Well...here you go just finished it

Here is mine for this month. Love everyone's entries, and very happy to give this a try again. It's been eight months or so since I've entered this contest.

Here's my entry for this month.

So I am wanting to do an image that has just the focus colorized. I don't know if I pulled it off or not, because my wife just asked when I am going to paint the rest. Haha, I need an office.

Hey there everybody!

If you have been on these forums for the last few years you might remember me, but if you are newer you will have no clue who I am. I thought it was a good time to pop my head back in a give an update on what has happened with me and my career after spending two solid years at SVS. It might help others who are moving in the same direction, as well as clear up some things that I was not to clear about when entering this industry.

I signed with with agent last July!

YAY! It happened! After working so hard here at SVS and listening to Will, Jake and Lee a ton, things fell into place for me and I got representation. In fact, my agent signed three others from SVS, and since signing myself, I have seen other SVS members sign with other agents I follow. It has been quite amazing to witness.

I signed with a literary agent, that represents me as an author/illustrator, which is different than being rep'd as solely an illustrator. The difference is quite extreme in my opinion. This is something I wish I knew beforehand, but was somewhat aware. Let me explain:

Literary agents used to rep authors, and if they could illustrate that was a nice cherry on top. However, over the last few years, agencies have been trying to find illustrators who can already write or learn to write. There are many reasons for this, but one of the major reasons is one individual is easier market and more cost efficient than two. That being said, literary agents are now treading on new ground. It is much more time consuming to market an illustrator and get them work than it is an author. One reason is that much of the marketing for illustrators requires postcards, and constant ads to publishers, as well as maintaining a website with updated work. This is one of the reason Literary agents take less of a percentage than art reps, since art reps are taking on more of a burden.

So, we are in a new era if you will, and that means literary agents are being faced with a new hurdle in marketing illustrators, so don't be surprised if you sign with a literary agent and nothing happens with their help, and still requires that you do much of the leg work to get deals done. This will change over time, as literary agents grow accustom to this new breed of dual artists they have work for.

I was good enough, but not enough

If I can be honest, I was probably ready to get an agent a year earlier than I did. In fact, my critique group thought I was nuts for waiting around, but I felt as though I needed to be 100% ready. When I signed, I realized I shouldn't have waited....

but

I also was not ready in other ways. If your goal is to write and illustrate, please listen to me here: Have at least two solid stories ready to go for your agent. In fact, most literary agents I came across wanted two stories before signing an author/illustrator. I had one, and once it went to market for publishers, I should have already had a manuscript that was fully critiqued, rewritten, edited and ready to create a book dummy. I didn't, and so I am stuck in a creative black hole with a clock ticking as I write constantly trying to chase trends that both my critique group and then my agent can give the green light on so I can then dummy up 32 pages (which will take a long time) so that I can get my next story moving.

My critique group is doing better than me

As I sit by myself writing each night, I witness my critique group getting book deals left and right as illustrators. I often second guess my decision to enter this field as an author/illustrator. Some literary agents are different, and they will get you a good amount of work as an illustrator, but most won't. It seems to be either: "You are an illustrator and who knows, maybe you'll write something some day, and we hope you do". Or, The weight of your career rests on if you can write a great a story that fits the trends, or sets them (rare I think). However, I chose this path, because I worried that I would never have the time to branch out as an author/illustrator, and I am rolling the dice that it will be a good decision in the end.

So

I thought this would be good information to share here. I know everybody has their own path, and I look forward to seeing you all kick butt in publishing. SVS changed my life, and I hope you all get as much out of it as I have.

I am so happy to be joining in another SVS contest after having a small break. Anywho, here is my WIP

Here are my 2 favorite at the moment. ! )

Here we go. Glad to be back in one of these monthly competitions.

@will-terry I am so happy for everyone here at SVS. It has been great to see everyone moving forward.

I just did my first professional job with Highlights magazine. They gave me a full spread, which was not stressful at all :-). That will be out in December. The best part was how the Netflix documentary on the inner working of highlights launched the day I started on the final painting, and I got to listen to the AD I was working with stress out while I painted. That was surreal.

I have other things in the works, and will know in early October. I love seeing everyone here have success.

I’m horrible at putting my name on my art. Idk

@chrisaakins all agents are different in this respect I assume, but my agent allows me to move between PB and GN pretty easily. Even though I signed as a picture book author/illustrator, my agent put out a call to her clients to consider graphic novels since they are trending. Another artist who has my agent is now going from PB’s to YA and it didn’t seem like a problem. However, a point of discussion in our critique group is how some authors and illustrators seem to maneuver through different genres seamlessly, while I have heard that it is very easy to get pigeonholed as a non fiction artist if that is what you start off doing. It is one of the mysteries to us atm. Idk if people who are able to go from PB to YA are just outliers or it is very much possible for anyone capable.

