Before Classics Were Classics

Here's a article that will get you thinking. Many books considered masterpieces today, received brutal reviews when they first came out. The list in this article mainly has novels, but you will find a few children's books. One being a book that is now a classic example of the best in illustrated picture books...Where the Wild Things Are.

Publisher's Weekly, 1963

“The plan and technique of the illustrations are superb. … But they may well prove frightening, accompanied as they are by a pointless and confusing story.” — Publisher’s Weekly, 1963

One year later...

 

In 1964, the American Library Association awarded Mr. Sendak the Caldecott Medal, considered the Pulitzer Prize of children’s book illustration, for Where the Wild Things Are. "In simple, incantatory language, the book told the story of Max, a naughty boy who rages at his mother and is sent to his room without supper. A pocket Odysseus, Max promptly sets sail...There, Max leads the creatures in a frenzied rumpus before sailing home, anger spent, to find his supper waiting." 

—The New York Times.

 nearly 50 years later...

“Each word has been carefully chosen and the simplicity of the language is quite deceptive.”

— School Library Journal

#1 Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak (1963) "Arguably the single greatest picture book ever created." – Hotspur Closser — Top 100 Picture Books #1: Where the Wild Things Are 

 and 19 million copies, and counting, later...

"A signed first edition of "Where the Wild Things Are," the classic children's book by late author Maurice Sendak, has fetched an eyebrow-raising $25,000 on online book retailer abebooks.com, thus making it one of the most expensive children’s books sold in recent memory." 

 — New York Daily News

"Abe Books spokesman... Richard Davies told the Daily News that for "Where the Wild Things Are" in particular, it was rare for these books to go for so much because a lot of the 1960s editions were mass published. To date, 19 million copies of the Caldecott Medal-winning book have been sold."

— CBS News June 1, 2012

10/11/12

A little fun with type...

my fun that is. I love working with type and wanted to brush up a bit just for fun. While fun, it is still my work, my design. Like the rest of my art it is copyright infringement to just start using this without gaining permission. Come on, let's all play by the rules here. They're pretty simple rules. Just ask. Just give due credit.

Wednesday Links - Pinterest Simple Guidelines

I love Pinterest! It such an amazing way for us visual people to not only organize all those images we find inspiring, but also a great way to discover new images and websites through other people who have interests similar to our own.

The one thing I did wonder about when I first stated "pinning", was free reign. I mean it seams like anybody, can pin anything, from the whole world wide web without asking the creator if it's OK. How do you know who is using your art, and are they recognizing you as the artist? How can an artist hold on to the copyright when they have no idea if there is infringement or not. 

Sometimes I find images I want to "pin", but can't because the board I found them on didn't credit the artist. I will forgo pinning an illustration I love if I can't give the artist who created it due credit. If there are any clues I'll try to find out who the artist is first. But sometime there just aren't any clues. I wish everyone would follow these simple rules. Thank you Dani Jones for posting these great simple guidelines! Follow that link I just gave you for Dani. She has more detailed info on exactly how to do this on her blog.

Back on Track

My quest to become published took a slight detour. Going from working on my books and art full-time, to working a full-time job doing something else, and spending any time I could find working on my books… happened.

During this time something had to give. I spent what little “online” time I had researching, staying current on the industry, networking, reading others blogs and looking for inspiration. There was little time left for me to join message boards or even post on this blog. I stayed involved with any conferences and workshops I could. Unfortunately, I had to miss some.  I went to the library less often. Yet I still managed to come home with arm loads of books.

Along the way I got an agent, completed illustrations on two books by other authors, and received one very exciting package in the mail. My very first published book! It didn’t happen the way I expected, but it did happen. I didn’t get to share it here like I wanted. There wasn’t a lot of hoopla. My family was blindsided with tragedy around this time. But one thing I will never forget was having the opportunity to hand a copy of my very first book to one of my biggest supporters, my mother-in-law.  She not only knew how to praise, she knew how to be a critic. The type of critic who truly critiques your work in a way that helps you to improve. 

