Win a 15 minute Skype Portfolio Review with me, Anna Goodson.

How would you like to spend 15 minutes on Skype with me?

I have worked in the creative field for over 25 years and I am very passionate about our illustration industry.

I get so many emails and tweets from illustrators  from all over the world looking for advise and feedback.  As much as I would like to personally speak to each and every one of them, time does just not permit it.

Now is your chance to win one 15 minute Skype Portfolio Review with me, each Friday.

We can talk about your work, your portfolio or any questions you might have about the illustration industry.

Each Monday morning, I will post a question on Twitter @annagoodsonmgmt and info on Facebook.

Then, early Friday morning, I will choose the winner by reviewing the weeks best answers to the question.

I am looking for real input, creativity and passion in your answers.

To enter, just answer our “Question of the Week” on Twitter by tweeting it to @annagoodsonmgmt and including #FeedbackFriday in your tweet.

For more info, Just follow us on twitter @annagoodsonmgmt , #FeedbackFriday and LIKE us on Facebook

I look forward to your tweets!

Thanks

Anna Goodson

President

Anna Goodson Management

anna@agoodson.com

Original Illustrators willing to work for FREE!!

For the third year in a row, the Illustrators of AGM want to help out any way they can and are offering to work for FREE. The exclusive offer is available to non-profit organizations and charities that wouldn’t normally have the budget to commission original illustrations from the Montreal-based agency. AGM Founder Anna Goodson said: “We’ve been very fortunate and wanted to give something back to the industry. There are so many organizations out there that don’t have the budgets to spend on original illustrations. That’s why we wanted to help and offer our services for FREE.” Founded in 1996, AGM is a boutique-style International agency that serves the global marketing needs of the visual arts community. Today, AGM’s illustrators work alongside some of the world’s leading advertising agencies, design firms, magazines, publishers and newspapers. Anna continued: “Our exclusive offer is only available to non-profit organizations and charities, until February 29th, 2012. If you’d like to find out more, please send us an email or just give us a call. Anna Goodson Management http://www.agoodson.com info@agoodson.com 1. 514.482-0488

We’ve just launched our First FREE AGM App!

I am really excited about our NEW Anna Goodson Management App that we just launched.

We’ve worked really hard on it for over 6 months now and finally its ready to download for FREE.

Whenever I come up with a new idea for a promo, I always want it to be AMAZING!

I decided this year that instead of printing a promo book like we have done many times in the past, we would venture out into the complete unknown and come with a promo that was fun, interactive and would showcase the Original Illustrators that we represent here at AGM.

I was really hoping to launch the App in the beginning of September 2011 but since this was the first App I’ve ever worked on, there was a lot of learning and lots of trial and error.  It reminded me of working on my first website back in the Spring of 1996.  I didn’t have a clue what a website was and therefore didn’t really know what we could or could not do.

Well it was the same with the App and I am happy to say that I learned a great deal in the process of working on  it.  I was also really lucky and spoiled to work with an amazing design team at Sputnik  of Toronto and can not thank them enough for their insight, vision and creativity of The Anna Goodson Management App.  David and Sarah did a wonderful  job and if you download the app, you will see for yourself how great the creative is.

As with everything we do at AGM your opinion is really important to us, so if you have a minute, please download our NEW FREE Anna Goodson Management APP, play around with it and let me know what you think.

We hope you like it!

Anna

This years 2011 AGM Pumpkin Carving Contest is NOW on!

HALLOWEEN IS JUST AROUND THE CORNER!

Come join the fun and participate in our AGM Annual Pumpkin Carving Contest.

Be as wild and creative as you’d like!

If you can not get a hold of a pumpkin in your area, feel free to use any vegetable or fruit.

The important thing is that you carve it yourself. Original carved pumpkins only, no generic stencil cut pumpkins allowed!

To submit a pumpkin yourself, please register for this website and submit your pumpkin as a news post. REGISTRATION LINK

Please VOTE AND LEAVE COMMENTS  on the pumpkins below and in the archives!

Please only submit one pumpkin. Once submitted as a news post it will be reviewed and published on the site for voting ASAP.

Have fun and get carving!

Voting ends at 12pm on November 1st, 2011. The top three entries will be posted on AGM’s website the first week of November.

Here is My Top Ten on “How To Become a Productive Working Illustrator in Today’s Industry.”

1. Find yourself a great Rep or Agent to represent you.  There are so many advantages in having someone who is well connected and hard working out there trying to drum up business and take care of promoting and marketing you.  That way you can concentrate on your work.  If you are lucky enough to get a great Rep or Agent with a good reputation, then you wont have to worry about the rest of this list.  If you are going solo or have not had the opportunity to sign on with someone yet, then here are few of my recommendations.  Make sure that when you do contact a rep that you never contact a Rep or Agent by addressing your email, “ Dear Sir/Madame” or “To whom it may concern”. You should take the time to address your email to the person whom you want to represent you. Never send out mass emails and especially never cc several Reps or Agents at a time. Do your homework and research before contacting anyone.  Make sure that you contact the right person for you.

2.Perfect your style. Work on having a distinct style that you have mastered over time.  If you work in several styles, choose one and focus on it.   Your work should be recognizable. Your style should belong to you.  If you can achieve that, then that’s a huge advantage.  Think of the illustrators that you love; you can always recognize their work right away when you see it.  Never try to copy a style that you think is successful, create your own, be original.

3. Think globally and not locally.  This is one of the great advantages of being an illustrator.  You can live anywhere and work with clients everywhere.

4. Create a personal website.  It doesn’t need to be complex or complicated.  Think of it as your online portfolio to showcase your work.  Keep it simple, clean and easy to navigate.

