Book project I would like to develop...Opinions please?
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Hey guys!
Its my first post on the forum, yay!
So, after a busy inktober I was thinking of preparing my story to turn into a book... And I am not really sure how to approach an agent...I did my inktober as a test for my storytelling skills and to show I can tell stories visually... But now I dont really know what to do with it at the point it is now.
What I would like opinions about is this : I would like to know if you guys think its good enough to be a dummy, so I can show it to someone to help me develop it into a finish product. Or if I should just redo the drawings and take them to completion and then show it someone...
I did my inktober as a little childrens book story. It does not have 32 pages exactly, but 35, and the drawings tell the story clearly but are not polished yet.
It would be a story with very few words, mostly images as the inktober was...
What do you all think?
I appreciate the help!
Thank you!
Larissa -
I don't have any sort of experience to be able to give you advice on what direction to pursue. But just wanted to say that I think your drawings are lovely. Good luck with your book!
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ohh thank you so much! i appreciate it a lot! =3
very kind of you! -
I don't have any advice either, but your work is wonderful and it would be an great project to make into a book!
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I don't have a whole lot of experience, but I can tell you that these look more polished than some sketches for dummies I've seen. Generally the advice I've heard is to have good sketches (these would certainly qualify) for the entire book, plus one or two completed illustrations to give an idea of what those sketches would all look like when completed. Again, I'm no expert, I can only repeat what I've been told
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These look great! - i think if you line them up horizontally you might see that Inktober #11 stands out quite a bit from the rest - if it is part of the story that the sky is so blue then maybe it will work - there is a very muted palette in the other images - my two cents on your question is that from what i recall from Will's early videos where he showed how to make a book dummy i don't think the images are expected to be polished illustrations....so i agree withSarah LuAnn....but i can't hurt right? The only way i can see it as a negative is if folks assumes that you may be inflexible about changing your images during the give and take of the publishing process (of which i know nothing
)...these really look very nice - look forward to reading your book!
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they look great for dummy and yes your style is lovely. I really love the clear expression on your characters and poses. I would have only 3 clouds on the 6th image or make one of them goes off the page to suggest an opening or give more space to the environment. Again great stuffs!
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@bharris Thank you so much for the kind words!
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@Sarah-LuAnn Thanks Sarah, yeah I am working towards having a couple of finished ones... I am not sure if I should deviate too much of this style though, because I like the old timey feel of these, but I know they are too rough. I am still researching on my final style. But I would like to do something along the lines of Beatrix Potter... anyways thank you so much for replying
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@Kevin-Longueil Hey Kevin, yeah i agree it stands out, i will look out for it... Its just it is supposed to be a very happy moment in the story, its the first time she flies, I saturated the sky to show she is happy. But I think you are right, it does seem more saturated then the rest... I guess is something to talk with an editor about haha, emotion vs consistency. Thank you so much for the reply!
And thanks for the tips! -
@Naroth-Kean thanks Naroth! Thats an awesome suggestion thank you! I will totally apply that tip!
I think it might help a lot indeed. Thanks for the kind words!
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I haven't done a book (yet! Always keep the dream...), but there's an excellent Academy of Art YouTube video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZwLDS38bggw. It's a panel interview and in it there's a super talk by Andrea Brown (a top kid's book agent) who tells you everything. Also some super info on agents in Will's Terry's 'Children's Book' course if you haven't checked it out already. Your work is really nice, especially since you seem to already have a style that is your own! Have you ever thought of gearing some of your ideas into specific holidays/occasions and submitting it to established greeting card companies? Check out Recycled Paper Products (http://www.prgreetings.com/rpg/artists#.Vj5EXtWrTMg) for a look at artists works that they carry, and then check out http://www.prgreetings.com/rpg/about#.Vj5E-dWrTMg and scroll down to the bottom and check out their guidelines for submitting work. They're known for actually paying their artists royalties! It's also a great way to get your 'foot in the door' and begin to sell work professionally so you can start a client list. It looks good when you begin sending work to publishers to show you've got some experience. Good luck!
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@Edie-Ostrowski
wow thank you! thats great information! thank you so much for the link! =3