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Had the opportunity to do a really nice Q&A with a group of upcoming cartoonists recently (hi!), and stumbled on something that I'd like to expound on a little here: making the effort to learn about your market. (thread, 1/?)
Seven years ago, I entered Comic Book Grad School. Here's what I knew about the comics I wanted to make going in: "I love telling stories about magic and young people, so I'm interested in YA." That's it!
In my experience, that's a fairly common viewpoint among Comics People: there are three age groups, and those groups are Kids, Young Adult, and Grownups. So you'll hear them saying things like "YA is dominating the market right now," when that's.....not quite right?
When I pitched to Graphix, they said, "Hey, this feels more like middle grade," and that was a huge turning point for me. It's embarrassing, but I realized that a lot of the comics I loved and wanted to make weren't YA at all. Nobody told me this! In comic book school!!!
So, advice: even if you don't think it's your thing, try to keep tabs on what people are reading AND how it's categorized in publishing. Not only will it keep you informed, it could help you hone in more closely on your goals.
It's easy to write off Young People Stuff when you're neither a young person nor interested in creating for them. If you're a comics person - indie, cape, any kind - it's helpful to know what's out there, shaping tomorrow's cartoonists, and be able to discuss it.
And, you know, this applies to different formats of storytelling too! How many readers get most of their comics through Webtoon right now? How many long-established cartoonists or comics professors could name one?
I'm not saying Read All The Things Or You Aren't Valid, we're all busy and have different tastes. But if you're a person who makes comics, it can be good to know what's out there and how your work might fit in (or whether you'll have to make your own space).
(I AM saying you're in for a treat if you haven't had the chance to read Amulet, Making Friends, or the Berrybrook Middle School books yet, though. Give yourself the gift of a good time.)
