A Road Less Traveled: Taking Your Webcomic to a Traditional Publisher

I thought things were changing. Apparently I was wrong.

When Zuda released its contracts last month, I think they showed that the major comics publishers are more interested in acquiring properties than publishing books. As Gary Tyrrell over at Fleen said about the contracts, "Webcomics can do better and so can you."

Believe that! Contracts like Zuda’s play off the insecurities of creators — you’re the harshest critic of your work. Put that aside. If the comics industry refuses to change the way they operate, go to the publishers who will give you a fair deal.

I have a book coming out in January with a small but respected publisher, and receive compensation comparable with others in the prose publishing industry.

I thought things were changing. Apparently I was wrong.

When Zuda released its contracts last month, I think they showed that the major comics publishers are more interested in acquiring properties than publishing books. As Gary Tyrrell over at Fleen said about the contracts, "Webcomics can do better and so can you."

Believe that! Contracts like Zuda’s play off the insecurities of creators — you’re the harshest critic of your work. Put that aside. If the comics industry refuses to change the way they operate, go to the publishers who will give you a fair deal.

I have a book coming out in January with a small but respected publisher, and receive compensation comparable with others in the prose publishing industry.

In the coming months, I’ll go into detail about my experiences selling my graphic novel to a prose publisher, and then selling it to the public when it comes out in January, 2008.

But for now, here’s a summary that’s anything but quick on how to submit your work to traditional publishers:

 

Get Ready

Let’s assume you’ve got your graphic novel done. Congratulations! Seriously, that’s the hardest part of the job – step one. You should be proud of yourself – not many people are able to get this far.

But now you’re in a different mode – you’re selling the novel, step two.

And if you’re going the traditional publishing route, there’re a few things you need:

  • Query letter. It’s only got to be the best one-page letter you’ll ever write and it’s only got to convince a publisher to publish your novel or an agent to represent you. So, no pressure! Next month I’ll go into detail about this and show you a letter my publisher uses during public speaking engagements as the best example of a query letter she’s ever received. I was completely surprised to find that it’s mine.
  • Synopsis. In as little space as possible, tell a complete stranger what your story is about. Begin with a description of your main character(s) and explain the plot – don’t leave out the ending! I won’t lie to you – this is dreary work. I mean, you’ve already finished the story and now you’ve got to go back and tell it again! And in one or two pages tops! But it’s got to be done.
  • 30 pages or a sample chapter. Easy, the novel’s already done, right?

 

Get Set

Now that you have the material, you’ve got to research who to send it to — publishers or agents. You don’t need an agent to get published, but some publishers won’t look at anything not submitted by an agent. Some want to see all of it. Some want a query letter only. You’ve got to send them what they want, in the way they want it.

The best resource for figuring this stuff out, hands down, are the Writers Market books. Make sure you get the latest edition, it’ll cost about $20, cheaper if you buy it with their Literary Agent guide at Amazon. You could also check your local library. Just make sure it’s the latest edition – people move around and phone numbers change. It looks bad if you’re submitting to someone at an agency who left a year ago.

You also need to steer clear of the phonies, scammers and others who want to rip you off. Be sure to stop by the Science Fiction Writers of America Writer Beware site. And check the Preditors & Editors list. Bad guys are out there — be warned.

 

Go

You’ve mailed your materials to one or more publishers and agents and now you’re waiting – maybe months – for them to get back to you.

Well, you don’t have to sit around. There’s a host of writers conferences out there. And the best parts are the pitch meetings.There are writing conferences affiliated with a professional group such as Mystery Writers or Romance Writers. Popular ones will usually be listed on their websites or linked. It’ll cost some cash, but these are terrific networking opportunities.

And don’t underestimate the importance of associating with other creative people, even if they don’t do comics. Everyone needs to recharge his/her batteries. I find myself looking forward to February each year, when the Love is Murder conference happens here in Chicago.

For your pitch session, dress nicely — not too conservative but not half naked. Figure out what you’re going to say before hand — you have only a few minutes to describe your book and series. Like the query letter, you have a small window to sell yourself. Bring your materials but don’t be surprised if you leave them only your query letter. These people have tons of paper foisted upon them — judge the situation and hand them only what they need. They’ll be grateful and that means they’ll remember you.

And that’s the short take on it. It’s what I did, it’s how I got a book deal.

You can do it too. See you next month.

Xaviar Xerexes

Wandering webcomic ronin. Created Comixpedia (2002-2005) and ComixTalk (2006-2012; 2016-?). Made a lot of unfinished comics and novels.

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