Take a Chance!

On what?  Entering contests - you just never know!  First I will say that contests are so subjective that if you enter and don't win, don't sweat it.  At the very least you'll have new work for your portfolio and that is always a good thing.

I haven't worked my way up to entering the illustration contests outside of the children's book world, but I do enter SCBWI portfolio contests as often as I can.  Before I won the Tomie dePaola Portfolio Award last year there was a moment a few weeks before the conference where I almost talked myself out of not entering.  What a shame that would have been!

Get your work out there and see what happens.

So a month or so ago when I learned about Picture Book's contest, I immediately entered.  The grand prize is a page in their annual, that would be sweet and 4 runner-ups will receive an online portfolio.  That wouldn't be too shabby either. 

So guess what?  I'm one of the 30 finalists.  They will announce the winners mid-January.  Cross your fingers, knock on wood, rub a horseshoe, eat a four-leaf cover and all that jazz for me!!!