Episode #50: Becoming A Children's Book Illustrator and Author with Yesenia Moises
Listen Now
Tap Play Below or Listen On iTunes | Spotify | Google Podcasts
Ever toyed with the idea of creating a children’s book but unsure where to start? Today’s guest, Afro Latina author, and illustrator Yesenia Moises, knows exactly what it takes. A graduate of the Fashion Industry of Technology with a BFA in Toy Design, Yesenia has two successful children’s books under her belt and even more exciting projects in the works. In a time where the world can be a scary place, she wants it to be filled with big hair, bright colors, and lots of sazón from the heart!
In this episode, Yesenia takes us through her journey from her beginnings as a new college graduate working as a freelancer, to an unexpected big break that came from a Twitter hashtag to the book that put her talents on the map. She’ll offer valuable advice on getting your work in front of the right person when first starting out, finding an agent using a great online resource, and her tried-and-true secret to making your artwork stand out.
-
Click here to find out where to buy Yesenia’s latest book, Stella’s Stellar Hair which comes out January 5th, 2021.
Follow Yesenia on Instagram.
Follow Yesenia on Twitter.
Click here to check out Manuscript Wishlist, to find book agents and editors.
-
Azhelle
You're listening to Making It in The Toy Industry, Episode Number 50.
Intro/Outro + Jingle
Welcome to Making It in The Toy Industry podcast for inventors and entrepreneurs like you and now your host Azhelle Wade.
Azhelle
Hey there toy people, Azhelle Wade here and welcome back to another episode of Making It in The Toy Industry. This is a weekly podcast brought to you by thetoycoach.com. Have you ever wondered what it takes to create a children's book? Well, a friend of mine Yesenia Moises knows exactly what it takes. Yesenia is an afro-latina author and illustrator raised in the Highbridge neighborhood of the Bronx. And after graduating from the Fashion Institute of Technology with a degree in Toy Design, you send you set off on a journey to show marginalized youth that they too can live in a world full of wonder and magic. Her incredible work has been featured on BuzzFeed, Sci fi, NBC News, and on the pages of publishers like DC and image in a time where the world can be a scary place Yesenia wants it to be filled with big hair, bright colors and lots of stuff zone from the heart. So I'm so happy to have Yesenia with me today on the show. Welcome to the show Yesenia.
Yesenia
They my own like, you know audience real. This is exciting.
Azhelle
I'm so glad to have you here today. So start off, I just want to ask like, Did you always know that you'd go into children's illustration? Was that your dream?
Yesenia
Not particularly. Like, it's definitely an interest that came up like when I was in school, sort of. But that wasn't the goal. If you want to like bring it all the way back, I was actually really more interested in working on comics. I wanted to be a colorist specifically for comic books like that was that was in high school. If you talk to me, that was the goal. That was the dream. aspirational, I want to color comics,
Azhelle
like literally, that's all you would just color them in.
Yesenia
Yeah, that was literally like as far as my aspirations went, this was like, Yes, this is what I want to be not like, I want to like be the star of the show. I just wanted to color stuff. But also when I was younger, like I loved like writing things of my own or coming up with characters and things like that. And if the comics thing didn't work out, I want to work in video games in some capacity. Yeah. So this leap from I was an illustration student to I was a toy design student to bow on a picture book illustration. It's a little strange to me, but
Azhelle
It's awesome. It's amazing. I don't know, I've been following you on on Instagram for a long time. And I feel I just can't even imagine being able to make the things that you make come out of my hands like it's it looks. It looks like magic, like you say like you want it to be the world to be filled with big hair and bright colors like you're doing it.
Yesenia
Oh, thank you. Yeah,
Azhelle
I'm actually curious, like, what was that? When was the first time that you drew something? Or maybe saw something that you drew and realize, like you had a gift, like a real gift? Not just like I'm good at drawing like I have something special?
Yesenia
I think that might have been around unless the high school.
Azhelle
Really?
