Jo Overend is in da house (ship?)
But first, Illustration Business Club is finally OPEN! It's been over a year since we last flung the doors open and we'd love to have you sailing with us! https://www.thegoodshipillustration.com/business
Jo is an author-illustrator, an OG Good Shipper, and the author and illustrator of Megaduck (her debut picture book with Walker Books) 🐥
When Jo started out, she hadn't drawn for 21 years. She posted her drawings anyway, eeeeven the ones she didn't like, and sometimes three to five Instagram posts a day (!!!)
Timestamps:
00:00 – Hello Jo (and Megaduck, in giant cardboard cutout form)
00:23 – Megaduck's final artwork is done and handed over to Walker Books
01:03 – Getting final artwork finished alongside full-on childcare
01:56 – Setting the goal of a full colour dummy for Bologna
02:57 – Walking into shops with your prints (terrifying!) and taking the wholesale leap
03:37 – Why rejection is almost never about you
05:46 – Katie's human design corner: give people something to say yes or no to
06:10 – Sending Walker seven more book ideas without waiting for a meeting
07:01 – Posting real things to agents and publishers, and the "is it worth the stamp?" wobble
09:13 – Why genuine, thoughtful post gets remembered
10:10 – Agents and publishers actually WANT your follow-up email
11:42 – Jo's Illustration Business Club experience
12:23 – Getting stocked in her favourite shop, and growing into wholesale
13:12 – Community, competitions, and winning the Picture Hooks mentorship (plus a book deal the same week!)
14:34 – Tania's "friendly stalking" method for finding art directors
15:50 – "Have we met?" How Jo's postcards got there before she did
16:57 – Helen's broccoli theory of being seen
17:25 – The anonymous egg problem, and why a face (or a logo) builds trust
18:29 – Jo's advice for scared, shy, overwhelmed illustrators
19:04 – Not drawing for 21 years, then posting 3 to 5 doodles a day
22:02 – Megaduck news: US in February, UK in March, and Megaduck 2 on the way
23:07 – Trying all the little things: kids' workshops, wholesale and more
24:40 – Keep your radar open
25:16 – Where to find Jo, plus her Substack and Patreon plans
Links mentioned:
• Jo's website: https://www.jooverendillustration.com/
• Jo on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joverendillustration/
• Jo's Substack: https://jooverendillustration.substack.com/
• Megaduck (US edition): https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/835922/megaduck-by-jo-overend-illustrated-by-jo-overend/
• Picture Hooks: https://www.picturehooks.org.uk/
Byeeee for now!
x The Good Ship Illustration (Helen, Katie & Tania)
p.s. Soooo much of what Jo talks about here ties in v well with what's inside Illustration Business Club. The doors are open right now and we'd love to have you in there with us! https://www.thegoodshipillustration.com/business
Come and say hello!
✏️ @thegoodshipillustration
🌏 www.thegoodshipillustration.com
p.s. We love answering your illustration questions. Click here to submit your question for The Good Ship Illustration Podcast 🎙
