Welcome to Part Three of my Dummy Book Series!
If you missed it:
Today in Part 3, I will talk about what to submit to Editors and Agents, sending your dummy book out into the world, waiting, dealing with rejections and celebrating successes.
What to Put in Your Package for Editors and Agents
What to put in your package may vary from publisher to publisher. Many editors and agents want you to send everything via email, and others want you to send everything via snail mail.
How will you know what each Publisher or Agency wants?
Research Publishers and Agents
You can find a list of Publisher who are accepting unsolicited manuscripts, and Literary Agents in either the Children's Writer's and Illustrator's Market book or in The Book, a publication that is only available to SCBWI members. There are not very many publishers who are accepting unsolicited (unagented) manuscripts anymore, so if you plan to write and illustrate a lot of your own books, it may be better to find an literary agent first.
When looking for a publisher or agent, always go look at their website. Make sure your work will be a good fit with their agency.
I found that many of the agents listed didn't even have a website. A good agency will have a nice website and be involved in social media. It is an essential part of being successful in this business nowadays.
Networking
In my own recent search for a literary agent, I sent my dummy book and illustration samples to several agents. I was rejected by a few, and others never answered my queries at all. It was not until I got a referral from another author-illustrator that I was successful in finding and landing my current agent.
This also happened nine years ago when I was looking for my (former) art rep. I was able to connect with my art rep through another art rep's referral. Remember, this is not always the case, but if you are able to network with someone, there may be a better chance of an agent looking at your work.
An Important Reminder For All of Us
Let me pause for a moment to remind you of something very important to remember. The process and timing of finding an agent or a publisher is going to be different for each of us. It may be a matter of being in the right place at the right time.
The process of being successful as an illustrator may take years, or it might happen right away. But more often than not, it will take time. I have been working in the industry for nine years and I have still never illustrated a trade book, whereas I know other artists who successfully jumped right away into the trade industry. But those cases are rare. It more often takes more time and perseverance to be successful. Remember to be patient.
Submission Guidelines
After finding a good list of Publishers or Agents, and you've checked their website to make sure your work is a good fit, find their submission guidelines. They are usually pretty easy to find on each website. Read the submission guidelines carefully. Everyone wants you to send slightly different things in the email, or include different things in your cover letter.
When Sending a Manuscript Package in the Mail
When I am sending a package in the mail, along with a letter and a printed dummy book, I like to include a business card and a couple of nicely printed post cards. I get my post cards printed at gotprint.com. They do a very nice job, and they come highly recommended!
Just make sure everything looks clean and professional. If you send extras, only send a couple. Don't overwhelm the editor!
Cover Letters
Research how to write a query or cover letter. There are many online resources available. Here is an article that I found helpful: Writing a Cover Letter
When you are submitting a picture book that is both written and illustrated by you, the story and pictures can do most of the talking. So in other words, keep your letter brief.
Remember to be courteous and professional. Make sure you proofread your query letter carefully.
Many publishers and agents like to know if you are submitting to other publisher or agencies at the same time, so make sure to tell them if it is a simultaneous submission.
Sending Your Work Out Into the World and Waiting...
Respect the publishers or agents space. Remember they get hundreds of submissions every month (or maybe even every week), so give them time and space, and don't bother them.
After you hand your package over to the post office worker, or click the send button on the email, you are going to be doing a lot of waiting.
In the mean time, start another personal project. Keep working on your craft and doing what you love to do instead of focusing on the waiting. Sometimes, it may take a long time to hear back from anyone. And sometimes you may never hear back at all. Just keep doing what you love to do and focus on things that are going well.
Dealing with Rejections
When you get a personal reject, remember that is a good sign that your work is getting close to being a success.
There may be a good reason for a rejection. For example, I got a few rejections from agents. In the rejections the agents said I had a good story, and my artwork was great, but the story wasn't right for them. I was happy for their rejections, because I didn't wanted to be agented by someone who wasn't absolutely thrilled by my story, style of writing and artwork.
Try to take time to do something fun to celebrate your rejections. There was one week where I got three rejections in one week. I got really down and depressed and started thinking destructive things about my artwork and career. A better thing for me to do would have been to go on a fun family outing to celebrate the fact that I am actually being brave and getting my work out there.Rejections are just part of the process, so think of ways you can celebrate what you are doing instead of focusing on the negative.
Just remember that if you are working on your craft all the time- learning how to be a better illustrator and a better writer, taking good critiques to heart and improving, if you are persistent and you are working every day for that dream, you will be successful.
Remember it takes time. Don't forget the many famous people in history who took years to be successful. Take hope from their stories, and don't give up!
Celebrating Successes
Don't forget to celebrate all your successes along the way- big or little, whether it be a break though in your writing or drawing, signing on with a new agent, or having your manuscript accepted by a publisher. Tell a friend, buy yourself an new art book, or go out for ice cream with your family!
Remember to look back at where you were 10 years ago, and see the progress you've made.
