Scroll down for information about the Portfolio Showcase AND the Silent Pitch Showcase
Portfolio Showcase for Illustrators
Get Your Illustrations Seen with a Portfolio Display
What is it?
This is a free opportunity to display your work for our agents, art director, and editor faculty to peruse during the retreat. It's a great way to show what you can do AND the kind of work that you want to do. Compile your best pieces–ones that showcase your range of character design, setting, storytelling, mood setting, and the like. Consider having different sections for different age-level work (e.g., PB vs. YA graphic novel or cover work). Full color artwork and black and white pieces welcome.
Deadline:
- Bring your portfolio display with you to the retreat. Setup will occur at the time of registration.
What to bring:
- Your current portfolio in a sturdy bound book format.
- One separately matted piece OR a completed dummy to display BEHIND your portfolio.
- An easel or other stand on which to display this additional piece OR dummy.
- Business cards, bookmarks, or other small promotional items that fit IN FRONT of your portfolio display.
Silent Pitch Showcase for Authors & Translators
Silently Pitch Your Manuscript with a Book Aesthetic/Mood Board
What is it?
A book aesthetic or mood board is a visual snapshot of your manuscript. If you search for examples online, you will find that most include images that represent some of the IMPORTANT characters, actions, setting, tension, and overall mood/tone of the story. You may also include a BRIEF written pitch or logline for your story incorporated into the overall aesthetic. Small pitches are best. We recommend limiting writing to no more than three or four sentences for chapter books and novels or one to two sentences for picture books and early readers. Hashtags and comp titles welcome.
Silent Pitch Example
How to Participate
Deadline:
- Bring your silent pitch display with you to the retreat. Setup will occur at the time of registration.
What to bring:
- Your completed book aesthetic/mood board on a sturdy foam or cardboard backing (12 x 17 rectangle or similar size recommended).
- An easel or other stand to keep your mood board up.
- Business cards, bookmarks, or other small promotional items that fit IN FRONT of your silent pitch display.
How to format your submission:
⇒Your book aesthetic/mood board should consist primarily of a picture collage that represents your manuscript. The images can be taken from online sources or ones that you create.
⇒It may be helpful to search online for other examples for reference. Possible search terms: novel aesthetic, #novelaesthetic, book aesthetic, book mood board. The are a lot of examples out there AND tips/step-by-step instructions for creating these!
⇒Author-illustrators may choose to display a full dummy in addition to or in lieu of the book aesthetic/mood board.
⇒Please include your name on your work as well as title, category, and genre of the manuscript.
⇒Mount your completed book aesthetic/mood board on a sturdy foam or cardboard backing (12 x 17 rectangle or similar size recommended).