It’s that day of the week again and here’s a new coloring page: Feed the Sharks.

Sharks aside, I have just redesigned my website. Stop by, take a look and stay a while. Let me know what you think of the new home. I have also added lots of new pieces to the Portfolio and added a Sketches area. If during your visit you find a link behaving badly, please let me know.

Hope you and your family have a great week! See you next Monday.

CLICK ON THE IMAGE, PRINT AND ENJOY!
* Please note that all images for the Summer Break Coloring Pages are available for personal and non-commercial use only. If you are interested in purchasing commercial rights, please email me.

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ESPAÑOL:


Otra vez es ese día de la semana y aquí estamos con una nueva página de colorear: Alimenta a los Tiburones

Dejando los tiburones de lado, acabo de rediseñar mi pagina web. Pasen por allí, miren todo y quedense un ratito. Díganme lo que piensen de la nueva casa. He colgado muchas ilustraciones nuevas en el Portfolio y he añadido un area de Dibujos. Si durante su visita encuentran un enlace portándose mal, por favor háganme saber.

Espero que ustedes y sus familias tengan una semana genial! Nos vemos el próximo lunes.

HAGAN CLICK EN LA IMÁGEN, IMPRIMAN Y DISFRUTEN!

* Por favor notar que todas las imágenes del Summer Break Coloring Pages estan disponibles únicamente para uso personal y no commercial. Si estan interesados en compran derechos comerciales, favor de escribirme.

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A quick sketch that I did of my husband and boys a couple of weeks ago thinking of Father’s Day and today is Father’s Day so here I am posting it and wishing all the dad’s a Happy Father’s Day. Happy Father’s Day to my husband and my Dad, too.

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Hello there! This upcoming Sunday we are celebrating Father’s Day in most of the world. With such an important day approaching, this week’s coloring page is dedicated to the Dads. All of the Dads.

Feeling crafty? You can cut and paste the finished coloring page on a piece of cardboard for a custom card. You can add glitter, your children’s hand imprints, beads. Sky is the limit really. And when you are done, email me a picture of your creations. I would love to see: [email protected]

Have a great week and see you next Monday!

CLICK ON THE IMAGE, PRINT AND ENJOY!



* Please note that all images for the Summer Break Coloring Pages are available for personal and non-commercial use only. If you are interested in purchasing commercial rights, please email me.

Get your weekly deliveries: email | rss | facebook



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ESPAÑOL:



Hola! Este domingo que viene celebraremos el Día del Padre en la mayoría del mundo. Con una fecha tan importante acercándose, la página de colorear de esta semana es dedicada a los Papas. Todos los papas.

Se sienten creativas? Pueden cortar y pegar la página de colorear una vez terminada y montarla en un pedazo de cartulina para tener una tarjeta hecha a mano. Pueden añadir purpurina, impresiones de manos de sus hijos, cuentas. El cielo es el límite en realidad. Y cuando hayan terminado, pásenme sus imágenes por email. Me encantaría ver sus creaciones: [email protected]

Que tengan una semana maravillosa y nos vemos el próximo lunes!

HAGAN CLICK EN LA IMÁGEN, IMPRIMAN Y DISFRUTEN!

* Por favor notar que todas las imágenes del Summer Break Coloring Pages estan disponibles únicamente para uso personal y no commercial. Si estan interesados en compran derechos comerciales, favor de escribirme.

Recibe tu entrega semanal: email |

I often receive emails from writers who are interested in hiring me as an illustrator for their picture books. I tend to reply with the same questions and answers so I decided to create this post so it’s easily accessible for future interested people.

DO I NEED ILLUSTRATIONS TO SUBMIT MY MANUSCRIPT TO A PUBLISHER?
No, you do not need illustrations to submit your manuscript. Manuscripts are submitted to the publishing houses. Once your manuscript is acquired, the publisher will pick a professional children’s illustrator for the book.

HOW DO I SUBMIT MY MANUSCRIPT?
Submit your work to well-known and respected publishers. Do your homework by researching the publishing houses and their previous publications.

I would suggest you submit only to those that fit your story. It will save you time in the long run and you will learn about the houses in the process. Remember to follow industry standards when submitting. Manuscript submission guidelines here. You must also be ready for rejections.

* Note: If you hear back from a publisher with the great news that they love your story, congratulations! Pat yourself on the back. It is never that easy. If your publisher asks for a fee to publish your manuscript, it’s not a respectable publisher. You should be paid for your manuscript acquisition, not the other way around.

ARE THERE ANY EXCEPTIONS TO THIS TRADITIONAL WAY OF PUBLISHING MY STORY?
You can always self-publish your story although I would not recommend it. Self-publishing a book is expensive – $20,000+. You will have to wear many hats, way too many in my opinion. You’ll be the writer, editor, art director, distributor, marketer and the venture capitalist. And being honest, each of those jobs are better done by someone who works full time doing only the job they excel at. That’s why you want to submit your manuscript the traditional way.

BUT WHAT ABOUT E-BOOKS AND APPS?
Yes, the market has and is changing rapidly. Many people will be able to publish. You still have to consider that even if your book is digital, you will still have to pay the illustrator and the developer or company that formats your ebook or app. You then have to sell and promote it. And simply put, how many copies would you need to sell in order to get your investment back? I encourage you to search online for other people who have done e-books and apps and listen/read their stories. You must know in order to make an informed decision.

BUT I STILL WANT TO SEND YOU MY MANUSCRIPT. WHAT INFORMATION SHOULD I INCLUDE IN MY QUERY?
If you still want to email me, I would like to know:

• Type of book
• Number of pages
• Subject matter
• Age range
• Color or Black and White illustrations
• Number and size of the illustrations needed
• Deadlines
• Name of Printer
• The illustration you think fits your story

LAST WORDS :)
Breaking into the children’s book market is not easy. It is not challenging because the economy may be struggling in this country and worldwide or because there are some remarkably mistaken articles floating around which talk of a dying Picture Book industry. No, those are not the reasons. The market is tough to break into because most people are not ready to be published yet. As a writer it is your job to hone your craft and keep writing. The children’s author Bev Cooke couldn’t say it any better in 0 Comments on Draw Me An Elephant or How to Hire An Illustrator as of 1/1/1900