For years now, the comic book and graphic novel manufacture has been steadily gaining attention, especially since the entertainment industry began to produce movies and Television set shows based on these dear reading materials.
With its constant rise, more and more people are now looking to go into this industry. But while they tin can create epic works, publishing them is a dissimilar story altogether. Possibly you’re one of those currently stuck at this phase?
Graphic Novel Publishers Accepting Unsolicited Submissions
If you’re ready to nowadays your works for possible publication, hither is a listing of graphic novel publishers who accept unsolicited submissions. This means that you lot don’t need a literary agent to submit your proposal or manuscript.
It’s important to annotation that when it comes to the comics and graphic novel manufacture, a single publication is usually done by a author-creative person team, unless y’all tin can practise both.
So if you’re simply one of two, information technology’s best to build a team first before sending a pitch. While they practise rent writers or artists, publishers in this industry prefer works with already consummate teams behind them.
The publishers listed below have a wide range of genres unless specified otherwise. When it’s applicable, I’ve likewise added what type of stories they specialize in and what they don’t take.
1. Drawn and Quarterly
Drawn and Quarterly is currently the almost successful comics publisher in Canada, specializing in comics, graphic novels, and comic strips. Since its founding in 1990, it’s developed a stiff reputation within the comics community, with many of its anthologies winning the Harvey Awards.
A few of their famous publications are Tove Jansson’s
Moomin
comic strips (in book format) and Chester Chocolate-brown’s
Louis Riel.
Bank check out their complete submissions guidelines.
2. Pinnacle Shelf Productions
Top Shelf Productions is an American publishing company created in 1997 and specializes in comics and graphic novels. Their submissions procedure is simple, but do annotation that they tin’t accept embrace letters, plot synopses, or scripts unless they’re accompanied by 10-twenty completed pages.
Some of their most famous publications are Alan Moore’s
From Hell
and Craig Thompson’south
Blankets.
Check out their complete submissions guidelines.
three. Image Comics
Epitome Comics is currently the 3rd-largest publisher in the comics and graphic novel industry. They specifically publish creator-owned material, where creators can publish their original content without giving up copyrights to their products.
Some of their best-known publications are
Spawn,
Boot-Ass, and
The Walking Dead.
Check out their complete submissions guidelines.
4. Antarctic Printing
Antarctic Printing is a Texas-based publisher that started out in 1984 and has since published more 1500 titles, with over 5 million full copies in circulation. They ofttimes publish “Amerimanga” (English-language comics fatigued in manga style) and instructional comic books.
A few of their best-selling works are Rod Espinosa’s
Neotopia
and Joseph Wight’s
Twilight X.
Bank check out their consummate submissions guidelines.
5. Night Horse Comics
Dark Horse Comics is i of the leading publishers in the industry. Some of their best-known titles are Mike Mignola’s
Hellboy, Gerard Way’s
The Umbrella Academy,
and Frank Miller’s
Sin Metropolis.
As of now, they’re just accepting two kinds of unsolicited works: art samples or story proposals from writer-artists or writer and artist teams.
Check out their complete submissions guidelines.
6. Fantagraphics
Fantagraphics is a Seattle-based publisher that’s been effectually since 1976. They mainly focus on alternative comics, graphic novels, manga, and magazines.
Please note that they don’t publish children’s picture books, and are less probable to accept submissions that fit neatly into whatever mainstream genres.
Some of their successful graphic novels are Daniel Clowes’
Ghost World
and Joe Sacco’s
Palestine.
Check out their consummate submissions guidelines.
seven. Caliber Comics
Caliber Comics is an American comic volume publisher that releases creator-owned content. Information technology’south one of America’s foremost independent comics and graphic novel publishers, with over 1,300 titles published.
Two of their well-known publications are James O’barr’s
The Crow
and Brian Michael Bendis’s
A.Thou.A Goldfish.
Check out their complete submissions guidelines.
viii. SelfMadeHero
SelfMadeHero is an independent publisher based in the Britain. They specialize in adapting literary works into graphic novels and have recently started releasing original works.