@xin-li yes that is understandable. I would say just have a couple manuscripts, and some themes for other stories you want to do. Make sure the agent you submit to has similar interests in the stories you want to write. This is vital. Agents don’t know what you should write or what will be successful in a general sense, they know what they love. Signing with a literary agent who has different interest might put resistance on a story different agent loves. They won’t “get it” if it isn’t the sort of stories they love. For instance, my first manuscript/book dummy fell flat with one agent, but I looked at what sort of stories her clients write and they are very different than what I like to read and write. My agent now loved it when she read it and sent it on submission a month later.

Agents can only tell you what isn’t working, they cannot tell you how to fix it, because if they could, they would just publish their own stories (many of them are trying at the same time you are) they are more like professional readers who know when a story is a good story when it works.

I wouldn’t wait to be 100% ready either. As one of my critique partners rightly said, necessity breeds innovation. Your best work will come by being under pressure.

Hey there everybody!

If you have been on these forums for the last few years you might remember me, but if you are newer you will have no clue who I am. I thought it was a good time to pop my head back in a give an update on what has happened with me and my career after spending two solid years at SVS. It might help others who are moving in the same direction, as well as clear up some things that I was not to clear about when entering this industry.

I signed with with agent last July!

YAY! It happened! After working so hard here at SVS and listening to Will, Jake and Lee a ton, things fell into place for me and I got representation. In fact, my agent signed three others from SVS, and since signing myself, I have seen other SVS members sign with other agents I follow. It has been quite amazing to witness.

I signed with a literary agent, that represents me as an author/illustrator, which is different than being rep'd as solely an illustrator. The difference is quite extreme in my opinion. This is something I wish I knew beforehand, but was somewhat aware. Let me explain:

Literary agents used to rep authors, and if they could illustrate that was a nice cherry on top. However, over the last few years, agencies have been trying to find illustrators who can already write or learn to write. There are many reasons for this, but one of the major reasons is one individual is easier market and more cost efficient than two. That being said, literary agents are now treading on new ground. It is much more time consuming to market an illustrator and get them work than it is an author. One reason is that much of the marketing for illustrators requires postcards, and constant ads to publishers, as well as maintaining a website with updated work. This is one of the reason Literary agents take less of a percentage than art reps, since art reps are taking on more of a burden.

So, we are in a new era if you will, and that means literary agents are being faced with a new hurdle in marketing illustrators, so don't be surprised if you sign with a literary agent and nothing happens with their help, and still requires that you do much of the leg work to get deals done. This will change over time, as literary agents grow accustom to this new breed of dual artists they have work for.

I was good enough, but not enough

If I can be honest, I was probably ready to get an agent a year earlier than I did. In fact, my critique group thought I was nuts for waiting around, but I felt as though I needed to be 100% ready. When I signed, I realized I shouldn't have waited....

but

I also was not ready in other ways. If your goal is to write and illustrate, please listen to me here: Have at least two solid stories ready to go for your agent. In fact, most literary agents I came across wanted two stories before signing an author/illustrator. I had one, and once it went to market for publishers, I should have already had a manuscript that was fully critiqued, rewritten, edited and ready to create a book dummy. I didn't, and so I am stuck in a creative black hole with a clock ticking as I write constantly trying to chase trends that both my critique group and then my agent can give the green light on so I can then dummy up 32 pages (which will take a long time) so that I can get my next story moving.

My critique group is doing better than me

As I sit by myself writing each night, I witness my critique group getting book deals left and right as illustrators. I often second guess my decision to enter this field as an author/illustrator. Some literary agents are different, and they will get you a good amount of work as an illustrator, but most won't. It seems to be either: "You are an illustrator and who knows, maybe you'll write something some day, and we hope you do". Or, The weight of your career rests on if you can write a great a story that fits the trends, or sets them (rare I think). However, I chose this path, because I worried that I would never have the time to branch out as an author/illustrator, and I am rolling the dice that it will be a good decision in the end.

So

I thought this would be good information to share here. I know everybody has their own path, and I look forward to seeing you all kick butt in publishing. SVS changed my life, and I hope you all get as much out of it as I have.

Love this class @Lee-White! Local values is something I totally skipped over learning about. Good stuff!

Depends on the agent who is going to pitch the dummy. My agent requires 50% of the book completed, which is unusual, and was a lot of work. Usually 3-4 pieces is the norm. A cover, but just a cover concept, because it will most likely get changed by the publisher.

This is very sad to read. I will definitely add her name to my prayers for the the foreseeable future, as well as the entire family. This news is very shocking, and even those close to me who aren't at SVS know of Will through what I have talked about for the last few years, and are also very sad about this news. May her memory be eternal!

Here are my 2 favorite at the moment. ! )

Thanks everyone for the nice comments. I am glad to be at SVS with all of you. I look forward to seeing what we all do in 2019.

That is a good goal. I would add that since you are already doing full images, that you should enter contests, and get critiques on your portfolio as the year goes on.

My goals for this year are:

• to finish and submit my book dummy to an agent.
• submit to art reps
• begin a youtube channel
• write a short story (600 words) each month
• Do a social media project.
• upgrade my website.