Submission guidelines

clonedbeef · Jan 30, 2010

My cousin and I are working on a graphic novel, we developed the story for the 1st issue and I wrote it, now my cousin is starting the process of drawing it.

The original concept is his idea and we are most comfortable collaborating by working the story out on an issue to issue basis with a general idea of where it's going. What I'm wondering is are publishers open to that or should I just write a complete enough treatment knowing there will probably be changes between the time of writing the treatment and getting around to actually writing the later issues?

jmascia · Jan 31, 2010

Generally, when submitting a graphic novel, the publisher wants to see at least twenty pages of script (if not the whole script) and the first five pages fully drawn out and colored (if you're planning on coloring the book). Plus a whole synopsis of the entire novel, no more than 1 page.

I've tried doing this, and your best bet is actually hit up a comic convention a lot of these publishers will be at and introduce yourself and your work, then follow up with them like a week later. I got a short comic "The Retirement of Captain Hook", in an anthology, "ICONIC", that way, but its a start at least.

clonedbeef · Jan 31, 2010

The 1st issue script changed between inception to completion so I don't want to mislead the publisher with a synopsis of all the issues which is just going to change by the time the final issue comes around.

I am curious if that is a big deal or if that is sort of what they expect would happen. Basically there's an overlying arc which I don't think is going to change but it's the stories and characters that populate that arc which we are figuring out as we go along. The story is told by writing it and brainstorming so there's no way we can predict absolutely what is going to happen in the later issues, particuarly the last quarter of the story.

Basically what it comes down to is I don't know if I can write more than a paragraph or two synopsis without being too specific.

myrmidon · Jan 31, 2010

As a new writer you really need to have the finished work fully written before pitching to publishers. Even if you see the book as an ongoing, you need to have a finished arc so that you can tell them how that arc/story ends. I would not try submitting to anyone (or the Con idea that jmascia is talking about - which is a good one) until you have a completely finished (written) story that you can easily put into a synopsis.

As jmascia said, publishers are likely to only want a handful of illustrated pages (this can obviously range from publisher to publisher, but I'd say somewhere between 5 to 22 fully realized pages - 22 representing the length of an average comic book) as if they want to make changes to the work they're not going to want the entire project to already be drawn and "finished". But they are definitely going to want the written aspect to be done.

It's like being a debut novelist and trying to sell a work and saying, "Oh, it's 75% done." They're just not going to bite because many authors cannot do that last 25%, that last 25% is really the hardest part and not everyone can do it. So they're not going to commit to you until they know that you can finish - i.e. that you already have finished.

Good luck!

clonedbeef · Feb 7, 2010

Would having a 5 issue arc written be acceptable?

jmascia · Feb 7, 2010

Yes, that would be acceptable.

myrmidon · Feb 7, 2010

Yes, I think as long as it has a definitive ending you'd probably be fine with 5 issues.

Mini-series for comics tend to run 3 issues, 4 issues, or 6 issues as a standard (though there are certainly exceptions - my favorite mini right now is an odd 9 issues long) So five would probably be workable as it would fit well if it was ever collected into trade, or if they wanted to publish it as one book initially instead of individual issues.

Wesley Craig Green · Mar 23, 2010

If I'm understanding you correctly, I wouldn't write out the entire script. Not that it isn't a bad idea to have it ready to go but writing out a five-issue mini-series takes time.

Instead, I would suggest looking into the submission guidelines of the publishers you are interested it and seeing what they require. In regards to the script itself, if the most one publisher requires is, say, 10 pages of script, then just do those 10 pages of script. By doing this, you won't be spending time scripting a project which may not be accepted by the publishers you submit to. Also, if the project gets the green light, the publisher or editor may "suggest" some changes. If you already have the script written, you'll just have to redo it to incorporate the changes.

Just my two cents. Good luck with everything!

