Book fair - Book mark

THE BOOKMARK
While working with my watercoulours, I always have a slip of paper on which I brush away colour. The coloured stains inspire me to doodle and make them come alive. I'm sure you all do this - stains have their very one lives:) It's a little bit like seeing the world in the clouds over us...


Clic on it, then you can see the details!

Copyright ©estandrea - All rights reserved

Now: If you do not want to read the following (which I understand because I'm like that: when I go to my friends' blogs to look at today's new post and I see more than a paragraph of words, I usually get scared) because you came for pictures, then go directly to MISS DOODLE and look at her somehow more emotional approach to the day at the bookfair:)


THE BOOKFAIR "Salon du Livre":
It was not so big as I expected but big enough! I was there at 11 a.m, had forgotten my badge at home as well as the list with all the editors I was interested to meet. No worry because I got my badge in seconds, they are very well organized, and I remembered the most important editors anyway.

My intent was to make contact with artistic directors or editors, and ask about how they proceed with illustrations for book covers. Do they have their own "in house" illustrators or do they work with freelance illustrators.

In fact I met only very few of those who decide. In general I was told that the people who are responsible for the layout of a book and such the illustrations, where not on the stand and that I should send my "book" (portfolio) to the editors by e-mail or by post. The well known editors get many letters from illustrators. I also understood that it is a very hermetic business, and it would be better to know someone who knows someone who knows someone.....

I knew it wouldn't be easy cause nothing ever is. I'd like to use a nice expression I just found in my beloved online dictionnary: "That's the way the cookie crumbles":)

At some places they took my leaflet and told me, how nice my illustrations are and that they will contact me in case they needed a special, colourful illustration for a book cover. This means a lot and made my day. You never know.

So I made my way through the galleries, gathered names of creative directors and catalogues of the editions I liked most, until my head got dizzy.

My next step will be to set up a nice letter and send it to the editors together with the leaflet (paperwork oh paperwork) and then get back to my drawings. Make my own books.

Oh and I purchased two books, dedicated by the authors who happened to be at their editor's stand that day.

The first one is a novel from Pedro Pérez Sarduy, who was born in Cuba and has been living in London for the last 20 years. It is the story of a Cuban maid (the author's mother).

The second one is a book for great and little children:) "L'arbre qui rêvait" (the tree who dreamed) with wonderful illustrations, a birthday present for my stepdaughter. The illustrator Fred Frei was there to dedicate the book to her personally, he even draw a tiny beautiful design on one of the pages.

All in all, it was a good and inspiring day.
Love
Andrea