Frequently Asked Questions

I’m a young person and I’d like to become a children’s author or  illustrator or both!  How should I start?

Stay in school.  Study a wide range of subjects–the more you know about the world, the better you’ll be able to write and illustrate your stories. Take courses to challenge yourself.  Read fiction, non-fiction, the classics, the current, newspapers and magazines. Keep a journal for writing/drawing.  Visit art galleries. Live in libraries. Draw and write from life.

I’m an adult and would like to break into writing and/or illustrating children’s books.  How should I start?

Sign up for courses to hone your skill.  Courses often allow you to get  your work critiqued by professionals in the field.   Visit your library and local book stores.  Think about why your favourite children’s books are your favourites. 

Visit websites of publishers that you're interested in for submission guidelines.

To stay informed about the business, writer/illustrator conferences, workshops--consider the following for membership:

The Writers Union of Canada (http://www.writersunion.ca)
The Canadian Children’s Book Centre (www.bookcentre.ca)
The Society of Children's Writers and Illustrator's (http://www.scbwi.org/)
The Canadian Society of Authors, Illustrators and Performers  (www.canscaip.org)

What kind of materials do you use to create your illustrations?

Watercolour, ink, goauche, pencil, pencil crayon, acrylic, photoshop.  It varies from project to project.

How long does it take you to complete all the artwork for one book?

It depends on how busy my current schedule is.  I like 6-8 months to illustrate a picture book. That time period does not include writing and editing the manuscript.

What goes into illustrating a book project, from the time the manuscript is approved?

• Prepare character sketches.  These are rough sketches of what I think the characters in the book should look like.
• Get approvals.
• Draw up thumbnails (small, rough sketches) to show basic action and textbreaks.
• Enlarge to full-size rough sketches.
• Get approvals.
• Make changes for a final layout and show colour sample illustration.
• Get approvals.
• Begin final paintings.
• Meet or beat the deadline.