Submission or 1st issue??

[outlawmojo]

My question is, do I just do a small submission or just do my first issue and use that as my submission. I think a first issue would show i mean business.

[Mwynn]

Depends on the publisher. You would be better only doing 10 pages or so. There could be a chance they could hook you up with an editor, that would want changes to be made. Would be a waste of time to do a full book in that case.

[Lee Nordling]

As Mwynn notes, it depends on the publisher...and your goals.

If you are creating something for most indie publishers, they're going to want to see a completed first issue, presuming it's a floppy.

I recommend beginning with a series pitch, something that indicates your editorial intent, and write this as well as you possibly can, because it's your sell piece, your promise of what you hope to accomplish.

Then the finished pages (if any) support that promise.

Most comics publishers will want to see SOME art, so having something prepared is good; my company tends to create presentation/poster art pieces that give the publisher an summary image.

But again, it's MOST important that you figure out which publishers you're targeting.

Most Direct Market publishers will want to see a completed first issue.

Most mainstream book publishers will want to see ENOUGH to get an idea of what the book is and how it will be executed, but they won't EXPECT to see the book finished.

--Lee

[outlawmojo]

The publisher not withstanding, should I do 10 pages of action or just straight chronological order. I was originally going to create a 10 page trailer for the comic. But I wasn't sure if that would work. Thanks for the input guys, i really appreciate it.

[Mwynn]

10 pages from the actual book. I would suggest showing as much as you can in those 10 pages. Action and storytelling. It is basically a way to show what the artist can do, and get a feel for the story.

[outlawmojo]

So maybe not worry about showing the first ten but the best ten?

[Mwynn]

Yes the best ten.

[Mwynn]

Do you have a publisher lineup yet?

[outlawmojo]

No, I really want to get at least half of the issue drawn, before I start shopping around.I have an artist, the first two issues are scripted.

[Mwynn]

I really meant do you have a list of publishers you are looking at?

[Matthew Shepherd]

FWIW, this is what's worked for me in the past:

A series summary, 6-8 pages of art + script, more script samples, and a plot overview; bound and printed like a comic so it feels like a comic when you're looking at it.

I got the Rise, Kraken! pitch done up at Ka-Blam! and was quite happy with the results. This also worked in the past with my Dead Eyes Open pitch to SLG.

From my understanding, publishers want to know that you can tell a story both textually and visually, but also that they're signing on to something with a beginning, a middle and an end. A great first issue is fantastic, but do you know where you're going to be at with the sixth issue? With the twelfth?

There's also diminished interest in ongoing series now; the smaller-press industry is more preoccupied with self-contained series that run six issues or less and involve less commitment without terminating comics in mid-storyline.

So, all that being said, I'd recommend going with a shorter art-and-story combo, and back that up with a plot outline for the whole series or the first major arc, character bios and sketches, and anything else that can convince a potential publisher that you have thought this through.

Also -- not to sound venal or commercial, but -- publishers need to eat. They need to know that what you're going to give them will find an audience and make money, because that's kind of the point of being in business. So take some time amidst all the text to identify your target audience and why they'll buy your book versus all the other books out there.

Think of a publisher like an investor. You've got a business you want him to invest in. You don't bring him the first 24 pages of your prototype, you bring him a business plan -- where you are, where you're going, and how you're going to get there.

[outlawmojo]

I was going to hit everyone. The story is pretty adaptable depending on who'll pick it up. I would like to get the widest audience possible.

[outlawmojo]

I have been thinking about the commercial applications, T-shirts, catch phrases, character design. I've been thinking about the project as a whole. Probably my biggest concern is the title. Since thats what catches your eye, besides the cover. I was also thinking about paying a well established artist, (Guy Davis lives in michigan) To do the cover.

[sabba]

look at the submision guidelines of publishers most are the same but better safe than sorry

[JAQ]

Originally Posted by outlawmojo

I was going to hit everyone. The story is pretty adaptable depending on who'll pick it up. I would like to get the widest audience possible.

Save yourself some postage and time, and focus. There's no such thing as a story that's suitable for that many publishers, unless you plan to rework it into a gorefest for one, a kinky superhero epic for the next, an all-ages funny animal story for another, a sappy homoerotic romance for another, and a wry story about the author's human frailty for another. Not likely. And even if it were, odds are no publisher is going to be interested in something that really is generic and "adaptable" enough to suit whatever genre you change it to. Tell the story the way you want to tell it, and find a publisher (or a few) who seems to like publishing similar kinds of stories. That will get you to a wider audience than trying to hit everyone... and missing them all.