A. Here are some suggestions for anyone with an interest in illustrating children's books:

Put together a portfolio of your best work (10 to 15 pieces) so you are prepared for any face-to-face portfolio review appointments. For children's books, your portfolio should include art of children and animals in action. Leave out general figure studies and still life artwork (unless it's specifically asked for).

Spend some time in the children's section of several local book stores. Make notes on which publishers seem to use the kind of artwork you do. This is for making general observations only, however. Keep in mind that the newest books you see on the shelves were most likely put into production two or more years ago.

Get a copy of Writer's Digest's annual Children's Book Writer's and Illustrator's Market (you should be able to find it at a local bookstore, at the Writer's Digest Web site, or through Amazon.com) to find appropriate publishers to contact. The book also has some very helpful articles on doing business as a children's book writer/illustrator. Spend time in the children's section of book stores to get a feel for the types of artwork particular publishers seem to favor.

Make some color copies of two or three pieces of artwork to mail to a few publishers you've found through your research. Write a cover letter with a little info about you and the kind of work you'd like to do (for instance: picture books, text books, book covers, etc.), and mail some samples off. You should plan to do this 1-3 times a year, targeting the publishers who might use your style. An alternative to mailing samples is to see if you can make an appointment with the art director to show her/him your portfolio in person.

Be enthusiastic about learning the craft because there's lots to learn! No matter how much experience you acquire, there's always something new around the corner. SCBWI (Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators) conferences, when they have programs for illustrators, are especially helpful for learning from and networking with others in the field.

Understand that you do NOT need an artist's rep to get published. There are a few publishers who are now accepting agented material only, but they aren't the majority. Also, most reps want to see some kind of track record, some indication that you've had a measure of success, before they take you on anyway.

Another helpful organization you definitely should consider joining is the Graphic Artists Guild. There are chapters throughout the country and they are one of the foremost organizations for championing the rights of visual artists.

A. There are a couple of very important things you should know about the children's book business. One is that, as a writer of children's picture books, it's generally not up to you to find an illustrator for your work. Write your stories. Send them to publishers. When a publisher offers you a contract for publishing one of your picture books, that publisher will find the right illustrator for that particular project. Illustrators rarely work directly with writers -- in my case, publishers call me when they have a manuscript they'd like me to illustrate.

Q. How do I find the right publisher for my story?