Reading 5: Publishing Project Briefs
Book Evolution: From the Printing Press to the Internet everything changed.
The Result: Digital books are now available for readers and companies are hyper aware of the marketing aspects of selling books.
Purpose of Books: To preserve, store, and promote information from a particular culture.
Two main elements: the implement (ink) and the base material (paper)
Illustrating for the Modern Publishing Brief
The Main Function of a Book Cover: to stimulate sales by connecting with the potential audience by implying that this specific book is just for them.
How:
• By attracting and intriguing the potential audience by connecting to their interests
• Factors: age, values, and tastes
• By implying an understanding of the content
• By making the book stand out among competition
• By implying the genre of the book
The Creative Roles within a Publishing House:
• Publishing Director
• Commissioning Editor
• Sales Director
• Marketing Director
• Art Director
• Book Designer
• Picture Editor
Good children's books:
• Have a good story
• Have a strong, compelling central character (or characters)
• Are aware of their target age group
• No nudity
• Should flow well
• Have prominent main characters that are easy to identify and should look out at the reader
• Use animals a lot of the time as symbols and to avoid issues with depicting specific types of people
• Should focus on the characters an avoid visually competitive backgrounds
• Carefully consider the point of view and illustrate accordingly
Additional Creative Roles within Children's Book Publishing:
• Author
• Editor
Illustrating for the Modern Graphic Novel Brief:
It's looked at as more a pursuit of art than of money. The graphic novel has risen in prominence within the last 25 years. They are normally completely written and drawn (possibly designed as well) before the illustrator/writer seeks out a publisher and therefore is a large risk when it comes to investment of time and effort.
Publishing Illustration: Summary of the Procedure
1 Initial Research
2 Prospecting for Work
3 Securing the Commission
4 Starting the Work
5 Submitting the Brief
6 Producing the Final Artwork
7 Securing Payment
