Workin' the System -

Awhile back a very patient Hayden of Lyric Flight asked: "Would you mind explaining to me how things work in your world - are you hired directly by the publishers, or do you collaborate with the writer?"

This is a really good question. I find there is a lot of misconception about how the world of children's publishing actually works. I get emails from first-time, would-be authors on a fairly... regular basis (nearly weekly?) telling me of their newly finished manuscript and how they are now on a hunt for the perfect illustrator, and wouldn't I be pleased to be that person?

For Hayden (and these author inquiries) the short answer is that invariably I am hired directly by a publisher. A publisher who has acquired a manuscript that they are excited about. The publisher, who has experience in this arena, and is now pretty invested in seeing that this new book sells, approaches the illustrator(s) that they think is the best fit for making this book the most marketable it can possibly be. Even though it may seem counter-intuitive, at this point, the author has very little, if any, input. I never interact with an author directly. Occasionally I will get clarifications via my art director, but never directly, and not often.

(There are exceptions to this - maybe if you are already uber-published and have more cred, like say, Jane Yolen?, or you are authoring a non-fiction kind of book and you are an expert on the subject, and therefore your input becomes invaluable, but from what I hear and have experienced, these scenarios are very, very rare).

Harold over at the Purple Crayon (there are many sites and blogs out there with lots of good information) has assembled a nearly perfect list of FAQs about how the relationship between children's book manuscripts and illustrators works. When I get one of those emails asking if I am interested in illustrating a first book by the author, I send them that link, and then if they still think they want to go this route (if they are self-publishing for instance), I refer them to my agents who handle all the contractual details.

For the serious inquisitor, there are a number of resources out there that admirably describe the workings of the industry at present. The best resource for creative folks wanting to learn about and hopefully break into the industry that I know of, is The Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI). They are a worldwide, professional organization for writers and illustrators 0f children's books, complete with newsletters, meetings and conferences - all very informative and up to the minute with current market mores. Chances are good there is a chapter near you - look them up. They are very nice people.

My favorite book on this topic, published yearly, is the Children's Writer's & Illustrator's Market. Lots of really good introductory material on all things industry, as well as pages and pages of contact information for book, magazine and novelty publishers as well as art reps and agents, etc... You can find much of this information online of course (publishers generally list submission guidelines on their websites), but it's good to have it all in one place, complete with interviews with various industry professionals and a lot of nuts and bolts kind of info.

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So, spread the word. If you're writing a children's story, join SCBWI. Find a critique group. Polish your kick-butt manuscript to a shiny, reflective finish. Then you can, and should, go ahead and directly submit it to an appropriate publisher. You don't need to email me first. :-)