Tyger Tyger Burning Bright

or how to pick the right postcard illustration.

It is hard and scary to do because your postcard is your calling card (or roaring card) and your first impression (or next first impression) with the publisher. And it has to read well (shrunken down from original size) and not lose details that matter. It has to speak like a child would and be heard over everything. It has to be taken seriously even if it is funny. It has to have personality and charm. It has to have something to say. And it has to be memorable. But most of all it has to say "Barbara" (or whatever your name is-- yes, you the creator).

So I picked Rory -- the angry tiger boy. I love him. He's got all of the above. And he shrunk well with this postcard (altho he hardly shrinks from anything in real life). And he's in a story I am working on too. And if that doesn't pan out he may very well be in his own story.

My goal is to now send out 3 postcard mailings a year. I've found a few reasonable postcard people who do small runs and a husband who can do my scans at work for free. Got editor lists, got art director lists, got a cute little tiger. I love tigers.



It is all coming together......Grrrrrrrrreat!

Update! Ninety Postcards sent to ADs and editors all carefully researched and targeted. Best postcard yet!!

And I expect a 10 percent return rate but I hope more.

I've become so good at stepping back and looking at things objectively. But I am so ready to start my own project or somebody else's I love.