Successful comic book pitch

How not to write a darn good query letterdont go beyond one page. Use as many or few comic pages as you need from any part of the story, it doesnt have to be the opening if thats not the best spot to show what the story is about to showcase the. A pitch paragraph is the entire description of the novel and the bulk of your query. The shows content convinced blue juice films to start a comic division called blue juice comics. Sep 02, 2016 the successful pitch gives you actionable advice that you can easily use to craft your own pitch and portray your own story in the necessary fashion to get funded fast. So weve compiled the ten best andor most notable rejected superhero comic ideas, detailed what they were about and covered what happened to them. Accelerators was promoted through podcasts and social media. It takes proper training, a ton of practice, making the right contacts, learning to sell your talents, building a strong portfolio and much patience. In hollywood, every movie starts out in the form of underlying material, such as a novel, a screenplay, a comic book or even a great idea. Believe me, i sometimes wish there were 100 hours to a day. Fill in the dialogue, workshopping it with friends to make it realistic. Ive learned so far about pitching comic story ideas to publishers. A comic book pitch is a proposal made up of story synopsis and sample artwork. If you dont then you need one and ill show you how to do it.

Of course it would be cool to see your comic book on the stand at your local comic shop but at the same time, your publisher isnt interested in doing you a favor, theyre trying to make money or at least not lose it all selling comics. This time i actually show a pitch example and stress the importance of length. Here comes the pitch part one posted by jim zub on september 10, 2012 leave a comment 6 go to comments like i did with the blog series focused on my comic writing methods parts one, two, three, four and five, i thought id break down some of the things ive learned so far about pitching comic story ideas to publishers. The book ends with an inside look at londons successful dark horse bid for the 2012 olympicsa perfect pitch. Many take this opportunity to try and pitch comic books to comic book publishers. Of course it would be cool to see your comic book on the stand at your local comic shop but at the same time, your publisher isnt interested in doing you a favor, theyre trying to make money or at least not lose it all. Jan 07, 20 like many creative fields, breaking into the comic book business as an artist can be an exciting but challenging process. Sometimes these are standalone stories, sometimes they are series, but generally they are paperback or hardcover books of 100 pages or more, as opposed to the monthly saddlestitch issues you might find in a. The guaranteed way to get your screenplay or novel read goes into a lot of detail about how to prepare and present a powerful pitch. Tracing the evolution of comic books by looking at the.

A lot of wouldbe comic writers are under the impression that pitching their comic story is all about showing how much work theyve done. Sep 18, 2012 when i talk about the pitch i just mean the actual summarycharacter document, not sample pages of the comic itself. Planned to be a sixissue limited series released in 20, it was followed by two additional storylines. Sep 20, 2016 do you have an elevator pitch for your comic. September is pitchtember check out jason brubakers channel to learn more.

But if i were to boil down all of the principles, examples and pitching templates the book provides for creating, rehearsing and delivering an outstanding pitch, it would result in these seven steps. The elevator pitch steve jobs gave to pepsi president john sculley to convince him to join apple is one of the best of all time. After receiving a few dozen submissions for our summer anthology it became clear pretty quickly that there arent many guidelines out there for how to submit a comic book pitch. The latest in comics and graphic novels, including top picks from our staff and the most popular projects. We are five successful indie comic book writers, artists. How to create a compelling pitch comics for beginners. So we will produce and ship your book anywhere in the world. Based on some exemplary pitches i received and some pretty abysmal ones that came in like a link with nothing else in the email and appeared to be pointing to a. Maybe even take a painting class at a local college or art studio.

Its just the visual representation of every audible clue and every line of dialogue in your book. Dont forget cover samples if you want to do the covers for your book. Jun 30, 2009 this isnt meant to distract you from your goal of becoming an uber successful comic book artist. Congrats, now youre on your way to becoming a pop artist and your little comic drawing is now potentially a much more valuable piece of art. Mar 31, 2014 all the successful projects have something in common. And secret genesis and unrepentant explore areas and bring back characters that id love to see again. How to pitch your comic by or possibly to larry young. Based on some exemplary pitches i received and some pretty abysmal ones. Here at image comics we are actively seeking new talentwriters and artists. These days, more publishers are accepting graphic novel submissions. Some publishers have even started imprints that focus on graphic novels. Friends in the comics business tell me they regularly send students to read it, so im keeping it available online and supplementing it with recommended books and resources. Sometimes these are standalone stories, sometimes they are series, but generally they are paperback or hardcover books of 100 pages or more, as opposed to the monthly saddlestitch.

