Question about agents

[Dima Eichhorn]

Hello everyone and happy Easter.
I have almost finished a picture book (text and illustrations) and I am going to search an agent. My question is - what should I send as attachment to my letter, a dummy with the text, or just illustration samples. If someone have also experience with German agents I will be happy to hear some advice . Thank you in advance and wish you all a nice week.

[MichaelaH]

Hi Dima,
in Germany, I would recommend to go to the Frankfurter Book fair in autumn this year, I know there is one publisher, who likes to see only whole book concept, I cannot remember its name (will ask my colleagues). But other publishers have also free portfolio hours, where you can show your work and/or your portfolio.
Other thing, many publishers are offen strict with their text and illustrations in Gemany, many of them can like your text as author, but want to chose their own illustrator for the work.
I don't know how far the free agents work with finished books, I know only of taking care of their illustrators and finding them jobs for illustrating books for publishers. I don't know how it works for authors.
But all the big publishers have contact site on their website, where there is this contact for authors/illustrators, where they can send their manuscripts and illustrations. After that the editors look at the work and contact you if they are interessted.
What I would send are small thumbnails, Cover, contents and 3 example sites as PDF or printed version, if you have only shipping adress.
Hope I could help You some.
Michaela

[MichaelaH]

So the one publisher who likes whole projects is Moritz Verlag and Nord-Süd also likes whole projects.

[Adriana Bergstrom]

Hi Dima,

Although I lived in Germany for a while, I do not personally have experience with German art agents. I can recommend you speak to a friend of mine with a German agent: https://www.natasakaiser.com/
You can also check out Johanna Fritz und ihre seite https://creativebusinessparty.de/
Perhaps that will provide some answers. Generally, though, I know she found her agent before she had a book idea and had lots of finished artwork in her portfolio. Best of luck!

[MichaelaH]

@Adriana-Bergstrom said in Question about agents:

https://creativebusinessparty.de/

creativebusinessparty.de - Is not for illustrators anymore since last autumn, Johanna changed it to site for Business starter, not for Illustrators anymore. But some of the podcasts are for illustrators also.
Natasa kaiser ist great illustrator, really friendly, I met her this year in Bologna.

Great community for German Illustrators is on FB, you can ask there a lot of questions.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/200095913797251/?ref=bookmarks

And old closed group (the infos still there)
https://www.facebook.com/groups/erfolgreich.illustrator/

[Adriana Bergstrom]

@MichaelaH heheh, I was in the now closed Erfolgreich Illustrator facebook group. Sadly, yes, I noticed Johanna was doing more and more about business in general, but I thought hopefully that she had maintained the older podcasts and information from the past.

It's too bad @Dima-Eichhorn cannot join the Erfolgreich Illustrator group. Maybe she can see the information through the link you posted?

I'm jealous! I miss Natasa! She and I are in an artists collective where we exhibited together at Surtex. She's super nice. Her agent is German and is the previous agent of Miriam Bos I believe. Although this year I took a break from the tradeshows, we're thinking of doing Bologna next year and perhaps one of the surface pattern tradeshows... we shall see!

[Dima Eichhorn]

@MichaelaH Dear Michaela, thank you very much for the so detailed answer. I really appreciate the time you spent to answer me so. Your advices are wonderful and I find them true and I will follow them. Once again thank you very much.

[Dima Eichhorn]

@Adriana-Bergstrom and Michaela thank you both, you are wonderful. You are sharing such a good information and I can't find it anywhere else, except here. One big Thank you again. If there is some changes with my project I will definitely tell you. And I am so grateful for all the help.

[Dima Eichhorn]

@MichaelaH and Adriana thank you both, you are wonderful. You are sharing such a good information and I can't find it anywhere else, except here. One big Thank you again. If there is some changes with my project I will definitely tell you. And I am so grateful for all the help.

[Judy Elizabeth Wilson]

@Dima-Eichhorn Hi. You could send your full manuscript with front cover and your best spread.

[Dima Eichhorn]

@Judy-Elizabeth-Wilson
Thank you for the advice, I was thinking the same but wasn't sure. Have a great day!