Fred Duran
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Questions about submissions
Posted: 2006/12/03 08:36
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Okay, so I sent out a ten-page sci-fi submission - without an artist - to the Event Horizon Anthology (thanks to Caleb Monroe's Comic Creator Services blog for bringing the antho to my attention), on November 21. On the submissions page of the Event Horizon website, it says that MamTor (the company that publishes Event Horizon) is a tiny company that can't respond to every submission they receive, and that if they're interested in publishing your story, they'll get back to you about it.
My first question is should I have gotten this story drawn? Would that have made them more inclined to look at/consider the story? If so, should I get it drawn and re-submit?
My second question is after how long of no responses from the publisher do I understand them to be not interested, and try to take the story someplace else?
It's just that I'm a bit new to all this submitting jazz - I'm only starting to submit stuff to publishers now.
Thanks in advance
Fred
Fred Duran- Creator/Writer/Madman
Project E (currently on hiatus)
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Caleb Monroe
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Re:Questions about submissions
Posted: 2006/12/03 14:55
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Fred Duran wrote:
My first question is should I have gotten this story drawn? Would that have made them more inclined to look at/consider the story? If so, should I get it drawn and re-submit?
For someone starting out and trying to get a few stories in print, I think it's always a wise idea. The stories, completed, are much easier to place, I've found.
For my first published story, I was paired with an artist by the publisher, but the only reason I got that gig in the first place was because an artist I had developed a relationship with and written a script for had become that series' penciller, so when they decided to do back-ups I got to be first at bat. So develop those relationships with artists. They can benefit you even if it's not the way you think.
I recently spoke with an intern at Marvel who said he heard the five editors he worked with asking about freelance writers all the time. But they asked around for recommendations from the people they were already working with and pretty much never touched the submission pile.
Re-submission is a trickier question. Some print magazines I've dealt with and film studios, etc. won't even open a submission from the same person with the same title. And if they discover it's the same submission, just with a few changes and a new title, they will also discard it...and probably be mad at you for wasting their time.
On the other hand, I heard a Fantagraphics editor tell the story of how they had the "proposal package" for Night Fisher sent to them by the creator and they rejected it. But he went ahead and finished making it, and when he re-submitted the completed work this time they saw the full vision and loved it and published it.
Fred Duran wrote:
My second question is after how long of no responses from the publisher do I understand them to be not interested, and try to take the story someplace else?
I would look at length of time it takes them to put out each Event Horizon (I think there's two so far?), and give them at least that much time. If it's 6 months, then 6 months...if it's a year then a year. In the meantime, forget about it and write other things and send them out. Before you know it, that submission time will be up, at which point I usually send a polite e-mail to whoever has my story, give them my name and the name of my story and when I submitted and let them know I assume they passed and I will be sending it to another publisher, just as a courtesy thing.
These are just based on my personal experiences...some of the other writers here may have different advice. This article on proposal etiquette is not about short stories, really, more about series proposals, but would probably still be a good read on the subject.
Post edited by: Caleb Monroe, at: 2006/12/04 05:43
CalebMonroe.com / Creator Help
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Jason Berek-Lewis
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Re:Questions about submissions
Posted: 2006/12/03 16:04
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I have had 5 pitches picked up.
One, for a one-shot fantasy comic, was based on the script alone with no art attached.
Another was tentatively given the publisher without art, it was then given a tentative 'OK' and a request was made to see artwork, once the artwork was included, the green light was given.
Another was based on a 5 paragraph proposal posted in a forum and was picked up without an artist attached.
My 2 most recent projects came about through a friendship where the publisher/ artist. In both cases, neither have seen any of my writing, despite asking me to write a one-shot and a mini series for them.
My point is that there is no one submission method. You have to have talent and luck on your side ...
May The Force Be With You!
DON'T MISS! The Story Factory - From Myth, To Script, To Page my weekly column @ www.brokenfrontier.com
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Fred Duran
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Jason Rodriguez
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Re:Questions about submissions
Posted: 2006/12/07 16:51
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1) Double-edged sword. Easier for the editor to visualize but if the art isn't what we want, well, we won't read a word of the story. And, if the art is what we want, but the story needs help, well, we steal your artist. On WToT and Postcards all pitches came in story first no matter who you were - Harvey Pekar needed his story approved before it went to art. I don't want to publish a mediocre story no matter how good the art looks.
2) Do your research. Last I heard (over 6 months ago), Mam Tor was holding EH3 until orders go up. Chances are they're more concerned with getting the books out for now (and I hope they do - it's a great series so far). There are opportune times to pitch, usually before the book is formally announced. That’s the rub, I guess.
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