Pitching a Comic

Simple Tips to Help You Get Started

By Mariah Huehner
August 1, 2006

Pitching for writers, especially if you’re unpublished, is difficult. Unlike your artist counterparts, you don’t have a visual to get an editor’s attention – just an idea and some hope. But there are ways to get noticed even in an industry swarming with people trying to get a break.

Something a lot of people don't know about me is that I was an Assistant Editor for four years at Vertigo/DC Comics. You'd probably never guess it from all the grammatical errors I make. What can I say? My degree is in Illustration.

Apart from the obvious high glamour of making copies and checking for proper use of commas, I picked up on a few things. I've done portfolio reviews and received hundreds of queries, pitches, and art submissions. There are a few key things an editor is looking for, and if you follow the steps I'm going to lay out in this series, your likelihood of not getting tossed in the Bin of Unread will be significantly lowered. It may not guarantee you publication, but it'll give you a fighting chance at getting noticed.

Submissions Basics

1. Do yourself a favor and find out what, if any, Submission Guidelines the company you're interested in has. You don't want to send your stuff out into a vacuum never to see the light of day. Some companies have open submissions (like Marvel) and others (like DC) no longer take "unsolicited" material.

What does unsolicited mean? It means that they won't look at your idea unless they've specifically asked for it. It's a legal issue, nothing personal, but when they say they won't look at it they really mean it. Go to your company of choice's website and look for their Submissions Policy/Guidelines. It'll tell you what they want, how many pages to send depending on what you're pitching, what sort of material they look for, and who to send it to if they have a specific submissions editor. If you can't find the info online, e-mail the Help section or call up the front desk and ask. The last thing you want to do is waste money on packages and postage if you could be e-mailing your submission.

2. Make sure you're sending your pitches to an editor who's going to be receptive. Superhero pitches go to superhero editors, etc. If your work is a hybrid, then try companies who have published work similar to yours or seem open to projects that mix genre. Don't waste your time blanket querying everyone with your one idea; be strategic, and you'll get better feedback. Some companies also want to be told if you've contacted other publishers with your idea so they don't accept something only to find out someone else has too. Being upfront is always better than looking like a jackass later.

3. The most important thing you can do before you get published is ... get published. Sounds like an oxymoron, I know. But whether it's through a small press or self-publishing, having your work finished and viewable in some form is going to give you a leg up on the competition. With a lot of artists publishing online these days, the definition of "published" has become more flexible. Use it to your advantage.

The thing about self-publishing is that it's easier than you might think. If you can make yourself a website, you can self-publish. You can put partial scripts up or other examples of your writing, but the best way for a comic book editor to see how you work is to see it in comic book format. If you can draw a little, great, draw yourself a comic. If you can't (and many writers should really stick to writing), find someone who can. There are tons of artists out there looking for a writer. Troll the art departments of your local colleges, or put up an ad on craigslist.org (but be prepared to wade through the nut jobs) or any number of comic book online communities. Many of them have sections dedicated to helping artists and writers get together. And, of course, there are always conventions. If you wander around Artists Alley, you never know what gems you might find.

4. Start small. Most editors don't have time to read through your magnum opus of a graphic novel, and you shouldn't be sending huge tomes out for your first gig anyway. If they don't take unsolicited submissions, they can't read your original pitch. If they do take unsolicited material, they still have a limited amount of time and you need to grab them fast. Contrary to what you might think, editors are looking for new writers, and they will look at already published work to get a feel for what you're capable of, what your style is, and what to expect. An eight page story is all you need – just make sure it's a good example of your work. You can include your eight-pager along with your pitch to the companies that accept them, or just send the sample comic to those that don't as a way of introducing your work to an editor you'd like to approach. If they're interested, they'll contact you.

Just remember that any editor will need to see some example of your writing capabilities before they can even entertain your ideas. That's just common sense.

5. You'll need two to three items to send out when you're looking for a writing gig, what I like to call a Submission or Query Packet.

Query Letter — A letter introducing yourself and your work, approximately one page in length, that includes your name and contact information. Do not, I repeat, do not send "form" query letters. Take the extra time to address it to an actual editor and make sure you know what books they work on. And for the love of little apples, spell their name correctly. I can't emphasize that enough. Nothing aggravates an editor more than that because it means you couldn't be bothered to look in one of their books, check the credits, and get it right. Irritating editors when you can avoid it is a good way to get tossed in the unread bin. The same thing goes for typos. It's called spell check. Use it.

Your Pitch — This only applies if they take unsolicited material. A pitch should be able to be boiled down to a one sentence tagline, just like a movie. Something short, catchy, that gives a very basic but interesting idea of what the whole story is about. Obviously, you won't be able to capture every nuance but that's not the point. You want to sell the idea quickly. "A Ninja/Zombie Love Story" says a lot without going into details. If an editor likes how that sounds they'll read on. It's also a good idea to mention if your pitch has identifiable film comparisons like "Aliens meets "Love in the Time of Cholera" or "American Beauty meets The Lost Boys." And yes, I know yours is the most unique idea ever and cannot possibly be described in such trite, easily-packaged means. Except, it had better be able to be distilled or else an editor will have no idea why they should read the pitch, let alone publish the comic. Every story can be boiled down to essentials, no matter how complex the package is. An editor will need to sell it to their boss and to readers so you'd better get used to a tagline now. Again, the idea is to sound appealing as fast as possible so they'll keep reading. (More about the Pitch in the section helpfully titled: The Pitch).

