Comic script submissions

Do you want the painful hard truth or the soft soap?

Okay.

Almost no comic publishers other than tiny, alternative/independent companies (which usually consist of one or two people) aren't interested in looking at script submissions from unknown, uncredentialed writers.

The larger companies have about as much use for unknown, uncredentialed writers as you would for an infestation of intenstinal pin-worms.

Comics as a business has been floundering for years, nearly two decades at this point. In fact, over the last couple of months Marvel, DC and Dark Horse have suffered their lousiest sales periods in the histories of their companies.

So, seeking out new writers for their titles are about as low on the publishers' list of priorities as it's possible to get. Your talent and ability have nothing to do with it.

I'm a multi-credentialed comics creator and a fairly well-known novelist and even I wouldn't waste my time and energy submitting my work to any of the companies at this point.

However, if working in the form is something you really want to to do, then work up a script, try to find an artist to work with and consider self-publishing through Indy Planet or even Createspace.

Depending on where you live and what comes around you, going to comic cons and strolling the indie alleys could be a really good way to hook up with an artist. Most booths in section are usually not that busy, and those guys love when people stop by, show an interest, and chat. It's a good way to network a little and check out the artists work beforehand as well.

I agree with enigma, definitely check out the artist's alleys at the cons.
Axler, I have heard a lot about the decline in the industry lately, but I was wondering if that included original graphic novels as well? At C2E2 over the weekend I went to an Archaia panel about writing indie comics and one of the things they mentioned was the rise in graphic novel sales. Just wondering if that is true. They only deal in GNs, no single issue comics, and have picked up some really cool projects, so maybe they were just talking about themselves.

Time for me to get all nerdy up in here: Comic books are generally considered the single issues that come out monthly or so. Trade Paper Backs and Hardcovers are generally considered to be collections of those single issues. Graphic novels are generally considered to be original content that had never been a single issue, but published in a form very much like a TPB or Hardcover. However, there are a lot of people who use the term graphic novel when referring to anything that isn't a single issue.

Watchmen was originally released as single issue comic books, then later collected into TPB and Hard Cover editions. A lot of people call these collected editions graphic novels even though they technical aren't since it was not first published in this TPB or hard cover form.

So is Watchmen a comic book or a graphic novel? Yes. I hope I really confused you.

honestly, say comic for individual issues, and graphic novel for those thicker ones you get at bookstores and on Amazon; everyone will know what you mean.

Yeah, the whole "comics are declining" thing is . . . kind of complicated.

Single-chapter comic books, the bread-and-butter of Marvel and DC and a few other companies, are in a decline. Fingers have been pointed at digital piracy, continuity lockout, the economy, an aging core readership . . . it's probably a mix of those and a billion other little variables working together.

Graphic novels and trade paperback collections, on the other hand, have been relatively healthy. These are where smaller and midsized publishers are putting most of their energy these days, and biggies like Marvel and DC are paying attention to the format as well. The advantage graphic novels have over comic books is that they're more likely to be sold in general bookstores. Even with bookstores going through a colossal rough spot these days, they're still more abundant and seen as more "newcomer-friendly" than comics shops.

Digital comics, the kind one might buy to read on an iPad and such, have really only been around for the past couple of years, so of course that category's seen nothing but growth. Time will tell how wide an audience the medium is able to reach through digital distribution, but not being locked up in a single location can't hurt.



. . . but to inch closer to the main topic: Yes, if you hope to make comics, you'll either have to find an artist to team up with, hone your own comicking skills, or track down one of the few publishers looking for just-writers. (Either that, or get famous writing novels or TV shows first!)

Troa said:

On Dark Horses Website, it says they are taking submissions. wouldn't hurt to try them before i do changes.

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Nope...but keep in mind, all publishers say that.

In comics, it's due in the main to the fact that a substantial chunk of the buying readerships consists of aspiring creators.

To state the truth upfront would risk losing those readers.

You asked the same thing back in September in this thread http://www.absolutewrite.com/forums/showthread.php?t=192166

Just pointing out in case you haven't seen the last few replies in that thread.

Wow.

Deja vu.

I'm glad you've got a good memory. I had no recollection of that earlier thread.

I can't vouch for the the publishers on these sites, but they're good places to start your search. The problem is anyone can add a name to Wikipedia and Comicvine, yet it doesn't guarantee whatever it is that's important to you: reliability, marketing, readership, etc. You'll have to do more research.

Wikipedia
The Submission Guidelines for Every Comic And Manga Publisher in the Universe
Comicvine

Unfortunately, "we are not hiring writers who are not already attached to a creative team" or "does not accept unsolicited writing submissions, synopses, or scripts" appear regularly in submission guidelines. Dark Horse and Antarctic Press are I know (but have no knowledge of what working with them is like) say they accept writing subs. Insomnia Press, Cellar Door, Dynamite Entertainment, and Penny Farthing Press also accept writer submissions sans art, but I know nothing about them. Anyone know anything about those last four?

Troa said:

correct me if im wrong, but when you say "single issue" comics, that means comics that come out every month like Blackest Night from D.C, or Civil War from marvel, correct?

but had those been GN's, then it would have just came out once, all packed into one book. Am i close to understanding the difference between the two? or am i far off?

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Issues of an ongoing series published monthly or bi-monthly are known as "floppies" and the sales on those are at historically low levels.

Graphic novels are usually a single story contained within a single volume, anywhere from 75 to 200 pages in length. The standard length falls somewhere between the two, but there's no real hard and fast rule regarding page count...if it's longer than 64 pages.

I have no experience with most of the publishers Bicyclefish mentioned except for Dynamite Entertainment. They produce mostly licensed properties...The Lone Ranger, The Green Hornet, The Phantom and that sort of thing.

I was contacted by the publisher a few years back when he was interested in licensing The Justice Machine, but we couldn't come to terms.

BD regularly runs to many volumes of graphic novels (there are 24 Tintin books, and over thirty Asterix books), as with manga (some numbered up in to the hundreds now), so sequels are an accepted part of the medium. Be careful in the writing, as people expect most to be stand-alone unless otherwise indicated.