Illustration Notes in Picture Book Manuscripts, part II/Calls for Submissions

Today’s blog is part II of a series.

Illustrators are creative artists who are trained to interpret text. They don’t need nor expect a great deal of detail in manuscripts. Editors, too, can visualize a story and do not expect illustration notes to accompany text.

Opinions vary on illustration notes in manuscripts. Some editors don’t want any notes at all; others accept them if the notes are absolutely necessary. At a conference I attended, an editor said a well-known illustrator refused an assignment to work on a story because the manuscript contained illustration notes. When an illustration note is critical to understanding the story, a note or two may be okay, but I usually try to avoid using them.

If the story is historical fiction or nonfiction, visual references can be helpful to the illustrator. Example: a photo of a Minie ball, a civil war bullet, could be attached or the photo source noted. Visual references aren’t used for art direction purposes; instead, they are merely a source for information.

To use illustrator notes or not, that is the question. The answer depends upon the text. My advice: use them sparingly, if at all.

Next week, I’ll discuss first draft revision.

Call for submissions for adult writers:

Kasma is a digital science fiction magazine that is currently open to submissions. The magazine prefers stories 1,000 to 5,000 words, and is not closed to longer. Fantasy and other genres are not published often, but submissions of these stories are considered.

Kasma looks for “fiction that is intelligent, with well-thought out plots and characters. Beyond this, exactly what happens in your world with your characters is up to you. We enjoy a broad range and don't want to stifle author creativity by having elaborate expectations. Often enough, the best stories come as a surprise.”

Email stories in the body of the email to editors@kasmamagazine. com.

Submission details at www.kasmamagazine.com


Call for submissions for young writers:

Cuckoo Quarterly. An online literary publication of poetry, short fiction, rants, reviews, interviews, and more. Open to submissions from youth under 19 years, with no restrictions on genre or format. The theme for issue 6 is “Power”

For the themed section we will accept writing of any form (poetry/non-fiction/script/illustration etc) relating to the chosen subject. Interesting or unusual angles on this subject are encouraged! Please mention in the accompanying email that the work is intended for the themed section.

Deadline for issue 6 is 15 March 2013

Submission guidelines at http://www.cuckooquarterly.com/?page_id=114

Check out more contests on my blog: http://nancykellyallen.blogspot.com/

Illustration Notes in Picture Book Manuscripts, part I/Calls for Submissions

This one is for you, Rosi, and others who have questions about illustration notes.

A picture book story is told with 50% text and 50% illustration. The illustrations reflect the text but carry the story beyond.

Many editors and illustrators do not want illustration notes that specify art direction, and they especially don’t want it for every page. Illustrators prefer the opportunity to read the text without notes, regardless of how spare the text might be. However, if there is a surprise in the action that isn’t conveyed in the text, an occasional note is acceptable. Example: A character is playing in the yard and a monster is sneaking around, with no mention of a monster in the text. The writer is depending on the illustration to tell that part of the story. A short, bracketed note in italics is all that is needed [monster in background].

Illustration notes are NOT needed for descriptions of setting or characters, such as green tree, blue dress, red hair, etc.

Next week, I’ll continue with part II.

Call for submissions for adult writers:

The Tapestry of Bronze is sponsoring a series of international poetry contests to celebrate Greek and Roman mythology and the Olympian gods. The subject of the current contest is Hephaestus (also known as Vulcan), the God of the Forge. The deadline is April 30, 2013.

All poems remain the property of the authors. However, the Tapestry of Bronze reserves the right to post winning poems and those receiving Honorable Mention on the Tapestry of Bronze website.

Deadline: April 30, 2013

Submission guidelines: E-mail your poem (no more than 30 lines) to the following address: tapestryofbronze@yahoo.com

Call for submissions for young writers:

The Apprentice Writer. Categories for submissions are:

Fiction/Poetry/Essay/Photography.
We send copies of The Apprentice Writer to accepted contributors and their teachers.
Submit individually or have your teacher send to:
Gary Fincke, Writers Institute Director, Susquehanna University, 610 University Ave.
Selinsgrove, PA 17870-1164
Deadline: March 15, 2013
Submission guidelines at http://www.susqu.edu/academics/10602.asp

Check out more contests on my blog: http://nancykellyallen.blogspot.com/