Rozzie Land

Checking in

Hi my friends!

We are officially in Vegas and have been here for about two weeks now. It has been about 18 years since I lived here and boy has it GROWN! The weather is gorgeous this time of year,I had forgotten how lovely the mountain skyline can be. I will post pictures soon because I also want to show you the goodies I bought along the way from Texas to here!

We are still living in a hotel and out of suitcases. ugh..Yes, it's getting old! Hopefully that will be changing in the next week or two. We are all so ready to get back into a routine. And I'm especially ready to be cutting some felt! A lot of ideas have been brewing these past few weeks and I'm ready to play again.

Before we left San Antonio I treated myself to an scbwi conference hosted in Austin. It was such a treat to visit with friends and make new ones. I met up with some of my pbj gang...Laura, Janee and Patty. It's always such a blast to see them up close and personal. And chatting with Chris Barton, Chris Schechner and Christy Stallop was a hoot!

I highly recommend scbwi conferences.  Try to make time and save your pennies for them when you can because it is such a great opportunity to connect with like minds. I always leave feeling rejuvenated and ready to get back to work.

For me, the gist of this conference was staying true to yourself and instead of trying to fit the market, do what YOU DO best. Basically, they can tell when it's from the heart and will work with you if they see something in you.

As far as submitting goes ... There is no black and white standards and it is all very personality driven. The job is finding the editor that your work will appeal to.

Also ,that we have to speak up for ourselves and ask meaningful questions to help us grow.

And for those of you that may be feeling like you HAVE to have an art rep to succeed, think again. I got the distinct feeling at this conference that it isn't the only way to go. If you are good, you'll get work and you will be discovered.

Hang in there gang. There is room for all of us, we just have to stick with it and be the best we can be. Focus on your work and getting it out there in a professional and eye catching manner.

Again, I want to say thanks to all of you that have taken the time to comment while I have been absent. I have missed chatting with you all and I promise i'll be visiting blogs and chatting again as soon as I'm back on my regular computer and no longer on DIAL UP! ACK!

Hugs to all.

Exchange with an Agent Link

http://devast.blogspot.com/2005/09/exchange-with-agent.html#comments

Check out Don Tates post "exchange with an agent". Really interesting. Thanks Don for sharing this Q & A.

Not Afraid of Needles!

Here is author, Kelly Tucker, of "I'm Not Afraid Of Needles!," at her first book signing. It is a true story written from the POV of her daughter, Skyler, who has a rare blood disorder.

I had a great experience working as the illustrator on this project and would happily work again with Kidstalk anytime!(Publisher that produces a free quarterly magazine for parents here in Texas)

If you are approached by a self or independent publisher, my advice is this: 

*Create a contract
Before any sketching takes place, discuss a contract and fees and get your agreement in writing. This protects everyone involved.

GAG has a letter of agreement you can adapt to fit your needs (thanks Janee!)

This is also a good book to have in your home library.

*Request advance payment
With this project, I requested half at sketch approvals and the other half at job completion. Also I asked that there be a kill fee in the contract. This means if for some reason your publisher decides to "kill" the assignment, you still receive compensation.

How much should I charge to illustrate a book?
This is a very difficult question to answer. It really depends on your experience in the field and what you feel comfortable with.
To help, ask how many pages they want illustrated.
Do they want spot illustration, half page, or full page spreads?
Color or black & white?
What is the deadline?

*Most of all, do it because you are excited about the project.

We (illustrators) hear many horror stories about working with new independent publishers or self publishers. Before you say "no" automatically, get to know them and see if you can come up with an agreement that you all can get excited about! There are exceptions to the rule and for me this assignment was one of them. 

The Waiting Game

So you've compiled your client list , you've sent out your packets and postcards. Whoohoo, pat yourself on the back!

Now what?  You wait ... and wait.... you check the mailbox... you wait. You check your phone and make sure it's working...you wait... you check your e-mail obsessively and check your website stats. Oh wait...that's me.

