Are you a freelance writer slowly dying inside as you wait to hear back from editors about your latest story pitch? You’re not alone. Here’s how to stay sane when stuck between projects.
Having been ignored several times by 2000ad, and their submissions window now seemingly perpetually closed, I turned to DC Thompson and had my first pitch for Commando accepted. I don't know of any other comics publishers who accept unsolicited script pitches that don't already have an artist working on it. I did Scott Snyder's comics writing 101 and he said you have to bite the bullet and pay an artist. That's easy for him to say, I wish I could pay out a grand or more for 10 pages of sequential artwork and concept art. He got his first comics gig with Detective comics after having some short stories published. I guess if you're good enough, you just "lucky". It feels like kickstarter is the best option for being published these days, but again, you need to pay and artist, letterer, editor, etc. It's hard.
First off, Troy! Immense congratulations on scoring a commission at Commando! Well bloody done! I tried there years ago and really struggled with scaling a story at two panels per page. I never got in, but George Low and the then-new guy Calum, I think, were both fantastic. Really fast turnaround and super-encouraging. Now listen to me… Keep pitching! Try to make Commando a regular gig. Cultivate a relationship with the editor and keep them happy. Having a bunch of Commando stories under your belt will make it a notch easier to find work elsewhere. Once again, well done! I honestly don’t know what 2000 AD are doing these days. Do they still have an annual submissions window, or have they ditched that in favour of the Thought Bubble talent thingy? Like you say, finding a writer-only window is bloody hard. Here’s a tip: keep an eye on LinkedIn. It’s the social media platform everyone takes the piss out of, but it’s the platform where you’ll find all kinds of writer gigs. I’m sure I’ve seen custom comics opportunities there… Snyder’s 101? Was that the DC hosted thing they did for a while? And, yes, that is easy for him to say. I feel like a lot of superstar writers exist in a bubble and need to, dare I say, check their privilege. It’s like when Kelly Sue De Connick suggested everyone get agents a while back and I laughed my arse off. Yeah, maybe I’ll get a six-pack of unicorns as well! At what level do these guys assume most writers are operating? It depends on what you want from comics. Do you want a career or a side-hussle or just private expression? There’s no one-size-fits-all-advice. The most reliable route perhaps is the business-to-consumer model afforded by things like Kickstarter. That way you can pay the artist with the funds raised, although I guess you still need that initial bundle of pages… This also requires you play the social media game, and dodging the algorithm on that is a full-time grind. (And the only people who tell you it doesn’t have to be are the ones who want you to pay them to tell you how best to play the game.) Don’t neglect networking at conventions. Christ knows how so many British creators manage to afford New York and San Diego every year, but – if you can manage it – make sure you’re hustling at all the British cons you can, talking to editors and artists, and spreading the word about your own projects. Okay, I’ve rambled enough now. Once again, Troy, fantastic achievement scoring that Commando gig. Keep at it!
Thanks man. For now, it's just a side hustle and, more than anything, I just want people to see the many stories I have to tell and the characters who live in my head - it will happen.
Snyder runs an annual comics writing course through substack. I did the first year and learned a lot, he's a decent guy. But yeah, his main advice is to not pitch to the big 2, pitch to indies and pay and artist to draw your strip, then if that fails self-publish. Which is all good, but expensive to get off the ground and very time consuming. Most small press creators I know barely break even.
The 2000ad submissions window has been closed since April 2020. I suspect Tharg will do away with it and focus on Thought Bubble. Anyway, thanks for the advice.
I've heard Snyder's actually a really good guy, and that advice he gave there is pretty good, I think. But like you say, it involves a hell of a lot of time and money, which you're ultimately staking on a 'maybe it'll break even'. I think most PRO comics writers barely break even! However, it's complicated since there's a lot of different jobs in the mix for any freelancer. Someone who writes comics will probably also be writing other things as well, gigs that pay better for less work and which enable them to write those comics. But it's true no one can exist on comics alone. Not unless you're making bank for a major publisher (or several smaller ones), but even then a bad Tweet or a shift in the market is all it takes for the phone to stop ringing. Will keep my ear out about the 2000 AD subs window and let you know if I hear anything. All the best, Troy.
