Thinking about becoming a career illustrator? Ever wonder what it’s like to be a published illustrator of children’s books? Gleam some insight from successful illustrator Phyllis Harris and get a sneak peak into her latest book, On Christmas Day, written by the late Margaret Wise Brown (known for Goodnight Moon and many other classics).

Phyllis Harris began her career in graphic design at a newspaper while also freelancing at Hallmark Cards. She shifted to illustration full time where she has happily continued for the past 20 years creating the art for over 30 children’s books. In recent years she has focused more on her writing as well as illustrating picture books.

Phyllis, thank you for opening up your publishing journey with us. It’s not easy to become an accomplished, published illustrator of 30 books. Your latest, On Christmas Day with WorthyKids which releases October 1, 2019, is particularly special. What’s a typical day like for a career illustrator and what has it meant to you being able to illustrate words from the late and beloved author Margaret Wise Brown?

My day usually starts at 9 am. I have always envied those who are true morning people. Unfortunately, I have never been one of those. My morning begins with breakfast, then coffee…lots of coffee. Next is addressing any timely emails first and if I get any orders from my online shops, I fulfill those.

I sell my art as fine art prints in several places online. I launched my first online shop, PhyllisHarrisDesigns.com in 2012 and now have thousands of customers and collectors all over the world. My art prints are also licensed and sold at many online retail stores including Wayfair, Overstock, Bed, Bath and Beyond, Walmart, Home Depot and Amazon.

After I get all of my orders done in the mornings, I take a walk with my dog and then I begin work on either my writing or artwork. Priorities and deadlines drive my focus. I take a lunch and dinner breaks and depending on what I am working on, I sometimes work into the evenings but try to stop around 7 to 8 pm to spend time with my husband. If I work too late into the evening, I have a hard time shutting my creative brain down too sleep.

Having numerous published books on store shelves takes countless people working hard behind the scenes. Could you describe some of the key roles and people involved in bringing a book baby into the world? Let’s use On Christmas Day as our example. How did this beautiful book come to be?

In 2011, I was contacted by Amy Gary, the agent for the Margaret Wise Brown manuscripts, to illustrate a never-before-published Christmas story that Margaret initially titled CHRISTMAS SONG but was later changed by the publisher to ON CHRISTMAS DAY.

The original picture book that I illustrated published in 2011 and sadly fell through the cracks and was never marketed or listed online so basically no one knew about it and it went out of print before it even had an opportunity to be seen. Needless to say, I was heart sick after pouring my heart and soul into the art.

Fast-forward to 2018, I spoke to the folks at WorthyKids/Hachette about possibly bringing it back and I am so thrilled that they are releasing it October 1, 2019. The art has been reformatted and updated and I am super proud of the finished book and can’t wait for it to get into little ones hands this Christmas season. More information about Margaret Wise Brown’s treasure trove of unpublished manuscripts can be found in this LA Times article.

The book is beautiful and my family enjoyed reading it and taking in the gorgeous pictures. I have no doubt it will become a new tradition of reading each Christmas. The message behind On Christmas Day is simple yet profound. I won’t spoil it here (hint hint nudge nudge go buy the book!) but it involves hearing and responding. It’s an invitation of sorts that lets a two-word message rest with the reader young and old. The more we consider the invitation, the more we are stirred to evaluate and take action. How has illustrating this Christmas story impacted you on an emotional and spiritual level?

I love the simplicity of the nativity story and how Margret Wise Brown used that in such a beautiful way to teach little ones about the baby in the manger and what this moment in time meant for the world. As adults we sometimes complicate the true message of Christmas when in reality it is so simple.

The publishing process is a common source of confusion with a variety of publishing methods available to the author and illustrator. In your experience creating children’s books through traditional publishing and with literary agent representation, what makes a book a strong contender to get acquired by a publisher? What makes a person a strong contender to get offered representation by a literary agent?

First off, I wouldn’t try to follow trends because by the time you do, that trend will most likely be over with. Write from your heart and with your own voice about the things that you are passionate about. Try and figure out what is it that you want to say and why. Get that manuscript refined and in as good a shape as possible before sending it off to a publisher or a literary agent. There are so many great ways to do this.

