Your goal is to find an children’s book illustration agent, yes?

Every path to agenting is different, but here are some key elements you’ll need:
  • A strong portfolio of a dozen pieces or more. (See LINK for what should be in the portfolio.)
  • A clean, beautiful website featuring portfolio images and contact info. (I like Squarespace. My portfolio is HERE.)
  • Online/social media presence (Instagram for sure) specific to art + and regular posting (challenge participation, sketches/WIPs, finished art, etc.) (My Insta is HERE)
  • Postcards for events and mail-outs. (Postcard advice HERE)
  • Agent wish list. Who would you love to be repped by? What are their submission guidelines? Does your work fit within the family of their other clients? Buy a current Children’s Writers & Illustrators Market directory and/or join a submission service. Pay attention to social media for submission opportunities.
  • Set quarterly goals for mailing postcards to editors, art directors, and agents who accept mail.
  • Query and submit! Keep on submitting. Think of it as a numbers game. Every “no” is one step closer to a yes.
  • Attend events (SCBWI), make connections, use those opportunities to submit to more agents and publishers.
Having a clear point of view, style, and branding will help you get noticed and remembered. I recommend “Art, Money, Success!” by Maria Brophy. EXCELLENT book on building your brand, understanding your target audience, and becoming a successful artist professional.
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A note on persistence. My big agent submission push took over a year and I was rejected by close to 50 agents before my agent found me at the NY 2018 SCBWI conference. Submitting was important because I was putting the energy out into the world that I was ready, and although the “YES” didn’t come from my submissions, I had to be submitting to attract what I wanted. And what I got was better than anything I had been asking for. PERSISTENCE is the name of the game. KEEP GOING!
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I hope this is helpful and I’m excited to see your success stories!
Kaz Windness
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P.S. If you are also a writer, your agent will want to go out on submission with a dummy book right away. One book dummy is enough, but having several book projects ready or close to ready will help you get published and keep on getting published more quickly. Once you break into publishing, you’ll be asked for more books, and it’s important to capitalize on this momentum.