Today we’d like to introduce you to Maeve Norton

Maeve, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?

In 2011 I packed up and headed to Pratt Institute to study illustration. While there, I was really lucky to study under Pat Cummings, who I lovingly call the fairy godmother of publishing. She opened my eyes to the world of children’s books and I instantly knew that was where I wanted to be. After a few years of hustling, networking, catering, you know the typical New York grind, I got a job at Scholastic in their middle grade and young adult department. This December I will have been there 10 years!

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?

Is it ever a smooth road? Like most any art industry, breaking in has a lot to do with who you know, so I spent years trying to meet as many people as possible in the children’s book world. I was fortunate to have some great mentors help me along the way and surround myself with very talented people looking to throw the latter back down.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?

By day I work as an Art Director for Scholastic, where my focus is in middle grade and young adult. I oversee every bit of the book; from the jacket to the inside pages and the case cover. I hire artists, designers, letterers, photographers, models, whatever and whoever is needed to bring my vision to life for the book.

By night, I freelance as the cover artist I would typically hire. My area of expertise are illustrated middle grade, hand lettering, map making and collaged young adult. I think what sets me apart is my ability to do the full package. When I take on a project, I am delivering not only a variety of concepts and approaches but a fully thought out piece with hand lettering, logo designs, art in layers to be moved around, and high-res print ready files. I think my experience as an Art Director uniquely prepares me for those types of jobs. I’ve been on the other end of the process, so I know all that is needed for the final product.

Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?

A big part of my process is searching for inspiration, and I think people are usually surprised to find that a lot of it comes from outside the book world. I’ve done entire pitches for books based off an album or movie. Working in children’s media, we’re constantly competing to grab their attention, so I often look to other forms of media to be inspired.

Pricing:

• – Know what your bottom line is when it comes to budgets.
• – Always ask for more money!
• – Talk to your friends in the industry about their prices.
• – Keep track of business expenses to write off for taxes, this can really save you in the long run.
• – Again, always ask for more money!!!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.maevenorton.com
• Instagram: @maevenn