5. Sign on to some of the great websites that promote illustration.http://www.hireanillustrator.com, is a great one to get started. There are several out there and always do your research before signing on.

6. Keep busy working on your style even when you have no commissions in hand.

7. Get out of your studio or workspace to go for walks or a run or to take some fresh air.  It’s important to get away from your work and take some time to “smell the flowers”. You will feel much better and be in a better mood when you get back.

8. Participate in International contests.  This is a great way to get your name known and bring you some recognition if you are selected.  Look for contests that are reputable and not the ones that are just out there to take your money.

9. Always be sure to get everything in writing.  Make sure that you send your clients a written quote before starting a job and make sure they sign it or at least reply to an email that they agree with your conditions.  If everything is in writing , there will be no surprises.

10. Believe in yourself.  Enjoy what you are doing.  Never give up and stay passionate about your work.  Love what you do and success will come.  Nothing is more important than being happy in your career.

 

 

 

New York Rep launches International Illustration Contest. Say what?

Why in the world would a Rep be doing an Illustration Contest?

I’ve been asking myself this same question.

Several of the illustrators that I represent have been contacted by a Rep from New York, asking them to participate in his NEW illustration contest. This Rep has been contacting illustrators that he has found on various illustration websites and sending them information about his contest.

Now, being a Rep myself, I always thought that our main duty and function was to find work for the illustrators that we represent and promote their work. The contest that this Rep is running states that you could win $1000 and an all expense round trip to New York City with the chance to meet with various art directors and present your portfolio. I am trying to figure out how this type of promotion will help the artists on his roster.

Trust me, I know that business has been tough for a lot of people in our industry and everyone is doing what they can to get their name out in front, but is this really the best way? Is doing an Illustration Contest when you are a Rep really the way to go? So I went on the website to see how one would participate and to my surprise found that there is a fee of $25 dollars per entry.  Like I said, I know times are tough but to spend so much time and effort on promoting a contest open to all in the industry does not seem like the best way to develop business. I mean, most of the people who will be participating or at least checking out the site will be illustrators.  So in turn, the traffic that is generated by this contest will not be potential clients but other hungry illustrators.

Is the Rep doing this contest to make money from the entries?  One really has to ask this question to truly understand the reasoning behind this. Does the rep feel that there are not already enough illustration contests out there in the first place that he needs to add another one to the list? The tagline on the Reps website states “ The Future of Award Winning Illustrators”  is he referring to “his contest” when he states this?

I am also wondering what the 42 illustrators who he represents think about this contest and how it’s going to bring work in for them.

Additionally, on the site there are several sponsors who have lent their names and logos to promote this new contest.  Some quite reputable I might add. Of course, we all know too well that they are also suffering from the impact of the recession and how it has affected their business in the illustration industry. So it’s only natural that they should join forces and together as a group go after as many pieces of the pie as they can get their hands on.

I don’t want to seem overly critical because I love the creative ways that Reps and artists alike are developing business for themselves. We all need to be creative, intuitive, original and forward thinking. Again, as a Rep who has been in the business for over 15 years now,  I ask myself, is promoting an international illustration contest something a Rep should do or should we leave it to someone who is not so directly involved?

I will let you all decide for yourselves.

Anna Goodson

Wish I could do it like they do it on American Idol and be totally honest.

I am a big fan of American Idol as I am sure are many of you. One of the things I love about the show is the way the Judges critique the contestants. They are totally honest and call a spade a spade. If someone is no good or has no talent for singing, they tell them outright. I’d have to say that as much as I miss Simon, I loved how direct he was, I am happily surprised by Jennifer Lopez and Steven Tyler, the two new Judges. They are experts in their field and well qualified to judge the contestants.

In our industry of Illustration, why doesn’t anyone tell the truth about want-to-be illustrators. It would save a lot of people a lot of heart ache down the road. Why don’t the teachers tell the student’s who have no talent for illustration, that they are wasting their time in a program that they are not cut out for. Is it because they need the enrollment? Would the teachers get fired? Shouldn’t the teachers send them down the hall to the guidance counselor to help them find something they are truly good at?

Over the years I have been contacted by thousands of want-to-be illustrators and I have always shied away from telling them the truth about their work.
I guess I don’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings but am I doing them a favor by not telling them?
So many of the want-to-be illustrators are young and looking for direction. Maybe if I was brutally honest about their lack of talent, they would look at other options.

Today, the illustration industry is flooded with people who “claim” to be illustrators. It seems like its one of those fields that everyone thinks they are good at. Its like they think because friends and parents compliment them about their artwork that they should illustrate professionally. I mean I put my daughters art work up all over the house and tell her how amazing she is but that’s a mother talking, not an agent.

On last nights American Idol show, Jennifer Lopez broke down and felt she could not go on because it was too painful telling one of the contestants that he was not going to move on, that he was really not good enough to be the next American Idol. I can only imagine how I would feel if I were really honest about all the portfolios that I had to look at.

Should we lead people to believe that they have talent and potential when they really don’t. What is my job as a professional in this field? Some would say ” expert” in the illustration industry. I mean if I don’t tell them who will. How much time, money and energy will they have to spend before they find out its a dead end?

You have no idea at how much crap I get. Really, its that bad, I am not making this up.  Its amazing that these people really think they have a chance at landing a commission.

I wish I could show you.

Being the true Sagittarius that I am, I have a tendency to be brutally honest in most situations. Well when it comes replying to emails or critiquing work, I take extra precaution and try to be nice. My mother told me a little white lie never hurt anyone.

So If you send me your work and you ask me what I think, I will most likely not tell you exactly what I think, even though maybe I really should.