Yesenia
That's how Yeah, yeah, as a kid, you're used to hearing, you know, older folks like, Oh, yeah, you're an artist, like you're so good if you don't really believe them, right? Yeah, it just seems like a lot of hot air. But in high school is when I really started to feel like maybe this drawing thing could actually be prominent, like, do it. But this could be real. And I started noticing like people really really gravitating towards the things I was working on back then. Like I was a traditional art purist.
Azhelle
What does that mean?
Yesenia
As in like, I really didn't like digital art, even though it was like just starting to take off at the time. So I prefer to do everything by hand. And so my big thing back then was that I would you know, color things like with colored pencils, strictly with colored pencils. But I had somehow found a way to, you know, make it look almost like digital art. And that confused people.
Azhelle
Interesting.
Yesenia
Yeah, it didn't make sense to people, but they were really fascinated by it. And I think history is repeating itself now. And that like sometimes I get people asking me if my work currently is done traditionally. And it's like, it's not it. I did it on the computer, but it's cool that you think that
Azhelle
it does have like a really nice hand drawn feeling to it. It's it's stunning. I love it. Okay, so if you didn't think you were gonna go into children's illustration, did you think you were gonna be in just traditional toy design? Is that what you thought you'd be doing right now?
Yesenia
That's what I thought I'd be doing out of school since you know, at FIT the urban legend was if you wanted to toy design, you are guaranteed a job. Yeah, that was that was what the legend told us. That was what you know, we were told this it was drilled into our heads like yes, like if you want a job go into toy design. And one of the things that really attracted me to it was that I have like a very anime inspired drawing style, though it's not as much as it used to be. And at the time as an illustration student before I transferred into toy design, I saw that there were so many people in the toy design program, yeah, that were able to, you know, have a very like anime and manga inspired style. And it wasn't an issue. Whereas in all my illustration classes, my professors were like, well, if you want a job, you can't draw like this, or like, you know, you need to expand your horizons. And I mean, I understand that it comes from a very, you know, good place, and that they want you to, like really explore your options before settling into one thing.
Azhelle
Mm hmm.
Yesenia
But at the same time, it was very condescending. A lot of the comments that I got from teachers,
Azhelle
No, I get that. I feel like in Toy design, as long as you were good enough to stay in the program, you could explore what makes you unique. Like that was okay. As long as you could produce work that was high quality enough to keep you there.
Yesenia
Yeah. Yeah. And that's, that's, that's one of the things that drew me there.
Azhelle
Yeah, no, that's so true. Okay. All right. I want to talk a little bit about entrepreneurship. Because you, you didn't initially get a job when you first left the toy design program.
Yesenia
I know. The urban legend lied to me.
Azhelle
No, I don't even know how that you must have rejected some job. Did you reject a job? You had?
Yesenia
No,
Azhelle
Stop it. I don't even know how that'd be possible. Like you're insanely talented.
Yesenia
I couldn't tell you. I feel like maybe you could talk it up to the job market. And there were a lot of people from my year year 2014.
Azhelle
Oh, ok
Yesenia
okay. But my year, not everyone actually got full time employment. Like we were promised. Right. From the urban legends.
Azhelle
It said 95% job placement rating what I remember when I was there.
Yesenia
Really?
Azhelle
Yeah, it was not 100 it was never 100%. So yeah, I want to talk about entrepreneurship because you didn't get a job full time. But and you worked for a little bit. And you've essentially just been working for yourself ever since. So, you know, I went the corporate route, and I ended up back to where you are right now. I feel like I'm kind of starting fresh. And you just didn't do that. Like you tried corporate for like a minute and then you were like, I'm okay. And so like, what just share a little bit about what that journey was like, like, how did you know corporate wasn't right for you? How did you make that decision so fast? Like all that?
