ZaPow! Asheville, NC Illustration Gallery and Creative Center
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    • Promotion & Publishing

We're all about promoting our artists!

Promote Your Art & Get Published

Illustration Submission to Publishers
Create a post card that shows off your art (Should show your ability to carry a narrative via an image. Should not be a static image such as one that you might pitch for licensing.) The back of your post card should have the following:
  • your name  
  • your portfolio website address
  • your email addy
  • your phone number
  • your mailing address
We will include your post card in a packet from ZaPow recommending you to a list of industry professionals ranging from Art Directors and Agents at children's magazines like Highlights to book publishers like Penguin and Little Brown. You should plan on producing a postcard like this every four months. Industry pros say that you need to get your work in front of art directors and editors every four months to keep you fresh in their minds.  

When is your postcard due to the gallery? : Postcards must be to the gallery no later than 9:30 pm on Friday April 20th. These will be mailed on Saturday April 21 and if you miss the mailing you will just have to wait for the next one.  

$28.50, for *member artists, $55.00 for non-member artists.
Manuscript Submission to Publishers
We will craft a targeted list of agents or editors  whom we think will be most receptive to your particular project. Then we will draft a cover letter, package your manuscript and submit it for you.   $28.50, for *member artists, $55.00 for non-member artists Plus the cost of shipping.

Etsy store Setup & Coaching:
$38.50 an hour.

Self Publishing Setup & Coaching:

$38.50 an hour.
Video Promotion Services 
*member artists receive a 20% discount on all Video Promotion services.
Book Trailers. $250 - $650. Contact for details
Artist Promotional Video: $250 - $650. Included with 6' (and larger)  artist spaces
Vlog Coaching: $38.50 an hour. Contact for details

Standard Member Artist Promotion Services
Our Location is key: Being located at 21 Battery Park, we are in the middle of all that is hip in downtown Asheville.

Social Media: We promote our artists via daily Art of the Day posts on facebook and Twitter as well as other Social Media posts.

Community Outreach: We offer workshops on how to take your writing and illustrating to the next level at local schools, Senior Centers, Churches/Temples, and Civic Organizations.

ZaPow! Based Workshops: We provide more in-depth workshops with leading industry professionals at the 21 Battery Park ZaPow! location.

Press Releases Traditional Media: Press Releases will be sent out to regional media outlets on the second and fourth Monday of each month. Anytime you bring in new artwork, we encourage you to write a paragraph long artist statement about the new pieces. This way we can include it in our next press release.

Press Releases Digital Media: In addition to traditional news media outlets, we also releases to some of our favorite local blogs. If you have a favorite blog that you think should be included on this list let us know!

If you want to be a successful writer or artist, having an industry professional critique your work is one of the best steps that you can take. We have scoured the country and found these killer writers and illustrators. With the guidance of our Affiliate Critics you will be on your path to success not lost in a fog of confusion.

Industry Professional Manuscript and Portfolio Critiques

Tim Davis

Picture
Tim Davis is the author-illustrator of seven children's
books published by JourneyForth, and has also illustrated
for a number of other children's publishers, including Scholastic, and Fisher-Price. As a frequent contributor to Highlights magazine, he's the creator of over three hundred hidden picture scenes.

Tim also teaches writing and illustrating classes at both Furman University and Greenville Technical College, and enjoys speaking in elementary schools to inspire upcoming artists and writers.

Tim Davis
Written critique of a 1-5 page picture book
$
100.00    
Tim Davis
Written critique of a 1-5 page picture book
followed by a 20 minute phone/Skype consult
$
125.00    

Mary Ann Fraser

Picture
has a lot of plates in the air. She is the award winning author/illustrator of over sixty fiction and non-fiction books for children and visits schools and libraries around the country to “cook up stories”.  She also manages a full-time decorative painting business which specializes in faux finishes and murals, so, see, sometimes it is okay to draw on the walls, and you might even get paid for it!  For relaxation she can be found out in the garden submitting to the whims of nature , plein aire painting, hiking, or playing her hammered dulcimer. She’s a rehabilitated soccer mom, damage control specialist (thanks to three sons), and likes to eat more than cook but does plenty of both.

