Just an exciting update from me and Rome. Two weeks from now, I will officially be full-time freelance. I have put in my 2 weeks notice at MediaSauce, and have accepted a part time job at my local library (because with freelance, some months you get paid, and some you don't!)

This decision has been about 6 months coming. I realized several things. One is that if I am going to take any entrepreneurial risks,
now is the time to do it, before kids show up. The other is that between freelance and my full time job, I am stretched too thin to do either job to the best of my ability. So it was time to make a career decision.

Also over the past several months, I began investigating getting an agent. An agent is a person who represents you to publishers, negotiates contracts, promotes you, gets you jobs, and helps you build your portfolio so that you are more marketable. They then take 25% comission from any project they get to you. Agencies are not easy to get into. Many illustrators feel that it is just as hard to get an
agent as it is to get a publisher. However, I felt that I needed a well-connected agent to be out in New York introducing my work to publishers if my business was ever to grow. I sent samples to 4 agencies that I liked, and was regjected by 2 of them. One never got back to me. However, I was contacted by MB Artists(www.MBArtists.com), and the agent was interested in seeing if we were a good fit for each other. After having several phone conferences, going over the contract and talking to some of the represented artists, I decided that this agency was a good fit for me.

So 2 weeks ago, we signed a contract together. Now, Mela (the agent) has been showing my work to publishers, and has been giving me homework illustrations to do in order to make my portfolio more marketable in today's industry.

Penguin offered me book 8, and I am in the process of wrapping up the work for book 7.

So I suddenly found myself very very busy.

So I contacted my previous supervisior at the library and sent her a letter of inquiry, resume and application. As it turns out, they DID have a part time position available which they were almost ready to fill. If I had waited just a few more days, the position would have been gone. So they brought me in for an interview, and offered me the job the same day. I accepted. It will obviously not be as much money as I am making at my full time job, but it will be enough to pay my bills every month.

So I just now put in my 2 week notice at my day job. The company was very supportive, and asserted that I was an asset to the company, and
leaving in good standing. The president said that if freelance did
not work out, I was welcome back. However, they also offered to renew the freelance relationship that the company had with JZ Artworks prior to my date of hire. So I talked with the head of studio, and she has agreed to send applicable overflow work to me on an as-needed basis. So that whole conversation went very well, and people have been trickling in to wish me well and express support.

Rome and I are now in process of putting me on an independent health insurance plan, since it will be too expensive to put me on Rome's insurance with his company. We have loose ends like this to tie up, but we are excited to make this transition and to see where it will lead us. I am looking forward to being able to devote more time to illustration projects as they come in - and even having free time again!

So that's the news! Hope you are all well! Wish me luck!