Animation Guild | We are 839 Digital Magazine
Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1500204
D E PA R T M E N T 33 KEYFRAME TRUST THE PROCESS How long will it take to get an agent? Response times vary, depending on how busy an agent is, and it's advisable to send your queries out simultaneously since it can take months to hear back, and many agents only respond to submissions that interest them. Meghan Boehman says it can be hard to continue to push your story or judge when it's time to put it down and try something new, but remaining tenacious despite those roadblocks is essen- tial to your success. She co-created the forthcoming middle grade graphic novel Dear Rosie with Rachael Briner, and she says: "No matter how wonderful your story and artwork, your pitch needs to hit the right desk at the right time; rejections aren't You never know where an agent might "discover" your work. Lazar spots potential creators on social media, on advertisements, at comic conventions, and on cartoonist blogs or newsletters. Pitch fests, MFA open houses, and book competitions also offer potential. The Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) offers invaluable opportunities for connection. Anstee met an agent while participating in a SCBWI portfolio event and says they clicked instantly, leading to representation. Joey Chou recommends exhibiting at conventions like Comic-Con and says that these days he often gets contacted directly through Instagram or Facebook. Singer says that they also post a lot of person- al creative work online, and they were contacted by an agent via social media who'd been impressed by an ani- matic piece they'd made. There are also less obvious routes to consider. "We once fell in love with some hand-painted tote bags in a boutique, so we asked the store owner for the illustra- tor's contact information. Now she's part of our client list!" Altemose says. Then there's the case of Brian Kesinger, in which pub- lishing small and local paid off. His second book with indie press Baby Tattoo caught the attention of editors at Marvel Comics, who hired him to illustrate a stand- alone comic series. This sparked interest from editors at Lucasfilm, and the next thing he knew, he was illustrat- ing two picture books for them. Off the Beaten Path Kesinger's books include Buster and the Haunted Banjo and Star Wars R2-D2 Is Lost! above: Sample pitch illustrations from Boehman and Briner's Dear Rosie. right: Detail from Dear Rosie. SUMMER 2023 33 Dear Rosie property of Knopf Books for Young Readers. Buster and the Haunted Banjo property of Baby Tattoo Books. Star Wars R2-D2 is Lost! property of Disney Lucasfilm Press. Are We There, Yeti? property of Simon & Schuster, Books for Young Readers.