Book dummies and social media?

[beckporter]

I've heard a lot of great advice recently about staying visible on social media as an illustrator while trying to gain traction and build a portfolio. I am working on a book dummy that I'd eventually like to submit to publishers. If I post pictures on social media of the project as I work on it, would that be a deterrent to a publisher to have it all over my social media pages? (It seems that they prefer their illustrators to keep a tight lid on work-in-progress till it's published. Why is that?) I want to stay actively posting, but without posting my current project I'll eventually run out of stuff to post (or at least stuff that I'm willing to take ownership of.

[Joy Heyer]

That is a good question! I wish I knew the answer. I do have a suggestion, though. Post pictures of your warm up sketches, character design exploration, inspirations/references, and close ups of your book dummy so your audience only sees part of your idea, not all. From all the conferences I've attended, publishers are mostly looking to see if you will be an asset in the marketing of your book on social media. Good luck!

[beckporter]

@Joy-Heyer Thanks, that's a really good idea. I noticed your gingerbread man illustration on FB today. That's a great piece.

[Joy Heyer]

Thanks @beckporter! I'm tentatively dipping my toe into this social media pool, so it is nice to see exposure from other sources.