Breaking into comics, part 2: networking with editors
Along with finding an artist, meeting editors is one of the biggest challenges for aspiring comic writers. This is where networking, both in person and online, comes in.
In this next instalment of Breaking into comics as a writer I’ll walk you through how I went from zero industry connections to a proverbial rolodex of editors who I have relationships with, who are happy to look at my pitches.
The awkwardness of self promotion and networking
The idea of networking feels antithetical for a lot of creatives. I know it did for me when I first got started.
I always joke about how bizarre it is that comic creators are expected to work 12+ hour days in isolation, interjected by attending cons which involve at least two days of non-stop social interaction. It’s a strange and highly demanding dichotomy.
Personally, I feel weird about talking up my work or highlighting my own achievements. In a perfect world I wouldn’t have to. I could just create cool stuff and let it speak for itself.
Unfortunately, that’s not the world we live in.
In order to give my work the best chance of being seen by a wider audience, I had to develop my networking skills. Once I made this mental shift, networking became a whole lot easier.
Ultimately, good networking serves your work. It helps you get it in front of more people and gives your stories a better chance of finding their audience.
Misconceptions about networking
When people think about networking they often think about shaking as many hands and handing out as many business cards as possible. For me, I've had the most success working on building long-term relationships. The reality is editors move from publisher to publisher, they leave the industry and come back.
So, to me the idea of talking to an editor at publisher X to get a book at publisher X, doesn’t really seem effective. Instead, I would rather seek out editors whose work I like and connect with, and focus on building long-term relationships with them.
The two types of networking
Phew! Now, that’s out of the way let's take a look at what is actually involved in networking.
The high-level purpose of networking is to make meaningful connections with people currently working in the comic book industry.
This means networking tends to fall into two broad categories:
1.Networking with other creators
2.Networking with editors and publishers
Networking with other comic creators
When I first started in comics, I just went ahead and assumed networking with editors should take priority. I soon found out this assumption was very wrong.
Hands down, I have had far more doors open for me from my fellow creators than I have had directly networking with editors. It’s how I got my agent, and pretty much how all my projects got picked up: because a friend gave me an intro and spoke highly of me. I can’t really put into words just how valuable cultivating my own little community of like-minded comic creators has been.
As for how you meet other creators, the online spaces I spoke about in part one (Twitter, Instagram and Reddit) are all solid places to start. However, not surprisingly, the best place will always be local comic conventions and events.
When I was an aspiring creator, I would spend shows going table to table, giving an ashcan of my work to creators I admired.
Networking with comic book editors
Networking with editors is a little less straightforward. Editors don’t come to every show, and if you live outside the US like me, meeting editors can be challenging to say the least. This is where research and preparation is your best friend.
Be sure to be following editors from publishers you want to work with on social media.
Take note of conventions they are going to and see if there’s any way you can attend. For me, this usually means going to the conventions in the US twice a year.
Before the con
Whenever you attend a con, a few days before, search ‘editor’ or the name of publishers into the search bar of the ‘panels’ page on the convention website. I’ve found this panel searching method is a useful way to find out what editors are going to be at a con and on what days.
As for meeting them, a tried and true method is to say hi to an editor after a panel they are on, although be considerate as they usually have limited time.
After the con
I've also found it helpful to send editors I really want to meet a message over social media (assuming they have their DM’s open) and asking them if they are going to be at any upcoming cons. I always try to be polite and expect to be ghosted. That way, I’m pleasantly surprised if I do get a reply.
Finally, editors get handed a tonne of stuff at cons. There’s countless stories about editors having to chuck out stacks of comics because they simply don’t have luggage space to take them home.
Your safest bet is to ask an editor if you can send them a PDF of some of your work instead of a physical copy. This also means I get their email so you can continue the conversation online.
After building some rapport, your next step is to ask an editor if you can send through a pitch.