Having been ignored several times by 2000ad, and their submissions window now seemingly perpetually closed, I turned to DC Thompson and had my first pitch for Commando accepted. I don't know of any other comics publishers who accept unsolicited script pitches that don't already have an artist working on it. I did Scott Snyder's comics writing 101 and he said you have to bite the bullet and pay an artist. That's easy for him to say, I wish I could pay out a grand or more for 10 pages of sequential artwork and concept art. He got his first comics gig with Detective comics after having some short stories published. I guess if you're good enough, you just "lucky". It feels like kickstarter is the best option for being published these days, but again, you need to pay and artist, letterer, editor, etc. It's hard.
First off, Troy! Immense congratulations on scoring a commission at Commando! Well bloody done! I tried there years ago and really struggled with scaling a story at two panels per page. I never got in, but George Low and the then-new guy Calum, I think, were both fantastic. Really fast turnaround and super-encouraging. Now listen to me… Keep pitching! Try to make Commando a regular gig. Cultivate a relationship with the editor and keep them happy. Having a bunch of Commando stories under your belt will make it a notch easier to find work elsewhere. Once again, well done! I honestly don’t know what 2000 AD are doing these days. Do they still have an annual submissions window, or have they ditched that in favour of the Thought Bubble talent thingy? Like you say, finding a writer-only window is bloody hard. Here’s a tip: keep an eye on LinkedIn. It’s the social media platform everyone takes the piss out of, but it’s the platform where you’ll find all kinds of writer gigs. I’m sure I’ve seen custom comics opportunities there… Snyder’s 101? Was that the DC hosted thing they did for a while? And, yes, that is easy for him to say. I feel like a lot of superstar writers exist in a bubble and need to, dare I say, check their privilege. It’s like when Kelly Sue De Connick suggested everyone get agents a while back and I laughed my arse off. Yeah, maybe I’ll get a six-pack of unicorns as well! At what level do these guys assume most writers are operating? It depends on what you want from comics. Do you want a career or a side-hussle or just private expression? There’s no one-size-fits-all-advice. The most reliable route perhaps is the business-to-consumer model afforded by things like Kickstarter. That way you can pay the artist with the funds raised, although I guess you still need that initial bundle of pages… This also requires you play the social media game, and dodging the algorithm on that is a full-time grind. (And the only people who tell you it doesn’t have to be are the ones who want you to pay them to tell you how best to play the game.) Don’t neglect networking at conventions. Christ knows how so many British creators manage to afford New York and San Diego every year, but – if you can manage it – make sure you’re hustling at all the British cons you can, talking to editors and artists, and spreading the word about your own projects. Okay, I’ve rambled enough now. Once again, Troy, fantastic achievement scoring that Commando gig. Keep at it!
Thanks man. For now, it's just a side hustle and, more than anything, I just want people to see the many stories I have to tell and the characters who live in my head - it will happen.
Snyder runs an annual comics writing course through substack. I did the first year and learned a lot, he's a decent guy. But yeah, his main advice is to not pitch to the big 2, pitch to indies and pay and artist to draw your strip, then if that fails self-publish. Which is all good, but expensive to get off the ground and very time consuming. Most small press creators I know barely break even.
The 2000ad submissions window has been closed since April 2020. I suspect Tharg will do away with it and focus on Thought Bubble. Anyway, thanks for the advice.
Troy
I've heard Snyder's actually a really good guy, and that advice he gave there is pretty good, I think. But like you say, it involves a hell of a lot of time and money, which you're ultimately staking on a 'maybe it'll break even'. I think most PRO comics writers barely break even! However, it's complicated since there's a lot of different jobs in the mix for any freelancer. Someone who writes comics will probably also be writing other things as well, gigs that pay better for less work and which enable them to write those comics. But it's true no one can exist on comics alone. Not unless you're making bank for a major publisher (or several smaller ones), but even then a bad Tweet or a shift in the market is all it takes for the phone to stop ringing. Will keep my ear out about the 2000 AD subs window and let you know if I hear anything. All the best, Troy.