can be helpful if it is trained to come out only when needed. The Critic is handy when deciding which thumbnail composition is better and why, or editing that manuscript in the second draft. But if it starts telling you that everything you make is garbage or that you’re not nearly as good as so-and-so, it’s time to go back in the kennel.

Tips for Coping with a Critic:
  •  Use a muzzle to keep it from biting
  • Feed it as little negativity as possible. 
  • Don’t let the Critic’s words become your own.
  • It’s okay to tell it to settle down. (Yes, out loud. Try it, I dare you!)
  • Critics shy away from laughter and fun. Remember fun?
  • Surround yourself with positive, encouraging people.

http://jessicalanan.com/

The Sloth (Choloepus Languidus)

Habitat: Your Mind
Diet: Inactivity
Habits: None

The sloth really wants you to succeed. It does. But it would rather not give up its Netflix marathons and surfing Facebook on its phone.

The Sloth is the creature that will tell you that your first thumbnail is good enough. Why bother trying other compositions? It will discourage you from taking those figure drawing classes you need, because that sounds like a lot of work after all. If you have a feeling that you need to work on your craft but you never seem to get around to doing it, you might be contending with one of these creatures.

Not to worry! Sloths can be trained. When properly employed, a Sloth can stop you from becoming a perfectionist, particularly on the projects that just aren’t worth the time. If you’re getting paid a pittance for an illustration, it probably isn't time to make the Mona Lisa. All it takes to train a Sloth is a little bit of priority shifting and the adoption of some new habits.

Tips for Training a Sloth:
  • Track your time and identify distractions.
  • If online distraction is a problem, you can use LeechBlock (Firefox) or StayFocused (Chrome) to limit the sites you can visit during specific times.
  • Put your phone out of reach and turn off notifications.
  • Force yourself to work on a project for just 20 minutes. Chances are good that the Sloth will slink away as you start to have fun with the project.
  • Work at a consistent time. Find a schedule that works for you.

In a Nutshell:


If you have a Critic, Ego or Sloth, don't beat yourself up over it. It's normal! Identify the species that is impeding your growth the most, and take a small step this week to help tackle it.

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Jessica Lanan is a children's book writer and illustrator living in Boulder, Colorado. See more of her work at jessicalanan.com, on facebook or twitter.

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8:56 AM , , , , , , , , , ,
If you’re an unpublished or aspiring author or illustrator, this post is written for you. If you have attended a few conferences or follow publishing blogs and the like, you may have come across at one point or another a story that goes about like this:

“Meet Jane Doe. Jane Doe was a totally unknown talent. Then one day, on a whim, she sent her manuscript/portfolio to [insert name of extremely famous and talented agent or editor.] Suddenly she became a whirlwind success! She was perfect! Her work was perfect! Everyone loved her! Her manuscript was immediately sold to the highest bidder and she subsequently won the Caldecott medal. And all that under the age of 30! Amazing!”

This story usually follows with something along these lines:

“Aspiring writers and illustrators will find her story very uplifting and inspirational."

Now, this is kind of the opposite of how I would expect that story to make people feel. If you ask me, I think aspiring writers and illustrators want to hear about how hard work and perseverance pays off, not about some insanely talented person's fairytale story. Usually the fairytale story makes you feel like you ought to just give up and go jump off a bridge.

However, people who want to devote their lives to making books for children (or at least the ones I know, with the conspicuous exception of myself) seem to be delightful human beings. If they feel envious they don’t show it. Before long they pick themselves up, look their friend in the eye and say, “I’m so happy for you! That’s really wonderful that you are an overnight sensation and have twelve book deals.” They smile and clap for their friends and go home and feel grateful that at least they can use their rejection letters to heat the house over the winter and save on utilities.


Feeling envious is normal. I’m convinced that most everyone does it, and if they claim that they don’t, it’s either because they’ve been very lucky and had a Cinderella-success-story of their own, or because they are lying. Those who can be extremely gracious and happy for the success of others are just more adept at letting go of the negative feelings. The important thing is is not to feel guilty for being jealous. Just accept that it’s a feeling that happens, and move on.

After all, these universal human feelings we struggle with are just the stuff of which great stories are made. Nobody wants to read about a perfect character who is gracious and charming and ideal in every way. It would be utterly bland. If you think about it, Cinderella is rather one-dimensional. What mistake did she ever make? How can a real person, full of faults, relate to her? Characters need imperfections, heroes need demons to conquer. Don’t hate yourself for your darker moments, just learn from them, and let them go so they don’t hold you back.

And just remember that if you ever end up on a stage giving a keynote address about your success, tell the audience what they need to hear: that you got to where you are by working hard, by not giving up, and by truly loving what you do.

They will love you for it.

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Jessica Lanan is a children's book illustrator living in Boulder, Colorado. See more of her work at jessicalanan.com, on facebook or twitter.
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5:00 AM , , , , , , , , , , ,
So you have an incredible, cohesive, honed-in portfolio. 
Your artistic voice is loud and clear.
You also have brilliant, heart-felt, kid-friendly stories just waiting to be published.
You even have a book dummy sketched out for one of these stories with a couple finished color samples.
You’ve sent this dummy to a few editors and had some nice feedback, but all rejections (or worse, no response at all!).

Q: Why is this taking so long?!
A: Try a different plan of attack.

There’s nothing wrong with submitting your own stories to editors (continue to do so), but author/illustrators who are ready to be published should consider this:
Make it known to art directors and editors that you’re available to illustrate manuscripts that are under contract by other authors. 

