Interview with Tim Gillner, Art Director, Boyds Mills Press
Special thanks to Tim Gillner, Laura Jacobsen and The Picture Book Artists Association for allowing SCBWI-Nebraska to reprint this interview from www.picturebookartists.org
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1. What's your favorite part of your job?
I think that I am lucky to be to be able to do what I love and get paid for it. I also enjoy that every book is completely different and it never gets boring. Also, I meet a lot of great people who share my biggest love -- art.
2. What's your least favorite part of your job?
Politics and the corporate workings.
3. What could illustrators do to make your job easier?
a. Leave room for text.
b. LEAVE ROOM FOR TEXT!
c. Call me when they realize they may have a problem making the deadline. It is usually not a problem if I know in advance.
d. If they work at a size larger or smaller than 100 percent, make it say so somewhere on the artwork.
e. Understand that knowing red and yellow make orange, doesn’t mean that they necessarily know how CMYK works, because it is not the same.
4. Where do you usually find your new artists?
I check our current pool of illustrators first. From my various sample files.
5. If you find illustrators online, do you look at specific sites (like PBAA, ispot, etc.) more than emails?
PBAA first, then my current electronic files and Picturebook.
6. How often do you go through samples and how often can, or should, samples be sent? What constitutes good marketing versus being a pest?
I go through samples whenever need be. A good rule of thumb for sending samples is 4 times a year: spring, summer, winter, and fall or whenever you get significant new samples, like when a new book comes out.
7. Is sending email samples the way to go?
I love to get electronic samples via email, but I prefer an attachment rather than a link. It is much easier for me.
If so, how often would you like to see an email with a link to an new illustration sample?
I would think you would hold new samples until you had three or four or again a significant new sample, like a new book.
8. What makes you enthused when seeing art samples?
Professional submissions with all of the information that I need i.e. address, phone, email, website.
What turns you off?
Unprofessional samples and styles of art that clearly we would not use, and packages that are huge in size.
9. What percentage of samples you receive are of professional quality?
Eighty percent are of professional quality, with approximately twenty percent of those being styles that we would use.
10. Is there a desired subject matter that you don't see in samples/portfolios? (Or vice versa, subject matter that is overdone?)
No.
11. Is there a desired artistic style(s) that you don't see in samples/portfolios? (Or vice versa, artistic styles that are overdone?)
Again, no.
12. Do you like a very consistent style from an artist or do you like to see that the artist is versatile and can do several styles?
If an artist does a certain style it should be consistent, but a portfolio of various styles also works for me, as long as the artist is strong in each style.
13. Do you have specific illustration needs for Boyd's Mills division of "Calkin Creek Books"?
Realistic and realistic with a “flair.” The artist must also be interested in and vigilant with their research as Calkin Creek Books are all about an aspect of U.S. History.
14. Are there common mistakes illustrators make in how they present samples or in the samples they choose to show?
Yes, I don’t think illustrators always pick their strongest pieces for the market they are targeting, i.e. sending educational looking samples to a picture book publisher.
15. Are there common mistakes illustrators make in illustrating books?
Yes. The number one is, they leave no room for text. Even if it appears that there is room on the sketch, they go and put some complicated pattern in and make the text unreadable.
They put in the trim line on the illustration with pencil, and one that is aggravating for me is they put a number of pieces of tape or tissue on their artwork. We have to take these all off every time we need to look at the artwork. Grrrrrrr. I have very little patience for that.
16. Do you look for specific qualities in the illustrators you work with other than beautiful illustration samples?
Not initially. But after their first book we look for things like, will they go out and promote their book, are they professional in their work habits, and were they professional to work with.
17. What were the characteristics of a project that you felt went through the production process like a dream?
The illustrator kept us in the loop with their progress, had a clear vision of where the text was going and left clear, unobstructed room for it. They did not fight me when a marketing decision changed a piece of their artwork, they handled the situation and moved on. They weren’t all upset because the color didn’t match exactly to their original artwork, and they called to say that they were happy with the end result. Man, it does not get much better than that.
18. What were the characteristics of a project that turned into a production nightmare for you?
The illustrator needed constant reminding of when sketches were due and still did not meet the date. They complained about every correction and fought me the whole way. They turned the artwork in very late, and after giving them the opportunity to look at the color proofs, they had the nerve to tell me how to correct the color and exactly how to tell the film house what to do. Finally, they were happy to tell me how much better the color could have been after the book had been printed. Geez, I love those kind of books.
19. What's your relationship with the editorial staff?
I am a lucky man in that respect. The editorial director and I are pretty much on the same page in our views and visions.
20. Do you have a voice in manuscript purchases?
No, and I don’t want one.
21. After a manuscript is purchased, are you directed to focus on a particular art treatment? Or, is this focus a collaborative decision between you and the editor? Or, is the art look pretty much completely in your hands?
The editor does not convey his concept until after I have chosen a possible artist, then we speak to see if we both had the same style or vision, or we may discuss as a team before I look for an illustrator. Occasionally, it is decided before I even get it, but mainly it is me, or me and the editor, making the decisions about concept.
22. What do you do when, after contracting the artist for a particular project, the artist does not agree with some of your art direction? How much wiggle room do you allow? Do you expect an artist to lock-step with you to the alter? What is your method for resolving differences?
I am extremely open to the illustrator’s ideas. Often times they are better than what I had in mind because the illustrator has far more time to think about the specific book. I would hope that we would both act as professionals and come to some logical conclusions. Everyone has to try to get the best book possible, and if I don’t honestly think that your idea is better or that it is in the best interest for the book, you won’t win. On the other hand, if I think your idea is a good one, I will fight the powers to be with conviction to see that it comes to light. I may not win, but I will try.
23. How do you feel about working with overseas illustrators (i.e. Non-USA)?
We have used illustrators from all over the globe and I see no reason why we would change that. If you do good art, no one cares where you live.
Reprinted with permission from www.picturebookartists.org Interview conducted by Laura Jacobsen, 11/05
Photo Credit: Southern Breeze Springmingle 2006
