Postcard Boost: Second Step

The next step after having designed your postcards is to create a mailing list of industry associates you would like to receive them. This step requires probably the most thorough and tedious work involved with promotional mailers: research. You often have to sift through a variety of sources and sites in order to place a name to a position or an address with a house. It is work, but it is very important work because you will use this information three to four times a year.

Last night at #kidlitart we discussed just how we find the information we are seeking and how we organize it. You can read the storify transcript here: http://storify.com/kidlitart/kidlitart-chat-mailing-lists

Be sure to join us next week as we discuss sketchbooks!

-Diandra

NEW #KIDLITART HEADER!

How about our new header, eh? That delightful winter wonderland was created by Nancy Colle.
 

She doesn't look familiar? What do you mean? Oh! Well, fellow #kidlitart chatters might recognize her best like this:

 

Better? Right then, on to the interview!

 

-What was your inspiration for the header?

 Incredible as it may sound -I love winter.When I was little I was always outside, -building forts,climbing things, and yes, making snow angels.

   

-What is your primary medium for the header?

  Watercolor - I enjoy it's freedom and fluidity.

-Are you currently working on any projects?

 Currently I have one complete PB dummy, another I'm revising,

 and an idea I've already picked for the #kidlitart PB challenge

-Where can we find you online? 

 

 

 

Website: www.talkingdonkeystudio.com 

Blog: www.talkingdonkeystudioblog.com 

Twitter: @DonkeyTalking

-What are your favorite children's books?

  Press Here -by Herve Tullet

  Stone Soup -by Marcia Brown

  Walk On!- by Marla Frazee

  Bread & Jam for Frances - by the Hobans

- What's the best advice you've received from #kidlitart? the importance of SCBWI conferences; don't wait for perfect conditions, just draw;  rejection letters are not my epitaph.

-Great! Any favorite #kidlitart topics? Build your portfolio/ art directors/ Conference tips

Thank you, Nancy!

Do you want in on this header action? (I can't believe I typed that with a straight face) then start thinking SPRING! We'll be picking a new header in the next month or so to celebrate the incoming new season.

You can find the requirements here. Happy drawing!

-Diandra

Creating Appealing Characters

We had a fast and furious chat last week discussing character development and the important steps necessary to developing a great picture book dummy. The transcript is chock-full of links and resources, so be sure you read through and bookmark!

http://storify.com/kidlitart/kidlitart-chat-creating-appealing-characters/preview

Once again, thanks to Renee for getting out transcript together! This week we're discussing Time Management. See you Thursday at 9pmEST!

-Diandra

p.s.- I'm still pulling names from the Art Crushes chat, but I'm about to move this week. I promise I'll share when the list is done and I have internet again. 

Postcard Boost Transcript

Our Postcard Boost chat flew by! There were equal parts constructive criticism and compliments. If you missed the chat, you can read the Storify transcript here:

http://storify.com/kidlitart/kidlitart-chat-postcard-critique

Part 2 of our Postcard Boost will be our chat on Mailing Lists (How do we gather the information and maintain it?) on March 13th. Come with questions and any resources you use on maintaining one of the least glamorous parts of illustration. ;)

-Diandra

Postcard Boost

Sampling of postcards I picked up at SCBWI LA 2013.

A few times on #kidlitart, people have mentioned wanting a boost to help them get their next postcard promos mailed out. Mailing out a promo card on a regular basis is one of the simplest and most important acts of self-promotion an illustrator can do. 

That's not to say that there isn't some legwork involved. You have to have a mailing list compiled of the contacts and publishing houses you wish to submit to. This means you have to research submission guidelines and follow them. You have to know where and when you are getting your postcard printed, how much it's going to cost, what size you're mailing, and the guidelines to follow when submitting your design for print. You have to do your homework.

And believe it or not, as tedious as some of that research can be, it's the easiest part of the process. The real struggle comes with choosing an illustration, or creating a new illustration, to go on that postcard you are mailing out. How do you choose? And what's more, is what you're choosing going to work?

Well, we're going to give you a little help. You have one week to design (and we're talking sketches here, possibly color comps) your next postcard design. And at next week's #kidlitart chat, upload the card on to Twitter or share a link to the image, and as a group, we will give you feedback on your piece.

Keep in mind that everything is very subjective, but there are a few design principles and common sense facts that we can definitely help with. And remember that critique and feedback is part of being an illustrator. If you've never had one, you need to start developing a skin to deal with it and use it as a platform to growth and improvement.

Use the feedback you receive next week to revise and possibly improve your piece. Take it to full-color, get more feedback if necessary from fellow illustrators. Then in March, we'll have a mass #kidlitart mail-out deadline where everyone will send their cards to publishers. Deal?

Now get to work! We'll see you February 6th, at 9pm EST!

-Diandra

(And remember, this is a live chat. We'll have people submitting simultaneously, and things can get a little wild. Be patient and give people time to consider your piece. We'll all use our manners and wait our turn as much as possible.)

2014 Picture Book Dummy Challenge FAQ:

You can participate in the #Kidlitart 2014 Picture Book Dummy Challenge here on the blog or on Twitter via the #PBDummy hashtag, or on Facebook via this group.

What is it?
A six month-long online group challenge to create and submit a picture book dummy.

