Bad Publisher Experience?

So I got to meet a children%26#039;s book publisher and she invited me into her home! I%26#039;m a proffessional artist, so I showed her character sketches of a story I%26#039;m doing, and she said she%26#039;d answer any questions, etc. I get there, and she picks up two pieces of art and says, %26quot;This just won%26#039;t fly%26quot; and pushes my stuff away as if it were contaminated. As she answers one of my questions, I deftly pull my best character sketch out from the middle of the pile. Pissed off, she goes, %26quot;That one%26#039;s an art director%26#039;s nightmare!%26quot;


%26quot;How much does the artist have to worry about reproduction.%26quot;


%26quot;They don%26#039;t have to worry about it... IF they like it.%26quot;


Hard broiled gum shoed newspaper editors that I worked with were warm and fuzzy next to this lady.


I show her a few more sketches and receive stony silence, etc.


Unfortunately, her husband%26#039;s clergy to a place of worship I like to go to so I%26#039;d see her again.


It was so bad we didn%26#039;t shake hands.


Am I too sensitive? Is this normal? How should I handle?

Bad Publisher Experience?
There are crazy people wherever you go. This isn%26#039;t about you or your work. Don%26#039;t make yourself sick over it. If you run into her again, you can be cool and cordial, which will show more dignity than she demonstrated. Move on and submit elsewhere.
Reply:This sounds very unprofessional. Publishers would usually arrange a meeting at their place of business, not at their home - so that%26#039;s your first sign that she may be setting you up, or may not know what she%26#039;s doing. It%26#039;s possible that you didn%26#039;t fully research the kind of books she publishes (do they have a very particular kind of art that%26#039;s very different than yours?)





You%26#039;re not too sensitive, but there is no point in pursuing her as a contact. As a professional artist - I%26#039;m guessing that means you%26#039;ve had publications and gallery shows - you should get an agent to deal with publishers.
Reply:Just look at this as a time to reflect on your work and give yourself some constructive criticism. It%26#039;s hard to accept, but there%26#039;s always going to be people that reject your work; and that doesn%26#039;t even mean that your work has to be bad, either. Elvis was rejected at his first record audition (an irrelevant comparison, but you get the idea). Just hold your head up and keep going. Maybe ask her (not flat out; that could make it seem as if you were being a smart alec) what sort of work that she would like to see produced and perhaps try to come to some sort of compromise between your ideas. ~Good luck!~ :D



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