Pre-#NY16SCBWI Interview: V.P. and Creative Director David Saylor Speaks with Team Blog's Don Tate

Vice-president and creative director for the Scholastic Trade Publishing Group and the founder of Scholastic’s ground-breaking graphic novel imprint, Graphix, David Saylor shares some great advice with Don Tate.

They discuss what qualities David looks for in a new illustrator, how illustrators can best be 'discovered' by industry professionals, and talk about diversity! As David says,

"It’s up to publishers to reflect the world around us in the books we create. We need to be more aggressive to find and hire illustrators who represent all cultures and communities. It’s heartbreaking when children can’t see themselves reflected in contemporary books. And all illustrators need to think about being inclusive and culturally accurate. If you’re going to illustrate humans in your work, then it’s crucial to paint and represent kids of all cultures and backgrounds, not just your own familiar world."

Check out the full interview at Don's blog here.

David Saylor will be on faculty at the #NY16SCBWI conference, part of the "We're In It Together: How Planning and Collaboration Can Shape Your Career" panel in the Friday Illustrator's intensive. You can find out all the details about the conference (and still register) here!