If you don't know this already, you soon will.  85% of your freelance life will be spent waiting on a reply or assignment. It's par for the course but it doesn't make it any easier if your are eager to work ,or worse impatient like me.

I'm in a serious waiting period right now.

1) My "Emma Felt" dummy-book is now in the trusty hands of a literary/art rep and my part is over for the time being.  Now it's her turn while I patiently -HA!-wait. 

2) A couple of weeks ago an art rep that is shopping me around in the Educational Market called out of the blue with a potential job.
The assignment is for 1 to 3 board books and I fell in love with the concept. Of course I said YES, I'm available for the job.  Who cares if I have to work through a move across the U.S, I can do it!

So great, she lets the AD know that I am available and he lets her know that he will be pitching me to the committee the following day.  So I wait ...and wait. A week later, I'm still waiting.  My rep has still heard nothing back and of course I'm gutted. I have enough experience now to know that this stuff happens all the time but it was still disappointing. It looks like such a fun job and I'm eager to do it!

Update: Everyone is in sales meetings and taking their vacation time (August is notoriously slow and pretty much shuts down during this time) so the project is temporarily postponed. BUT I'm still the illustrator that they will be pitching. So what do I do?   I wait...and I wait with guarded optimism because I'm still in the running. Oh boy, do I hope I get it!

3) And finally , as I mentioned earlier in the week, our house is up for sale and we are waiting on that right person at the right time that is going to fall in love with this little place and make an offer.

So what can one do to make the waiting easier ?

While I wait I'm going to keep busy.  I'm going to write, create fresh pieces, study the market and find more places to submit to. Most importantly I'm going to stop stewing so long over ideas. It's hindering my progress. I am seeing in different examples all around me that we progress faster simply by the act of "doing".

I've seen so many friends and fellow bloggers growing and really becoming their authentic selves simply by experimenting , researching and most importantly implementing what they learn. That's where I want to be and what better time than now while I have the gift of 'waiting'?

Waiting is a gift?? Yes it is and I only just realized that as I was writing this post. Waiting is that margin in our life that we all need to keep balanced. I'm going to learn to savor the waiting game and use it wisely. I challenge you to hang in there and do the same.

Passing the torch

It looks like my year of being in the is coming to an end. I had the privilige of having a postcard/blurb about my work in the 2005 issue and it was so fun.

I enjoyed receiving emails from people who had seen my work in there and all the lovely comments.  Thank you! Being a part of such a major auth/ill. resource was a highlight in my career thus far!

15 minutes

I am a goal setter, I love the feeling of accomplishment when a goal has been met. But let's face it , we all have complex lives and sometimes we need to be creative when we have a lot we are trying to manage.

One method I like is working towards a goal in 15 minute increments. I initially learned this concept through flylady.net when I wanted to de-clutter my home. I found that it worked great in other areas of my life as well!

For example,are you putting off your dreams because you feel that you just don't have the time for all that needs to be done or that it's just too overwhelming? You would be amazed at what you can accomplish in just 15 minutes.

There are many days that I flop into bed exhausted, not knowing where my day has gone, it's all a blur. To make matters worse I'd think about all the things I didn't do on my 'list'. 

* "I should have sent a packet to that publisher today"
* "I should have worked on that manuscript that needs tweaking"
*" I should have followed up with that editor that really loved my style". 
Not only am I exhausted but now I also feel guilty!

Instead of focusing on what I don't get done, now I focus on what I DO. I have a list of goals and try to do something towards them for at least 15 minutes a day. I don't stress on COMPLETING my goal ,just on taking one step at a time toward the finish line.

This way I at least go to bed knowing that I did something other than giving myself another excuse for why I couldn't.

I challenge you to pick something that you have been putting off that you really want to accomplish. Decide that you will spend 15 minutes a day towards it and see what happens.

Summer is officially here and the kids are ready to be entertained! So my 15 minutes a day will be used to create a dummy book for a new story that I've written.

Get ready, get set , turn on your timers!

