COMIC BOOK WRITING & PITCHING
MAKING COMICS PANEL AT SPECIAL EDITION NYC 2015
AMBER LOVE 29-JUNE-2015 This panel was one of several that specifically addressed behind-the-scenes industry stuff about making comics. At this panel, the creators talked about how they broke into comics and things you should do or not do to pitch to publishers. If you can support the show and the site, please go to Patreon.com/AmberUnmasked where you pledge as little as $1/week and share the link.
Download on iTunes, Stitcher or listen here.
As far as the recording quality, the Pier 94 “rooms†were not rooms. They were separated by curtains and the second space’s audio was always louder than the first room even when I sat in the front row.
The panelists were: Jim Zub (moderator), Marguerite Bennett, Greg Pak, and Charles Soule.
BREAKING INTO COMICS
Each panelist has a different background with how they came to work in comics. Marguerite Bennett had taken a class that Scott Snyder was teaching and he liked her work; later he reached out to her and offered to introduce her to someone at DC Comics. Greg Pak was a filmmaker that eventually got an agent to introduce him to Marvel. Charles Soule is a lawyer who decided he wanted to pursue comics. Jim Zub has a background in animation.
ADVICE FROM THE PROS:
Start small. It’s easier to work on short stories than an epic tale. Everyone has a SANDMAN or PREACHER maxi series in them, but no publisher is interested.
“The way you get noticed is by doing smaller stories.†~Charles Soule
Self publish and post online.
Write what you know, but try to know a lot. Have experiences. Live life.
Take jobs that scare you and will challenge you because you’ll learn something.
Collaborate with artists who strengthen your work.
Find and support great indie books because if you want the creator-owned side to succeed, you have to help make it a viable option.
PITCHING
Explain clearly and politely why you think a publisher should choose your work. Make your pitch short/concise; complex is not good. It’s a job – treat it that way.
Have a backup plan to pitch. If the publisher says no to the pitch, they may ask, “What else do you have?” and you need to be prepared.
LESSONS LEARNED
The industry is more accessible now. It’s also more social. Pros share a ton online about the depths of the business.
Climb the ladder with other people. Most people don’t appreciate where they are. Notice who is around your level and support each other. You may be able to network with someone one rung above you, but don’t expect to get the attention from the Editor-in-Chief of Marvel.
Bigger or smaller doesn’t mean better. The pitch (idea) has to be something you can sum up, deliver, and communicate to others
Passion and hard work pay off.
LINKS
Marguerite Bennett @EvilMarguerite http://evilmarguerite.tumblr.com/FAQ
Jim Zub @JimZub http://www.jimzub.com/ (his site has tons of How To posts and advice)
Charles Soule @CharlesSoule https://charlessoule.wordpress.com/
Greg Pak @GregPak https://the-princess-who-saved-herself.backerkit.com/hosted_preorders/
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