Modern KidLit with Amy Ignatow ("The Popularity Papers, "Mighty Odds") - 018

Amy Ignatow is a writer and illustrator living in Philadelphia with her family. After graduating from Moore College of Art and Design she worked as a freelance illustrator, a stationery designer, an air-brush face and body painter, an art teacher, an SAT prep instructor, a reporter, a wedding singer, and a florist. Amy was not very good at working for other people. Or with other people.  Or around other people. Now she happily works in a studio by herself. She is the author and illustrator of the critically acclaimed middle grade POPULARITY PAPERS series as well as the upcoming ODDS series. The first ODDS book, THE MIGHTY ODDS, debuts in September 2016. In her spare time Amy enjoys knitting, peeling oranges, yelling, and absurdity. She is a relatively good driver.

As an aside, she is pretty hilarious.

Notes from the show:

She loves it when boys read her book.

Each page is hand draw and handwritten, unlike "Diary of a Wimpy Kid."

Amy has different handwritings for herself under different circumstances.

She was working gig jobs, including teaching, but they weren't her passion.

Shel Silverstein - The Devil and Billy Markham

'Ig City" - weekly web comic

An agent on Craigslist sought clients, didn't like her web comics.

She sent the site of the comics to the guy who ultimately became her agent. The agent told her she needed a story. He suggested writing for kids.

When they started sending out queries for Popularity Papers, 75 pages were sent out. She kept getting rejections, and then Random House made an offer. They leveraged that offer to get more offers.

"Amy, you're the writer. You get to wear anything you want."

Went with "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" imprint Abrams Books/Amulet.

Scholastic's office was awesome but they didn't offer enough money.

"You have to gauge: who am I most comfortable with? Who do I want to work with?"

Her agent gave her a huge packet titles, "Now You Have a Book Deal."

She went to Moore College of Art and Design in Philadelphia. She learned how to take criticism there.

"As an artist, you have to get really used to rejection. And get used to defending your work and get used to taking criticism to make you and your work better."

Long Island High School for the Arts

Illustrators are hilarious.

Jim Henson was a big influence.

Sesame Street Old School

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