* Look at that adorable sheep egg timer. I just found it on line and I'm tickled because the book I'm working on this summer is about a SHEEP! I have to order it!*

Make It Great

Well, the PB writing course is officially over and I really enjoyed myself. After four weeks, I have 3 manuscripts that I'm happy with and will enjoy fine tuning and turning into dummy-books in the coming weeks. The class helped me answer some personal questions about the direction I want to go. Yay, progress!

Unfortunately, though, I also found myself going into a real 'funk' about my artwork during this time.  Maybe because I looked at over 100 pb's and the fabulous artists that illustrated.  It's very hard not to compare yourself to others and think "YUCK" about your own work. Atleast it is for me sometimes. So I have been trying to listen to my "inner voice" instead of my "inner critic".  Hard to do because the critic knows how to yell!

What is my inner voice telling me?

It's telling me that it's time to move to the 'next level'.
The next level for me is good quality materials and attention to detail.
I took the plunge and ordered some 100% wool felt this week in luscious colors. I can't wait to start playing now.

An email came in this week entitled , "make it great". I had to chuckle when I saw the subject line because I was already getting this message from various people and places and it was yet another confirmation.

In Robert Genn's newsletter, he wrote:

**The best way to
get noticed is to do great work.  The way to do
great work is
to go to your workspace and consciously exploit
full value from
your potential.  Feel the depths and the joys. 
Grab the
challenges.  It may take a while.  The minute you
think you are
getting somewhere, push yourself to an even
higher standard.
Acrylic or oil or encaustic or gouache or
watercolor or pastel
or collage or whatever--it isn't the medium. 
Make your work
unique and unavoidably brilliant and you will be
noticed.
Strother McMinn, my great instructor at Art
Center School, used
to say: "There's no such thing as an undiscovered
genius."**

This really hit home for me and maybe it does for you too.

What is the next level for you?  Go for it.

Building a portfolio

I've been asked quite a bit to talk about building a strong children's illustration portfolio. I noticed a couple of other blogs have touched on the subject so figured it would be a good time to discuss it as well. (Links to their blogs are at the end of this entry.)

If you've done your research , you don't need me to tell you what your portfolio should consist of. It would be easier to just tell you about my journey. After much studying I came up with 3 main points that I felt I needed to achieve :

*Create a signature style
I want the editor to know it's "me" when a sample lands on their desk so I worked on developing a consistent style that was recognizable.

*Create work that I truly enjoy (10-12 solid pieces)
After fighting with myself (spent a long time frustrated that I wasn't the next Norman Rockwell) I decided to embrace the whimsy that comes naturally to me. I'm allowing myself to create pieces that are naive and simple. It makes me happy. =o)
I've found my work appeals most to toddlers to 8 years old so I'm honing in on that.

*Project professionalism
Again this came down to doing my homework, going to scbwi meetings and spending money on promotion.  Initially hard for me to do because that meant that I had to believe in myself enough to validate the cost. But I found as soon as I started treating myself like an illustrator, work began to show up and editors started taking me seriously. As cliche as it sounds it's so true. You have to believe in yourself before anyone else will. You can rely on friends and family for that support only so far. Don't apologize for your work, EVER. Yet on the opposite end of the spectrum, overly boastful doesn't work either (heard this at a conference). I found simply owning who I am has worked the best, warts and all.

To be honest with you , I am so bored with the work I have in my portfolio right now and the pieces aren't that old! I'm sure it's because I've learned a lot this year and I'm moving to the "next level".
What am I learning?  Perspective and interaction.

At my last scbwi conference I had my first 'real' portfolio review. If you have an opportunity to do this, please go for it. It's scary and you feel vulnerable but it's so worth it. You may not agree with everything they say but try to absorb it with an open mind.  I've noticed the things that we become the most defensive about are actually the things we truly need to work on. The comment that affected me the most was that my work is too linear. My lines are too horizontal / vertical, not dynamic. Suggestion: Vary perspective.

Later on that same month, a well established illustration rep showed interest in my felt work. Her suggestions were similar. Work needs to be more dynamic, pieces are too presentational (where the characters are facing front too much). Many pieces show action but not as much interaction.