Yesenia
Okay, well, definitely, it was not by choice. Good, per se it I feel like I fell into a lot of things. Okay, like starting out with the internship that I got after graduating, like, I didn't get a full time job. But I got an internship, it was something it was a starting point. But that internship didn't translate into a full time job after it was over, which really sucked. But in hindsight, it led to things turning out this way in that at that internship, I ran into the person who would essentially really helped me get started with freelancing. It was my supervisor who she, you know, really felt like the, you know, I deserve to like, actually, like, do something with the talents that I have that it was, it would be wasted to just be a toy designer.
Azhelle
Hmm, interesting.
Yesenia
And so even though she couldn't hire me for full time employment, what she did do was helped me get a job at one of her friends places who owns like this company that did children's apparel and bibs. Okay, so I was in charge of like making artwork for bibs. It was very strange and different. It was my It was my little dabble into fashion. And from there, after leaving that place, I had a friend that like was like, hey, so there's like opening a hub Do you want to like try something new. So then I worked in production, where I did a lot more of creating artwork that would be used for manufacturers to put on different product types. And their main business was like mugs, and like tumblers that was their thing. mugs, tumblers and cold cups. I would spend like my days just you know, taking license artwork and putting it onto like, different things like it was definitely very different and not what I saw myself doing, right but towards the end of my time there I was feeling really burnt out and I'd gone to Toy Fair and that same supervisor that had been looking out for me, um, she she listened to me event for like a solid half hour because I was very upset about my job. And she was like, you don't like it that much. You can just come work for me. Like I thought enough freelance work to keep you busy for like, almost six months, we can do that. And I was like, You know what? Sure. Let's do it.
Azhelle
Did you know what kind of freelance work it was gonna be?
Yesenia
It was definitely more illustration work than toy design.
Azhelle
Okay, for what type of a company?
Yesenia
There was a place I interned at like she she mostly did like toy products. But there was one line in the company that you know, it's very illustration heavy. Like it was like, you know, they would make these little magnet boards with like magnets that you'd put on top for like characters and different things and like set up scenes yourself and They always needed artwork for that, because that was like a really big part of their business. Coincidentally, when I was feeling so incredibly burnt out, they needed like a bunch of these magnet boards done for like the following year. And so, because of that, I took the leap and I left my full time job and you know, started freelancing, it was definitely not how I expected to get there. I will say that,
Azhelle
so did you, like enjoy freelancing immediately? Like, as soon as you didn't have to go to the office anymore? And you were, and you had a project where you immediately like, Oh, this is this is what I want to do.
Yesenia
Yeah, definitely. Definitely. It was very exciting. When you're working a corporate job, for the most part, you guys are working on, like a like a handful of skills. And then, like you're seeing the same things over and over and over again, in your inbox?
Azhelle
I mean, it depends. It depends. I worked for a lot of small companies, and they go skill crazy. Like it's like 50 skills. 100 skills like Big O skill crazy. But when you are working for the bigger companies, yeah, you'd like hyper focus on like, 20 skills for the whole year and make them perfect.
Yesenia
Yeah, yeah. Yeah. And so what really drew me to free the freelance life was that well, first of all, I didn't have to wake up early getting to work for like, 9am. That was rough man. But I also really enjoy that with freelancing, just the variety of things you work on, like, I'm not pigeon holed to just working on toy projects, per se. Even though I started out the field was strictly like illustration work. Like it eventually, like branched out into like toy companies reaching out to me working on things that way.
Azhelle
Yeah. How did the transition from I guess these toy projects and these general Home Goods projects translate into you becoming a children's book author. So it was one of the biggest moments that it was the first the first big moment
Yesenia
It was drawing all black 2017? What's that? So in 2017, specifically, in September, there was a hashtag going around on Twitter, like there was going to be a hashtag event, I want to say, where you posted three pieces of your work in a tweet along with like a photo of yourself. And you know, you'd you know, write yourself a little intro and like bow to 80 characters that you had to work with on Twitter, and you add the hashtag drawing all black, because it was a hashtag that was meant to uplift, like, you know, black creators. And so I posted a tweet with that hashtag, not really thinking anything of it. Because at the time, I was like, I had all of 200 followers, which composed of mostly my personal friends,
Azhelle
your friends and family,
Yesenia
my personal friends, and like folks that I've met at conventions.