Educate yourself by reading everything you can get your hands on to help you with whatever genre you enjoy writing, whether it be board books, picture books, chapter books, middle grade, or YA (Young Adult). Then read and read lots of the type of books you want to write. Join SCBWI – The Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, and try to attend regional workshops and conferences in your area. Lastly but one of the most important, join a critique group.

You’re represented by the talented Adria Goetz with Martin Literary Management. Each time I interview one of Adria’s clients, all I hear are wonderful things. How did the two of you connect and what is it about Adria that makes her such a helpful, supportive, successful agent? If an author or illustrator is looking for literary agent representation, what qualities would you recommend they search for? Could you also share a little bit about what life was like before you had agent representation what caused you to pursue it?

Yes, I am truly blessed to be represented by the AMAZING Adria Goetz, who was recently voted one of the 50 honorees for Publishers Weekly Star Watch 2019. We first connected through Twitter’s #FaithPitch where she liked a book I was pitching. She is such a cheerleader for the folks she represents. She is professional, attentive and driven. She has a keen editorial eye and is hand’s on in helping her authors get their work ready to submit to publishers.

If authors or author/illustrators are looking for literary representation, they need to do their homework and research lots of agents to see who might be a good fit for them and their work. Literary agents have manuscript wish lists and usually do interviews so it is easier than ever to see what they are looking for and if they are a good match.

Skill and talent doesn’t happen overnight. Instead, we usually see it take 10 years for an overnight success story to appear. You have a unique illustration style that no doubt has taken many years to develop. How did you begin your professional illustrator career and what influenced you to dedicate your life to making art?

You are so right! I have been interested in art my whole life. My love for art started early when I won first place in a poster contest in grade school. In high school, I took every possible art class that I could and then in college I took many commercial art classes thinking I might go into fashion illustration or advertising art. My first job out of college was a production artist at a newspaper way back before computers. I eventually started freelancing as a graphic designer at Hallmark Cards and then got my first computer shortly after that. I have had some sort of Mac on my desk ever since. It’s hard to believe that I had my first computer over 30 years ago! Oops! I am giving away my age.

Even though I was in graphic design for many years, I always continued my drawing and painting on the side. In the beginning, I lacked the confidence it took to call myself an illustrator until I fell in love with children’s books after having my daughter over 30 years ago. Ever since then, I followed my passion and honed the craft of drawing and painting until finding my own voice.

I have been working as an illustrator ever since. My favorite mediums are traditional watercolor and graphite and colored pencils but I love experimenting and I usually combine both traditional and digital tools to accomplish my final art. Some of my favorite tools are Winsor and Newton watercolors and Fabriano Artistico soft press watercolor paper. I also love to use Prisma colored pencils and I am always open to mixed media to accomplish whatever artistic goal I am after. My favorite digital apps are Corel Painter when using my Wacom Cintiq tablet and Procreate when using my iPad and Apple pencil.

Success is often accompanied by many failures. Are there any discouraging moments that really stick out to you on your publishing journey? How did you get through those tough times?

Oh my, yes. I have had projects fall through after signing a contract because the publisher changed their minds on the direction they wanted to go or decided not to go forward with a project at all. One that stands out early in my career was when I illustrated a cover for a book about New York that showcased the twin towers.

That book never got published because it was to be released right after the horrible tragedy of 9/11. After that, I tend to hold my breath until I actually hold the published book in my hands. With every failure I have learned something important. They are not failures at all. What often seems like a failure can instead be a great teacher.

Many children will read and hear your stories. Is there a common theme you hope kids take away from your books? What do you hope families take away from On Christmas Day?

The common theme I hope children will take away from the books that I create is LOVE. It’s all about love.

Over the last few years, you’ve been developing your writing so we must assume it’s only a matter of time until we see your author / illustrator work. Can you share any details on your works in progress (WIP)?

It is kind of ironic but I have a Christmas book out on submission that I am really excited about. I think it may be obvious that I love Christmas! I hope that I can share more soon.

What can we expect to see from you over the next 1-2 years? How can we keep up on your latest news and how best could people reach out to you?

Although I love illustrating, I hope and pray that I will also have my own books as author/ilustrator being published very soon. To keep up with all that is going on with me, follow my social media at:

• Instagram @PhyllisHarrisDesigns
• Twitter – @PhyllisHarris
• Facebook – @PhyllisHarrisDesigns
• You can also bookmark my website https://www.phyllisharris.com.

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