All the successful projects have something in common. In his pitch, phillips laid out plans for joker to kick off a new line of filmmakerfriendly projects starring dc comics villains. This list is for comics printed in a traditional book format paperback or hardcover, typically with a similar number of pages as novels. The definitive list of comic publisher submission guidelines for.

Age of ultron executed a box office raid of stunning enormity. How to submit an idea to a comic book company pen and. Know each ones guidelines and what kind of content they produce. Finally, once the story and characters are in place, its time to nail down the dialogue. Sarah gates pitched at the 2015 adelaide pitch conference and romance writers of australia conference. Up until the 90s, the only really successful comic book films were the christopher reeve superman movies and tim burtons batman. They pound out 100 pages of story notesscript and send it all off in a huge batch, expecting it will blow away the editor who. I recommend this book not only to those who are looking to get funded, but also to those who give talks and speeches. Theres no standard way to pitch in comics, but there are certain elements of your book that should be included no matter who youre reaching. You will need to be prepared and professional, build up a. Marvel and dc ask creators to pitch ideas for the companies respective characters, and for various reasons many of them get rejected. Like i did with the blog series focused on my comic writing methods parts one.

Jan 11, 2019 alex kurtzman is known to most as the screenwriter behind the transformers and star trek franchises on the big screen, as well as the creator and showrunner of star trek. And of course, as more traditional houses are publishing graphic novels, there has. The 100 most influential pages in comic book history. Jason aaron gives aspiring comic writers tips on the art of the pitch with the help of some of. They finetuned the concept for four months, deciding what events should happen in each issue and where chapter breaks would fit best. A lot of wouldbe comic writers are under the impression that pitching their comic story is all about showing how. Mutant empire has the making for an excellent multiseries run.

In the few years following its release, many comic book epics hit. Conversations about going from invisible to investable kindle edition by livesay, john, robinett, judy. Nevertheless, i have so far managed to build a relatively successful career in comics for myself while. The guaranteed way to get your screenplay or novel read, covers all types of pitching, but primarily deals with what i term the 60second pitch sometimes known as the telephone pitch, or the elevator pitch, or the pitch fest pitch. Actually, its rude to go over one page in a query letter, not to mention unprofessional. Catchers subconsciously categorize successful pitchers as. Ultimately, he finds hope as he comes to terms with his daughters marriage and his own life. Look at their body of work and think, does what i want to pitch fit in. Alex kurtzman is known to most as the screenwriter behind the transformers and star trek franchises on the big screen, as well as the creator and showrunner of star trek. A mustread for advertising and sales professionals, this book is a shouldread for anyone who makes pitches of any sortfrom sales professionals to realtors who list and sell houses to business executives who want to seal deals.

If youve been thinking about pitching a graphic novel, then this is the post for. Here are five of the most successful movie series turning 20 this year. Conversations about going from invisible to investable. Pitch outline template posted on january 7, 2019 january 8, 2019 by stephanie cooke ive been getting asked quite a bit about pitching to an editor, agent, or publisher. This company is one of the greatest startup success stories of our time. Airbnb is a platform that allows people to list, find, and rent lodging. As you can imagine this threw some confusion for most fans mistaking the first series based on the 2003 show. How to pitch a comic book story idea to marvel or dc quora. Its what you say when someone asks whats your book about.

I understand that you need to dedicate the bulk of your time to your craft and comic pages take long enough to finish as it is. A pitch means several things the terminology is used interchangeably, so lets clarify what i mean first. It talks about the submission process for image comics and a little about how we are doing it. In the few years following its release, many comic book epics hit the screen. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading the successful pitch. One piece is the bestselling comic by a single author and the bestselling manga of all time, having sold the most collected comic book volumes. Because its a pitch you have less than two minutes to deliver. The creative team in your pitch is the one we expect to see actually working on your book. You need at least an outline, a cover and five pages of finished art. The againstthegrain and idiosyncratic deadpool has been a surprise smash. No matter the size of the run or the comic, comic impressions is your one stop place for all your comic printing and production needs. Apr 15, 20 it talks about the submission process for image comics and a little about how we are doing it. Sure, it doesnt cost you anything to send a submission, but it does cost the editor his or her time.