A few of their well-known publications are Glyn Dillon’s
The Nao of Chocolate-brown
and Rob Davis’due south
The Motherless Oven.
Bank check out their complete submissions guidelines.
9. Iron Circus Comics
Atomic number 26 Circus Comics is a graphic novel publisher known for its pioneering utilize of crowd-funded campaigns to finance successful projects.
Though they accept a broad range of genres and story formats, they specifically don’t take small children’s comics, fan fiction, serials, and works that fall under the superhero and zombie genre.
Their most successful project is
Smut Peddler, an erotic anthology series created by women.
Cheque out their complete submissions guidelines.
10. Behemoth Comics
Behemoth is a multimedia publisher based in Dallas, Texas. Established in 2020, it is rapidly building a reputation in the comics industry by creating graphic works with companies such as Ubisoft and Netflix.
A few of their promising titles are
Blackout,
Necromorfus, and
Freak Snow.
Bank check out their complete submissions guidelines.
eleven. Black Mask Studios
Black Mask Studios is a comics and graphic novel publisher formed in 2012 as a new space for comic book creators. They prefer taking on stories with a transgressive mental attitude, much similar
V for Vendetta.
Some of their best-known publications are
Twelve Reasons To Die,
Godkiller, and
Calexit.
Check out their consummate submissions guidelines.
12. NorthWest Press
NorthWest Press is a pocket-size publisher founded in 2010 past activist Charles “Zan” Christensen. They specifically publish graphic novels and comics that have strong Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, or Transgender themes.
A few of their published works are Christensen’due south
Anything That Loves
and Robert Kirby’s
QU33R.
Bank check out their complete submissions guidelines.
13. Avatar Press
Avatar Press is an independent publishing visitor that is most notable for its “bad girl” titles which focused on superheroines and Femme Fatales.
Some of their best works include Brian Pulido’due south
Lady Death, Alan Moore’s
The Courtyard, and Warren Ellis’s
FreakAngels.
Bank check out their complete submissions guidelines.
14. Blank Slate Books
Blank Slate Books is a publishing company in the United Kingdom, specializing in comic books, graphic novels, and comic strip collections.
They prefer taking in “indie-friendly” stories that don’t adhere to mainstream genres and are made by new or still unpublished talents.
Some of their honor-winning publications are
Psychiatric Tales,
Trains are…Mint, and
Nelson.
Bank check out their complete submissions guidelines.
fifteen. Soaring Penguin Printing
Soaring Penguin Press was created more than ii decades ago to publish
Meanwhile, an anthology series that featured both renowned and new talents.
If yous’re only a author who wants to become into the industry, they practise consider projects that are notwithstanding without artwork.
Check out their consummate submissions guidelines.
How Do You Pitch a Graphic Novel to a Publisher?
What publishers dislike most are incomplete submissions. With so many works to wait at, pitches with insufficient details can be time-wasters, so brand sure your pitch includes a short synopsis, sample illustrations (preferably fully inked and lettered pages of your story), and your contact details.
Publishers await for different things when viewing possible publications so it’southward best to familiarize yourself with their brand. Learn what genres they prefer and read a few titles they’ve already published. They ofttimes include these in their submissions guidelines.
A publisher’southward guidelines can range from simply sending them a link to your work plus a brief introduction to sending them samples along with a submissions release form (a document releasing them from certain liabilities such as copyright infringement).
Make sure that what you’re sending them complies with their guidelines, because publishers may not carp looking at pitches that don’t follow their instructions.
And equally always, practice your due diligence and enquiry the publishers yous plan on pitching to. Acquire their business model, bank check out their reputation, and meet how their platform tin help y’all interruption into the graphic novel industry.
Did you find this pos helpful? Let usa know in the comments beneath!
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Cole is a blog author and aspiring novelist. He has a caste in Communications and is an advocate of media and data literacy and responsible media practices. Bated from his interest in technology, crafts, and food, he’s too your typical science fiction and fantasy junkie, spending almost of his free time reading through an ever-growing to-be-read list. Information technology’s either that or procrastinating over actually writing his volume. Wish him luck!