UGH! Lost Another Dummy

It's been 7 months, 3 submission status queries and no response/no dummy/nothing. Yup - IT'S BEEN LONG ENOUGH. I can now file my picture book dummy/manuscript submission, UGH!, officially under lost/rejected. It was a requested submission so I was assured it would be returned in my S.A.S.E. But I guess not. It takes 5 hours to make my dummies. Which is why I try and be careful where/to whom I'm subbing. But mistakes do happen. This is most frustrating. I hate that many book publishers have switched to this policy of only replying if they are interested. I preferred the form rejection note. At least they returned your work!

On the otherhand it may not even be the publisher's fault. A friend of mine reported that a dummy, that he assumed had been trashed was returned to him by the postmaster with a note saying that it had separated from the envelope and they were sending it to the address on the business card pasted in the front of the book. The package had made it to his local postoffice, where the postal machines chewed up the envelope and spit the dummy out on the floor. Months later - the dummy was found and luckily they saw the business card pasted into the front of the dummy. Hurrah for the USPS for trying.

So what's there to do? Grumble grumble -some teeth nashing - vent & whine. I can't even have the satisfaction of OD-ing on chocolate as it's not even a real rejection. Oh well - I guess I'll just whip out the duplicate dummy and sub it to this place that still returns submissions via S.A.S.E. and hope nothing goes wrong. I'll take a clear cut rejection anyday over as I haven't received a reply I assume it's rejected.

IF: PUNCH LINE!

Moo Shoe Pork
© Diana Ting Delosh
ink & watercolor illustration
Here's my PUNCH LINE. Maybe it's more of a pun. Anyhow hope it makes you smile.

IF: BABY

TV MAMA

© 2007 Diana Ting Delosh. Ink line & watercolor.

This is my entry for Illustration Friday's word of the week - BABY. It is my attempt at an editorial illustration. I had been reading and hearing on the news about how babies were viewing more and more TV.

My current illustration portfolio is geared towards children's publishing. I'd like to expand my repetoire. Have a few more tricks in my bag and be viable to more markets. Any suggestions, comments, hints would be appreciated.

IF: WORRY

Sad Mouse

© Diana Ting Delosh. Ink line and watercolor.

Mouse worried. It was getting dark and her friend, Bird hadn't returned. Something must have happened. All she had was one of his feathers to comfort her.

This illustration is from my book dummy, MOUSE & BIRD.

IF: SEED

MOUSE DREAMS

2008 © Diana Ting Delosh
ink line & watercolor

Mouse dreams of planting her sunflower seed.

More exploration with new style. I like the thick bolder line. Makes me think more graphically. Well - needless to say practice, practice, practice.

IF: WRINKLES

Tortoise © Diana Ting Delosh

Wrinkles look good on tortoises. I don't like them on me - unless of course I could turn into a tortoise or walrus - nor do I like them when they turn up in my plans.

This is a style I am experimenting with. It's still ink line and watercolor but it's a fatter, simpler, looser line with lot's of washy color. A bit of a vacation from my usual more detailed style. Please let me know what you think.

Illustrator's Art Prints & Cards

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Diana's Cards features my ink and watercolor, animal and floral illustrations for holidays and all occassions. These are real, high quality, PAPER GREETING CARDS! Please note that the inside text is fully editable. Pick your font, color, size, write your own message or even make into a blank note. To date, there are 159* card designs in my store. *New Cards are added weekly. Thanks for looking and shopping at: greetingcarduniverse.com/dianascards.com.

IF: FAIL

UGH! - © 2007 Diana Ting Delosh

The Illustration Friday - word of the week is: Fail

To FAIL, To be a failure - to be a Loser, to be a Reject, etc. Introducing Fern Messy, a character from a picture book proposal I'm currently shopping around. She epitomizes how I feel when one of my proposals is rejected. Even though I know not to take it personally - my gut reaction is to feel like I've failed.

Awhile back I had asked my mentor and friend, the great children's book illustrator and author, Robert Quackenbush if he had any advice on dealing with rejection/failure. He shared his 2 favorite mottos ( borrowed from Winston Churchill):

"Always pass from failure to failure with enthusiasm."

"Never give up! Never give up! No, never, never, never give up!"

My Illustration Promo Postcard

Here it is - my promo postcard design - well the front anyway. I know the usual wisdom is to use your best already created image but I got this great idea. Originally
I was going to have Skunk say "On the internet, we can pass as people!" It tickled my funnybone. But common sense prevailed. It is after all supposed to be my postcard to launch my illustration Website. And it was getting way too type heavy and cluttered. So now Skunk is just shouting dianadelosh.com - in big letters. It works better design wise too, I think.

The back will just have my return address and will feature a small ink/line drawing of a girl chalk doodling on the pavement. Yup - I do draw people - animal and nature is just a specialty.