Here are a few short tips on how to be successful when pitching your comic. First, you get a literary agent, then you have your agent call marvel. Above all else, remember a publishereditors time is valuable. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. How to write a darn good query letter ny book editors. When i write an allegory about the comic book industry using superheroes to make the point planet of the capes, nobody gets it and i spend the next six months explaining it to the audience and. Aside from continuing the batman series, the 90s saw the film industry flirt with the idea of mining comic books for movie ideas with hits like the crow, the mask, and blade. Wb could then double dip, having the joaquin phoenix joker in one. Mar 21, 2020 here are five of the most successful movie series turning 20 this year. The next step is to convey your idea clearly and succinctly to those who are in a position to buy it. The trick is to make each character sound as human as possible, but there is actually an easy way to do this. Jun 11, 2012 dont write comics is a multipart essay about writing comics, understanding what your options are, finding the right artist, and everything you need to do to get a strong comic book pitch package together.

I created a concise comic book writing guide for a workshop i taught some years back, and ive used it many times since then. The things you need to know to make a great comic by nate. Matt hawkins, on how to pitch him and anyone else a. Theres no standard way to pitch in comics, but there are certain elements of your book that should be included no matter who youre reaching out to. Marvel will tell your agent that they dont accept unsolicited submissions but they will ask for a writing sample. Heres a complete list of comic book, manga and graphic novel. Ive melded my own personal way of pitching with jim zubs method from his post here comes the pitch and other educational posts by him. I ve tried beating this into peoples heads but without success. Some pitches include character designs or concept art, but most publishers will want to see what the finished book will look like. Jim zub dished out some realistic advice when he was asked about the surest way writers are able to break into the comic book industry. Most disney movies and cartoons usually have some form of comic book adaptation. Mar 25, 2020 fill in the dialogue, workshopping it with friends to make it realistic. Judging purely from a standpoint of series potential and likelihood of a successful comic book pitch i would have to go with xmen. Will the comic book franchise continue to be successful.

It is illustrated by gavin smith, colored by tim yates, and published by blue juice comics. Whether you are a comic book artist, writer, illustrator, or studio executive the following information will make you a pitch bible master. Airbnbs pitch deck has become a favorite reference for entrepreneurs around the world. Even if you arent successful, you have the experience, youve met a publisher or agent, and youve spent time honing a pitch that you can then use with other publishersagents. Jul 22, 2018 mutant empire has the making for an excellent multiseries run. As a funding strategist, john livesay helps ceos craft a compelling pitch that engages investors in a way that inspires them to join a startups team. Blue juice asked porto to pitch ideas for a comic series, and they liked the accelerators the best. As with traditional book publishers, this process can be a daunting one. Submissions co image comics 2701 nw vaughn street, suite 780 portland, oregon 97210. This is the pitching comics presentation i did at staple in austin. Top 10 rejected superhero comics pitches comics bulletin. For the purpose of this blog post, im using the term graphic novel to describe perfectbound comics. Bock seemed to think so, saying that in recent years more than half of any given years top 10.

This is an essential tool for any writer working in hollywood. Graphic novels are a steadily growing market, which is exciting to see. Sep 10, 2012 here comes the pitch part one posted by jim zub on september 10, 2012 leave a comment 6 go to comments like i did with the blog series focused on my comic writing methods parts one, two, three, four and five, i thought id break down some of the things ive learned so far about pitching comic story ideas to publishers. We hope it is helpful and that you enjoy the video. Alex kurtzman recalls failed batman pitch comic book. Matt hawkins, editorinchief of image comics studio,top cow.

The 8step guide to creating and publishing your own comic. The average comic artist works on 11x17 bristol board, that has been ruled off to an area of 10x15 comic dimensions. The future of your comic depends on who is going to publish it so its important to put effort into your submissions. We are five successful indie comic book writers, artists, and.