- How did you get
published?
There are two answers:
The hard way! I first
studied like crazy to find out what sort of books
were being published, and why. I analyzed 53 picturebooks from the
library, deconstructing and storyboarding them to find out, for instance,
where the beats were, how the layouts were handled, and on what page
the climax usually occurred. I did all that in a month and a half.
I took classes:
I highly recommend Anastasia Suen's
classes and workshops and
I highly recommend
Darcy Pattison's
workshops.
I attended every conference I could afford and I put myself "out there;"
I tried to meet people and I tried to share my writing and art in all of
the
areas that the conferences allowed (First Pages, Open Mic, peer crit
groups), even though it was very scary for me to do that.
I joined SCBWI. I joined critique groups. I read hundreds of books and
thousands of how-to-write articles. I drew and wrote every single day.
I collected horror stories from others and from my own experience.
I endured many months without paychecks as I immersed myself into
all this learning. I doubted myself and my dream.
I got a few rejections and they made me very sad. I obsessed over what
they meant and when my work would finally be "ready." My family was
very unhappy that I quit my nice cushy job to learn about something
that wasn't bringing in any money at all. It was all very challenging and
discouraging, and a big risk. And I was babysitting my toddler grandson
full time, which made me even more scatter-brained than usual.
I don't know how many brain cells I lost in that particular venture, but
he's very smart so I presume they went directly to him.
The easy way! I went to
a very expensive conference in NYC in 2005,
came home with no prospects but at least a full sketchbook, put most
of my sketchbook online,
and some writer friends urged me to try
doing a kids' book in that same style. For one day I resisted. I'd already
had enough rejection. Then I tried it.
An literary agent found me ONE WEEK LATER.
I signed with her.
She got great comments from editors about my book.
She sold it. We celebrated. Suddenly life was good.
- Can you get me in with your agent or publisher?
No, I don't yet have a good sense of what my agent
or editors like.
And I have to prioritize my time, so I can't read other writers' work.
I have to spend more time writing and illustrating, or I'll be a
one-hit-wonder. Besides, I don't want to take a chance of one of
your great ideas making its way into one of my future books.
The best I can offer is this: Working very hard worked for
me.
And, join a critique group (keep hunting til you find the right one
for you).
Consider getting a paid critique from a respected
professional.
- Did you create your own website?
Yes. :) I use AOLPress, a free and no-longer-supported
program which
I hear works a bit like Front Page. It took me ten years to learn what I
know about websites, which is a lot of time to learn not much
stuff.
I registered my domain name and host it through
GoDaddy because they
were very cheap and the emergency tech help was good.
- Any advice for struggling writers, illustrators and
cartoonists?
Keep at it. Keep trying to make your work better, no matter
how good
it already is. Take jobs you don't like, to keep money coming in while you
work toward creating your career (but don't lose sight of your dream).
Join writers' and illustrators' collectives, to get more support for your
dream.
I hang out with the
Illustrators
group on Yahoo and the Class
of 2k7,
among others.
Here's a note I sent to a new writer-illustrator last
year:
I went the traditional route. I waited to submit my work until
it was the best
I could do (still trying to make it great). I held out for the best
publishers
and for me it paid off.
Others take different routes -- everyone's path is different.
My publisher is BloomsburyUSA. I'm deliriously happy with them.
I'm in it for the long haul, to make a career of it.
It's a huge grind, a lot of very hard work. Good thing I love doing it.
Don't go into kids' books if you don't love it, and if you aren't willing
to work
like crazy to make it work. It's not worth it.
But if you love it, read everything you can about it.
Start with Harold Underdown's site and his book: http://underdown.org
You'll find book recommendations on his site. Read them all.
Buy the current CWIM (Writer's Digest books) ($28 or so),
read all the articles,
and join writer groups to get the scoop on what publishers
like.
Write to the publishers (find their websites and their info
in CWIM) to get
their catalogs, and analyze their books in the bookstores.
It's easier for a new artist to make it in publishing than
for a new writer.
Don't send stuff that isn't professional quality.
And don't send inappropriate stuff.
Check out Chris Tugeau's website (Google her) for professional portfolio
guidelines, and check the SCBWI.org site for tips too.
Join SCBWI . Take advantage of every portfolio crit session
offered.
See if there's an illustrators mentorship in your region -- you can take
giant leaps in readiness for publishing.
The field is more competitive than it ever was. You
have to really want it,
to be a success. And you have to be really good at it to make a living at
it.
More than that, the job of creating my book was so constantly
challenging,
I would never recommend it to someone who wasn't absolutely committed
to it. It's truly a labor of love.
Know where your art stands among your peers. Get help appraising
it.
Best way to promote your work:
- great website
- postcards of your work mailed regularly (I think I read it takes on
average
4 years of mailings for an illustrator to get a book assignment)
- do art for good quality magazines
- word of mouth -- put yourself out there, attend events, get to know
others
in the field. It takes a while to build up a reputation. Keep your day
job.
Eventually, if you're great, they'll find you.
Or at least that's what Cecilia Yung said at a conference in NYC in 2005.
(She's the Penguin Group AD and is on the board of directors for
SCBWI)
When I first heard her say that,
I thought to myself, "But my stuff is pretty
good, and they're not *finding* me... What's wrong with me?"
I was very
discouraged, and I vowed to study more, to make my work worth "finding."
Then just a week later, they found me.
Life was completely changed.
- Is your book like other
graphic novels?
My book is a sort of graphic novel hybrid, a highly-illustrated
MG novel.
Ellie McDoodle is the girls' answer to Jeff Kinney's DIARY OF A WIMPY KID
(though Ellie McDoodle appeals to boys as well).
I've read only a few graphic novels, and most were for adults. I've read
a
lot of graphic novel hybrids, though -- we seem to be in a special golden
era of the nonstandard book, which I LOVE.
My To-Read list is long, but these graphic novels and hybrids
are some
I've enjoyed:
THE INVENTION OF HUGO CABRET by Brian Selznick - thick book, great art.
THE ARRIVAL by Shaun Tan - a wordless immigrant story, fascinating.
BLANKETS by Craig Thompson - heavy stuff but I love his art. For adults.
PERSEPOLIS 1 and 2 - heavy, for older teens or adults. I prefer book 1.
LITTLE LIT by Art Spiegelman- anthologies of work by some very famous
creators. I especially like the ONE DARK AND SCARY NIGHT edition.
MOM'S CANCER by Brian Lies - gripping, for adults. Started as a web
comic/saga, and won some big awards.
SEADOGS by Lisa Wheeler, illus by Mark Siegel - perfect example of a
graphic novel for kids. Great writing, great art.
DIARY OF A WIMPY KID by Jeff Kinney - fun romp for 5th grade boys.
Wimpy also started as a web comic and developed a huge fan base.
UNDERSTANDING COMICS by Scott McCloud -- great how-to book for
grownups. I read it many years ago but it's still hugely
popular.
Check out my Vocabulary for Children's Writers and Illustrators
here. |
