Hanbury Notes

Publishing:

• children's books need 2-3 spreads to be pitched
• important to have back and forth with people pitching your work
• some publishers seek out illustrators for certain projects
• if you have a projects, just send it and see what happens
• the more places you put your work, the higher the chances of it being seen
• are you capable of going out? doing talks? presenting your work and yourself? if not, publishing might be hard for you
• different stuff will catch the eye and appeal to publishers
• competitions are a good way to get work out there and be seen by the right people
• think about who you want to work with and who would be right to work with
• then target them with emails
• tailor emails specifically to who you're talking to 
• put your contact details at the end of each email
• the graphic novel market is smaller 
• lots of space and money in children's publishing
• Cicada only do kids books at the moment
• concertina books are really difficult to sell and aren't commissioned often
• think about how and where it'll be displayed in a book shop
• think comics with no spine- saddle stitch- are hard to sell 
• picture books typically have 32-40 pages
• stick with what you know and keep it simple!
• for sending your work-
• make packaging memorable
• follow it up with an email
• only really practical to send PDF's as work will often be sent around offices
• physical things get piled up and forgotten about
• be ready to hear criticism
• publishing a book is a collaborative process- people WILL ask you to change things
• don't be too precious about it
• but do find a publisher you work well with and won't push you into making changes you aren't comfortable with
• two things publishers think of before they commission a second book: ARE THEY GOOD TO WORK WITH? AND DO THEY TAKE DIRECTION?
• theres a lot of other jobs that illustration qualifies you for that aren't illustration
• just be good to work with, reliable, good at communication
• follow people on social media and go to events- keeping in the loop will give you opportunities
• you don't have to be a writer, you can just illustrate

Anthropologie:

• If you're interested in visual merchandising:
• record your work- images
• good if your style is adaptable 
• be multidisciplinary
• you can and will need to learn on the job
• VM is very experiential
• think about interactivity- this will help customers and audiences engage in what your doing, sharing on social media etc
• live drawings and murals can be a part of this
• can be developed at store level, get into shop work then show an interest in VM

Its Nice That & Big Active:

• no CV, work should speak for itself 
• as an artist, find people in the industry and work on building a relationship
• you need to know about your market
• think about ways of applying your work that transcend prints and stills based illustration
• Instagram- keep it updated and current with explanations and context of what you're working on
• if it looks like ANYTHING they've seen before, they are very unlikely to care
• getting attention means being proactive
• photograph your work well or scan it in to look professional
• reach out to people and SUPPLY them with your work
• find your market rather than changing yourself to fit into a specific place
• ask for feedback where you can
• find out what roles exists within the creative industries and then target your job search and send some emails
• personal work is so important- this will get you commissioned to make more of what you love
• don't try and second guess the market, develop your voice over time
• stay true to what you like to make after university
• your personality as a social media presence is important too, not just your work

Ogilvys & Dusk:

• getting an agent is not essential but it helps as it boots your audience
• freelancing allows for specific artists for specific jobs
• illustrators are often found through instagram
• doing different things will help as your work needs to speak for itself
• take techniques you see other people use/ skills you've learnt and make something NEW with them
• clients love trends but these are passing and will be outdated within years/months

CIA, B&A & Plum Pudding:

• B&A are keen on finding creatives early in their careers
• look at who the agency represent- they won't want to sign people that are too similar
• signing is rare- 1 a month (ish)
• recommendations are important
• look at London Book Fair- good for getting your work seen/commissioned
• having a unique voice and ideas is key
• instagram is great for displaying immediate things like sketches- its a bit like a scrapbook
• brains will transcend trends
• craft and homespun looking is current 
• Plum Pudding- can represent people for kids illustration and have separate agencies for non kids work
• communication skills are important
• need to be professional but personable
• it will help to show your work to others and get feedback
• you can just bring something small like a character or idea to an agency
• editorial is good to get your voice out there, quick turnaround
• book covers, good experience
• think about times your sending your emails- have office hours
• look for work experience, it could get you a job
• working at an agency is creatively rewarding- drop a letter or CV to the agencies you like
• If you can talk about art well you can do it