Get Industry info on the picture book market!
The picture book market is a huge market for artists, and not only that – it’s also magical to spend months digging deep into a manuscript and bringing it to life for generations of children to enjoy, plus it can be very lucrative too!
If you want to explore the incredible picture book market and learn how you can make a career from illustrating children’s books, be sure to check out our career-making Illustrating Children’s Books course. Plus don’t miss our instant access self-paced courses, Illustrating Children’s Books PLUS and Hot Markets for Your Art Part A.
To bring you the inside scoop on the picture book market, we caught up with industry insider Megan Tingley of the Hachette Book Group. She tells us what she’s looking for, the one thing she wishes artists would change when pitching to her, and how the picture book market can be lucrative for artists.
About Megan
Megan is one of the top women in children’s book publishing in America, overseeing the Little Brown Books for Young Readers (LBYR) publishing program at the Hachette Book Group, which includes novelty and picture books, and fiction and nonfiction for middle readers and young adults.
Megan also acquires and edits select titles for her eponymous imprint, including the bestselling series The Twilight Saga and The Mysterious Benedict Society, as well as many picture books by US Children’s Poet Laureate Mary Ann Hoberman, and artists Todd Parr and Naoko Stoop. During her tenure as publisher, LBYR’s titles have been honored with the Caldecott Medal, two Caldecott Honors, several New York Times Best Illustrated citations, and selected for the annual Society of Illustrators exhibition and the New York Book Show. Megan has also been one of the esteemed judges on the Global Talent Search judging panel.
The inside scoop on the picture book market
Primary Market: Children’s book illustration. The picture book market is all about creating a memorable character, such as Eloise, Frog & Toad, Madeline, Cat in the Hat, Pigeon, etc.. Also an intuitive sense of what kind of details kids will invite readers to look at the images more carefully and draw them into the world, and a sense of humor.
How can the picture book market be lucrative for an artist?
Creating a character that can sustain a franchise/series that sells and backlists forever can provide a lifelong source of income via royalties. Conversely, if an artist works quickly, she/he can also have a very lucrative career doing multiple work-for-hire projects, including “ghost art” for an established series with ancillary projects (for example, doodle books, journals, etc.) for a popular picture book or licensed brand.
What kinds of products/offerings are a growth sector for your company?
Strong concepts with immediate parent appeal that can stand out and sell in a mass market environment (Costco, Target, Walmart). Appealing to a busy parent who wants a quick and low-priced book purchase for their child the telegraphs immediately but the title, concept, and cover what it is. (Example: this book will teach my child verbal/math/ skills in an accessible, fun way.) But this is very difficult!
Book illustrated by artists represented by Lilla Rogers. Find out how you can get great jobs like these in Lilla’s hugely popular Illustrating Children’s Books online course.
What do you look for when buying new art for the picture book market?
Fresh look, character resonance, playful approach to integrating text and art. Visual storytelling ability. Distinctive personality – bring your own quirky interests to your portfolio. Are you obsessed with insects, cheese, geography, math, animals? Explore that in your portfolio – it might lead to an actual book idea. I have developed several picture books based on greeting card lines that had a unique humorous or emotional theme.
Is there any rhyme or reason to why some products sell well and why others don’t?
There’s no accounting for taste! And trends are hard to predict/follow. But it’s important to be aware of trends. For example, I don’t know why, but pandas have been become extremely hot. The zoos have panda cams, all the street vendors in NYC were selling panda hats, airports are selling panda flight pillows, kids are obsessed with pandas (including my own daughter). A smart artist would be observing that phenomenon and capitalizing on it by pitching stories and designs featuring pandas.
Make Art That Sells student Jemma Jamie Skidmore (left) the front cover of her picture book for top publisher Simon & Schuster, which she landed after taking Illustrating Children’s Books (right). Read more student success stories here.
What is the one thing you wish artists would do differently when pitching art to you for the picture book market? Or what do you love that they do when they pitch to you?
Show me pieces that reveal their own personality and interests — not what they think I want to see. I am deeply interested in an artist’s personal passions, as I think that’s where all great ideas and art come from. If you have a lifelong love of dinosaurs, babies, or history, I want to know about it and see it! I love if they develop a really unique character and show them in a variety of scenes/settings. This helps me see the potential of developing them as a picture book artists.
What one piece of advice do you have for artists trying to sell their first piece of art in the picture book market?
Don’t over curate your portfolio — each person who sees it is going to respond to different styles and ideas, so diversity is good. I can’t tell you how many times I have become enamored of an odd piece in an artist’s portfolio and they have said, “How funny that you like that piece, I almost didn’t include it in my portfolio.”
Thanks Megan! Do you want to make a living making art for the fabulous picture book market? Don’t miss Lilla’s hugely popular Illustrating Children’s Books course!
Explore this and all of art agent Lilla’s raved-about online courses here.
