Today we’d like to introduce you to Merrill Rainey.
Hi Merrill, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Let me preface my career path by saying that at the age of 12 I lost my dad. As a kid, I had no idea how to handle that, and I wasn’t sure where to go in life. But what I did learn quickly, was that each day brought an opportunity to make a difference, although at the time I didn’t really know how I was going to do that. Looking back now, I would say it was my desire to always help out, my devotion to being there for those that needed it, and my drive to just work hard… always giving a 120%, that paved the path for my future. It may not always have been apparent when I was a kid (everyone makes mistakes while growing up) but my parents firmly instilled the qualities that are needed to succeed. The two qualities that are especially engrained are to work hard and to love hard. So, that is how I’ve always tried to live my life.
I fell in love with picture books during my undergraduate studies at Kent State University. While attending Kent State, my illustration professors introduced me to picture book illustrator greats like Lane Smith and Chris Van Allsburg. During my time at Kent, I also learned the fine skills needed for drawing, how to paint proficiently with color, and how to tell a story with just a picture. This was where my foundations for success as an illustrator and a designer were established and an entrepreneurial seed was planted.
During my final summer at Kent, I took an internship at the Akron Beacon Journal Newspaper. That summer was one I will never forget. Being able to work in an art department with five extremely talented illustrators, was a dream come true for a young person like I was at the time. From creating artwork for special editorial sections to working on assignments for breaking news, there was always a buzz around the newsroom and excitement in the art department. Editorial illustration was where I thought I’d end up, but that thought quickly faded as the newspaper industry took a big hit. I realized I would have to rethink my next steps, and started working as a freelance illustrator.
After graduation, I continued working as a freelance illustrator for a few smaller newspapers then moved to Toledo, Ohio where I started my first full-time professional job as an in-house graphic designer. During this time, I learned about the business world (the good and the bad). I reworked my physical portfolio, built an online portfolio website (custom URLs at the time were all the rage), and started reaching out to art buyers and agents about contract illustration work as well as representation. By this point, I knew that working for myself was what I wanted to do. I just needed to figure out how I was going to do it!
At about the 10-year mark at my job, my son was born. I was working 8-10 hours at my day job, then I would go home, eat dinner with my family, put my son to bed, and start my second job. I would work the night away on contract illustration work, (usually till about 4-5 in the morning) sleep for a few hours, and then head back to work my day job. My contract work at this time was mainly illustrations for educational publishers and kids’ magazines like Highlights, Humpty Dumpty, and Jack and Jill.
Eventually, this way of working just got to be too much and I had to make a change. It took a lot of time and dedication to build a substantial client list and acquire enough paying jobs in order to make freelance a full-time gig.
I quit my job and started LittleRainey Illustration & Design LLC.
At this point, I was lucky enough to be picked up by an illustration agency out of Cleveland, Ohio called Tugeau 2. Over the course of the next 7 years, I spent countless hours perfecting my craft, building my clientele work, and creating awesome art.
Then in 2016, I lost my mother-in-law, and about a year later, I lost my oldest brother. These were life-changing moments, and as I was struggling through them, I started to reevaluate my own life and where it was headed. As I sorted through things, I knew it was time to make another change. All of the time and effort I was putting into my work, the heart and soul I was pouring into everything I did, just weren’t enough. Things still weren’t working out how I hoped. So, I altered my path again.
In 2017, I left Tugeau 2 and set foot in New York City for the first time as a free agent at the SCBWI (Society of Children’s Books Writers and Illustrators) winter conference. During my time there, I met with art directors and publishing houses to pitch my ideas. This trip turned out to be one of those career-changing moments. When it was all over, I realized I needed to do more in order to step up my game if I was going to compete in the trade picture book world.
Shortly after the conference, I was connected with my current Literary Agent, Teresa Kietlinski of Bookmark Literary. Teresa and I worked together to enhance my portfolio and started pitching new book ideas. Then in 2019, we signed our first book deal for a paper craft book with Odd Dot an imprint of Macmillan publishing.
Since this first book offer, Teresa and I have created books with Intergalactic Afikoman, Macmillan, HarperCollins, and Holiday House. We have one in the works with Hippo Park an Imprint of Astra publishing and another paper craft project on the way with Odd Dot.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
I am sure you have heard the phrase ‘starving artist? Well, there’s a reason why this phrase is around.
Choosing to be a picture book author and illustrator is not an easy path. It is a constant hustle thinking up new projects, getting your work in front of publishers and art buyers, and figuring out ways to market your work. I find that this job is an 80/20 split. 80% of it is the business part where I am creating new books/projects, marketing those books/projects, networking, invoicing, printing, advertising, bookkeeping, etc. Note that this is part of the job you don’t get paid for! The remaining 20% is the actual execution of the art. This is the part of the job I love.
Whether it is personal or client work, it is where I get to create. This is also the part where I do get paid! (It’s always good to be able to put food on the table!)
