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WEEK 2
A wonderful start to the morning: MILA the studio assistant!
After some pets with Mila, I began the day with talking to Anne Roos about my progress with my short story and we discussed my next steps. She was positive about what I have so far.
Here are some examples:
I’ll experiment further, I do feel a bit rusty with making at the moment. The Portfolio and the mentor search has taken up alot of my headspace.
After our chat, I worked a bit further in my sketchbook and then turned my focus to getting back to the christmas cards, I managed to put together what was remaining.
We then discussed what would be a good size for the Childrens Diaorama. I think we will probably start on that next week since she is still waiting for the green light with the design.
After lunch I began scanning sketchbook pages that Anne Roos would like to turn into postcards. I then colour corrected them in Lightroom.
Anne Roos then showed me the current picture book that she is working on. It’s a non fiction about carnivals. A lot of it was already complete and looked wonderful!! Its so special to be to see the process of making a book like this.
Then we sat down and I got to ask her all the questions that I’ve been dying to ask. Here is some of the interview:
Amal: Have you ever approached a publisher yourself?
Anne Roos: Yes, after graduating from my Masters, I had an idea for a book. I researched all the publishers that I wanted to work for and sent them a book dummy. I heard back from two publishers. One of them was more enthusiastic than the other and so I decided to go with them. We had a chance to meet at Balogna book fair after I reached out to them and we talked more.
A: How was Bologna Book Fair?
AR: It was nice but a bit overwhelming. The whole fair is more for publishers and selling the rights to other publishers to create the book in other languages etc.
A: Ah I see, so then what would a way a good way to find opportunities?
AR: Mostly by chance. With the diaroma for example, it was shared in the group chat of the keile studios and so I just applied for the open call and got it.
A: Besides that, what other ways do you think are a good way to be seen by potential clients?
AR: Entering competitions is a good idea, there’s the AOI, The Klause Flugge Prize, Bologna Contests, dPictus, iJungle Award, Shanghai Childrens Book Fair competition.
A: Wow! thank you, I will keep these in mind. Do you know of any types of grants that would be good to apply for when I’m just starting out?
AR: Yes, grants would be good to think about. There’s the Stimuleringsfond, Letterenfonds and CBK Rotterdam grant.
A: Thanks, speaking of first starting out. What was the first thing you did after graduating?
AR: When I graduated from WDKA, I had my graduation project which was a drawing machine, I called The Time Machine. I would draw peoples memories. I started doing it at festivals. I also made a bakery bus design for a friends father. On the side I also had a part time job while I saved for my Masters programme.
After graduating from my Masters in the UK, I made Choices (Book). I also then got an agent. She had followed me on Instagram and so i decided to email her and see if she would be interested in working together. Its really nice to have an agent, especially when its a territory you don’t know.
WEEK 2 THOUGHTS: I’m having alot of fun so far. Having the opportunity to ask an illustrator these type of questions is a dream come true!! The only thing, thats in my way is trying to make anything new. I feel rusty. I’ve been so focued on the Portfolio and trying to get a mentor etc that I didnt make a lot of time for me and my sketchbook.