So I'm busily working on these two aspects, wish me luck!

Heather Powers of Humblearts just came back from a conference and shares her experience.  Go visit for a good read and some great insight!

Monica Lee is discussing the possibility of a group that can support eachother with building a strong portfolio(not just for the children's market). If this interests you, I'd recommend you post at her blog and let her know!

LAST WORD: Create several solid pieces that represent your heart and the work you want to be hired to do. But don't stop there. Our portfolios are never finished , It's ever evolving as we are so forget about trying to obtain that "happy ending" with your port. There's no such thing.

Happy illustrating!

Rubber Stamping

After reading Mabelle's blog ,Whimsy And Stars Studio, it reminded me of how much I loved creating rubber stamp designs.  When I first started illustrating professionally , I found designing rubberstamps to be a fun way to be paid for creating artwork. 

Here are some I did primarily for a company called , "The Merry Stamper", a line called , "bearz by roz".

I don't know how it is done now, but when I was designing images , I would query (by email) rubberstamp companies and see if they worked with freelance illustrators. If they said yes, I would send them a link to a page of artwork with prices.

This is a great way of recycling line art that you may have tucked away in your files.

If you decide to give this a try , be sure and only sell them "rubber stamp rights" and retain the copyright.  There are a couple of routes you can take as far as payment.  flat fee, royalties only or the ideal situation,  pay and royalties. It all depends on the company and they will provide that information for you.

KERCHUNK  - A list of rubberstamp companies.

It was fun looking at these stamps. Makes me want to make some more. Here's my favorite: 

Revisions

Last week, I learned a lesson in following your gut instinct. I was assigned a one page poem (Illustration assignment) for Boysquest Magazine. The story is about a little boy that wins the baseball game but isn't expected to because of his size. Very cute poem written by - Michael C. Schmidt. The poem is roughly 250 words long so not much room for art. Below I'll show you the first sketch I submitted and then the revised sketch. To play it safe I went very minimal...just bases with the little boy running.  The editor asked if I could busy it up a bit so #2 is what I sent them and they were much happier with it.  But  what's funny is  #2 is how I had initially envisioned it but was concerned about space. Just taught me once again to trust my first instinct. This piece of artwork will be in the June issue of Boysquest.  I turn it into them as b&w inkline and then they drop one or two colors in on their end. Great company with lovely staff.

The Power Of Promotion

The question I'm asked the most is , what is the best form of promotion, what has worked best for you? 

For me personally, different things at different times have worked. Referrals, packet mailings (showing several samples at one time), postcard mailings, conference networking.

By no means am I an authority on this , each illustrator finds what works best for them and I'm still experimenting/learning too.  After trying several different methods, though,  I've come to the conclusion that there are 2 really important factors. 1) BE SEEN  2)Whatever method you use, it MUST reflect professionalism.

I learned about promotion by studying the "Children's Writers & Illustrators Market" book.

This comes out annually and has wonderful articles for illustrators (and writers) to help learn the ropes plus all the contact info for publishing houses. It's a MUST HAVE.  This years edition has an article specifically geared to the topic of postcard mailings, I would highly recommend reading it.

Right now, I really enjoy using postcards for my promotion.  You have to remember that Editors/AD's are busy and the postcard is immediate. You want to make life as easy as possible for an editor to get a feel of who you are and what you do.  With the postcard, your work WILL be seen because an image isn't as easy to ignore as an envelope.  If you go this route, though, it's crucial that you have a web presence. If an editor/AD likes what they see on your card, they can view your on line portfolio to see more of your work.

Editors are bombarded with submissions daily so it's important to "remind" them that you are alive and well , ready to work! My goal is to send out a postcard every three months and I send out a fresh image that they haven't seen before. 

What to put on your postcard?

Since you are only showing one image with a postcard it needs to be memorable.   Showing interaction is key in children's illustration. Children, animals, adults etc. Engage the viewer, make it feel like you are looking in on "their" world. 

