My mother is a retired public school teacher who has worn many hats in her volunteer efforts and interests. She is also a gifted writer. Two years ago she asked if I would illustrate a children’s book she was going to attempt to publish. I loved the idea but was very intimidated because I have no education in that area, just a love of creating stuff.
At the time I was playing around with scrapbooking and paper products, so that’s how I decided to design my illustrations. There were no sketches. I picked up her manuscript and as I read along I wrote down the scenes I saw in my head. “Mom and daughter riding in open jeep through jungle road”… etc. Then I picked up a scissor and started cutting out images, rough-hewn, for lack of a better term. It was such a fun process because I had no lines or boundaries I HAD to adhere to…. Always a plus for me….
Pleased with the results.. we decided to send off the images with the manuscript to various publishing houses, thinking we’d at least get a reply, even if it was a – thanks but no thanks-. We followed the rules, producing discs with the images in the quality they asked for, (that cost $1,100. alone, just to have my papercut pieces photographed!) and we put the packages together the way the publishing houses want them presented. This part of the business bugs me… you’d think.. with their strict requirements for submissions and the cost of said submissions to the writer and illustrator.. that they would at least give you a reply at some point, or an acknowledgement of receipt. All it would take is an e-mail.
I suppose there are so many submissions on any given day that it might be impossible. Nowadays everyone and their brother and third cousin twice removed by a second marriage wants to write a children’s book. I’d rather believe in that explanation then one like “they don’t need you, you need them.” That just seems…rude. Having an agent would help the process along, but most agents don’t want you if you’re a nobody.
So.. after a year of this struggle, we decided to self-publish with LULU. I’ve just gotten notice from them that the book will soon be available. They did some of the cover design work around the image submitted and I won’t say I’m IN LOVE with it, but after weeks of back and forth, the process was tiring and I settled on what their design team came up with. I just ordered a preliminary copy and I’ll share it with you if I like what I see.
Below are a few images from the book. We may not be professionals deserving of a proper agent or a big publishing house, but we sure had fun putting it together. And to me, that’s what it’s all about –
