Breaking into the Comic Industry as a Writer....

[DavidC]

Hey Guys:

I have spent some time researching various comic book publishers (independents) and their submission guidelines for writers and have found that none will accept unsolicited manuscripts. Which begs the question, how the hell does a writer break into comics, if publishers are unwilling to review manuscripts?

Granted there are a myriad of new writers out there hoping to break into the comic industry -- some talented and good, others not so much. But, it appears that unless your Neil Gaiman, Alan Moore, Micah Ian Wright, Brian Holguin or an established writer from the film or TV industry, a new writer has a snowball's chance in hell of breaking in. It's literally a closed door to the new writer, unless you know someone in the industry who's willing to help.

I get the impression that the comic industry eats its own young, before they're given any chance to mature and flourish as writers. Each of the publishers offers the same advice--"write, write and write, then read, read and read." Really? How much more reading and writing must a writer endure, before a publisher is willing to read his/her script?

Yes, I am aware there are thousands of potential submissions out there that would overload these publishers, and that requires a lot of reading. But, can't they take a page from Hollywood and hire script readers? It's the script readers that give a screenplay a go or no go. If literary magazines can accept and read through numerous submissions, why in the hell can't a comic publisher?

It seems that a new writer has better chance of getting his/her story published in a literary magazine, than having it published as a comic book.

Your thoughts?

[Colby]

It's not that, its just that from what I understand the comic book industry wants to make sure that you can write comics. You can say that your a writer all you want but without a comic in hand to show off to said publishers you will go nowhere. So the advice many editors and such give is to go and make comics. And keeping making comics and then you go back to said publisher and hand him or her your comic. And if it's fits with what the publisher wants and up to snuff, it will probably get picked up.

[DavidC]

It's not that, its just that from what I understand the comic book industry wants to make sure that you can write comics. You can say that your a writer all you want but without a comic in hand to show off to said publishers you will go nowhere. So the advice many editors and such give is to go and make comics. And keeping making comics and then you go back to said publisher and hand him or her your comic. And if it's fits with what the publisher wants and up to snuff, it will probably get picked up.

Colby, that makes no sense. The industry wants to make sure you know how to write comics, before they'll read your script? That's like saying Baen, Del Rey or Random House wants to make sure you know how to write a novel, before they'll read a manuscript or a literary magazine wanting to make sure you know how to write a short story, before they'll read it. How the hell will they know if the writer can write, if they don't read the manuscript?

Book and magazine publishers read through slush piles daily and know within the first few paragraphs or pages if they are interested in the story or not. Hell, even script readers in Hollywood can tell if a screenplay is worth it or not within the first five to ten pages.

Comic publishers don't seem follow the same logic when it comes to writers. An experience comic publisher/editor will or should know within the first two to five pages if the writer is talented or not, or if the story will sell. I just don't get the mind set of this industry when it comes to writers.

[Adam Masterman]

I sometimes wonder if the easiest way for a righter to "break in" these days is to learn to draw. Seriously, you definitely need comics, drawn by *someone*, in order to get anyone's attention. In the long run, it can be an investment of thousands of dollars to get your pages drawn well enough to decently show your writing chops. And thats just how you *start*; then you need to build a fan base, build a resume of smaller press stuff, and be good enough that you keep getting better jobs; until that magical point where you are making enough money off your writing to pay the bills.

From the industry point of view, there is little to no point in evaluating writers. Its time consuming and difficult, and you might often get it wrong, and pay for someone who doesn't sell books. But, they don't have to evaluate writers; they can let the market do it for them. Look at who is *already* selling entertainment, and hire them. They have proven they can sell books before you ever hire them (minimal risk), and they are very easy to find (tons of entertainment mediums that writers work in). You only need one writer for four pencilers in the comics industry (give or take), so its easy to focus on a narrow field of proven quality. That's where mainstream, corporate comics are right now.

So yes, to be perfectly blunt, the traditional methods of "breaking in" for a writer are gone. The only real alternative is the "Kirkman method", which is essentially what everyone tells writers to do now. Go indy, collaborate with artists, pitch and get your books on the shelves, and be so damn good that everyone wants you. This isn't advised because its a reliable way to break in, but rather, because its the *only* way to break in, as a comics writer, that anyone has seen in the last 5-10 years. However, Kirkman and others like him experienced an extraordinary amount of luck, and risked a great deal to get where they are. Invincible was on the verge of cancellation for almost ten issues, and Kirkman did some very risky, very expensive promotions to get it into people's hands. I think he's a genuinely talented writer, but his success is as much the result of dogged determination, years of networking, and bold risks; as it is mere talent.

I'm not sure what to say to the writer intent on making comics. Honestly, to a writer only who wants to write Amazing Spiderman number x one day, I would say "its not going to happen". The high-profile industry jobs are going to people with broad resume's, and a distinctive brand. You have to be bigger than superheroes, and even bigger than comics as a whole, to land that kind of job. Which is the catch-22: you can't become that writer just by preparing to one day write Amazing Spiderman number x.