Mary Ann Fraser
Written critique of a 1-5 page picture book 
$
100.00    
Mary Ann Fraser
Product description.
$
100.00    

Elizabeth O. Dulemba

Picture
I have always loved picture books. Growing up, I stared at my favorite for hours at a time wishing I could visit the magical worlds on its pages. Through drawing, I found a door and was seldom seen without a drawing pad tucked under my arm. When I drew, I lived in the stories that filled my head. Eventually, I put them to paper as well.
     Those stories, drawn, written, and told, wove through my life as a unifying thread. I discovered the National Storytelling Festival in Jonesborough, Tennessee while in college, and created a line of storytelling posters for my graphic design exit show at the University of Georgia.
     During my graphic design career, I was often Art Director, but always in-house illustrator, creating art mostly for child-related industries such as Buster Brown Apparel (I drew Charlie Brown and Snoopy for many years), Brach’s candy, even the Stone Mountain Laser Show.
      Some of my favorite activities have included hang-gliding and rock-climbing (I was an adrenalin junkie in my 20's - hubbie still is), filling in as storyteller at my local library, and teaching "Beginning Drawing" and "Creating Picture Books" at the John C. Campbell Folk School and other venues. I am Illustrator Coordinator for the Southern Breeze region (GA, AL, MS) of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI), am a Board Member of the Georgia Center for the Book, and an adjunct professor of illustration in the Graphic Design department at the University of Georgia.
      I also enjoy sharing what I’ve learned about the children’s publishing industry, freelance illustration, and folklore storytelling at conferences and schools. And I especially love speaking at book festivals where I'm surrounded by fellow creators and book lovers!
     My graphic design background gave me an intimate knowledge of the publishing process and enough web savvy to create my own web site. In fact, I embrace all things technological and create my illustrations digitally.
     It seems everything I've ever done has somehow contributed to the skills I employ now as a children’s book writer and illustrator - even the hang-gliding. Because sometimes this business can feel just as crazy as jumping off a cliff with a kite tied to your back. (Yes, that's me jumping off Lookout Mountain in Tennessee.)

Portfolio Critique
20 minute Skype portfolio critique
$
100.00    

Sandra Ure Griffin

Picture
Born in St. Louis, I grew up in Webster Groves, Missouri. I moved to Kansas City in the 1970s, where I studied printmaking at the Kansas City Art Institute. In the 80s I lived in a log cabin in rural Missouri. That's where my four sons were born, as well as my first picture book, EARTH CIRCLES. In the ’90s, back in St. Louis, I developed PictureBookMaking, a writing and art program for young children. I helped more than 1,000 inner-city children make picture books! I also held workshops for teachers so they could learn the PictureBookMaking process. I continued to develop my artwork and writing during this time. Eventually my second and third books were accepted for publication: ONLY ONE WISH and BIG AND LITTLE ABC. Now I live in the Northwoods of Wisconsin, where I’m still writing and making art. I've been learning about ceramics, tilemaking, and sgraffito. My artwork depicts our relationships to each other and our planet. I believe that our most important tasks are taking care of Mother Earth and learning to live peacefully with one another. I hope my art and writing can help us with these tasks..

Publishing:
writer and illustrator of EARTH CIRCLES, Walker & Co., NY
writer and illustrator of THE BIG AND LITTLE ABC, All About Kids Publishing, San Jose
writer of ONLY ONE WISH, Purple Beetle Publishing, St. Louis
writer and illustrator of ENKIDU'S DRUM

Sandra Ure Griffin
Written critique of a 1-5 page picture book.
$
120.00    
Sandra Ure Griffin
Product description.
$
240.00    

Jo S. Kittinger

Picture
Jo’s love of books started early—as an avid reader growing up. Her editorial experience began as the editor of her high-school yearbook. Later she worked as an editorial assistant at The Flicker children’s magazine, often wading through the slush pile of submissions.

Graduating summa cum laude from the University of Montevallo in Alabama, with a BFA in Fine Arts and a minor in biology, Jo worked as a potter and fine crafts gallery owner until her first child was born. Jo’s first publications were original crafts projects in books such as Christmas With Southern Living and Christmas is Coming! Choosing to work from home, Jo turned to writing full time and published her first book, Dead Log Alive! with Franklin Watts Publishers in 1996.
 
Currently Jo serves as a regional advisor for the Southern Breeze region (AL, MS, GA) of the SCBWI, where she organizes two conferences for writers and illustrators of children’s literature each year. She enjoys speaking to students and writers at schools, libraries and conferences and helping writers along their road to publication.


Jo S. Kittinger
Written critique of a 1-5 page picture book.
$
100.00    
Jo S. Kittinger
Written critique of a 1-5 page picture book followed by a 20 minute phone consult.
$
125.00    
a

LOLA MARIE SCHAEFER

Picture
Lola M. Schaefer is an author of children’s books and a national writing consultant. She travels across the country sharing her love of reading and writing in schools, at conferences, and at workshops. For the past twenty years she has informed and inspired teachers and students on the craft of writing.


Lola is the author of more than 250 books for children including picture books, easy readers, novelty books, classroom books and informational texts. One of her first critically recognized picture books, This is the Sunflower, was published by Greenwillow Books in 2000. Since then, Lola has published five more books with Greenwillow Books (HPC), including the ALA Notable Children’s Book in the LA Pick, Pull, Snap! Where Once a Flower Bloomed (2003) and An Island Grows (2006), which is a Charlotte Zolotow Honor Book.


