My student’s most asked question is “What do you wish you had known about being a children’s book illustrator when you started out?”

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  1. I wish I had known that there were other career options for me to pursue my passion for children’s book other than being in the trenches as an illustrator. I think I would have been a great art director. Luckily, I get to satisfy my art director itch as a mentor and illustration professor.
  2. I wish I had known that I needed to produce a lot of book concepts before seeing career traction. I think like many people, I got really focused on that first book idea being the be-all end-all and they I re-wrote, re-vised, and resubmitted for YEARS without moving onto the next thing. The truth is it usually takes many book projects to find your voice and you’re place. Get something done, get it out, and move on to the next thing while you’re on submission.
  3. I wish I’d known to make sure there was a revision clause in my first work for hire children’s book contract.
  4. I wish I’d known that trying to combine my illustration style to work for both children’s book and licensing was not a time-saver or great career move AT ALL. Those are very different markets and I sabotaged myself by not focusing on one.
  5. I wish I’d known that I couldn’t quit children’s book, even though I tried many times when it got tough, and it did get tough. I wish I’d know that not being able to quit meant that I would end up breaking in and having publishing success.
  6. I wish I’d know that it was my edgy weirdness that would set me apart and would ultimately be the thing that got me an agent and my first author-illustrated book deal. Hiding my weirdness for many years slowed me down.
  7. And I wish I’d known that I would make life-long friendships and learn a great deal about myself and how to help others and that I would eventually have success and it would all be worth it.

Kaz Windness http://www.WindnessBooks.com

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