The backside , I usually put another little piece of spot art and my contact information...maybe a blurb about the medium I use or a partial client list.
I used to use my trusty computer and printer to create my postcards but lately I've been using postcard services on line. If you're interested, go to my sidebar and click on "Speaking of postcards" and you'll find links to check out there.

Paige of "Fox in Sox" wrote a great post about promotion here.

Holli of "A girl who creates" writes candidly of her experience with promoting herself here.

Art Rep , Chris Tugeau of "Catugeau" offers wonderful insight on how to represent yourself well here.

Katie Davis  (Thanks Janee!)

Postcard mailings aren't the only route to go, it's part of your illustrator arsenal.
Get your work out there and start experimenting to see what works for you.

Remember that the most important thing is getting really good at what YOU do as far as style. Your art  will speak for itself no matter which form of promotion you use.

Good luck!

Speaking of Postcards

  Here are some that have been recommended to me or that I have used in the past. This is a great way to submit to publishers and give them a taste of your style.  It is especially ideal if you have an online portfolio, you can add the url to your postcard so that they can see more of your work and request hard copy samples if necessary.

www.modernpostcard.com

4by6.com

USPS postcards

Print for less  (thanks Janee!)

Rocket Cards  (thanks Holli)

Vista Print

Pet Show Finished

Yay! I'm finished with the promo that I'll be sending out this spring!

The next step is to add some text to the front in photoshop (my name in the sky area) and then have some postcards made.

I'll be doing this through "Modern Postcard" this time around.  www.modernpostcard.com   

Usually, I use the USPS postcard service but as far as I know you can't buy in bulk to have on hand and address as needed. However, Janee Trasler tells me that she thinks they provide that service now so I'll have to go double check.

I'm ready to get started on a new illustration I can tell you!!

Making Progress

Yesterday I made a lot of progress with the spring promo. The sun was shining, all the kids were at school and everything just seemed to flow. Today, it's miserable and rainy, one kiddo home sick and I'm feeling totally uninspired. So I thought I'd play with the digital camera and show you my work in progress. 

This past week I worked on the tracing and making of templates. Yesterday I cut and glued each character together. Here it is but the pieces aren't attached to the background yet.

Next comes the fun part. EMBELLISHING. This will make the characters come to life and add more depth and detail.

You may notice that it's different from the sketch I posted earlier.  =O) 

I received more feedback and as a result reworked it into a piece that I'm much happier with. 

I'll show you the finished piece next week.   Happy illustrating!

Sowing Seeds

I get so antsy during these quiet times. The planting of seed season , hoping to reap a harvest. Will this promotional piece (pet show sketch I posted earlier) reap the harvest I so desire? Is the felt really going to open the doors for me? I hope it is. It’s making me queasy nervous. BUT, when I’m actually sitting and working , I feel a real sense of purpose and satisfaction. That should be my answer, right ? If I wouldn’t waste so much time THINKING, OVER ANALYZING, SPECULATING, I would be alright.

I want guarantees. That is my problem. Stepping out in faith is very difficult for me. Like I’ve said before, it took me two years to listen to that inner voice urging me to explore with the felt. And lo and behold…it opened new doors, very exciting doors!

I have big dreams but I easily get stuck in the moment I guess, not really trusting myself.  Granted, I have been accomplishing things that I never would have dreamed. To take someone like me , a very shy, self conscious soul and to be working now in a field where I have to face rejection daily is a major feat.

But what’s funny is once you’ve accomplished that goal that seemed so hard to attain…here comes another one smiling and urging you on.  That’s what is going on with me right now, I think. 

My desires are changing. I’m wanting more. And because of that, I  am going to have to stretch myself. Try things that are unfamiliar and scary. That’s a vulnerable feeling.

As I sit here typing this I realize that it IS a part of the process , isn’t it?

Our inner selves are slowly revealing its plan to us step by step. We need to embrace that and accept that it’s our tool to get where we’re headed.. It’s our inner selves prompting us to the next level.  It’s okay , not to know what is going to happen next. We just need to go for it and let the rest take care of its self.