 An editor might see and like your story, but oftentimes are hesitant to offer a book contract because they want to know how it is to work with you first.

It can be hard to take a risk on a completely unknown writer/illustrator, and they often like to pair unknown illustrators with known writers (and vice versa) who already have a built-in audience. That way, they hope to guarantee at least a certain amount of sales from the fans of the known writer or illustrator.

Q: How do I let publishers know I’m available to illustrate for them?
A: Promote your art to them!

Send mailings to as many art directors/editors as you want. 
You can send your promotion to everyone within a publishing house (where-as with a manuscript it is NOT acceptable to submit to more than one editor in the same house at a time). This gives illustrators the advantage of having wide exposure to their work. 

Promote to book designers and editorial assistants too: they might share your work with the editor or art director. At the recent SCBWI Summer Conference, I heard Melissa Manlove, editor at Chronicle Books, explain that the designers there have a chief role in seeking out illustrators. 

Create your promo postcard and mail it to this list 3 times a year.
- Always use a new piece of artwork
- Include your name and website address.
- Make sure to keep your online portfolio up-to-date and easy to browse. An art director who takes the time to go to your web-site won’t be impressed if your work is out-dated, and it’s your online portfolio that’s the key for an art director’s decision in choosing your work. The postcard is just a pointer to your work online!

Q: How should I know who to send my promotional postcards to?
A: Research.


  

Compile a mailing list with necessary info. This does take some time, but start by researching publishers that might fit your genre of artwork by:

- looking at the books currently in bookstores, making note of the publisher
- searching through the newest “Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators Market” and the SCBWI “Market Survey” in The Book, available to their members.
- making sure all the information is current – check on each publisher’s website for their submission policies and preferred format (digital or snail-mail, or both).
- keeping this list up-to-date; publishing folks change positions and publishing houses frequently.

Q: Oh my gosh, they hired me! 
A: Yay! You've been hired to illustrate a book.


Be creative, gracious, communicative, easy to work with, and hit your deadline.

You can see how you like working with this editor or art director, and they can see how they like working with you. If it goes well, they will often invite you to submit your own stories to them. And luckily, you’ve got that brilliant, heart-felt, kid-friendly dummy book ready to go.

In my experience working with multiple publishers, it hasn’t been until after a project was over that they told my agent, “If Eliza’s got anything of her own, we’d love to see it!”

Though, I’m still working out the brilliant, heart-felt, kid-friendly story part . . .

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Eliza Wheeler illustrates and writes for children's picturebooks and middle grade novels. Author/Illustrator of MISS MAPLE'S SEEDS (Penguin), and more . . . visit www.wheelerstudio.com, @WheelerStudio, www.facebook.com/eliza.wheeler
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6:38 AM , ,

No matter how experienced you are in the children's book publishing field, there's always room to grow. Here are a few ideas on how to keep from getting into a creative rut:

Keep learning.

If you get in the mindset that you know everything there is to know about the craft and business of children's book writing and illustration, you'll miss out on opportunities to widen your creative horizons as well as become a better writer/illustrator.

"I'm way to busy to learn anything new," you may be thinking, and may very well have a ton already on your plate: a day job, for instance, or children demanding your attention, impending deadlines, promotion and marketing efforts, and so on.

Try to set aside regular time, even if it's just an hour a week (or every two weeks, or every month) to purposely learn something new about the craft or business. Between those sessions, keep a list of any articles, websites, online tutorials, etc. that interest you.

Look for new ways to get inspired.

Some ideas:

- Attend SCBWI conferences and events.

- Surround yourself with creative people who inspire you.

- Browse blogs and social media feeds of people who inspire you.

- Take regular walks. Don't listen to music or audiobooks, but just let your thoughts wander. I find that whenever I'm getting frustrated or blocked during work, getting away from the Internet is sometimes a good thing.

- Go to the library or bookstore and browse picture books.

Try something different.

Experiment with art techniques different from your usual. Do you usually work with watercolor? Try acrylics. Is most of your art digital? Play around with some physical art materials. You don't need to spend a ton of money. Borrow crayons from your kids. Browse your local art store for sales.

Is your style cartoon-y? Try realistic. If realistic, try cartoon-y. Sure, your experimental drawings may suck, but you don't have to show anyone else.

Do you usually draw people? Try landscapes or architecture. Do you shy away from figure drawing? Force yourself to try it anyway, on a regular basis. You will get better over time.

Change up your work habits: when you work and how you work.

Never tried writing a picture book before? Start keeping an idea notebook. Collect story snippets. The more you write, the better you'll get.


Remember to play.

Don't get so bogged down in the stress of the business (trying to get published, angsting about reviews or sales, publishing politics, etc.) that you forget to play. Doodle for fun. Draw with your kids. If you don't have kids, draw with someone else's kids.

Write for fun. Keep a creative journal. Try Morning Pages.


BE BRAVE.

Fear of failure is one major reason that many children's book writers and illustrators tend to get into a rut. Another is complacency.

Be courageous. Yes, you may fail. I've failed more times than I can count. It can be embarrassing and disheartening at the time, but I've learned to give myself a day or less to wallow, then I move on.

What I've found: it's worth the risk.

So... what do YOU do to keep growing as a children's book illustrator and/or writer? Feel free to share below.


Debbie Ridpath Ohi illustrated I'M BORED, a picture book by Michael Ian Black and published by Simon & Schuster Books For Young Readers. She is currently working on two more books for Simon & Schuster as well as HarperCollins. Twitter: @inkyelbows.

MKRdezign

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