PERFECTING YOUR PORTFOLIO (continued)

       They can like you as a person but be left with a murky idea of your art style or marketability.  Or perhaps they saw one or two small ‘DIS-comforts’ in your technique.  They WILL remember that….and NOT hire you.  An art buyer is buying A STYLE,  and they must be very sure of what their expectations of you can be.  It’s a TRUST really……in your style and professionalism………not a specific subject, or color or finished piece of art work.  They need to have CONFIDENCE in you as an artist to enhance their BUSINESS.   And HOW can they have this confidence unless you DISPLAY this in your work and presentation.  YOUR PORTFOLIO DOES THE TALKING FOR YOU!!!!!!!!           As Caitlyn Dlouhy, Sr. Ed. at Atheneum recently said: let your personality shine through!”

       Some market facts: VERY COMPETITIVE!  Over 5000 books published annually, and about 75% of these are new issue.  Some of the BEST artist, graphic work around is done in this market.  There are a wide variety of stories and they need a wide variety of styles to illustrate these needs.  Having said that, the market is much more BOTTOM LINE DRIVEN than it was 10 years ago.  There are fewer imprints doing these books and doing fewer of them, due to consolidation.  Publishers are more sophisticated in business these days…they take fewer risks.  They used to be more willing to develop a promising new artist. (still are occasionally as David Gale of S&S recently proclaimed) Prices paid and royalty advances haven’t changed in over ten years…some feel they have dropped.  You’ll often hear doing a picturebook is “a labor of love” and it well might be! Large houses pay better but are harder to break into…they want a proven track record. They have complicated, long P&L (profit & loss) processes that they have to go through.  They are more apt to use ‘tried and true’ artists.  Smaller houses are more hospitable to new artists and styles.  They don’t have as much upfront money, but can and will take greater risks.  They may CARE for their books over the long haul better….don’t mind waiting for the school/library market to find an interest in books which increases royalty possibilities . Bigger houses will remainder a book after 12-18 months if it isn’t moving well…and you won’t see any royalties then!