Illustrating

Hi, Hannah! I'm not a professional artist myself (I'm a computer programmer/analyst in my day job), but I strongly suggest you go to your library, bookstore, or Amazon.com, and get a copy of the "Artists and Graphic Designers Market." It's a book that comes out every year, and lists information about thousands of companies that employ artists and/or buy work from freelancers... book publishers, magazines, greeting card companies, advertising agencies, music publishers, comic strip syndicates, etc.

It costs about $25, and you can read what other people have to say about it here: http://www.art-book-reviews.com/2003_Artists_and_Graphic_Designers_Market_158297...
There are also several other books listed at that site which you might find useful.

I'd also like to recommend "The Complete Idiot's Guide to Cartooning" by Arnold Wagner. Ignore the word "Idiot's" in the title... it's the most thorough book currently in print that describes the various kinds of cartooning and illustration work... comic strips, comic books, greeting cards, animation, editorial cartooning, advertising and magazine illustration... and what particular skills are needed for each. (Though it's no longer in print, your library may have a copy of Mort Gerberg's "Cartooning: the Art and the Business," also titled "The Arbor House Book of Cartooning." That's the only book I know of that's even more thorough than Wagner's.)

You might also like to join an artists' forum and learn from the experiences of others. There's a very good one that was just launched last week, and has already attracted a lot of experienced and helpful people: http://www.sketchforums.com

Thanks for asking, and good luck to you!
-- Bob
http://www.cartoonacy.net