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Last night I had the privilege of presenting, at a Norfolk VA library,to a group of FINE ARTISTS from the Chesapeake area,  I spoke about my business (children’s book publishing and repping illustrators to that industry) and a bit about ART in general, and the Business of art in particular.  I totally enjoyed myself and hope I gave the group some  helpful information, motivation and entertainment as well. 

What I couldn’t help notice and feel while speaking to the group was how fun it was to be speaking to FINE art again.  I am a fine artist myself.  I would have been in that field now had I not gotten so sick with asthma 25 years ago (from the oils and turp.) Today I do paint when I can and always enjoy it…watercolor mostly now.  But my days are full of illustration and illustrators…many of whom ARE fine artists of course as well.

We are SO blessed.  Art, whether painting, writing, music, dancing, acting, is a  part of the you that is YOU.  It can not help but to well up… bubble to the surface almost in spite of us sometimes.  Creativity refuses NOT to be, doesn’t it?  Being creative is a personal gift…but isn’t it wonderful how it seems to want to be shared! We need to give it out…give it away.  Sometimes thankfully for compensation, but we feel the deep drive to be brave and give it to others to enjoy – to think about.  It hit me again last night what a true gift it is to have that bubble in us!  Let’s just let it come to the surface….. as much as possible!   The world can use it……

I try very hard to keep up on our changing industry…a challenge!  I read PW weekly (!), Horn Book, Publishers Lunch, and the many blogs and sites that I find helpful when I remember to go there. (some I subscribe to…but how much time does an agent HAVE to read!)  I love information from SCBWI (have fun at THE CONFERENCE this week all!).  I talk to clients and other agents (yup!) and just keep my eyes and ears open.   And my mind open as well. 

I tend to be an optimistic person….think that a must with the agenting profession.  It’s not been easy the past few years!  I seem to see/feel that the over all view is ‘rosier’.  As a Bologna review mentioned there is a “palpable sense that things are looking up.”  We are in the midst of constant change and surprises from all industries, government and personal happenings.  Life feels unsure and as if it’s shifting right under our feet.  It can be exciting and so so frightening… and all that on one day!  It’s far from over…. grab on for the ride…what choice do we have? Maybe fine a proactive way to USE this shifting….

So I wanted to share with you some of the most helpful ‘things I’ve noticed’ recently:

From David Caruba’s ([email protected]) interview/report on Kathy Temean’s blog “Writing and Illustrating” (see earlier Way Tugeau Blogs) :           ”Market isn’t a Book industry, it’s a MEDIA industry.” Generally publishers are acquiring at about 20 % YA (lots in pipeline) 40% middle grade, 7% picture book, and 33% are acquiring  across the board.  A TRUE middle grade ’voice’ for fiction is very much wanted.  Fantasy is still HOT, historical fiction NOT (though it continues to win awards!)  Dystopian is going soft now.  Vampires are not so HOT any longer either.  (but I was told monsters and mermaids might be?)  Picture Books are healthier as most publishers are publishing more than last year.  Publishers are ‘passing’ on quiet books. (I’ve found this to be true for the past few years now!)

Now for hints I’ve heard from publishers when I visit or chat.  >Middle Grade …very big! Science fiction (Sci Fi) next big thing.  >YA is selling big into adult markets especially women up to mid 40′s! (I got my bookgroup to read The Last Shard recently and they loved it!)> HIGH interest in author/illustrator projects for PicBks.  >Not big on ‘one-offs’…meaning a stand alone book….want series potential. Which leads right into the >“CHARACTER FIRST” I keep hearing.  Concept books are not in great demand these days.  >Also developing the careers of authors (and so artists) isn’t as big a concern for publishers as it used to be.  They seem to demand success right away, which is most unfortunate for the long view! I know of some dear exceptions to this trend….THANK YOU! 

You have to know that the downfall of BORDERS will have a big effect on sales…less shelf space = less sales.  But how much is anyones guess. Lower sales = lower advances for writers and artists! There are already lower print book sales showing up as e-readers become more widespread.  But a ‘new toy’ will cause an activity flourish, then things settle down to ‘normal’ use…lets wait and see on that.

