For a long time, a huge part of my art business was vending at craft fairs and art markets. And a few of those markets took me to fun places like Chicago, Portland, San Francisco and Brooklyn.
In 2013, after one of those Brooklyn fairs, I arrived back home to find an email from an editor at a major children’s publisher!
And she was wondering if I had ever considered making picture books.
NO!
I HADN’T!!
BUT I’M CONSIDERING IT NOW!!!
My art has always been colorful and whimsical and I’d gotten my fair share of people thinking my style was suited for picture books. But honestly, I’d never given it much thought. You might as well have asked me if I’d ever thought about being a pilot. The idea just seemed so ludicrous. Impossible. Unfathomable.1
But this editor had seen my work and saw potential. We emailed back and forth and set up a call; a call I almost missed because my brain does not compute time zones.
The call was mostly just introductions and I promised to do my homework and get in touch when I had some solid story ideas.
ONE MONTH later, I pitched her not one, but two solid story ideas.
Spoiler: A month is not enough time to go from zero to author. But I was bright eyed and bushy tailed and full of delusions.
This editor, bless her heart, didn’t immediately file my email into her spam folder but instead, read my garbage and very kindly and gently gave me much needed constructive feedback.
I wasn’t ready.
A year later, I had a baby. I read a TON of picture books to said baby. My brain started thinking stories again. I threw together a new idea2. I sent an email to that editor who, once again, graciously took the time to give me valuable feedback.
I still wasn’t ready.
My role as mom shifted all of my work. I didn’t travel for markets anymore. I preferred commissions and freelance I could do from home. I could write from home.
But I struggled to find time. And when I had time, I struggled to find inspiration.3
But, that baby grew and so did I. I found a new rhythm. I made art again. I wrote. I told a story. I refined that story.
Once again, I reached out to that editor. By this point, it had been four years since our last email and she was no longer an editor; she was freelancing.
She read my story and saw potential.
And she was willing to hold my hand.
She took my very rough story idea and terrible illustration samples and helped me shape them. Then, she offered to shop my story around to agents and to editors.
It was happening! I was going to be a children’s book author/illustrator!
Spurred on by this newfound confidence, I signed up to attend my very first Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators conference.4
I had a story out on submission! I had a fresh portfolio! Of course, I belonged!
So bright eyed! So bushy tailed! SO DELULU!
What could go wrong?
…Stay tuned for PART II…
Thank you, Thesaurus; my favorite dinosaur.
I believe every author has a secret drawer of very terrible ideas. Ideas so shameful, they should never see the light of day………..so, on that note, should I share mine?
I’m doing that woman thing where I’m downplaying my accomplishments. I actually did a lot during this time. I had some really exciting commission and freelance work. I hosted workshops. I developed products. I collaborated. I created one of the first women-led craft markets in Houston; Girl Crush Market. Whew.
Note, this was in 2019. Six years since this whole journey began. About five months before the world would shut down.