Sadly, sharing that book was our last visit. This leads me to today. I want to continue this blog and show the reality of what a long, hard path this journey to publication can be. I also want to share the many joys the journey holds.  The roadblocks aren’t over, but I’m back on track. Recently I took a huge leap of faith, quit my day job, and will give this all I’ve got. So come back and visit! I will be adding new posts, as well as posting from the “archives” of the last couple years. The studio doors are open again.

International Children's Book Day

International Children's Book Day

Fate and Fortune

How one right turn, leads to landing an agent.

On this journey to get published it seems the road has been nothing short of long and winding, yet just one little turn can send you down an unexpected path. I've always believed in fate. I've always believed things happen for a reason. The last couple of years I'm having a hard time figuring out what that reason might be, but I'm hoping one day it will all make perfect sense. So when a simple chain events leads me smack-dab in the hands of "my" new agent, I have to think there just might be something to this fate business after all.

Here's how the story goes.

It's the middle of the month and I'm in the middle of a rut. I'm going to work each day, trying to figure out when I'll have time to work on new stories, feeling a little low, needing a little inspiration. I haven't been out for awhile, when some people at work plan a Happy Hour get-together. Perfect I think. It's been weeks, maybe months since I went out. I'm ready to go! So I accept. Then wouldn't you know it, the very next day I get an email invite from my local illustrators group for a meeting. On the same day! At the same time! We hadn't had a meeting for months, maybe six or seven months, and now we're getting together on the same day I already made a commitment for. I'm thinking what bad luck I have, wishing they were on different days.

So I go the the Happy Hour. It's close to work, which is close to home. We get done earlier than I expect. Now, I'm the type of person who doesn't like to miss out things. My Mom says I'm always trying to fit 10 pounds of potatoes in a 5 pound bag. (Actually I don't think she uses the word potatoes.) I'm on my way home believing that's where I'm heading when I approach the freeway on-ramp sign, next thing I know I'm making a quick call to a friend to find out how far into the meeting they are. Twenty minutes later I'm walking into the meeting. Late, but walking in, ready to hear what every one's been up to. I knew Molly would be there sharing her portfolio and her recent experiences in New York City, I just didn't know I'd be there too. Molly Idle won the SCBWI portfolio award grand prize back in August. As part of her grand prize she won a trip to New York to meet with a few Art Directors from major houses and tonight she had stories to tell! Lynne Avril was there too, which always makes the meetings a hoot and a half! She had some original art to show. Part of her Amelia Bedelia books. I'm always amazed at the amount of work she can do in a short amount of time.

As the meeting is wrapping up I'm having a discussion with Molly, who is also querying agents. She mentions an agent that I had queried awhile back but never heard from. I decide the next day that I should query that agent again, maybe she never got the initial query? Within hours I have a reply. She looked at my website, calls my work beautiful, but passes. Again, I hear my work is too realistic. I send her a thank you. (I normally don't do this. I figure their inboxes fill up enough with important stuff.) And what do you know, she sends a quick email back with a recommendation for an agent more suited to my style. I query this second agent and two days later I have a verbal offer! We email back and forth a few times with questions (I had a lot of them - she even said there were a lot - but she took the time to answer every one of them.) And two weeks after this meeting I had never planned to go to, I almost didn't go to, I have a signed contract with my agent!

Being a believer of fate, I also read horoscopes and fortune cookies, I have this one pinned to my wall as a reminder. The harder you work the luckier you get. This is true. This business is hard work. Working hard can put you in the right place at the right time. But I also know some people work really hard and never get lucky. And I also know that as I drove down 56th street that night, and made a split decision to get on the freeway, made that one right turn, fate was involved.

I have an Agent!

Starting this year out with a bang! I'm very proud to announce I have an agent! I am now represented in the children's book publishing market by Wendy Lynn & Co. They represent over 35 artists. Be sure to check out their website. You'll find me there right in the mix with a whole lot of talent. Yup! Right next to names like Mark Meyers, Tara Chang, Sherry Neidigh, Nathan Trewartha, Kim Jacobs, Valerie Sokolova, Lin Wang, Eric Freeberg, and Penny Webber, to name just a few. I couldn't be happier!