Azhelle
And now everyone, she's like, got 10,000. So is that right?
Yesenia
I mean, that's pretty rare on Instagram, at least Yeah. But on Twitter, like it was, it was a very small number. And I'd made that tweet. And within an hour or so my phone was on life support. What happened, who was apparently the tweet had gone viral? Well, it had gone viral. But the hashtag itself had gone viral. So it was the very first time it ever took place. It was the very first time that folks on the internet, we're seeing so many like black artists being uplifted. And it created a sort of massive response from people. And so it was very common to see other people's tweets go viral with that hashtag. And people being really excited about their work. And it was, it was really cool to see, honestly, like, I had never seen my phone, get so many notifications all at once. And still keep going for an entire weekend.
Azhelle
That is so cool. So would you do with all of that? Because I guess that's people's, you know, when you get that kind of publicity? Would You Do? Did you do anything? Are you just like, I
Yesenia
got a whole bunch of inquiries from people that were like, Oh, my God, I love your work. Can you illustrate my book? Can you draw me and I didn't know what to do with all of it. I mean, I reached out to like a couple of people that seemed that they might be stronger leads. But at the end of the day, it didn't really work out and nothing panned out. So for the weeks afterwards, I felt really bad. Because I was just like, dang, I had all these eyeballs on me. Everyone was like actually really excited about my work and I did nothing.
Azhelle
What did your follower count go up to that that time?
Yesenia
I feel like it might have reached 1000 at that point. Oh, wow. Yeah. Yeah, it was it was something like it was very bizarre to me. I had never seen anything like that just happened over the course of a weekend.
Azhelle
That's amazing. So okay, so that happened then what happened you didn't do anything. You go back to your free your freelance lifestyle you're like, Oh, I miss my shot. That was it
Yesenia
I know I didn't go back to my freelance lifestyle.
Azhelle
Why what?
Yesenia
I thought because I missed my shot, I should settle and get a regular regular job. So that same supervisor from the company that interned at moves to a different company that worked on like kids products for like his meals, toys for subway, so
Azhelle
you know, the universe was in pain during this it was just like watching you in pain like, Oh my god, what are you doing?
Yesenia
My supervisor from the place that I entered moved to a different company, and they were looking for some help. So I was like, you know what? Sure. I mean, it's been a little bit that for the past month or so I might as well, you know, jump into some, you know, regular regular job, even though it was still design work. It was not like, I was working at a coffee shop or something. But yeah, I essentially felt like, well, I missed the shot. So I should probably get a little more real. And within a week of me starting that job, I got an email from an art director at Macmillan, which is one of the big five publishers, and they were like, Hey, would you like to illustrate this book? Here's the manuscript, here's our budget. Are you interested in this? And I was like, wow, this is really cool. But I feel like it's a lie. So in traditional millennial fashion, I took a screenshot and walked away. What do you mean, I literally like didn't respond to it, because I thought it wasn't real. So I honestly didn't think it was real. Until the next day, the art director reached back out and was like, hey, but did you get the email? And I was like, Oh, crap, this is actually real. Okay, things are for real for real this time. And that's what kick-started my, you know, children's book career pretty much because the publisher had seen that tweet, and they were currently looking for an artist, but I guess they needed to, like, you know, jump through some, you know, corporate hoops to like, you know, get a bunch of people's approval before reaching out to me put through the exposure that
Azhelle
It took a while.
Yesenia
Yep. Yeah, it took a while.
Azhelle
Okay, but it took them time. It wasn't about like you missed your shot. They literally were they were so real. It just like they had red tape. They had red tape to go through. Yes. Wow. So okay, so this is honey smoke, right? This, this experience was for honey. Okay, so let's talk about honey smoke. You didn't write this book, which illustrated it? I guess that was my question was how you got this opportunity. But it was an email from a hashtag insane. I always tell people like put yourself out there and put your work out there because you never know who's gonna see it. But I'm curious, like, was honey smoke and instant success when it was released?
