Infusing a graphic novel pitch with your unique point of view ensures it stands out in the pitch pile.

Editors want 'blood on the page'.

Undeniable proof that you just don’t want to tell this story, you need to.

This blog shares some techniques for incorporating your voice and personal experiences into your comic pitches. We’ll explore what ‘own voices’ refers to, the different ways you can talk about personal experience, as well as some practical examples.

What are ‘Own Voices’?

In our current comic and graphic novel markets ‘Own Voices’ stories are highly sought after by publishers. The term refers to stories about personal experiences told by creators that have lived those experiences.

This emphasis of ‘Own Voices’ has also led to some much needed scrutiny over who is best equipped to tell certain stories. Basically, if you can’t tell a story authentically and sincerely, then maybe you shouldn’t be telling it.

It all boils down to the question ‘why am I the best person to tell this story?’.

Putting you into your graphic novel pitch: Identity

To get us started, here’s an example from my Meat4Burgers graphic novel pitch.

In the case of the above example, my connection to the story is primarily identity based. I don’t reference any specific personal experiences, but as a non-binary and neuro-divergent person, the themes I’m alluding to here come from a deeply personal place.

Basically, my identity backs-up the fact that I know what I’m talking about on a deeply personal level. I can speak to these themes authentically because they impact me everyday.

Putting you into your graphic novel pitches - life experiences

Where identity is concerned with who you are, life experiences refer to specific things that have happened to you. Obviously these affect each other, but for clarity, I’m treating them as two different factors.

In terms of how incorporating life experiences manifests practically, I tend to add a ‘Why this story?’ section to my graphic novel pitches. Here I go into detail about the specific life experience that led me to write a particular story.

Here's two examples from some pitches I currently have out:

Obviously identity comes into both these pitches, but I really am leading with specific life events.

Hopefully these examples act as a solid starting point for anyone interested in weaving your background into your graphic novel pitches.

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It’s written with creators like you in mind. Each week you’ll find practical advice on putting together comic pitches, networking, writing and everything in between.