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Making a Graphic Novel Part 1: The Deal

Updated: Sep 30, 2021

When I started making my first graphic novel in summer of 2019, I had so, so many questions. "Where do I start?" "Do I want an agent?" "How will I ever get published?" I put together this list of resources based on my experience... I hope it gives new author/artists a better starting point than I had!


(Note: Most of the resources in this post are based on my experience, which is US-centric. Publishing advice and standards around the world will vary greatly from region to region.)


1. Finding a comics community


Establishing a community of fellow comic artists/connections may seem daunting. But having connections and people you can rely on is really important, especially if you're a little green or struggling to get your foot in the door.


Traditionally, these introductions might happen at comic conventions, artist alleys, small press fairs, and other in-person events. Throughout 2020, a lot of these organizations made their panels, speakers, and workshops available online for free, and I suspect there will continue to be free courses and videos if you know where to look. (Check out the links at the end of this post for some free resources and educational videos!)


You can also work to make connections on social media. It's important to treat your connections with respect, but don't be afraid to ask them questions about the industry and their experience. A lot of comic folks out there are happy to help if they have the time.


In 2020 I attended the first virtual Alaska Robotics Comic Camp, where I had the awesome opportunity to meet over 50 cartoonists, editors, designers, and fellow comic lovers. I also joined a number of Discord servers for artists, and one specifically designed to help comic artists. These servers give me the opportunity to share my work and establish connections with artists from all around the world.


ZINE FESTS AND SMALL PRESS FAIRS US/Canada/International


2. Building Healthy Habits


Making a graphic novel takes TIME and HARD WORK. You might think sitting on your butt and drawing all day doesn't take a physical toll on your body, but it absolutely does. And that toll all adds up over time. Before you embark on your first graphic novel, make sure your hands, your wrists, your posture, and your eyes are being treated properly. If you push yourself too far, you could end up with a debilitating injury, arthritis, carpal tunnel, or any number of chronic pains.


Ways to protect your hands and wrists:

-- Take regular breaks!

-- Stretch/exercise your hands regularly

-- If you start to feel pain, stop drawing

-- Wear compression gloves accordingly

-- Don't abuse your pain relivers... treat the source.

-- Exercise your fingers, hands, and wrists-- they have muscles too!


Ways to protect your neck, back, and shoulders:

-- Take breaks!

-- Try to stay mindful of your posture... Avoid hunching over your tablets/screens

-- Stretch/exercise your body regularly (it doesn't need to be hardcore, just get up and move)

-- Cultivate an ergonomic office setup (comfortable desk, chair, tablet set up, etc.)


Ways to protect your eyes:

-- Dim your phone late at night/early morning

-- Install blue-light filters on your screens of choice

-- Talk to your optometrist about the benefits of blue-light filter lenses.

-- Is there such a thing as eye exercises? Yes! Gentle eye rolls up and down and side to side can prevent eye strain.




3. Writing a Comic Script


Most comics start with a comic script. A script helps you sort through your story, its actions, and your character dialogues.


When it comes to making comic scripts, the process is actually pretty flexible.! There's a number of ways you may choose to script your novel, including but not limited to: thumbnail drawings, screenplay formats, panel by panel, or page by page.


The important thing is to make sure you're on the same page with any other writers or artists you might be collaborating with.


SCRIPTING A GRAPHIC NOVEL by Victoria Ying


3. Mapping Out Your Schedule

As I mentioned before, making a graphic novel takes a LONG time. But the question then, is... HOW long, exactly? You've got deadlines to meet and a life to plan around.


You can estimate how long your book might take to make by adding up the average number of pages you can finish in a set time, at each stage of your process. You can process this by day, week, month, or a finite number of days. Let's boil that down: say it takes you 30 days, or one month, to finish an average of 10 finished pages. That means 150 pages would take approximately 450 days.


But that only calculates the days you'll be working. Be sure to add extra days for your weekends, vacation days, potential sick days, and buffer days. You can estimate that novel will take around 15 months to finish (and that's just the artwork!)


You can use spreadsheet formulas to help you calculate. Here's the one I used to prepare for my upcoming book schedule>>


4. Finding a Literary Agent (optional, but generally recommended)


Most debut graphic novelists use agents for representation. A literary agent's job is to work with you to pitch your book to publishers, negotiate the fine print on your contracts, and get you the best deal possible. If they're an agent that specializes in graphic novels, they know the ins and outs of comic creation, pitching, publishing, and negotiation.


Agents work on commission, meaning you don't pay them-- but they do get 15% of your deal in the end. This way, it's in your agent's best interest to get you the best deal possible, because you'll both be getting paid more for the work.


If you want a literary agent, there's a number of ways it can happen. If you're lucky, an agent might approach you! My agent discovered me through my work on tumblr. It's also highly recommended to pitch to agents yourself, as long as they're open for queries.