Yesenia
It was definitely a lot of excitement. For sure. When I heard um, you know, seeing that the book was actually on shelf. I actually, the day it came out, I actually went to Barnes and Noble and Union Square. And I was like, I need to see it like in person in the flesh.
Azhelle
Yes. Yeah.
Yesenia
So I went and they didn't even have it on display, which is not as exciting. But they had in the back. And my friend bought a copy of it.
Azhelle
Oh, that's so sweet. Oh, that's so awesome. So I know, I know. I know. I remember seeing your ID Chrissy Teague and had reposted a picture. It wasn't about honey smoke, but honey smoke was discovered in the background. So how did you feel about that? And did you use that that moment, you know, more effectively,
Yesenia
I feel like I at least tried to capitalize on that a little bit. Because it was very cool to see that a celebrity, you know, owned a copy of a book that I worked on is like, it felt very unreal. And I was freaking out when the author had reached out to me and was like, hey, but have you seen this though? Like, you know, click enhance on the background. Check it out.
Azhelle
That's so awesome. I love it. I love it. And then so then from honey smoke, I know now now everybody knows that you had your own book that you've released stellar hair. Was that because of the success of smut honey smoke, or was that like, how did you get that opportunity to actually write and illustrate your own book,
Yesenia
I kept in touch with the team that I worked on for Honeysmoke. And I thought it was a little bit of a crazy that line, I did really enjoy working on the book I enjoyed, you know, feeling like my art was telling a story in a different way than just a single illustration, like that sequential nature of it really drew me. And so I reached out to the art director that had worked on with it. And I was like, hey, so um, I had a book idea, how would I go about doing this? And like, she was so nice, and that she sent me so many resources on, like, you know, how you would go about doing things? And it was like, yeah, you know, when it's people that we've already worked with, you can just, you know, reach back out to us, send us whatever, and we'll look at it once you know, and I was like, Alright, but I'll do that. And so that summer after Honeysmoke come out, I'd spent it working on a story of my own. And that's what ultimately became Stella's Steller hair.
Azhelle
That's so awesome. So you sent it to them? Do they say Yes, right away?
Yesenia
Not really. It's a great thing took like two weeks and I was just I was totally in my thumbs. And at the time I was I was going to the New York Comic Con And so yeah, I had met up with like a friend there and I had printed out like what I had created, which was essentially like a small little pitch Bible, but I had bought it it was like some staples to make you look like an actual little booklet in it. And I was going to see if like I could get someone to look at it. And you know, make something of it because I wasn't sure if the publisher was going to like actually want to take a chance on it. And so that friend And actually, like, you know, grabbing, we ran up to like the dealer's room. And she introduced me to someone who also worked at the same publisher, but just in a different department and handed them my book. It was like, here, you need to look at this. And I was like, thank you. But I don't think that actually did anything. Because ultimately, the art director that I reached out to reach back out a few days later, after New York Comic Con was like, hey, so we absolutely love this. Can we work on it to make it better? Oh, so we could buy it.
Azhelle
I think it probably if it happened a few days after Comic Con, he probably went back and told somebody like I saw this awesome book I'm probably gonna get and then somebody else was like, it's mine. You know, that's what I'm imagining.
Yesenia
Maybe
Azhelle
In my world.
Yesenia
Stella's Steller Hair is about a young black girl who embarks on a journey to get help with her hair from her fabulous space on TV across the galaxy.
Azhelle
Love it. I read some parts of it because there are pages on the internet
Yesenia
There are a couple of pages available on the internet,
Azhelle
Literally, the way you illustrate looks like it would take someone years like it looks so intricate, so intricate. It's ridiculous. So I kind of want you to take a look back at your big breaks your big breaks in your career that got you to where you are today. So one drawing while black hashtag Right. Yeah. Number one, what would you say would be the other two?
