The Only Step: Tell anyone who will listen that you are a children’s book author.
When I’m not writing books, I’m teaching yoga. Teaching provides me the opportunity to get away from my computer and socialize. It is also the perfect opportunity to learn how to use my nerve.
You can’t teach yoga without a little nerve. It trains you to speak to strangers, be happy about talking to strangers, and to be brave and confident.
One day at the end of class, I decided to tell everyone in the room that I was going to be an author.
While I had and have aspirations of writing an epic fantasy novel complete with a magic system, I knew I needed to start small. I had already written poetry and articles on various subjects. It was time for me to dip my toe into fiction in a way that was fast, clean, and easier than writing a 500-page epic fantasy.
I landed on children’s books.
Before making the announcement, I had written two children’s books. I tried my hand at illustrating them myself, but as it turns out, all of my artistic abilities disappear when I’m trying to paint with a purpose other than fun in mind.
I knew I needed an illustrator, but I didn’t want to work with a total stranger. I decided the best way for me to find an illustrator was to ask my built-in audience: the yoga students.
As I was saying before: One day at the end of class I threw open my arms and shouted, “I wrote a children’s book, and now I need pictures!”
From the back of the room, I heard, “I’m an illustrator!”
That’s how I officially met Duncan Ragsdale. She had been in regular classes for probably a year before we had this conversation. She’s a professional illustrator and set designer. It was the first time I ever heard her talk about her work.
We went out for coffee and talked about our artistic visions for kids books and a business partnership. Luckily, she had done a lot of work both as an illustration and set designer, so all I needed to do was look at her website over a cup of coffee to decide whether or not she was a good fit for my book.
By the end of the day, we struck up a business partnership.
Our arrangement is simple: I write the words, and she draws the pictures. In that order.
We have created together a series of books about Fernando the cat. She is responsible for the look of Fernando, and I am responsible for the feel of Fernando.
If you are reading this and thinking that you don’t have a built-in audience, you are most likely mistaken. I understand that not all of us have a large group of adults that we interact with every day, but most of us have Facebook accounts. Most of us are on social media in some form.
Finding your illustrator could be as easy as announcing to your friends and family that you have written a children’s book and all you need now is to find the perfect illustrator. It’s possible that your uncle Tony has a friend he goes bowling with on Wednesdays who has a daughter who is an illustrator. You never know.
After I made my announcement that day, I learned that not one but two of my yoga students were professional illustrators with actual examples of their work out in the world.
It turns out that artists and illustrators are ordinary people just like you and me. Everybody’s always looking for more work.
Every time I mention that I’m a children’s book author, I find that I know someone who knows someone who is an illustrator or I meet someone who is an aspiring illustrator.
The more you talk about your work, the more people are willing to share what they are working on. You may meet other authors; you may meet preschool teachers who would love a sample of your book; you may meet an illustrator.
As long as you’re talking enthusiastically about the work that you’re doing and the work that you care about, you’ll find that doors open not only to illustrators but to other opportunities to share your book with the world.