Introducing @LinaLanglee and me from the Kate Nash Literary Agency. We are a UK agency specialising in fiction. I am based near Oxford and @LinaLanglee is in Edinburgh. Website for more info: katenashlit.co.uk Here for the next hour to answer your questions. #askagent

Hello! Never too late for a good #askagent q. Besides slush and referrals, I am often looking to find writers at conferences--and I also try to intentionally track online writing contests and sometimes online forums. If something strikes me, I'll start email correspondence.

How and where should I put together my online portfolio as an author-illustrator? tracymarchini.com/2018/07/14/put…

How do I submit my dummy as an author-illustrator? #AskAgent tracymarchini.com/2018/05/22/rea…

Will agents look at picture book projects that are already illustrated and self-published? tracymarchini.com/2018/03/13/rea…

Character, Hook and Word Choice over at @taralazar's blog: taralazar.com/2018/03/22/cha… #amwriting #picturebooks

How page turns work in #picturebooks over at @CynLeitichSmith's Cynsations: cynthialeitichsmith.blogspot.com/2018/04/guest-… #amwriting #kidlit

When do you use illustration notes in a picture book manuscript? tracymarchini.com/2018/08/02/use… #amwriting #kidlit

How picture books work (a very brief primer) over at @NathanBransford's blog: blog.nathanbransford.com/2018/03/pictur… #askagent #amwriting #picturebooks

Who chooses the illustrator for picture books? tracymarchini.com/2017/04/06/who…

For some more on how picture book publication works, here's some old (and some fresh-ish!) blog posts.

For those just starting to think about writing picture books: tracymarchini.com/2013/03/12/thi…

That said, publishers *do* want you to love your book. Nobody wants to publish a book the author hates, and your agent is there to help navigate some of these situations.

Will you as an author get to talk to the illustrator while they work? Usually - no. As an author, you were able to do your creative work without input (except from your editor), and so the illustrator gets the same courtesy when it comes to their creative vision for the book.

And while that might sound limiting - the truth is that art departments are seeing art from all over and have a very keen eye for what is working in the current market - so they're going to have an even clearer vision of what the book *could* be.

So, does the author have a say about who illustrates their book with a traditional publisher? Yes, (but mostly) no. You can suggest an artist, but ultimately, it's going to come down to the editor and art director's vision for the book as a whole.

Plus more practical concerns - is that illustrator available to work within the book's schedule? Do the numbers ($) work for that particular illustrator?

Publishers pick illustrators for picture book manuscripts based on a number of factors - the style/feel of the manuscript, if there's an illustrator they're trying to break out, if there's a debut author that they'd like to add someone with a fan base to the project, etc.

If a 'traditional' publisher asks you to find your own illustrator or offers to do it for you for a fee, this is a HUGE red flag - and I would run from that deal. A traditional publisher will take care of the production of the book - and that includes the art. #querytips

A traditional publisher will ALWAYS be the one to find and pay the illustrator. If you are writing a picture book and you're not a professional-level illustrator, it is in *your* best interest not to submit any sort of art with the text. #amquerying #picturebooks #querytips

Generally true, yes! You need to be able to pitch your own novel! This d/n mean you shouldn't have it deeply vetted, but a good business tool = the construction and articulation of a pitch, as in a query. #querytip #askagent