Yesenia
I feel like making the jump from being an illustration student to a toy design student was definitely one Oh, really, I feel like if I had stayed an illustration student, I wouldn't have gotten to where I am today, my artwork would have changed in a way that would have been a lot more accommodating to making sure I pass my classes and not really being true to myself. Oh, yeah, I feel like that is something that, you know, really helped me realize that I wanted to really stick with having a very anime or manga inspired art style, like making the jump to toy design. Because if I didn't, I would probably have something that looks completely different, and probably wouldn't have led me here. I feel like making that jump and sort of sticking to my guns in terms of making sure that I am, you know, got to draw the way that I wanted to, if I had stayed an illustration, I feel like my art would have been a lot more like commercial or editorial, like the kinds of stuff you see in like the New Yorker and things like that, I don't think I would have made it to children's book illustration, I don't think it would have made it to children's book illustration. Had I stuck with that, because I would have changed the way I was working to, you know, facilitate what at the time the teachers really wanted their students work to look like like these days that fit, it's a lot more lenient, I see a lot of cool stuff coming out of there. And I'm like, wow, where was this energy when I was in school? Where were you?
Azhelle
But I'm curious, I think it was a good thing either way, even if they were more lenient, because going into children's like toy probably helped point you in the direction of children's right. But um, but I never actually asked like, why did you even pick toy just because of the job security that you were looking for? Is that why
Yesenia
The job security was a little bit of it, but also, just seeing how other people in the program had artwork that, you know, was very anime and manga inspired, I felt like, I'd have the freedom to be myself in that program a lot more. And in toys in general a lot more if they you know, were cool if their students were like making artwork that look like this.
Azhelle
Number one is choosing to go into toy design from illustration. Number two was the drawing while black hashtag, what would you say number three was
Yesenia
the release of Honeysmoke
Azhelle
Really interesting. Why?
Yesenia
Well, that book made me realize that, um, I wanted to continue working in children's books. And I wanted to have something of my own, especially because I noticed that a lot of the publishing industry is very author focused. And so it felt like a lot of times I was being sidelined, when it came to things about honey smoke, like if there was an interview or something or like they, they wanted someone to show up to a book festival, they'd more often than not want the author to show up more than the illustrator, even though it's more of a 50/50 split, right. But it's more of a balance. It's more of, you know, really, you know, finding the best way to use as few words as possible to tell a story in a way that harmonizes with the artwork.
Azhelle
Hmm, did you work very closely with the author when you were making that?
Yesenia
That's also like a reason why I wanted to like you know, make a book of my own because I want to know what what it was like to
Azhelle
What did you learn what the difference is?
Yesenia
Well, working on your own book, you'd have a lot more control over a lot of things like working on Honeysmoke, they kept us very separate. So I actually never met the author until after the book was finished. But yeah, and I mean, I understand why they would do something like that.
Azhelle
Why? Oh, I don't get it.
Yesenia
You know, sometimes you might get An author who might be a little heavy handed with, like, you know, comments or feedback in a way that might be detrimental to, you know, keeping the book on a certain timeline.
Azhelle
Gotcha.
Yesenia
Yeah. And so, more often than not, they do that they keep you very separate. And they act as the middleman to make sure that like, nothing gets slowed down.
Azhelle
And then what's it like when you're the author and the illustrator?
Yesenia
You have a lot more control over the words that are on the page. And, you know, if you make the artwork for a page, and the text doesn't work anymore, you have the freedom to change it and make it something different. Like that's, that's first and foremost, like, that's really cool. But also, like, you feel like you have a lot more control in general over the finished product, like the funniest book, I worked on the book, and more or less, it was trying to stick to the manuscript as closely as possible, or trying to make sure that you know, interpret the words in a way that's like as visually pleasing as possible, which you would still do in a book of your own. But it's a little different in that you have like the publisher is like the in between, and you don't really have as much input in making any adjustments on that end.