Wesley

myrmidon · Mar 23, 2010

Wesley: I think it's unlikely that anyone is going to greenlight a comic with ten pages and a maybe a synopsis from a new writer, the same way it's unlikely that a prose novel will get a publishing deal based on ten pages and synopsis from a new writer.

Established and proven writers can often get deals from so little, but new writers? Unlikely. Unless we're talking about Non-Fiction which I understand has different requirements...I'm not sure if that would carry over to Non-Fiction comics or not though.

Also, in my experience thus far, there is most likely going to be editing necessary for the writing at some part of the process - either with agent or editor or both - so trying to avoid the revision process by not actually writing the story seems like a bit of a fools errand. Besides, I would think as a writer you'd (the general you) want it to be your words, your script, your original vision anyway. Even if you're going to have to compromise and make suggested changes or revisions...I'd think you'd want the original material at least to be what you had in mind, rather than 'story by committee'...right?

I do agree that it's of course a good idea to look closely at submission guidelines for individual publishers - if only because it will let you know what you need to get in the door (how many pages of finished art, what they accept, etc.).

Wesley Craig Green · Mar 23, 2010

myrmidon said:
Wesley: I think it's unlikely that anyone is going to greenlight a comic with ten pages and a maybe a synopsis from a new writer, the same way it's unlikely that a prose novel will get a publishing deal based on ten pages and synopsis from a new writer.

Established and proven writers can often get deals from so little, but new writers? Unlikely. Unless we're talking about Non-Fiction which I understand has different requirements...I'm not sure if that would carry over to Non-Fiction comics or not though.

I'm not trying to start an argument but as someone who used to publish graphic novels along with researching other publisher submission guidelines (mind you, these are guidelines from comic and graphic novel publishers not book publishers who have a graphic novel line), only a couple publishers require a finished product and that includes the art for the project as well.

myrmidon said:
Also, in my experience thus far, there is most likely going to be editing necessary for the writing at some part of the process - either with agent or editor or both - so trying to avoid the revision process by not actually writing the story seems like a bit of a fools errand. Besides, I would think as a writer you'd (the general you) want it to be your words, your script, your original vision anyway. Even if you're going to have to compromise and make suggested changes or revisions...I'd think you'd want the original material at least to be what you had in mind, rather than 'story by committee'...right?

I think any writer would want to keep their original vision throughout the process of bringing their work to the public for consumption. Writing a complete script isn't the answer though.

As a writer, I rather have to make some editorial changes to an outline for my project than having to possibly scrape half of my script or more due to the same editorial changes. But to each their own.

myrmidon said:
I do agree that it's of course a good idea to look closely at submission guidelines for individual publishers - if only because it will let you know what you need to get in the door (how many pages of finished art, what they accept, etc.).

I can't stress how important it is to look very closely at a publisher's submission guidelines! As a former publisher, I guaranteed the lack of reading the company's submission guidelines led to me tossing over 80% of the submissions sent to me. To me- and I'm sure a lot of editors and publishers will agree- if you can't take the time to read the submission guidelines, then how professional and serious can you be about your project?

Again, I'm not trying to argue the point about this. I would just hate for someone new to publishing to spend, say, six months belting out the script for a mini-series or graphic novel when (1) publishers typically don't require it as part of their submission; (2) the same writer could put together the required number of scripted pages for this project then spend the time left over developing or writing the script pages for other projects to be submitted.

Wesley

myrmidon · Mar 23, 2010

Wesley Craig Green said:
I'm not trying to start an argument but as someone who used to publish graphic novels along with researching other publisher submission guidelines (mind you, these are guidelines from comic and graphic novel publishers not book publishers who have a graphic novel line), only a couple publishers require a finished product and that includes the art for the project as well.

Well I don't think anyone here is saying "finished product" in fact I think it's been pretty much agreed that you (again, general you) shouldn't go in with a finished product - especially art, because any publisher is likely to have some thoughts about revision and revising art work often means scrapping everything to a certain point and redoing the work, while revising a manuscript is not so fatal or time consuming (speaking as someone who has had to do both - neither are painless but one is considerably easier and faster than the other). My research of comics and graphic novel publishers is that they generally want to see sequential sample pages and the script plus synopsis (they especially want to see the synopsis if they are not looking at the full script, because they want to know that you're capable of delivering the ending). Am I willing to admit that this is not the case for every publisher...sure...

