#PBDummy Challenge - Step 9: The Pitch

This is it, our last step!

A HUGE congratulations to those of you who will be submitting their PBDummies this week.

I read a very timely post just yesterday that goes with this and last week's step. Please read "Seven Agents Talk About the Most Common Submission Mistakes".  Additionally, as always I'll reference last year's great post at Kitlitart for step 9 which you can find here.

This will be my last post for the challenge. Thanks to all who participated. I hope you enjoyed the challenge or at least the process along the way. It was great knowing I wasn't alone in this but that there was a group of us scattered throughout the world working on this project together.

I'd love to keep in touch through the facebook page, and when my Thursday nights are freed up I plan to regularly join the kitlitart tweet chat.


All the best,
Lisa

(ps. sorry for the late post. You may have heard that Calgary has experienced some crazy flooding this week and although we are fine, we've been out helping those affected.)

#PBDummy Challenge - Step 8: Submitting your Dummy

If you have made it to this second last step, I hope you feel REALLY proud of yourself! It's an amazing accomplishment, especially since you are probably doing this as a side project, at odd hours of the day, after having completed all the things that had to be done first.  And to those of you who like me have fallen behind, good for your for hanging in there, and not giving up! We will get it done, just a little later than planned. :)

Your dummy is made, now where do you send it?  Query letters, pitches...Author/Illustrator Courtney Pippin-Mathur gives some great tips on the process surrounding the submission of your Picture Book Dummy here.

I thought I might add a few more links for some 'food for thought'.
The Dirty Work of Illustration - Will Terry
Getting Your Work Seen - Lynne Chapman
Illustrating Children's Books Part 3 - Lynne Chapman
Getting My First Ever Book - Lynne Chapman

#PBDummy Challenge - Step 7: Assemble the Dummy

Sorry this post is a day late. I was sick yesterday but feeling much better this morning!  Well, on to a new step this week, and nearing the end of our challenge. Just a month left.

How did everyone do on step 6 - producing two final pieces of art? I am feeling like I'm not a very inspiring leader for this challenge. I have a few uncompleted steps - still working on full roughs, but I did jump ahead to try to complete two pieces, although not finished yet ;(.  They are coming along however, and I am making some progress and having fun doing it, so I guess in the end that's what counts!  Baby steps...this sounds like something I posted for step six.  Anyway, on to step 7.

Last year at Kidlitart, guest blogger Will Terry gave some great advice about assembling a dummy for ones book. Please take the time to read his post here.

I bought an ipad last year, and on some other advice from Will Terry or perhaps it was Silvia Liu, I bought the app "Book Creator". If you have an ipad, "Book Creator" is a simple way to create a great looking digital PBDummy. I highly recommend it. In fact, I like to create a dummy with my rough sketches just to see if my page turns seem in the right place and my spreads are engaging from page to page before I get into some serious drawing.We have two weeks for this step. So plan to have your dummy assembled by June 13th.


Other tidbits 

Next week I am going to start an new illustration course taught by Will Terry and Jake Parke called Illustration for Storytellers. I am so excited about it!!  One can still apply for the 'lite' version of the class if you are interested.

Also, this Thursday at 8pm MST Will and Jake are doing a drop-in through gotomeeting.com  Basically it's a free 1 hour class for the first 25 people who sign in. You can get more information about the class from Will's blog post.

Please also keep in mind that the #kidlitart tweet chat is back! Every Thursday you can tune in at 7pm MST. For instructions on how to join a tweet chat, please check out my previous blog post.




#PBDummy Challengers, I'd love to hear how you are progressing by posting a comment below and add a link to the final art pieces you have done, your roughs, whatever! :) And please check out our fellow challengers here.

Have fun putting together your dummies!!

Lisa