6/11 Give to the community
Other illustrators are not 'the competition', they are your secret weapon.
Get valuable feedback and direction.
Get Recommendations for work.
Get Community.
Get inspiration.
Give more than you get.
Other illustrators are not 'the competition', they are your secret weapon.
Get valuable feedback and direction.
Get Recommendations for work.
Get Community.
Get inspiration.
Give more than you get.
Comments
Children's publishing tackles specific subject matter and values certain qualities more than others. These are the 5 things most valued.
1. Consistent Characters
2. Energetic Movement
3. Sweetness & Humor
4. Bright Color Palettes
5. Happy Animals
But agents do about 20% of the non art making work for about 20% of the fee. So having an agent just means you have more time to focus on the art.
20% of publishers only work with agented artist.
Choose your tradeoffs
Illustration work does allow you to have flexible working hours. And this is one of it's main appeals.
The trade off is erratic work and payment cycles.
Learning to manage both is the key.
Learning to use it well and developing a healthy working relationship with it will lead to more work and more happiness.
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Your Illustrator's advance is determined by market projections,
meaning a book about unicorns or princesses,
is going to get a bigger advance than a book about a capybara
You make more money by drawing popular themes.