Do What You're Passionate About: A chat with Laura Bryant

I was fortunate to chat on the phone with picture book illustrator, Laura Bryant a little over a week ago.  Laura has years of professional experience in the industry, and her charming characters and cozy scenes have filled the pages of about 40 trade books, many of which have won notable children’s book awards.  I met Laura when she lived for a time in West Virginia, in a renovated farm house just a quick drive down the winding mountain road from where I grew up.  She is a role model and her example helped influence me to pursue children's books. 

Laura’s work was recently featured on the SCBWI website, and after seeing that she had developed a new lovely and lively mixed media style, I thought it would be nice to catch up.  It was interesting to find out that though Laura has been in the industry for years, an update to her style has made her feel, in ways, that she is starting over.  Though I’ve barely dipped my toes into the looming waters of the industry, I can relate to Laura’s challenge of getting her new work noticed and finding a quality agent.  She talked about how the books she had created in her old style were satisfying to make, but were no longer representing what she wanted to do. I admire her for taking the risk to move into a new direction (even if that meant temporarily dropping a paycheck, and the guarantee of incoming work).

Some helpful tips Laura offered: 

On finding an agent: 

• Research an agent thoroughly to find out if they specialize in the type of work you are interested in.

• Look for an agent that cultivates an atmosphere of mutual respect and will have a long-term vision for your career.

• An exclusive query to an agent can show a distinct level of interest and might get you a faster response.

On making it:

• Persevere - keep putting work out there.  Expect seasons of feast and seasons of famine, but know that the seasons of abundant work make it worthwhile.

• Take the time to make your website fun, easy to navigate and informative. It is the modern version of a physical portfolio and should be both professional and personable.

• Become a member of SCBWI and join a critique group for support.

You can see Laura’s work at http://www.laurabryant.com/