The other day I had an interesting question via email:
“In your writing tips, you warned against submitting photos or pictures with the text — commissioning your sister-in-law to paint some pictures for the book, for example, is a bad idea.
However, what if the pictures are your own drawings, and you want to be an illustrator as much as you want to be a writer?”
Here is my answer:
There is one exception to never sending in illustrations, and that’s if you’re a professional artist. Even so, the best way to handle it is to submit the story without illustrations, but to mention in your cover letter that you are an artist. If you have a sample that can be viewed online, give them the url.
Another way around it is to submit your art portfolio without your story.
If you’re an illustrator, consider making up postcards and sending them out to editors.
The reason you don’t want to submit both at the same time is because it gives them two reasons to reject you. What if they hate the story but love the illos or visa versa? That said, there are some publishers who specifically request submissions from people who are both author and illustrators. Those ones should be on the top of your “to submit” list.
Good luck with your submissions!
Hmm..didn’t I have the same question…?
When done well, it’s amazing. I’m thinking Pheobe Gilman of course(my fave, Un merveilleux petit rien-Something from Nothing) Barbara Reid (I love, love, love Quelle belle fete-The Party). I need to raid my kid’s bookshelves again, I know there are plenty more….
Helene B
(getting lazy with my accents-my codes don’t work in your Blog)
Re: Hmm..didn’t I have the same question…?
Oh BTW, I’m glad you cleared up that “wand” debate. (g)
Re: Hmm..didn’t I have the same question…?
Hi Hélène,
Yes, you did ask that question in kidcrit and then another person asked the same thing a few days later by email. I suggested she come on over to kidcrit. Hopefully, she will.
There’s also Loris Lesynski and Andrea Beck. Michael Martchenko has written and illustrated a couple of his own books, although he’s best known for his illustrations.
Sounds like good advice to me! 🙂
Hmm..didn’t I have the same question…?
When done well, it’s amazing. I’m thinking Pheobe Gilman of course(my fave, Un merveilleux petit rien-Something from Nothing) Barbara Reid (I love, love, love Quelle belle fete-The Party). I need to raid my kid’s bookshelves again, I know there are plenty more….
Helene B
(getting lazy with my accents-my codes don’t work in your Blog)
Re: Hmm..didn’t I have the same question…?
Oh BTW, I’m glad you cleared up that “wand” debate. (g)
Re: Hmm..didn’t I have the same question…?
Hi Hélène,
Yes, you did ask that question in kidcrit and then another person asked the same thing a few days later by email. I suggested she come on over to kidcrit. Hopefully, she will.
There’s also Loris Lesynski and Andrea Beck. Michael Martchenko has written and illustrated a couple of his own books, although he’s best known for his illustrations.
Sounds like good advice to me! 🙂
Hi there! I bopped by via and of course had to friend you. I love meeting and talking shop with other writers, especially other YA/children’s lit. writers. Welcome to LJ-land!
Hi Eugie,
Thanks for the welcome! What genre/age do you write for?
I write for a pretty wide audience age. I’ve sold science fiction and folktales to Spider, Cricket, and Cicada, which pretty much covers the 6 to teenage readership, and my agent is shopping around my middle-grade novel. I also write grown-up science fiction, fantasy, and horror (I know “grown-up” is sickeningly twee, but I always feel obligated to clarify when I say “adult” that I don’t mean the XXX variety). I’ve even dabbled a bit with erotic horror, which I guess might indeed fall into the XXX category.
I’ve been contemplating trying to expand into picture books, but my first few forays into that have met with fairly lukewarm editorial responses, and I haven’t done much follow-up after my initial submission attempts were shot down.
expanding into picture books
Hi Eugie,
Sounds like you’ve got a really wide range. I write mostly historical fiction. Here’s my website:
http://www.calla.com
The picture book market has been really tough for the last five years or so. They’re the most expensive kind of book to produce and the most difficult to sell. Hopefully the tide will turn soon.
Hi there! I bopped by via and of course had to friend you. I love meeting and talking shop with other writers, especially other YA/children’s lit. writers. Welcome to LJ-land!
Hi Eugie,
Thanks for the welcome! What genre/age do you write for?
I write for a pretty wide audience age. I’ve sold science fiction and folktales to Spider, Cricket, and Cicada, which pretty much covers the 6 to teenage readership, and my agent is shopping around my middle-grade novel. I also write grown-up science fiction, fantasy, and horror (I know “grown-up” is sickeningly twee, but I always feel obligated to clarify when I say “adult” that I don’t mean the XXX variety). I’ve even dabbled a bit with erotic horror, which I guess might indeed fall into the XXX category.
I’ve been contemplating trying to expand into picture books, but my first few forays into that have met with fairly lukewarm editorial responses, and I haven’t done much follow-up after my initial submission attempts were shot down.
expanding into picture books
Hi Eugie,
Sounds like you’ve got a really wide range. I write mostly historical fiction. Here’s my website:
http://www.calla.com
The picture book market has been really tough for the last five years or so. They’re the most expensive kind of book to produce and the most difficult to sell. Hopefully the tide will turn soon.