Her book Frankie Stein, published by Marshall Cavendish in 2007, was awarded the Children’s Choice Book Award for Kindergarten through Grade 2 in New York City on May 13, 2008. Arrowhawk, published by Henry Holt and Company (2004), was selected NSTA’s Outstanding Trade Books for Children, received three different Zena Sutherland Awards for Literature, as well as several state book awards including the Missouri Show Me Award. Her I Can Read (HPC) Loose Tooth was honored in 2007 with The Garden State Book Award for Easy Reader. Currently she is writing and publishing more books in the I Can Read series about a kitten named Mittens for the youngest reader.


As an educational consultant, Lola has worked in dozens of schools across the country. She shares effective classroom strategies on writing workshop, the craft of writing, and genre structures. Lola offers demonstration lessons, as well as general presentations on craft mini-lessons and the art of writing. She is the author of twelve Scholastic Teaching Resources books that focus on strategies to improve student writing.


Lola was a classroom teacher in grades K-7 for eighteen years, as well as a graduate-level college instructor on the writing process in the elementary classroom. She received her B.A. in Education from Indiana University, and later her Master’s in Education. She is a member of the International Reading Association and the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators. Lola lives with her husband Ted in the mountains of north Georgia.

I offer a thorough read, a list of celebrations and specific suggestions to take the piece closer to publication. Most of my picture book critiques are two typed pages.

I am ONLY interested in reading:
  • character-driven picture books
  • narrative nonfiction picture books
  • nonfiction picture books
  • concept picture books
  • easy readers
  • early chapter books for children ages 5-8

No rhyming picture books  -   No poetry

Lola Marie Schaefer
Written critique of a 1-5 page picture book.
$
150.00    
Lola Marie Schaefer
Written critique of a 6-10 page picture book.
$
200.00    
Lola Marie Schaefer
Written critique of a 1-5 page picture book
followed by a 20 minute phone/Skype consult
$
200.00    
Lola Marie Schaefer
Written critique of a 6-10 page picture book.
followed by a 20 minute phone/Skype consult
$
250.00    
Lola Marie Schaefer
Two Coaching Sessions:
I will read your manuscript twice – at two different levels of development - and give it careful consideration. Each time I will send you a lengthy email outlining the strengths and weaknesses with suggestions for improvement. I will be assessing your writing on these criteria:
original or marketable idea pacing cadence word choice show, don’t tell character development (if it is a character-driven story) plot development (if it is a character-driven story) leads and endings age appropriateness
concept development (if a concept book) voice and tone
$
375.00    
Lola Marie Schaefer
Two Coaching Sessions as listed above plus a 20 minute phone consult.
$
425.00    

Richard Jesse Watson

Picture
As one of the past SCBWI Golden Kite recipients, Richard is now one of the judges for the award this year. His work is part of the traveling Golden Kite Golden Dreams art show. He will be one of six illustrators doing an art demo during the SCBWI national conference this summer (for the Illustrator's Intensive). He's also presenting and doing portfolio critiques again at this conference, which he has done for years at the national and regional conferences. He is presenting at the Texas SCBWI Illustrator's Day, as well as other regional programs this summer.

Richard has been creating picture books since 1984, publishing with HarperCollins, Scholastic, Harcourt, currently with Disney Hyperion and others. He has both written and illustrated published works. “Making children’s picture books is a labor of love and craftsmanship. It takes way more work than people imagine, but it is profoundly fulfilling.”

Richard Jesse Watson
Written Critique of a 1-5 page picture book.
$
100.00    
Richard Jesse Watson
Written critique of a 1-5 page picture book followed by a 20 minute phone consult.
$
125.00    
Richard Jesse Watson
30 minute Skype portfolio critique
$
145.00    
Steps to a Successful Critique
  • Step1. Read each critic's bio, see their rates, and select the one that is right for you
  • Step 2. Add your chosen critic and service to your cart
  • Step 3. Pay for your critique via credit Card or PayPal
  • Step 4. Format your submission according to our guidelines
  • Step 5. Email your submission to Lauren@ZaPow.net, enter the name of your critic in the subject line
  • Step 6. We send your materials to your chosen critic. They write your critique, and send it to us. We send it back to you. At that time we will also call you to schedule a time for a phone consult if you have paid for one
When you submit your work please follow these critique guidelines:
Picture books: six-page maximum. Author/illustrators may also submit a PDF dummy. If you need technical assistance contact Lauren@Zapow.net
Novels: ten pages plus one-page summary.

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