Azhelle
What was your timeline for Honeysmoke versus Stella's Steller Hair,
Yesenia
Honeysmoke was, it was a very short timeline, I will say that. Usually, the timeline for books will be somewhere around eight to 12 months, usually, like they'll give you a full year and you think, Wow, that's a really long time. Like, why coming from especially coming from doing like, you know, very quick turnaround toy design work. It's like, yeah, like,
Azhelle
We need this in four days.
Yesenia
Yeah, you think like, Wow, that's a very long time. But when you're actually working through it, it makes a lot of sense. And that you have to, you know, go through things in phases. And every step of the way, there's like a lot of push and pull between you as the author and the publisher to try and make something that works for the market.
Azhelle
So eight months for Honeysmoke or eight months for Stella's Steller Hair?
Yesenia
It was about like 10. For Stella's Steller Hair. Well, honey book was shorter than that. I won't give a number though. I don't, I'm not going to advocate Okay, for shorter deadlines.
Azhelle
So eight to 10 months is reasonable. That's all you need to know if anyone asks you to do anything less than that. You should be concerned that that's the tip here?
Yesenia
Yes.
Azhelle
Okay. No, that's fair. That's really fair. If somebody is looking to break in, like, I guess they want they just want someone to see their work, so that they could maybe consider them for a book, right? What is the best way to get the right person to see your work? Like who is the right person would be the first one?
Yesenia
Well, I think for publishing your best bet would most definitely be to get an agent, a literary agent.
Azhelle
But how do you get that if you have no experience?
Yesenia
For the most part, what they require, and you can look this up online, like there's lots of, there's lots of information out there. But you would essentially draft up a what they call a query letter, if you're going to be writing and illustrating a book, if you just want to be considered for illustration projects, you just submit your portfolio, but if you want to will frighten illustrate, you would submit what they call a query letter, which is a very formal pitch in, you know, a very short letter form, and you will be pitching it to the agent. And if the agent takes interest, they'd reach back out and you'd have a little back and forth and see if like, you know, you're good, like the agent is a good fit for what you're trying to do.
Azhelle
How would you find them? And how would you recommend finding, even if you're just cold pitching, say, say you're starting, like, you've no connections, you're cold pitching.
Yesenia
If you're looking for an agent, one of the things that helped me starting out, was looking on this site called manuscript wish list. And it's essentially a site that's dedicated to both agents and editors at publishing houses. And it'll have information on you know, the kinds of books that they're interested in, because, you know, not every agent will be up for representing books that are for picture books or refer you know, why a, like, they all have their preferences, because, you know, they're people at the end of the day, but manuscript Bush, this was very helpful, you know, pointed you in the direction of some names that you could reach out to.
Azhelle
Okay, it's great tip. Thank you. And finally, you know, I just want to know if there's anything that you want to share, I know you're already pitched Stellar's Steller Hair. But is there anything else that you're working on that you want to share with the listeners?
Yesenia
I feel like everything is under NDA, just not as cool.
Azhelle
It is everything is a secret?
Yesenia
Everything's a secret. I'm working on stuff. The Internet doesn't see me anymore, but I'm doing things guys. I'm doing it.
Azhelle
Well, where can everybody find you to connect with you and follow your artwork and just try to be like you Where do they go for that?
Yesenia
Oh, you can find me on both Instagram and Twitter, @elexiadraws.
