Q: I recently completed illustrating my first children's book which is due out later this month. Should I begin to look for an agent to represent me for more work in this field?
A: First, it's good that you're pursuing this kind of work as once an illustrator catches on, the gigs pour in. I once heard of a very talented illustrator who had some 5+ years of book assignments awaiting his attention. Nice problem to have. That said, you may want to wait to see if the book is a success before beating the bushes for an agent. If it is, then it'll be much easier to get an agent's attention. In the meantime, I would suggest building up a portfolio specifically designed to get book illustration work (scout around on the web to find out what would be in this kind of collection as opposed to other fields such as animation). One way to add to such a portfolio would be to find an old public domain fairy tale or the like and illustrate your own version of it -- with a humorous twist or not. If you have a good book illustration portfolio then you'll be in a much better place when the time comes to seek out an agent. They'll ask for one anyway. That's my non-illustrator take on it.
Illustrators: You folks (obviously) have a lot more experience in this field and I would welcome any corrections or advice for Herb. Please share your thoughts in the comments.
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Got a question for a self/traditionally published author and TV animation writer (who'd be perfect for that show you're staffing)? I thought so. Leave it here in the comments and I'll try to answer it on the following Saturday.
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