Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Heather Brockman Lee. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Alright, Heather thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Have you signed with an agent or manager? Why or why not?

To create a career in children’s publishing, a literary agent can be an enormous help. A lot of publishers prefer to work with agented creators, and some won’t take submissions from un-agented writers and illustrators. When I was starting out in children’s illustration and beginning to query agents, I decided to try for 100 rejections. Working in publishing, rejections are a constant so it is good to get used to them right away! I queried agents for a year, while also continuing to build my skills, refine my style, and enter contests. Almost one year later I had offers from three different agencies had only gotten to around 30 rejections, which was a lot better than I expected!

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I come from a fine art background, in fact my Dad is also a painter. I started my career doing custom residential design- stained glass, bespoke textiles, that sort of thing. And while I love pretty much any kind of art and design work, I always felt like there was something unsatisfying about it. Eventually I realized that children’s books would be the perfect home for my love of creating whimsical art and my lifelong passion for books in general. Children’s literature is so important for many reasons- it is often the first introduction that kids have to art. Books are also a wonderful way to learn about the world and ourselves, and to build empathy. They can be educational, cathartic, or just an escape when we most need one. Stories can bring us together as a culture, and I feel honored that I get to spend my days contributing to this important body of work.

What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?

I think it is important for all of us as a society to recognize and value the huge benefits creative workers bring to our everyday lives. Everything from instructions on how to put together that bed frame you just bought, to movie nights and plays and the music that gets us through our exercise routines, starts with creatives that spend years and years improving their craft so that everyone can enjoy the results. If we don’t lose sight of that as a people, hopefully the corporate overlords will begins to see that too, and value those important roles more.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

Sharing my work with others in an accessible and meaningful way is the most rewarding part of my work. Picture books are often appreciated by people of all ages, and it means so much to me when readers and viewers interact with the art I create. I also really love the collaborative process that happens with the authors, editors and art directors in my field. Every traditionally published book represents the hard work of a whole group of passionate and well meaning people.

Contact Info:

• Website: heatherbrockmanlee.com
• Instagram: @heatherbrockmanlee
• Twitter: @heathertbl

Image Credits
Heather Brockman Lee, Thomas Lee