Welcome to Part Three of my Dummy Book Series!
If you missed it:
Today in Part 3, I will talk about what to submit to Editors and Agents, sending your dummy book out into the world, waiting, dealing with rejections and celebrating successes.
What to Put in Your Package for Editors and Agents
What to put in your package may vary from publisher to publisher. Many editors and agents want you to send everything via email, and others want you to send everything via snail mail.
How will you know what each Publisher or Agency wants?
Research Publishers and Agents
You can find a list of Publisher who are accepting unsolicited manuscripts, and Literary Agents in either the Children's Writer's and Illustrator's Market book or in The Book, a publication that is only available to SCBWI members. There are not very many publishers who are accepting unsolicited (unagented) manuscripts anymore, so if you plan to write and illustrate a lot of your own books, it may be better to find an literary agent first.
When looking for a publisher or agent, always go look at their website. Make sure your work will be a good fit with their agency.
I found that many of the agents listed didn't even have a website. A good agency will have a nice website and be involved in social media. It is an essential part of being successful in this business nowadays.
Networking
In my own recent search for a literary agent, I sent my dummy book and illustration samples to several agents. I was rejected by a few, and others never answered my queries at all. It was not until I got a referral from another author-illustrator that I was successful in finding and landing my current agent.
This also happened nine years ago when I was looking for my (former) art rep. I was able to connect with my art rep through another art rep's referral. Remember, this is not always the case, but if you are able to network with someone, there may be a better chance of an agent looking at your work.
An Important Reminder For All of Us
Let me pause for a moment to remind you of something very important to remember. The process and timing of finding an agent or a publisher is going to be different for each of us. It may be a matter of being in the right place at the right time.
The process of being successful as an illustrator may take years, or it might happen right away. But more often than not, it will take time. I have been working in the industry for nine years and I have still never illustrated a trade book, whereas I know other artists who successfully jumped right away into the trade industry. But those cases are rare. It more often takes more time and perseverance to be successful. Remember to be patient.
Submission Guidelines
After finding a good list of Publishers or Agents, and you've checked their website to make sure your work is a good fit, find their submission guidelines. They are usually pretty easy to find on each website. Read the submission guidelines carefully. Everyone wants you to send slightly different things in the email, or include different things in your cover letter.
When Sending a Manuscript Package in the Mail
When I am sending a package in the mail, along with a letter and a printed dummy book, I like to include a business card and a couple of nicely printed post cards. I get my post cards printed at gotprint.com. They do a very nice job, and they come highly recommended!
Just make sure everything looks clean and professional. If you send extras, only send a couple. Don't overwhelm the editor!
Cover Letters
Research how to write a query or cover letter. There are many online resources available. Here is an article that I found helpful: Writing a Cover Letter
When you are submitting a picture book that is both written and illustrated by you, the story and pictures can do most of the talking. So in other words, keep your letter brief.
Remember to be courteous and professional. Make sure you proofread your query letter carefully.
Many publishers and agents like to know if you are submitting to other publisher or agencies at the same time, so make sure to tell them if it is a simultaneous submission.
Sending Your Work Out Into the World and Waiting...
Respect the publishers or agents space. Remember they get hundreds of submissions every month (or maybe even every week), so give them time and space, and don't bother them.
After you hand your package over to the post office worker, or click the send button on the email, you are going to be doing a lot of waiting.
In the mean time, start another personal project. Keep working on your craft and doing what you love to do instead of focusing on the waiting. Sometimes, it may take a long time to hear back from anyone. And sometimes you may never hear back at all. Just keep doing what you love to do and focus on things that are going well.
Dealing with Rejections
When you get a personal reject, remember that is a good sign that your work is getting close to being a success.
There may be a good reason for a rejection. For example, I got a few rejections from agents. In the rejections the agents said I had a good story, and my artwork was great, but the story wasn't right for them. I was happy for their rejections, because I didn't wanted to be agented by someone who wasn't absolutely thrilled by my story, style of writing and artwork.
Try to take time to do something fun to celebrate your rejections. There was one week where I got three rejections in one week. I got really down and depressed and started thinking destructive things about my artwork and career. A better thing for me to do would have been to go on a fun family outing to celebrate the fact that I am actually being brave and getting my work out there.
Rejections are just part of the process, so think of ways you can celebrate what you are doing instead of focusing on the negative.
Just remember that if you are working on your craft all the time- learning how to be a better illustrator and a better writer, taking good critiques to heart and improving, if you are persistent and you are working every day for that dream, you will be successful.
Remember it takes time. Don't forget the many famous people in history who took years to be successful. Take hope from their stories, and don't give up!
Celebrating Successes
Don't forget to celebrate all your successes along the way- big or little, whether it be a break though in your writing or drawing, signing on with a new agent, or having your manuscript accepted by a publisher. Tell a friend, buy yourself an new art book, or go out for ice cream with your family!
Remember to look back at where you were 10 years ago, and see the progress you've made.
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