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Last night I went through over a hundred replies to an artist call. I thought these pointers might help people in the future because pitching is a complicated beast and pricing is hell…
First contact - it’s always great when people briefly introduce themselves (such as linking to a top tweet). I’m always keen to work with ‘good’ people, and much prefer that to someone replying ‘I might be interested. Link in bio’ - that’s the type of message that people ignore.
Less is more when showing art! This is in person and online. Ideally send a few of your best pieces, or if you link to a site make sure that your best pages are front and centre. There’s a good chance that if they’re hiding we won’t find them.
If I can see twenty pages on your landing page I will normally have made up my mind after looking at just two pages. Really.
Your examples must include sequentials! Ideally just the line work too. Coloured work is great, but I’d always want to see what YOU can do. Even if you coloured it yourself. A pin up/poster is cool, but they should be in the minority.
If you DON’T have sequentials then say that - it will probably stop you doing a few longer projects at first, but people are aware that you have to start somewhere. In the meantime search for small scripts to works on.
You can approach creators for a small script if you want to try and start a relationship with someone. Personally, I always say no when people offer to do a test page for me. I don’t like people working for free, especially if there’s no guarantee of paid work.
Page rates are ridiculously complicated. Each creator has a page rate - which is normally a sliding scale dependent on what they'd get out of the project, where they are in their career, how quick the turnaround is, their availability, how much the idea/opportunity excites them.
It’s the same for the commissioning creator. I have an idea of what I would like to pay for each project, which is dictated by various factors - length, style, how I’m selling it, what it’s for, etc…
But there's normally flexibility there...
But there's normally flexibility there...
You’ve got to have an idea of what you’ll get out of a project - will it help elevate your career, will you work with someone great, will it further your art? If no to most/all of these then factor that in to what you can accept.
If you’re a newer creator then that can be seen as risk - this is why having some shorts completed first is ideal as you/and we know what you’re capable of. Comic art is paid by the page, and not the time it takes to create it, and that’s where things get complicated.
I have an idea of how much I think each ‘type of artwork’ is worth. At the very least I want great storytelling, and clear and compelling visuals. But there’s other factors that come with the type of project it is.
Top tier artwork will sell a book. And by this I don’t mean exclusively top tier 'creators'. Comics aren’t just for people who know a lot about comics. Most of us pick up comics (or at least consider it) because of the cover, or quality of the interior artwork.
This is where your costs can creep up - creators would consider if they can afford to pay over what they intended to get a creator who could help their comics reach a larger audience. This will also depend on where the commissioning creator is.
A one-shot or smaller project can usually benefit from that boost, but an ongoing or longer series probably won’t benefit past the initial issue bump. At this stage it’s the story (art and writing) that people will stick around for.
Normally a creator will have an idea of what they’d like to pay. If you ask for a lot over this I’d explain that we’re miles off and I don’t want to insult you by negotiating. I don’t want people working for less than they’re happy to.
On an aside - pro creators can ask for MORE than they get with certain publishers - and that’s fair because they don’t get the benefits of working on a big book. You’d be getting more from their name/work then they’d be getting from yours.
I know that in this project I don’t need a pro name to give the project a push. This project should get a fair bit of attention when it launches. This is something that I’ve taken into consideration for pricing.
If your page rate is a bit over what I would like to pay then I would normally negotiate. Sometimes creators will come back with a sliding scale - this is helpful for me, but obviously a risk for you. It doesn’t always work out.
There’s a chance at this point I will decide that it would be better to try and work on a different project together at some point, where there’s more budget. There’s always more comics!
Low page rates - God this is difficult for you guys! - can be a bit of a warning. I worry that if someone says they can do a twenty-page comic for £20 a page then they can’t do a twenty page comic…
This is not a fair or realistic page rate and it does’t give me the confidence that you’re going to finish a book, and why should you for that?
I have paid creators at a lower rate before HOWEVER I’ve added bonuses for when a book gets collected. This is helpful for everyone, and a lot fairer. Add ons can be great for all involved.
Payment - I won’t pay new creators upfront. I can’t afford to, and even if I could I wouldn’t risk it. However I have paid creators I know upfront before. Half and half is my normal go to, but it depends on the project/creator.
Sometimes when Kickstarter is involved you might get more pay backend. However you should NEVER work for full backend ESPECIALLY if they say they’d only pay you IF the Kickstarter is successful…
You should never accept pay IF it’s dependent on the success of a Kickstarter. I’ve agreed to pay creators after a successful KS campaign, or within two months of an unsuccessful campaign, but there’s ALWAYS been an agreement.
What I would suggest you do, if you’re talking to a creator is have a look at them and see how their projects do, how they present themselves, AND what their previous collaborators think of them…
I know of some creators that people only work with once, because it isn’t worth it. I am always picky with who I work with because I want to work with people that I enjoy working with. I'm always looking for opportunities to work with people I like again.
I know that sound stupid, but there’s not enough money in comics to not enjoy what you’re doing. Flexibility in pricing is great, but you can’t always be flexible. Say no to projects where you don’t get enough from them (not just cash).
And that's about it. Consider where you are with your career, and what you can get out of a project to see if it's worth you doing it. And just because you don't get one certain project that doesn't mean you're not on that persons radar. Comics are a marathon.