Some other noticed points/hints:  1 Comments on Noticed New in the industry: tips and thoughts, last added: 8/3/2011

thanks Priscilla Burris for the memorable moment below…

And that reminded me of my day at BEA last week…Book Expo 2011 at Javits.   I was there on Tues…with my lovely, bright and enthusiastic daughter-in-law Nicole who runs TUGEAU2 agency. Her husband Jeremy is my second child and son…and one of my artists.   Always good to share these experiences… bounce thing off one another.  Makes it a bit easier to keep ones mind as the day goes on too!  Perhaps that is why it was so MEMORABLE.  (a stretch?) Like these two little kids above who are having so much creative fun… they get more out of it when they have a friend.  Maybe they are making their own little MEMORABLE book about MEMORIAL DAY. One they can hold and feel and smell and read together.         

BEA Tues started with the Children’s Book Breakfast…always a fun group and inspiring! then off we went to SEE everything and everyone.  Well, we saw a lot of wonderful new books, and I passed out many copies of a flyer with our agency BEA books on it.   We talked to many editors and sales people, and held books both of our artists groups had done this past six months …always a thrill.  We literally bumped into many people in the alleys we hadn’t anticipated seeing, and missed others we had.  ALWAYS the way as one wanders.  It seemed a happy place, full of positive book people.  It felt better maybe than two years ago when we were last there.  I’m sticking to that. 

I think what made the day and event so memorable was that these huge rooms at Javits Center were FILLED with all sorts of books and the people who make them and sell them so others can read them.  What can be better than that!?  Memorable….

JUST returned from a 3 day NYC trip and full day at BEA Tues… Children’s Book Breakfast and all. SUCH FUN!  Great to experience at one time all the art styles, books and products out there for children of all ages and tastes.  Impressive….

So I wanted to brag a bit and show you some of the books my artists presented from several publishers at BEA this season! There was another surprise there which we were delighted with, but I’m still not allowed to mention even though everyone saw it there… more on that when I CAN brag more….     thank you to John Kanzler for design of this…I passed it out to booth people all over the BEA floor! 

I keep ‘noticing’ things…. reading various articles, see something new in stores, hear it on TV etc.  Thought I’d start sharing some of these ‘mullings’ as they come to MY NOTICE.  (share yours too!)And I’m happy to start with a recent article in PW (Publishers Weekly) about Picture books. (sorry I forgot to note WHICH week of PW~!)

The basic topic was triggered again by that Times article about Picture books being ‘dead’.  LOL!!  In fact it seems, PictureBooks are selling about how they were (market share) in 2005.  Several publishers were involved in this article.  Middle sized publishers Charlesbridge and Candlewick both agree that the market ‘is far from bleak!”  Large publisher Random’s Chip Gibson says PictureBook market has GROWN and remains one of their most profitable areas.  Penguin PB sales are up, but publishing fewer titles…more of a refocusing than an economic change. HarperCollins Susan Katz did admit that the ‘mid-list’ (where most of you are, 10,000 to 15,000 sold potentially) is the hardest hit.  That makes it understandable that publishers are so VERY careful still about buying new ideas for PictureBooks too.  But that truly isn’t bad! Hopefully those being published are BETTER for our kids and for our market! 

Leonard Marcus notes that when there is a BABY BOOM there is also one with PictureBooks.  A good thing, and there has been a bit of one it seems lately in spite of the ‘depression.’  He also chatted some about tendancies…like the ‘celebrity’ authors.  That seems NOT to have helped the market much, nor has the remaking of classics all that much either, though if it brings them to a new generation, I’m for it!  Also pushing old un/under published books by ‘passed brand authors,’ hasn’t worked out.  Loved his comment that there was probably a REASON they didn’t sell while the author/artist was alive!! (duh!) These are all examples perhaps of MARKETING taking over the upper hand at publishers instead of the editors and people who KNOW BOOKS. 

Getting back to the KIDS who are being pushed away from PictureBooks (Times again)… Susan Katz (HC) said that parents doing that are ‘taking the training wheels off too soon.” Parents should ask themselves “WHY?”  PictureBook concepts are quite often sophisticated and timeless…a fun education about ‘life’ needed at the appropriate time in the appropriate fun way, it would seem to me.  Libraries have always had a huge interest in PictureBooks because so many do a great job of marrying the writing with the informational helping illustrations.  (they are loving Graphic Novels for the same reason!)  In libraries, as in bookstores, PBs are harder to display well…takes more shelf space… they are large and with thin spines.  Placing them ‘out’ takes a LOT of shelf.  BUT Barnes and Noble stated that they are ordering just as many as ever, but ‘reducing inventory depth for softer sales.’   However, perhaps there isn’t such a soft market after all.  Hard cover sales are a bit down…soft up. 