Sample Comic/Sample Pages — Some companies like to see sample pages from your pitch with it, some don't. Check their Submissions Guidelines to find out. But any editor will be happy to look at a sample or published comic included with your query letter to give them an idea of your style. If they like what they read, they'll contact you. Since some companies don't take unsolicited submissions, a sample comic can be a great way to introduce your writing to someone who won't be able to read a pitch from you. In total, you don't want your query package to be more than 5-6 pages in length.

6. Don't forget about assistant editors. They're looking for new projects too, and often they'll be able to start off with unknown or new writers on smaller books to test them out. Most submissions get handed off to assistants first as a way to weed out the herd so making contact them with them is a good idea.

The Pitch

The pitch may be the hardest thing you as a writer will ever have to get down on paper. Each pitch has its own set of problems and every editor has some quirk or other about what it is they're looking for in one. If you ask, most editors will say "I know a good pitch when I read one" and it's true. It's nearly impossible to give any hard and fast rules for things like style, structure, or genre when it comes to what kind of pitch will get accepted. Some obvious tips: pitch ideas to editors who already edit books in the style you're looking to do. That doesn't mean they'll accept yours but it'll definitely up the odds.

As with any other piece of writing proper spelling, grammar and punctuation are a must. It shows you care. Not to mention that you're literate. A pitch or query is often your way of introducing yourself and you'll definitely want to make the best impression possible. Proof anything you're going to send three times and get at least one other person to review it as well, preferably someone you trust to catch errors.

With a pitch you're trying to sell your idea so you'll need to lay out the gist in the first line. Break it down into details afterwards but make sure you grab the readers' attention at the start. Most initial pitches are only 1-3 pages in length; they get fleshed out later if you get to work with an editor on it. But it won't get that far if you don't show them something compelling to begin with. Make them take notice in whatever way you can. Show them something they haven't seen before. And if they have, show them how you can do it better.

Don't fret if you find pitch writing frustrating. A lot of seasoned, published, award-winning authors absolutely loathe the pitch writing process. They'd much rather call up an editor and say, "I have this awesome idea, it's ... "and then the editor says, "Cool, let's do it!" than write up draft after draft trying to sell it. But they all have to do it, and you will too.

The Script

Just like the pitch, there are no set rules for how to write a comic book script besides using panels and dialogue and, hopefully, decent pacing. Each writer has their own method, though most follow a very loose template that closely resembles a movie script. If you're confused try contacting an editor (or an assistant editor) and asking them for a copy of an already published script to see what the format is like. There are also examples online and it couldn't hurt to look up movie formats as well. Just keep in mind that it's "panels" instead of "shots" in comics and you have to be aware of stuffing your pages with too much dialogue. Room is an issue. You'll need to learn jargon like "close-up," "worm's eye view," "establishing shot," and others. If you can do a side by side comparison of an issue with a script, that'll be the most helpful. And as always study issues you personally like and figure out what the writer and artist did that work for you.

As a writer, you'll need to be flexible. You may think you've written the most awesome scene ever, but if your artist tells you there might be a better way to do it, it's worth listening. Sometimes, you may write something that's impossible to visually depict. A comic is a very close, symbiotic relationship between author and artist, so make sure you keep in contact and let them know what you want. There's nothing more frustrating for an artist than being told one thing on the page and something else when they've finished. As the middle man, your editor can help you iron out any kinks in your work, and if you're new to it, pay attention. Most editors are trying to help, not hinder. But be prepared to make changes. It's an editor's job to tell you if something isn't working.

To Keep in Mind

One of the worst mistakes you can make starting out is acting like a prima donna before you've earned the privilege. Everyone has something to learn no matter what stage they're at. The sooner you accept that the better off you and your work will be for it.

When you're just starting out, it's probably a good idea to begin by pitching small stories or mini-series. The likelihood of someone unknown without an established fan base getting a gig writing Superman is pretty unlikely. Being realistic and patient will help you build a solid reputation, and eventually, you may get that high profile run on X-Men you've always wanted.

It takes time to make it in comics, so don't expect to hear back about your pitch right away. Patience is the key. If you haven't heard back in a month, try sending again. Don't bug, pester, or harangue an editor. No one wants to add another headache to their roster of headaches. If it's been awhile, they may not be interested, so maybe you should try somewhere else or pitching a different idea. Eventually, it will work out.

Marvel Comics Submission Guidelines
Slave Labor Graphics Submissions Guidelines
DC Comics Submissions Guidelines