Illustrated Novels
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The ones that come to mind are the illustrated versions of Dan Brown's Angels and Demons and The Da Vinci Code. Obviously, such a thing can be marketed, but I'm not sure about an illustrated first-time novel.
Of course you could do something like "V" but I think you'd need to get with a producer of those types of works. Generally I think of non-original works, LOR, Blade Runner, The Vampire Lestat, but "V" was original to the genre. I just don't know if it was a serial of comic books that were later published as an illustrated novel-- or an original illustrated novel. I think if you have a marketable idea perhaps you should go directly to DC or one of the comic book producing companies. I wonder if it would be an agent situation.
Ditto. There doesnt seem to be a huge market for them - generally just one shelf in the stores I go to.
But comic books seem to live on.
Graphic novels are a burgeoning market. Neil Gaiman has made a fortune and a name for himself with them.
caw
caw
Two Examples
The books I'm writing lend themselves nicely to be produced as illustrated novels.
Has anyone seen "The Lovers Path," by Kris Waldherr, or the "The Three Incestuous Sisters" by Audrey Niffenegger?
I'll look for links tomorrow.
Night!
The books I'm writing lend themselves nicely to be produced as illustrated novels.
Has anyone seen "The Lovers Path," by Kris Waldherr, or the "The Three Incestuous Sisters" by Audrey Niffenegger?
I'll look for links tomorrow.
Night!
Abarat is the only one I can think of. I don't know if that's what you had in mind though. I think Clive Barker wrote it but I could be wrong.
I don't know the difference. Can you give me a link to a graphic novel?Here's a link to The Lovers Path:http://www.amazon.com/dp/0810957876/?tag=absolutewritedm-20
It was by Clive Barker, and he had made a big name for himself already at that point...his publisher knew it wasn't a potential waste of money.
Printing illustrated novels is pricey. Publishers don't generally want to risk anything more than they have to on a novel that might not take off.
Graphic novels are a totally different animal in that the illustrations are necessary to tell the story. Illustrations in novels are, most often, not. A graphic novel is a comic book that is longer and more complex than the average comic--it's a novel, told in graphic form.
An illustrated novel is a novel with accompanying pictures. They can be nice, yeah, but they're expensive to add and most publishers won't look at it. There's no reason to include pictures with an agent query, also. They just want to see your writing.
Blackbird's example of the Sandman series by Neil Gaiman is an excellent one. This is a list of award-winning graphic novels.
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The Lover's Path is also a companion piece to the tarot deck of the same name, I believe.
Nick Bantock's work might fall under the illustrated novel heading.
Nick Bantock's work might fall under the illustrated novel heading.
Thanks!
Thank you all for the feedback. I bookmarked Abrams for the future, and looked up Nick Bantock's website. Oddly enough, I have had a book he illustrated, Paris out of Hand, for quite awhile, and didn't make the connection because the author is Karen E. Gordon. I love that little book; even the cover feels good when I hold it in my hands.
Link: http://books.google.com/books?id=T8...r:Bantock&lr=&sig=gsBARGpkfwGfR0UkvKrUALFmmao
Yes, there is a tarot card collection to go with the book The Lovers Path. I did buy the book, which is quite beautiful, but I'm really not into tarot, so I kinda ignored the cards.
My manuscript is almost completed to the point that I can offer it to agents. I make that sound like they'd be lucky to get it, but really, it is an offer, isn't it? It's a product that we have for sale. As such, the product can be either basic or luxurious. The basic is the story in words only, and one could say that if your story is well-written, no illustration is necessary. But I love illustrations, and I would like to have my book published with either an illustrated letter at the beginning of each chapter, or some kind of illustration in some parts where it would add to the intensity of the dialog or situation for the characters.
Perhaps, if I cannot sell this to a publishing house, I can sell it via Kindle. In that case, I can offer a companion book of illustrations and recipes for menus found throughout the book.
I can imagine what you're thinking, but the clothing, menus and locations are interesting enough to have a book all it's own as a companion if not included in the book itself.
As always, I am interested in your thoughts, yea and nay.
Thank you all for the feedback. I bookmarked Abrams for the future, and looked up Nick Bantock's website. Oddly enough, I have had a book he illustrated, Paris out of Hand, for quite awhile, and didn't make the connection because the author is Karen E. Gordon. I love that little book; even the cover feels good when I hold it in my hands.
Link: http://books.google.com/books?id=T8...r:Bantock&lr=&sig=gsBARGpkfwGfR0UkvKrUALFmmao
Yes, there is a tarot card collection to go with the book The Lovers Path. I did buy the book, which is quite beautiful, but I'm really not into tarot, so I kinda ignored the cards.
My manuscript is almost completed to the point that I can offer it to agents. I make that sound like they'd be lucky to get it, but really, it is an offer, isn't it? It's a product that we have for sale. As such, the product can be either basic or luxurious. The basic is the story in words only, and one could say that if your story is well-written, no illustration is necessary. But I love illustrations, and I would like to have my book published with either an illustrated letter at the beginning of each chapter, or some kind of illustration in some parts where it would add to the intensity of the dialog or situation for the characters.
Perhaps, if I cannot sell this to a publishing house, I can sell it via Kindle. In that case, I can offer a companion book of illustrations and recipes for menus found throughout the book.
I can imagine what you're thinking, but the clothing, menus and locations are interesting enough to have a book all it's own as a companion if not included in the book itself.
As always, I am interested in your thoughts, yea and nay.
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I will reiterate my previous post: it is very, very hard to publish traditionally an illustrated novel.
Whatever your plans for the published volume, however, the agent query stage is not the time to mention illustrations. It will likely signal to the agent that he is dealing with a novice--whether or not that is true. Wait at least until you've signed a contract with an agent before discussing the possibility of illustrations.
Whatever your plans for the published volume, however, the agent query stage is not the time to mention illustrations. It will likely signal to the agent that he is dealing with a novice--whether or not that is true. Wait at least until you've signed a contract with an agent before discussing the possibility of illustrations.
Got it. Thanks.
And that would be true!
Well, you're in a big boat. No worries, as long as you're professional and polite, and, well, good.
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