Information for Publishers
Overview
My dummy book, The Fairy Letters (tentative title), is based on an existing collection of 20+ letters exchanged between myself and my parents when I was a small child, believing that I was corresponding with a ‘tooth fairy’. The book uses text, handwriting and illustrations taken from the actual letters, edited as little as possible, offering a snap-shot of my concerns as a young child and a very unusual premise for a story.
is based on.
The setting of the story is also a real place – Hellens Manor in Much Marcle, Herefordshire, where my parents worked while I was growing up. The book was drawn completely by hand using colored pencil, lightly edited in Photoshop and with text added in InDesign. I wrote and illustrated it over a 6-month period in 2020 for the Final Major Project of my MA Illustration course at Falmouth University, UK.
I believe the unique selling point of the book is its authenticity – it is based on the experiences of a real child, at a real place, with the letters as proof of the ‘existence’ of fairies. There could also be the possibility of spin-offs featuring the original letters, sequel books about Silver and Tilly’s adventures, or promotional tie-ins. While a deeply personal work, I also feel that it has the potential for popular appeal.
I am happy to provide further information, including the full dummy book on request and I would of course be open to suggestions for edits from a publishing perspective. Thank you very much for your time and I very much hope you will consider The Fairy Letters for publication.
Technical Specifications:
- Word count: 1215 (all spelling mistakes in the child’s letters are intentional)
- Target audience: UK market, ages 7 – 9
- Number of spreads: 13 illustrated spreads; 2 x inset illustrations; 1 x wrap-around cover illustration
- Format: InDesign file and Photoshop files. Possible to edit and export in any desired format
- Method of illustration: Traditional media (coloured pencil)
- Spread dimensions: h27cm x w42cm per spread; just under A3 size (h27cm x w21cm per single page)
About Me
I am a British illustrator and writer based in Yokohama, Japan. In September 2020 I graduated from an MA in Illustration with Falmouth University, UK with Merit. I work in international relations in Tokyo during the day and write and illustrate at night. I work mostly in traditional media but am also comfortable using digital tools and hold ACA qualifications in Adobe suite. You can see more about me here.
My Work
- My Instagram
- My YouTube
- My Portfolio
- See more work that went into this book in the Project page.
The Background of The Fairy Letters
While the book has been written and illustrated by me, it is also something of a family effort – the letters were originally written in 1997-8 by my mother, posing as a tooth fairy, in cooperation with my father, who helped to think of the content of the letters.
The collection of letters remained in a box at my parents’ home until 2017, when I and my family first began to think about turning the letters into a book. My father was the first person to make an attempt at organizing the collection of letters, and he has been a constant advocate of this project. When I decided to study Illustration for my MA, my Final Major Project provided the perfect opportunity for this project to flourish.
I spent the first six months of 2020 developing the story which would weave the letters together. My main aim was that the story should be warm and engaging, while preserving the integrity of the letters. For this reason, I edited the letters as little as possible, traced the original handwriting from my own letters and used drawings from the ‘tooth fairy’s’ letters in the book.
While still searching for a publisher as of 2020, the book is, if nothing more, a homage to the role that parents play in creating a magical world for their children. I am deeply thankful for the effort that my parents put into making my childhood special, and dedicate this book to them.
