Combining sgraffito painting technique with pencil line drawing and water media (acrylic) paint splatters.
I’ve been playing and tweaking my process. I still love to paint acrylic on w/c paper but I’m now assembling all my images digitally in Photoshop. It’s a combo of traditional and digital mediums which has been so fun!
Last weekend (May 11-12, 2019) was packed with amazing speakers, workshops, books, food trucks and more. I had lots of fun at our book signing with several other fabulous Minnesota authors and illustrators in the Children’s Expo Area E. We are looking forward to next year’s event!
From Left to Right: Alicia Schwab, Yvonne Pearson, Amanda Huneke, Quinette Cook, and Rebecca K. S. Ansari
What a fantastic conference! The Marvelous Midwest Conference is a multi-region event that is held every three years. There were lots of great speakers and events. I volunteered as a Caricature Artist at the “Going to the Fair” party. I had a great manuscript and portfolio review. And I won Honorable Mention in the People’s Choice Award in the Art Show.
My friend/critique partner, Louise Aamodt won the manuscript contest for her picture book, FOREST FIRE!
Three Mice won People’s Choice Award Honorable Mention in the Art Show.
Minnesota SCBWI book signing schedule.
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photo: flickr.com
How do you get your book into stores and in front of readers? Let’s talk about the path to publication. What is traditional publisher? Writers Digest’s definition is, “Traditional book publishing is when a publisher offers the author a contract and, in turn, prints, publishes, and sells your book through booksellers and other retailers. The publisher essentially buys the right to publish your book and pays you royalties from the sales.” You do not pay up front to have your book produced but you also do not earn all the profits. A publisher shoulders the risk and can distribute it even further with media coverage and reviews. The publisher will use their expert knowledge in book editing, production, marketing and publicity to sell the book for you. And your book will more likely get on the shelf at bookstores. Traditional publishers include the big five, New York publishing houses. (like Scholastic) and small presses & University presses.
When embarking on your journey as an author or illustrator, you will want to pitch your work to the right publisher or to the right agent. This takes time to practice your craft and research which topics are a good fit for your genre. You can learn more about how to practice you writing and illustration skills with the book list from this blog.
Once you have your work ready to send out, you will need to research which publisher is the best fit for your book. Visit your local bookstore or library to see what is currently being offered. The books you grew up reading are different than the books on the market now. Visit the Publishers Weekly to research which house or agent is the best fit for you. SCBWI has a publication called THE BOOK, which has loads of useful information for members, as well. Another source book is the CHILDREN'S WRITERS & ILLUSTRATOR MARKET.
I should also mention self-publishing. With this route you can choose to pay for a fully assisted publishing service. The cost varies depending on the services offered and can be beneficial for those who have no desire to handle the business side. The Author receives better royalties than a traditional publisher contract. However, with the following Do-It-Yourself options you may earn more: EBooks-only Publishing Services such as wattpad.com, Print-on-Demand (POD) Services or Traditional Print Runs.
For more details on the different paths to publication, Jane Friedman, CEO and Co-Founder of Open Road Integrated Media has created a very helpful info graphic that you can link to here.
It’s important to update your printed book portfolio annually to showcase your latest work. I’ve put together my most recent work to show at the Marvelous Midwest SCBWI Conference, May 3-5. I will talk all about how to put together the best presentation of a book portfolio at the May Loft Picture Book Salon, hosted by Molly Beth Griffin.
I proud to be included in this international directory of Women Who Draw!
BOOK SALE AND SIGNING: Join Minnesota SCBWI as we support the LOFT in this first annual event. May 10—12, 2019, 10 am –5 pm. https://loft.org/wordplay/wordplay-schedule
Come to the Picture Book Salon at the Loft.org on May 6th to hear all about creating a Children’s Book Portfolio and what to include on your self-promotional postcard mailings. You will also hear about my book, THE MUKLUK BALL and get a sneak peek at my upcoming book, THE GOAT THAT ATE THE REMOTE.
Put Your Best Foot Forward: Portfolios & Postcards
Alicia Schwab does school visits! I read my books to the students and we make up and perform our very own "Bear Hug Twist" dance from THE MUKLUK BALL, by Katharine Johnson and illustrations by Alicia Schwab.
In March 2018
and Jeanette Bradley put launched this very informative survey on
“Transparency in Pay for Author and Illustrator School Visits”
. It was featured in the September 12the, 2018 issue of the Pro Insider (a publication for PAL "Published and Listed" members os SCBWI.) I have also been learning all about school visits from this blog and from Emma Walton Hamilton's
.
Inspiring children to learn and grow is really fun! I look forward to reading and dancing with the kids in schools in the near future.
 |
| photo: Kristin Johnson |
With the release of my new picture book THE MUKLUK BALL, I
have been doing a large variety of events around the Midwest since mid-summer,
including outdoor events. As we know, the Midwest region offers a wide degree
of temperatures. One of my first events this summer was at Target Field Stadium
in Minneapolis–in which, I read my book to families in 95 degrees F. Later in December,
I read my book to families at the Holidazzle event in Loring Park (near
downtown Minneapolis) in only 27 degrees. 
If you're doing an event outside when it is hot, it is important to wear sunscreen, drink lots of water, and pace yourself during time there.
When it’s cold be sure to wear fingerless gloves so you can turn the pages of
the book. Keep your presentation short so the audience doesn’t have to sit too
long. Pen and cameras can freeze in cold temperatures too and you may have to
warm them up before you can sign books or take photos. The Norwegians have a
saying, “"Det
finnes ikke dårlig vær, bare dårlige klær / There no such thing as
bad weather, only bad clothing.” In other words, prepare yourself, wear extra layers
and good boots. “TIP: Weather, like most things in life, is as bad as you make
it to be. Change your mind-set, buy a proper jacket and do not let the weather
stop you. You will feel as happy as a Norwegian.” (source)
 |
| THE MUKLUK BALL, by Katharine Johnson, illus. Alicia Schwab |
The Mukluk Store is featured in THE MUKLUK BALL, Karhu the bear wants
his own
pair of Mukluks to wear to the Mukluk Ball. Karhu picks blueberries and
sells them with bear hugs at the blueberry festival to earn money for
his new boots. We were astounded by our own good fortune. Steger's was
very generous
and gave Katharine and I each a pair of boots! I have never had such
nice, comfortable boots. And they were very supportive of our book. What a
wonderful way to begin the long cold season with beautiful, warm
mukluks!