This career path takes you on an emotional roller coaster ride. One moment, you are on top of the world as a new project gets acquired or launched, the next minute you are at a low point where you question your choices as your work is continually critiqued by the public, or you receive a project rejection. But what makes it all so worthwhile, is when you meet children that have connected with your work. Maybe it made them laugh, helped them through a tough time, or just sparked creativity in them. When you witness that, those are the moments that keep you going and knowing that you are making a difference with the work you are doing!
I love this quote from the legendary picture book creator duo Alice and Martin Provensen’s Caldecott Medal Acceptance speech.
“The mechanics of bookmaking can be taught and learned, but we believe the children’s book writers and illustrators are born, not made. First, there must be a great drive, a need to draw and to write for children, for the child in oneself. This is not the part of bookmaking one can learn. It is something one must have. “
This quote speaks true for so many of us in this industry. It highlights that we create because it’s a part of us and it is our responsibility to make a difference in the next generation through the talents we have.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
In today’s technological world, books have a lot to compete with in order to gain the attention of readers. My work is centered around getting kids to see books in a different way. The Color, Cut, Create series educates young people that they too can be paper engineers and allows them to create and build successfully. With a combination of creativity and ingenuity, these books show that kids can build anything out of a sheet of paper with just a few folds.
My hope is that this book series will spark that sense of creativity that will keep kids building and creating! The mask board book series with HarperCollins allows kids to see a book in a different way. ROAR! I’m a Dinosaur and OINK! I’m a Pig are books that you not only read but that you also play with. They are designed to get kids up and moving, making noise, and having a whole lot of fun! I recently debuted my ROAR! Like a Dinosaur song at Cover to Cover books in Columbus, Ohio. You can check it out here on my site at (littlerainey.com/roar-im-a-dinosaur). I hope you enjoy “Roar! Like a Dinosaur” and share it with all your friends, teachers, and librarians!
Keep an eye out for another new project of mine with Odd Dot for our younger builders called Building Block Books which is set to release in the Fall of 2024!
I also work with numerous Children’s magazines such as Highlights, High Five, Jack and Jill, Humpty Dumpty, and Ranger Rick. Amongst all of my assignments with them over the past decade, I have helped to rebrand the core characters found in Humpty Dumpty and Jack and Jill magazine, as well as create many different featured sections found in the magazines over the course of my time working with them. These feature sections were: Puzzle Pages, Jack and Jill’s World, Humpty Dumpty’s World, and Color, Cut, Play! which featured my paper creations. I also helped to rebrand the logo for Jack and Jill magazine.
My work is rendered in many different mediums. My goal is not really to develop a rendering style that my audience knows me for; instead, I want them to know me for the work that I do, the products I create, and the impact it has on its reader/user.
I will mention to those interested that I do offer engaging school visits, paper toy workshops, and a Color, Cut, Create Contests! If you are interested in having me visit your school, library, or book festival please check out my website: littlerainey.com, or contact me at merrillr@littlerainey.com
Where we are in life is often partly because of others. Who/what else deserves credit for how your story turned out?
I always give credit to my wife and kids for being consistent supporters of my work! I would not be able to be on this journey without the encouragement of my wife. My daughter is my biggest fan and tells everyone how cool my work is. My son is a huge supporter of what I do and is always telling people about and selling my work/books to everyone he meets!
I also want to give credit to my illustration professors at Kent State, Jerry Kalbak who lit a fire in me to become an illustrator, Doug Goldsmith who always had the right advice and a nurturing approach to his teaching methods, and to my intern advisor at Kent, John Brett Buchanan. John always believed in my illustration pursuits.
From a professional standpoint, I’ve had a lot of mentors over the course of my publishing career. Some of these mentors include Denise Fleming, Pat Cummings, Steve Light, and the late great Floyd Cooper. I met this group at Pat Cummings Super Children’s Book Bootcamp at the Highlight Foundation back in 2016. These four individuals have not only become friends over the course of these many years but have also been so willing to give advice and guidance as I pursued a career in picture books.
Finally, I want to give credit to the SCBWI (Society of Children’s Books Writers and Illustrators) and the Highlights Foundation. As mentioned previously, it takes a lot of work to make it in this industry. Without the opportunities these two organizations offer, I would not have connected with my literary agent Teresa, I would not have met all of the art directors and the editor I currently know and work with, and I would not have known how to take my work to the next level to make it all happen. If you want to jump-start your career as a picture book creator, SCBWI and the Highlights Foundation are where you need to start.
Pricing:
- My books are sold wherever you can buy/order books from but please support your local indie booksellers. Three of my favorite bookstores here in Ohio that you can order my books from are: Cover to Cover Books for Young Readers – https://www.covertocoverchildrensbooks.com Gathering Volumes – https://gatheringvolumes.com Mac’s Backs – https://www.macsbacks.com
- Roar! I’m a Dinosaur – $8.99
- Oink! I’m a Pig – $8.99
- Color, Cut, Create • Horse Ranch $12.99
- Color, Cut, Create • Dinosaur World $12.99
Contact Info:
- Website: littlerainey.com
- Instagram: @littlerainey
- Facebook: @merrillrainey
- Twitter: @littlerainey
- Other: color-cut-create.com
Image Credits
Merrill Rainey, Chase Rainey, Bryan Loar, and Melia Wolf