What is the point of this ramble? I guess I’m just hoping that you will trust your instincts, go for it and step out a little too. Like I’m reminding myself  today …with every action, there is a reaction. Take that step and see what happens. You may be in the quiet time of your dream but believe that the effort that you make now, however small, will move you forward on your journey. Trust your inner voice even if the dreams you have seem so out of the realm of possibility. They aren’t.

2005 Children's Book Awards

Thanks Janee for letting me know the awards were out!
I think I'm going on a fieldtrip today to take a closer look. Here are the winners for Newberry and Caldecott for 2005. See the complete list of awards and honors here: ALA

Newberry award

Kira-Kira by Cynthia Kadohata

Caldecott award

Kitten's First Full Moon , by Kevin Henkes

Spring Promo Sketch

Hi all!  Well , it's time to stop procrastinating and get busy with my spring promotional piece.  I thought I'd go ahead and show you the sketches. This will be finished in felt . I shared this sketch with my crit  group (the Pb&j's) and thought I'd post the comments they made along with the revised sketch. In our group, we  use the "sandwich method" . Start with a positive, your suggestions, end with a positive. We've found that works really well for us.  And more importantly, if you're receiving a critique, remember it's only an opinion...if it doesn't feel right to you, stick to your heart. 

Suggestions:

1) vary the size of the kids more, break up the "line".

2) make the girl winning the prize the focal point.

3) can't make out the hat flying off the dog, maybe try it flying off the girl.

4) give that poor little boy near the cat a trunk!  (these weren't the exact words, but after I noticed it, I sure did feel sorry for the little guy)

I need to have it finished by February and at that point I'll have postcards made. I kept that in mind when I came up with the dimensions for this piece. I'll post the final piece when I'm done.

 Thanks Snowbear!

Why Felt

As I put away the christmas stockings, I'm reminded of how my illustration career has evolved.  I have been illustrating for several years but I didn't begin using felt as my primary medium until Oct. 2004. 
Eventhough I was receiving assignments ,I still felt like I was struggling to find my 'voice', you know what I mean? I'll never forget reading an article in the CWIM by Theresa Smythe about listening to her inner voice which was telling her to try cut paper collage for her illustrations. I was so jealous, "Oh, I wish my inner voice would tell ME something."   Well, it was but I just wasn't listening.

As I read her article , there they were, my stockings beckoning to me, "try this , try this!"   I have always loved creating with my hands. My mum is a craft designer and she has been creating ever since I can remember. One of my most treasured possessions is the christmas stocking that she made me as a child.  

As you can see , it's still in wonderful condition.  Growing up, I worked alot helping her get ready for crafts shows,  or teaching crafts to children.  Working with felt is like second nature to me,very personal.

So as I sat there reading Theresas article and my stockings prompting me (I made these for my hubby and 3 kids), the little seed was planted.  It had never occured to me that I could use felt for illustration! 

It  took 2 years after that lightbulb moment to actually sit and experiment.  Thinking and doing were 2 things altogether!  But when my son had to have major hip surgery , I knew it was the perfect time to slow down and "play" while we got through his recovery.  The picture on my "rozzieland" banner was my first piece. I called it "felt-like spring" and sent it out as my first promo card  6 months later. She has brought me good luck and has been opening doors for me.
Here is my first book that was illustrated with felt. It is still early days yet but I'm very excited with where the felt has taken me so far. 

Is your inner voice telling you something today, feeling a little niggle? Give it a try, you have nothing to lose. Try not to let it take 2 years like it did me. Happy illustrating!

Fair Is Fair

I guess I'll start by saying "hiya" and "welcome" to anyone visiting! My name is Rozalind but you can call me Roz. Close friends and family call me Rozzie.   I am a freelance illustrator for the children's market. This is my first attempt at having a blog and I'm not so sure what direction it will take. But I hope you'll join me in the "land of Roz" where hedgehogs talk, froggies dance and piggies sing!