Ebooks and Apps are not yet ‘cannibalizing’ PictureBooks (Sabia of Charlesbridge) but are another tool toward becoming literate in our age.  Kids need and want both.  In both they can learn to ‘fill in holes and make predictions as the story moves.’  One of the real pleasures of reading at any age.  

I hope you are a bit uplifted by some GOOD noticed news today.  Some hints though were also thrown out in this article.  There is generally LESS TEXT in books these days. ALSO we in USA are very BIG CHARACTER motivated…possible brand potential.  Editors seem to relish the author/illustrator offerings the most! Publishers seem to want BIG SALES right away…but this isn’t all that new to be honest in my ex

I just had to write my thoughts today on something I’ve been unhappily noticing more lately.  I think we are all getting a bit TOO DISCOURAGED, and letting it show.  I HOPE I haven’t…I work hard to keep the ‘beat up’ and moving.  NOT that it’s easy mind you!  Times ARE hard.  Work assignments ARE slow and few.  Trade book sales ARE down.  etc etc etc.   BUT we must NOT give up or let it stop our artists from producing some of the BEST ART OUT THERE!

I am preparing a mailing presently, one of a couple I do each year…THE MARCH MAILING.  I used to require that each artist in ‘the CAT ARTISTS’ agency have a sheet or piece in this mailing.  I haven’t required it the past few years…it’s optional.  But this year it was like pulling teeth!  and I AM surprised and disappointed enough to write artists everywhere! You need to continue to take advantage of EVERY opportunity to SHOW YOUR WORK!  You can NOT get hired if they do not SEE your work!  That will never change.  You have to get OUT there and show off.  If you are offered an opportunity to do this, grab it.  It is not enough to JUST have a website (a must) or a blog, or send out postcards, or count on an agent to do everything!  Not any more….

Granted, I send out single artist ‘sell sheets’ 8 1/2  x 11 for this… so there is expense to the artist to get the required number of sheets printed (cheap ways to do that!) and get them to me. I compile the package and pay for the envelopes, labels and stamps.  And I follow up with calls and emails to see how clients have enjoyed the mailing.  Not bad.  We also include the reprints from PictureBook and Directory of Ill. spreads and/or pages which include multiple artists.  It’s a nice informative mailing.  Some times I divide it into two mailings…more work for me, but helpful to not overwhelm the publishing clients with too much at once.  Not a problem this year probably. 

SO my message really is simple: to continue to think and move HARD…DO NOT COAST! get an oar in the water and PULL!…. get the tire on the road and PUSH! Don’t let those creative juices slow to an ebb tide.  Reflective ‘breathers’ are good … but don’t stop! Find YOUR Way Tugeau.

As an artist agent I get asked OFTEN about what styles are ‘they’ looking for…what will sell…what subject matter is ‘best’ to do in samples etc.  While I can make recommendations, and do (see ‘Articles’ on my site) , I more often will tell the would-be-repped artists to go study the books in bookstores (current) and figure out themselves what THEY ‘should’ be doing.  It’s a process that is truly individual…and personal.

This reminds me of a chance comment I made a few years ago while having lunch in NYC with two editors.  They were admiring one of my artists and I said that she seemed to create from ‘the inside out.’ As if her artistic inside self was brought into the outside world for us to enjoy!  It was this quality that made her work stand out…feel ‘real’ and comfortable and especially ‘right.’  One of the editors immediately looked excited about those words I’d used.  She hadn’t known how to express the quality she’d seen in some special artists works that appealed to her.  This ‘from the inside out’ comment of mine seemed to make so much sense to her.  We went on about other artists who intuitively went deep inside themselves to find their characters, their color palettes, their unique sense of the world and it’s stories.  Some times we will see this in sketches, or sketch books…a repeated character or series of things that just jump out at us.  Something that obviously speaks to the artist.  These are the things an artist ‘should’ be doing because they are from a place others do not have access to.

So I want to suggest to all artists in our industry (or any artists anywhere!) that you need to study books, and draw a lot from life, and think in ‘story’ with your characters and scenes.  Do samples that show character development in several scenes of the same characters.  Show interaction between characters.  Do various aged and ethnic characters.  Do adults and animals, interiors and exteriors, different perspectives of scenes. Play with color and art materials and digital as well. But more importantly you need to feel and look and create from your ‘inside out.’ Discover and own that ability to find your personal world view and your work will improve on its own.  I and buyers will see that you have the confidence and comfort of YOUR LOOK, and they too will have the confidence to remember and to hire you.