But are you saying that as a comics publisher you would greenlight (and have?) a project from a completely unknown and unpublished writer based on 10 script pages and some sample art work? Really?

If so I've got 10 pages and some sequential drawing to send you (and I'm not joking)...or if you are no longer still publishing can you please direct me to the place you used to work if they still have these guidelines in place? In all seriousness, if there are graphic novel and comics publishers that are willing to look at unfinished material from unknowns I would genuinely like to know. Like many writers I have a handful of projects in development...many of which seem to meet these much more flexible guidelines than what I have found elsewhere.

Bicyclefish · Mar 26, 2010

My experience and that of those I know are similar to Wesley's. How much you need to send in depends on who you submit to and what you're submitting. It's my understanding that when pitching a novel you need to be ready to send the whole enchilada (I'm hungry) to the publisher, but comics are a bit different; in general, be ready with character sketches and information, 5 to 10 pages of the comic, inked, lettered, and shaded, and at least an outline of your story. This may or may not mean a complete script, but you do need to know what your overall plot and conclusion is. Of course once they say yes, and you say yes, you've got a deadline.

The amount of editing required also varies. Some publishers allow a lot of leeway where as others will want too get more involved. In once personal case the publisher asked for a different ending and had to okay the cover design.

However, all that being said, it can be easier (relatively speaking, since the whole process is far from "easy") to get attention with a complete project, especially a graphic novel versus an ongoing series. I know of a few already published (yet not big names) comic artists/writers going that route, but this means investing more time and money in advance.

Here's a sample of some of submission guidelines for various publishers.

Dark Horse, for writers

2. COMPLETE SYNOPSIS: Succinctly tell the entire story: beginning, middle, and end, omitting unnecessary details. A short-story synopsis should be no longer than a page. A synopsis for a series (limited or ongoing) or graphic novel should be about two to five pages. Indicate issue breaks where applicable. A synopsis should say exactly what happens and how, noting plot and character specifics. Do not leave the resolution of the story in question. This should be the most straightforward presentation of the story as possible, as the synopsis is often the make-or-break point for a proposal.

3. FULL SCRIPT: You must include a full script for any short story or single-issue submission, or the first eight pages of the first issue of any series, unless you are a published professional, in which case, you should include samples of previously published work. You can download our Script Format Guide on which to base your script format on here. If the work is already completed, story, art, and lettering, copies of this may be sent instead. When preparing to send your story, consider the following questions: Are my characters believable and consistent throughout the script? Is the plot clear and easy to follow? Is all the necessary information?including subtext, symbolism, essential background detail, communicated clearly to the artist? Does the script allow the pictures to tell the story rather than relying on captions or other forms of exposition? Does the story work as a comic book, taking into account the conventions and the language of the medium?

Image

1. A typewritten cover letter with all contact information (name, e-mail address, address, phone and fax numbers) clearly printed on the TOP of the page. You don't need to ramble on or be flowery or tell us how much you love Image Comics, introduce yourself and get on with it. If you've had published work you could let us know about it (or even include it) but we don't need your resumé.

2. A typed, ONE PAGE, synopsis of the overall STORY. We DO NOT want a single-issue synopsis -- we want a synopsis of the ENTIRE series or story arc. As concisely and as succinctly as you are able, TELL US THE STORY, make us interested. Please avoid hyperbole -- avoid questions as plot points ("What will Barney do when confronted with...?"), etc. We are the PUBLISHER, not the audience. TELL US WHAT HAPPENS! Explain why we (or anyone else) would be interested in this series. KEEP IT SHORT! We get thousands of submissions, cut to the chase -- if you can sell us your book with a single paragraph, do it!