However, you probably have stories and concepts already that reach beyond those boundaries. Those are your ticket. Develop your storytelling skills with your own characters, and your own material. Total creative freedom, and the discipline of a truly blank slate upon which to create compelling fiction. The reality is, you HAVE to do this, and do it well, for a loooong time before anyone is going to hire you to write their stories, so really, you have to forget about working for others and focus 110% of your creative energy on your own stuff. Do that, persevere through a billion and a half rejections, doggedly persist while working at Wal-mart during the day, scour feedback and learn to see through your audience's eyes, hone your craft, master it, enthrall people with your fiction; do ALL THAT, and the Amazing Spiderman gig comes as a side effect. Of course, by that time, you are making enough from properties that you never sold the copyrights to, and enjoying the complete creative freedom of creator-ownder properties, that you don't want that gig anymore.

All my opinions, obviously. Good luck with all of this.

[DavidC]

I sometimes wonder if the easiest way for a righter to "break in" these days is to learn to draw.

I have often wondered the same thing too. I draw, but nothing like what you see out there. Most of my drawings are cartoony, and for the particular story I am working on, cartoony just doesn't work. I have thought about taking courses through The Kubert School as they offer courses via distance learning and it focuses on comic book drawing. I have taken my share of life drawing classes, but most of my drawings turn out as cartoons, think of Tex Avery or Don Bluth drawings of cartoon women and men, nice and proportioned, but cartoons none the less.

As for the writing, I have no desire to write the next Amazing Spiderman comic, but I do desire to write my own stories. And as I expected, I will most likely have to self-publish and press on. But, I still think the comic industry should be a bit more open to working with and developing new writers. It is disconcerting to a point that the artists are the idols and the writers are rarely recognized (yes, some do win the Eisner award, but that's only one a year) and this point was driven home last month when I attended the Phoenix ComicCon. I didn't see or meet one writer, but I saw many artists and met a few.

And just because an established writer may have had success elsewhere, doesn't guarantee he/she will have success in the comic industry.

[Adam Masterman]

I have often wondered the same thing too. I draw, but nothing like what you see out there. Most of my drawings are cartoony, and for the particular story I am working on, cartoony just doesn't work. I have thought about taking courses through The Kubert School as they offer courses via distance learning and it focuses on comic book drawing. I have taken my share of life drawing classes, but most of my drawings turn out as cartoons, think of Tex Avery or Don Bluth drawings of cartoon women and men, nice and proportioned, but cartoons none the less.

No need for a Jim Lee style finish; check out Alan Moore's thumbnails (with Eddie Campbell's finished art):



You can set up your staging, pacing and basic storytelling without having to be the best draughtsman in the world, by any stretch. Honestly, I'd read a writer's stuff a lot more readily if they just lettered their thumbnails, as opposed to wading through script format. And I've often wondered how it would go if writers handed a printed up comic of lettered thumbnail drawings at cons. Maybe hire an artist for a nice cover, and then just clean, simple shapes inside with solid writing. Just an idea...

As for the writing, I have no desire to write the next Amazing Spiderman comic, but I do desire to write my own stories. And as I expected, I will most likely have to self-publish and press on. But, I still think the comic industry should be a bit more open to working with and developing new writers. It is disconcerting to a point that the artists are the idols and the writers are rarely recognized (yes, some do win the Eisner award, but that's only one a year) and this point was driven home last month when I attended the Phoenix ComicCon. I didn't see or meet one writer, but I saw many artists and met a few.

And just because an established writer may have had success elsewhere, doesn't guarantee he/she will have success in the comic industry.

Don't get me wrong; what the industry does is no where near what I *think* they should do. The big two are actually pretty writer-driven at the moment; it doesn't necessarily translate into con exposure, but good writers are the priority at Marvel and DC. And while success doesn't automatically translate across mediums, its worked really well for the big publishers. Joss Whedon, Brian K. Vaughn, Jeph Loeb, Brad Meltzer, these are guys who sell stories, successfully, in a bunch of different mediums.

[DavidC]

@Adam...hmmm, thumbnails. That's damn good idea there, Bub! And success has translated well for a select few. I never realized Meltzer wrote comic books. I thought he only wrote novels and hosted that oddball show on the History channel. BTW, I checked out your Deviant page. You got skills, Bub. Wanna take on a student

[Night Robin]

As Adam pointed out, I've never heard an explanation of how to make it as a comic book writer that didn't have the line "Make a lot of friends" somewhere in it.

[DavidC]

As Adam pointed out, I've never heard an explanation of how to make it as a comic book writer that didn't have the line "Make a lot of friends" somewhere in it.

Yep. Instead of "Write, write and write some more, and read, read and read more." It should be "Make friends, make friends and make lots of friends in the comic industry." Of course, making those friends is easier said than done.

[Chris2.0]

I agree - while nothing can replace real talent, you'd be surprised how far a slick mega-bucks marketing campaign can get ya!

So Read+Write+Hustle!

Also wrote on this subject here - let me know what you'll think?