There's a lot you can learn about agents from their agency's website, their social media, and their manuscript wishlists. If your story fits well with their wishlist, and they're open to queries, send them an email with a little about yourself and examples of your work. You can do this for multiple different agents, by the way. From there, if an agent (or multiple agents) are interested, you can call them and decide which agent is the best fit for you. They'll send you a contract and from there on out, you're officially represented by an agency-- Yay!


A good agent will help you put together a pitch packet, pitch to publishers, and be your in-between when editors start expressing interest in your project. They make sure your contract is reasonable, take notes during your meetings, and help you figure out your schedule.


AGENTS FOR ILLUSTRATORS Directory by Nilah Magruder


5. Creating a Graphic Novel Pitch Packet


Also known as pitch docs or pitch bibles, a pitch packet is what your agent will use to pitch your story to editors and publishing houses. This means you can create a pitch for a comic that hasn't actually been drawn out yet (aside from your sample pages, mentioned below)


Logline

Describe your book in just one attention-grabbing sentence! Check out your favorite movie or favorite novel loglines for inspiration on how you can write yours.


Summary

Write a quick synopsis of your plot. Don't worry about spoilers-- a publisher wants to know exactly what they can expect from your book.


Characters

A list of your main characters and a quick summary of their role in the story. Again, don't worry about "spoilers."


Page Specs

What are your project's dimensions? Full color, monotone, or black & white?


Market

Who are you making this book for? Is it middle grade, young adult, etc? Which bookshelf does it belong on? Are you marketing to a specific demographic?


Sample Pages

These show editors your vision for the book and how you visualize a scene. Don't worry about making these perfect-- they're likely going to change once you have an editor!


And lastly, your Author Bio: a quick summary of you, your work. Imagine the author bio you'd use on a book jacket, or personal website.


Some supplemental (optional) elements you can send along with your pitch include: comic thumbnails, your script, or isolated character drawings and illustrations.



6. Going on Submission / Getting Offers


Once your pitch packet is finished, it's time to send that out to editors at publishing houses. Your agent will put together a list of editors they're submitting to, and from there, you'll simply wait to hear back from those editors. Depending on the season or workload these editors have, it might take days, weeks, or months before you get a bite.


Handling Rejection & Passes

It's very likely you'll have editors that pass on your submission. This means they're ultimately not interested in pursuing your book, or they don't think it's a good fit for the house. You'll probably get some passes right away, but that's okay. A passing editor might leave you with an explanation why, constructive feedback, or other well wishes.


It can take time to hear back from editors, as they receive tons of different pitches each week. This part of the process is just as frustrating for creators as it is for your agents.


Going to Acquisitions

If an editor loves your pitch, they may bring it to acquisitions. That means they host a meeting with other editors and members of the publishing house. That meeting will decide how profitable your book could be and whether or not your book will fit well into their lineup. An editor might wish to speak with you about changing elements of your story-- in general, it's a good idea to be open to these changes, even if your gut reaction is "No! I don't want to change that." You'll want to communicate and negotiate with your editor throughout the process, but it's ultimately okay to turn down an editor and their feedback if you feel that those edits could compromise the integrity of your story.


7. Getting The Offer


Here comes the exciting part! Once your pitch makes it through acquisitions, an editor will present you with an offer. That means an entire team of people approved your pitch and believe in your project enough to back it. It's time to celebrate! Pop the champagne!


Your agent will go over the offer with you and let you know if they have plans to negotiate the nitty gritty details. Typically from there, your agent will set a closing date two weeks out. This means other publishing houses have two weeks to respond to your pitch and make an offer as well. If two houses make an offer in that time, you get to choose between them. If more than two offer, your agent will host an auction to see who the highest bidders are. It's still ultimately your choice in the end, but this process could earn you (and your agent) significantly more money for your book!


It's important to note that you should not be sharing details of this stage publicly on social media. I know you wanna shout it from the rooftops, but nothing's set in stone yet! You need to wait until you've signed your contract to make sure all details are finalized.


8. Signing the Contract


Some time after you've chosen your deal & your publisher, you'll be presented with an official contract. It's not as scary as it looks, but the legal jargon can be very intimidating to anyone who maybe doesn't comprehend any of that stuff (like me).


This is another instance where your agent will come in handy. They should answer any questions or concerns you might have about legality or contractual commitment. By this point, your agent is probably finished negotiating and making sure the contract details line up with your initial offer.


Once you sign... it's official! You're going to be published!! Talk to your editor and agent about how to plan your announcement. You'll work together to write announcements for Children's Bookshelf and Publishers Weekly.


Now you can tell the world your good news!




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I hope this helps! Check out the links below for more helpful resources.






 
 
 

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