Start date: January 13, 2014

End date: July 17, 2014

Who can join?Anyone! Though geared primarily toward author/illustrators, writers who are not artists can benefit from portions of the dummy exercise, and illustrators without an original manuscript can use the process to create a dummy portfolio piece.

Can I participate without attending kidlitart Twitter chats?
Yes, the challenge steps will be posted here on the blog--but we encourage you to take advantage of all avenues for joining in the discussion: leave comments here; drop by #kidlitart at 9 pm Eastern on Thursday nights; and check in with your Twitter colleagues any time via the challenge hashtag: #PBDummy. (Starting in January, you can also download the twibbon created by Diandra Mae to show your participation.)

Do I have to post my work online?
No! We will be discussing the steps in general terms. If you wish to receive feedback or critiques on specific ideas or artwork, you are free to exchange messages or post images with trusted partners in protected venues. DO NOT post original artwork in comments here: please be mindful of the nature of the internet and use caution when posting art ANYWHERE.

What if I don’t want to create a picture book dummy? Will I be left out of #kidlitart until July? Not at all! Starting in 2014, most of the challenge activity will take place here on the blog or via the #PBDummy hashtag. We will schedule a progress chat to correspond with each of the nine steps, but the remainder of the chats will cover the entire range of topics of interest to picture book illustrators and friends of the genre.

Are there any rules for the challenge?
No rules at all for participating. The idea is to have a great time while accomplishing something useful. If you’ve ever taken part in a similar challenge, you know the value of community: checking in regularly, encouraging others, allowing yourself to be held accountable to a schedule—all this will help you get the most from the experience.

Part II: Brass Tacks
What is a picture book dummy, anyway?
A picture book dummy is a facsimile of a printed book: text and images laid out on paper cut into pages which are then gathered and “bound” to approximate an actual book. A dummy can be extremely simple or very elaborately produced—but the defining characteristic is the page turn.

A physical dummy allows you to simulate the experience of reading a book. For the author/illustrator, a dummy aids in establishing and editing the visual context into a series of isolated page spreads viewed the way a reader will experience them. It can also be an important tool for exposing flaws in the pace of a manuscript or help to establish natural dramatic breaks in the story line.

Who should create a picture book dummy, and why?
There are three reasons to create a picture book dummy:

a) As mentioned above, a dummy is an important tool for structuring a picture book, and is a recommended exercise for polishing any manuscript. A writer who is not an illustrator can benefit from creating a simple dummy, but should NOT include it as part of the submission.

b) An illustrator who is not an author might consider creating a picture book dummy of a fairy tale or some other familiar text in the public domain, as a portfolio piece. A successful dummy will demonstrate that the illustrator understands how to structure a story within the constraints of the standard picture book format.

c) An author/illustrator should consider including a picture book dummy as part of the submission package for any original manuscript he or she wishes to illustrate. This will give the editor, art director or agent reviewing your submission the clearest idea of the viability of the project. For the purposes of this challenge, we will assume that this is the goal. If you are producing a dummy for any other reason, you may find that some of the challenge steps don’t apply to your project—but we hope they will be enlightening, nevertheless.

HOW WE BREAK THIS DOWN
Each step in the challenge will be introduced* by a post here on the kidlitart blog.   You are invited to check in via the comments section at any time to share your progress or ask questions . . . and there will be a “How’s it going?” chat scheduled at the close of each step in the process, to keep us on course.

*To avoid repeating ourselves, you will be directed to either the archived post from last year, or to the pdf compilation, for links and tips associated with each step.

THE SCHEDULE

STEP 1: Pick your project (1 week) Jan 12-18

STEP 2: Draft the story (4 weeks) Jan 19-Feb 15

STEP 3: Develop the characters (2 weeks) Feb 16-Mar 1

STEP 4: Storyboard text and art (2 weeks) Mar 2-Mar 15

STEP 5: Render tight, full-size sketches (8 weeks) Mar 16-May 10

STEP 6: Produce final art of two spreads (4 weeks) May 11 - June 7

STEP 7: Assemble the dummy (2 weeks ) Jun 8-Jun 21

STEP 8: Research submissions; prepare dummy package(1 week) Jun 22-Jun 28

STEP 9: Submit (1 week) Jul 6- Jul 12 (Because of the July 4th holiday)

STEP 10: Celebrate! July 17 #kidlitart chat Wrap Party

That’s it! Ten easy steps to dummy success. Ready to get started? Sign up in the comments section below and bookmark this site: Step 1 launches Monday, January 13.

Good luck!

ANNOUNCING....

Our official twibbon. You'll be able to add one in January.

The return of the #kidlitart Picture Book Dummy Challenge! 

For those of you who have been around #kidlitart since the beginning, this was a challenge started by Bonnie Adamson, Wendy Martin, and (silently) myself back in 2009. It kicked off in 2010 and was a great success. We did it again in 2011 bigger and better. When the chat went on hiatus last year, the challenge was unofficially carried on by an enthusiastic member of our #kidlitart community.

Well, with the return of the #kidlitart chat in 2013, we've decided why not bring back one of the most useful tools for those starting out in this crazy business? (And get a kick in the pants for any projects we might be letting sit around in a drawer as a bonus.)

The guidelines, schedule, and FAQ are on the next post. Be sure to read up and sign up in the comments on the next post so we know who's going to be joining us on this party boat. ha!