You’ve all heard about how important postcards are for illustrators. They open doors and are the best and easiest way for you to catch the attention of art directors and designers. Here are three examples of postcards in action, from designers and art directors at Harper Collins.
Katie Fitch 
Twintuition by Tia and Tamera Mowery
Harper
I got an e-post card from Heflin Reps Illustration Agency while I was searching for an artist for a new series called Twintution written by the actors Tia and Tamara Mowery. I was looking for something graphic and colorful that fit in the tween market. The artist Annabelle Métayer was a perfect fit for the four book series.
Amy Ryan/Joel Tippie
Omega City by Diana Peterfreund
Balzer + Bray
I was looking for an illustrator who could bring the fantasy world in this book series to life. As I was putting together pitches for the editor, I received a postcard in the mail from Shannon Associates with new artwork from Vivienne To. Though the sample showed mice, the sense of light and the world Vivienne created really caught my eye. I looked up her portfolio from there and loved it. The editor agreed that she’d do a fantastic job and sure enough, the cover for Omega City has a great sense of mood, light and perspective.
Aurora Parlagreco
Dumplin’ by Julie Murphy
Balzer + Bray
I had presented a variety of cover ideas for Dumplin’ but hadn’t yet landed on the perfect image. Daniel Stolle’s postcard arrived in a promo from the Anna Goodson Illustration Agency in the midst of this struggle and the style and mood of his art felt just right for the story. I wanted to show a full-figured girl on the cover in a positive and confident way, and Daniel’s sample perfectly exuded these feelings in a fresh, graphic way.