Daily Inspiration: Meet Annie Herzig

Today we’d like to introduce you to Annie Herzig

Hi Annie, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I wanted to make books from a very young age. Even when I studied art and illustration, then worked in the design field, I still dreamt of making books, but I kept putting it off because I wanted it so, so badly. I was afraid I would go down that path and would fail or find out I wasn’t good enough to have anything published. So when the pandemic hit, and I lost all the work I had lined up for the year, I decided it was time to sink or swim. I joined a workshop/community called Let’s Make Picture Books where I created a new portfolio specific to children’s illustration, I made new friends in the industry all around the world (people who will remain life-long friends), and I learned what to do to find an agent. I also joined SCBWI (Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators), where I joined a critique group and expanded my new “kidlit” community to include amazing book people around Denver and the Rocky Mountains. Months later, I was querying agents when I had to put it all on hold. I received a cancer diagnosis, and quickly realized my new full time job was simply to survive. After months of bad news and difficult decisions, I got an email from a literary agent who was interested in my work. We zoomed (despite feeling self conscious at looking like the cancer patient I was) and talked for 3 hours, at the end of which she offered me representation on the spot! It was a year later, after finishing active cancer treatment and having no evidence of disease, that I received my first book deal. Simon & Schuster wanted to publish my story! And now, my debut picture book, Wonder & Awe, was just released into the world a month ago.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
The road getting here been smooth in some ways and bumpy in others! Getting cancer right in the middle of shifting my career path was not so much a bump in the road as a mountain to crash into, scale, and then descend—which is equally as hard as going up. However, I was met with such an incredibly warm welcome from the kidlit community, and that helped tremendously. The road ahead was paved and there were so many kind people to walk it with me. Any other struggles along the way have been small in comparison.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
My primary love and passion is making books, so I am thrilled to be doing it professionally now! And for the past eight years I have also run my own business in live illustration. At conferences, meetings, and other events, I take illustrated notes of the content being presented. Some may also call this graphic recording. My experience in graphic design, hand lettering, and illustration all come together in this space in a very exciting way. The live note taking is often projected onto a screen at the event where attendees can watch, helping them to absorb the information they’re hearing, and provide an added element of entertainment for my clients’ event.

Can you talk to us a bit about the role of luck?
Even though I have been working incredibly hard these past four years to crack into children’s publishing, I was extremely lucky to have been found by an agent shortly after giving up that search to focus on my health. I also fell into some good fortune in finding a home for my book rather quickly. Both finding an agent and landing a publishing deal can sometimes take years! My experience with the timing on both of those was not normal. I have often wondered if there was some divine intervention there. My mom passed away several years ago—she was a writer herself, and very encouraging of me and my artistic endeavors—I think she pulls some strings out in the universe sometimes. I’m so grateful to be where I am today, doing all of this.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.annieherzig.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/annieherzig/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61565720766503
• Other: https://bsky.app/profile/annieherzig.bsky.social

Image Credits
Heidi Ross, Grace Dilka, Bryan Beasley, Annie Herzig