Interview with author/illustrator JENNIFER MERZ

It is great keeping up-to-date with the talented illustrators who have been in class at SVA and I’m excited to feature their new books!

Jennifer Merz recently published her non-fiction biography picture book, Steadfast: Frances Perkins, Champion of Workers’ Rights.  With bold, beautiful collage illustrations and words, Jennifer perfectly captures the spirit of urgency and commitment that Frances Perkins lived by. First out in hardcover, it is about to be available as well in paperback. 

 

I hope you enjoy hearing about Jennifer’s journey to bring this book to life, from first idea to the decision to self-publish. Read on as Jenn shares her expertise, advice, and tips!

This was a book that needed to be published! Tell us why!

Frances Perkins was a strong, courageous woman, an unsung American hero and trailblazer for workers’ rights when women were not encouraged to speak up, let alone have careers. She’s responsible for many of our workplace safety rules; and she became the first woman in a U.S. Presidential Cabinet as well as the force behind the New Deal.

 

I felt it was important to get her story out to children, girls in particular, to inspire them to fight against injustice, the way that Frances did, and not be limited by others’ ideas of women’s roles. I also saw a great opportunity to provide my readers with a stellar role model: someone with great integrity and tremendous character who worked steadfastly to make changes within the system. We’re living in a time when it’s increasingly important to step up to the plate when we see injustice. Frances did that, and I hope my readers will embrace the idea to do that, too.

How did your picture book, Steadfast: Frances Perkins, Champion of Workers’ Rights, get started? What were some of the stages along the way?

The seeds of Steadfast were planted when I was doing my MFA in Illustration at the Fashion Institute of Technology in NYC. It was 2011 and F.I.T., with its long connection to textiles, was commemorating the 100th Anniversary of the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire, a workplace disaster that Frances Perkins witnessed as a young social worker.

I created a handcrafted collage for that Triangle Anniversary, a work that spoke to the 1911 narrative. I incorporated the fabrics and trimmings of my past textile background. I used cut and torn papers, laces and trims, to make a shirtwaist collage to honor the 146 workers, mostly girls and young women, who lost their lives in that fire.

From that shirtwaist collage, I wrote and illustrated a picture book called Sew Strong, about the conditions leading up to the Triangle Factory fire and the subsequent groundswell for change. My agent was excited to share this version with many publishing houses. Editors took my dummy into acquisition meetings, but ultimately, it didn’t get picked up. It was later, only after I’d discovered Frances Perkins and her incredible story of steadfast achievement that I knew I was truly onto something special. I took more children’s book classes and workshops (including Monica’s at SVA, for example!) and I continued to work on my book.

Little did I know that my participation in the 2011 F.I.T. event would ultimately lead to my picture book on Frances Perkins. As I researched, whom did I find – who found me – but Frances! She was everywhere: pushing for workers’ rights, women’s rights, safety reforms, abolishment of child labor, and immigration reform. Why had I never heard about this woman? Why had so many people not heard about this remarkable woman?

I was bitten by the Frances bug and she wouldn’t let go. I needed to create a picture book on this American hero and role model. I had to get the word out to children. Children, girls in particular, needed to know the empowering, inspiring story that is Frances Perkins. Her strength of character, her integrity, her determined nature – all beckoned me to create this book.

Quite by accident, I discovered the Frances Perkins Center in Damariscotta, Maine. I met Tomlin, Frances’ grandson and remaining living relative. I met Sarah, the Board President who read and approved my manuscript. I was invited to the film premiere of Summoned, a documentary about Frances Perkins created by esteemed PBS filmmaker Mick Caouette. All the while, I kept creating: writing, editing, revising, sketching, and cutting buckets and buckets of collage papers.

 

Steadfast was released in hardcover on Sept. 1, 2020, and in softcover very soon (March 1, 2021) - in time for Women’s History Month! It’s available at www.jennifermerz.com, through the Frances Perkins Center, and on Amazon and other online stores. Art prints and cards will also be available soon, both at the Frances Perkins Center and on my website.

How did you choose to self-publish? 

I knew this book needed to be published and was having trouble locating a traditional publisher. I knew that a traditionally-published book takes about a year (or more!) from when the finished art and manuscript are delivered and the release date, and I was not willing to wait any longer, having started this project in 2011!

What have been some of the pros and cons and advantages of self-publishing?

Self-publishing gives you a wonderful sense of freedom. You are in control of every aspect of the project from design to manuscript, pricing, release date, quality of paper and binding. It’s fantastic to have that free reign.

The flip side is that you don’t have others to collaborate with and you need to seek them out to create a quality book. Mostly, you don’t have the broad overview that an editor or designer has. They have worked on many books, know what problems to anticipate, and understand how each book fits into the overall scheme of bookstores’ lists.

What was your favorite part of working on your book?

I approach book-making from the art side and loved doing the hand-crafted collages. Research and writing is also rewarding but can’t compare to the lovely tactile creation of the illustrations.

And the most difficult part? Did you take on some new roles? 

For me, the business side was the toughest part. Learning how to price, fulfill orders, market, and organize a complex business spreadsheet were all new tasks for me. And don’t get me started on taxes!

When working with a traditional publisher, you work with a team of people: editor, art director, copy editor, marketing and publicity team... Did you bring in some people to help you?

When you publish traditionally, the process is very collaborative, as you mentioned. However, self-publishing is an independent undertaking, so it’s important to hire people to help. I brought a copy editor and a book designer on-board who were very professional and skillful.

Do you have any special words of advice or encouragement for illustrators and writers who are considering self-publishing now?

Initially, work hard on your craft, and don’t focus too much on being published. Being published is really only a by-product of doing the work. Read – a lot! By this, I mean read current picture books. Study them: how are they put together? How does the writer create compelling page-turns? How does the illustrator create exciting compositions? Join the SCBWI. Join a critique group. Be patient with yourself and your progress. This is a marathon, not a sprint. Carry around a little notebook wherever you go to catch those ideas as they come to you. Ideas are like butterflies and can fly away quickly if you don’t!  

 

If your project is ready for publication, decide first if you want to self-publish or traditionally publish. They are two vastly different paths! Self-publishing is very rewarding – but you are setting up a business. You must want to do all the marketing and business work yourself. Have realistic expectations for what you can do on your own without a large company behind you. Both paths have pros and cons!

How delightful to appear on your blog, Monica! Thank you so much for having me.

If anyone has questions regarding my creative journey or my picture books, I’d be happy to hear from you. Please visit www.jennifermerz.com and leave me a message. I’m also on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. And, of course, if you’d like me to sign a copy of my book to you, I’m happy to do that, too!

All the best! Jenn

And for my first Q&A with Jenn about her first books: http://monicawellington.blogspot.com/2014/09/interview-with-illustrator-jennifer-merz.html