Azhelle
Yes. What's that name about? I think I've asked you this before I've definitely asked you this, but not
Yesenia
Many people ask me about it. They just let it rock and I'm just like, okay, I wish I could change it. But at this point, I don't know what to change it to. What is it was it from like a video game? Like what is it? What I was in high school. I used to hang out on the site called Gaia Online. And you know, it's a site where you can make your own like avatar, and you know, you get to play dress up. And like, you know, they had forums where you can interact with other people. And I had created an account. And I originally had some other name, but I'd seen someone else's username, which sounded really, really, really cool. And I wanted to like make a spin off of that, to make something of my own. So that's when I like made the username Elexia. But over the years, it kind of just gotten short to, like Elexia. And then when I eventually after many, many, many, many, many, many years of friends being like you should join Instagram, I finally did, what my name was taken. So that is how I became Elexia Draws a draws account not by choice,
Azhelle
That's so funny, at least, because your name, if you write your real name, people can still search by your real name. But you're on the brink of stardom. So pretty soon, you'll be like, Bad Girl really, like everybody knows what your IG handle is, they're
Yesenia
Oh My God! Who would guess what all that
Azhelle
I'm so happy you came on the show today. I mean, I'm happy for all of the greatness that I know you have going on. But I also am sad because I used to hire Yesenia for a lot of freelance things. And I know she just has no time for it. So I'm like, I know I'm not like your VIP celebrity client level. But if you could like real quick, just do this sketch, I'd be so indebted. She squeezes you know me. And so I really appreciate you being on the show today. Is there anything else you want to share? Any tips? Any advice? Anything any farewell note or message
Yesenia
Farewell note, I would say follow your heart. That's cheesy. It's so cheesy. But I feel like I spent so many years of my career and like, you know, just drawing in general, trying to make things that made other people happy first before myself. And so I feel like when I started making work, that was a lot more true to like, you know, what I wanted and experimenting and seeing the things I genuinely liked, and not so much like, what I expected, what people expected, my work to look like, and what I thought they wanted it to look like, I feel like that's very important to get a hold on, like really understanding what you enjoy. Because I feel like that is what helps define the style, like your style is essentially, you know, your fingerprint or stamp on what you think art should look like. And if you don't find that within first, I think your art isn't really going to stand out.
Azhelle
I actually always struggle with asking that question like how do you find your style, but I think that was an amazing explanation of it. Well done.
Yesenia
Well, yeah, it's definitely like,
Azhelle
no, it's perfect.
Yesenia
If you don't really learn to like find that within, then the art that you put out isn't work that will stand out.
Azhelle
Thank you so much Yesenia. It was a pleasure having you on the show.
Yesenia
Glad to be here.
Azhelle
Take care, talk to you soon. Toy people, I hope you enjoyed today's episode with Yesenia. Yesenia's book is coming out January 5 2021. And I want to encourage you to buy it to either read it or display it in your home as the incredible word of art that it is. If you have ever had an idea for a children's book, I especially hope this episode brought value to you in showing you an unconventional path you might take to be a children's book author. I want this episode to empower you to be yourself. Follow your dreams, take gigs that enrich you and enjoy the journey. But I also want to make sure that you're ready for those big moments. When you get the TV spotlight when you get that BuzzFeed feature when an agent calls you for your idea. Are you ready? And I don't just mean do you want to do it? I mean, are you ready to handle that opportunity, the best way possible and make the most of it? Don't be ashamed to admit you're not ready. Honestly, it's better if you're honest. Right now that you're not ready, because then you can take steps right now to get ready. And since this is the last episode of 2020, I want to leave you with this success is where opportunity meets preparation. So if you are still waiting for an opportunity, then it is time to get prepared. getting prepared is by doing things like getting guidance from places like this podcast, learning from courses like Toy Creators Academy, or from a mentor like those offered in the Women in Toys, Ruth Handler mentorship program. Those are all fantastic ways to get prepared for the opportunities that are going to come to you. Until next year. I'll see you later toy people
Intro/Outro + Jingle
Thanks for listening to Making It in The Toy Industry podcast with Azhelle Wade, head over to thetoycoach.com for more information, tips and advice
-
🎓Learn more about how you can develop and pitch your toy idea with Toy Creators Academy® by clicking here to visit toycreatorsacademy.com and join the waitlist.
Available January 5th, 2021
Click here to find out where to buy Yesenia’s latest book, Stella’s Stellar Hair