3. Send photocopies of fully INKED and LETTERED pages (any size). DO NOT SEND ORIGINAL ART! We'd like to see AT LEAST five pages that are fully inked and lettered. If you have MORE than five finished pages, swell! Bring 'em on! Five is the MINIMUM we want to see - not a maximum. We want to READ it. If the lettering sucks we may suggest a different letterer for the final comic book. The important thing here is that we can SEE that you know what you're doing, that you understand where to place copy and how to tell a story.

5. Include a cover mock-up -- this lets us know whether or not you understand the market and gives us a good barometer on your design sense. A good logo can be EASILY read from across the room. We DO make people change their logos OFTEN. Don't be fancy or artistic -- be CLEAR. You can send character sketches and or bios, but not in lieu of storytelling pages -- we still need to see five finished pages of sequential storytelling, lettered and inked. DO NOT send script pages -- DO NOT send unlettered pages accompanied by a script and expect us to follow along.

Slave Labor Graphics

1) We only review projects. We do not accept scripts without artwork, or art samples without a story. If you are only a writer or only an artist, you need to find someone to work with BEFORE submitting your project. We know this sounds unfair to some people, but please keep our situation in mind. If we attempt to hire an illustrator to draw your script, or vice-versa, we are creating a work-for-hire situation where the artist or writer is going to (rightfully so) expect us to compensate him or her for their time. All members of the creative team need to be fully committed to the project BEFORE it is submitted.

3) All submissions MUST include a cover letter that clearly explains your project. Do you envision a series or graphic novel? (Please note that at this time, the market favors graphic novels.) Black and white or color? (If you look at our published books, you'll notice that color books are the minority.) We need to know what you want to do, and what you want us to do. If we just get some pages or self-published work without an explanation, it will likely go unread.

5) Be sure to include ALL of the following:
* A Self-Addressed Stamped Envelope (SASE) if you do not include an email address for reply.
* A cover letter
* A synopsis (no more than five double-spaced pages) outlining your story/series, INCLUDING how it ends.
* Character Descriptions
* At least five pages of finished (penciled, inked and lettered) panel-to-panel art (pages that tell the story, not pin-ups)
* A list of possible titles

Archaia

In your proposal, please include the following:
* A cover letter with your contact information (an ideal minimum: name, address, phone number, and email or website info) and basic introduction to you and your work. A resume is not necessary.
* A short synopsis of the overall story. This can be included as part of the cover letter, and should include descriptions of the major characters, plot developments, and themes of the story, as well as technical details such as intended series length, projected page counts, etc.
* Photocopy samples of completed pages from the book or first issue of a series. Ideally, this should be the entire first issue or project completed, but works-in-progress are acceptable. Submissions on CD are also acceptable, but hardcopies are preferred.

myrmidon · Mar 26, 2010

Ironically I would use these to also illustrate my point. They all want a synopsis that includes the ending...which if you go back to the original posting...was the question...can I do it and figure it out as I go, or do I need to know what's going to happen.

I guess in my mind I would want my project to be fully scripted so if they asked for more based on the sample pages and synopsis I wouldn't have to jam it all out and finish.

I think Wesley and I got involved in some of the minutia (perhaps my fault) but the original question is "can I do it as I go?" and I think the answer to that is no. You need to have the story worked out and have a synopsis, some sequential pages, and likely some script pages at a minimum for any publisher. That said you should ALWAYS check submission guidelines as every house is different.

I personally would never submit something if I only had 10 pages actually scripted...but that's possibly me just knowing how much time things take me and that I'd want to be over prepared rather than under prepared.

Submission guidelines

clonedbeef

jmascia

clonedbeef

myrmidon

i AM batman (not really)

clonedbeef

jmascia

myrmidon

i AM batman (not really)

Wesley Craig Green

myrmidon

i AM batman (not really)

Wesley Craig Green

myrmidon

i AM batman (not really)

Bicyclefish

Pedaling Pescado

myrmidon

i AM batman (not really)