BETH BACON: Graphic novels are a fast-growing category of books for young readers. Many writers and illustrators are not aware that preparing graphic novel submissions is a bit different than preparing traditional novel submissions. We spoke with literary agent Britt Siess to help us understand the unique requirements of graphic novels. My first question is Britt, what mistakes do you see aspiring graphic novelists make when submitting to agents?
BRITT SIESS: I see two main issues. Number one is not having a script or a clear idea of where the story is going. The second is, when the creator of a web comic wants to turn it into a graphic novel, they need to explain why a publisher might produce it in book form, since it’s already published free online.
BETH: Let’s go into detail on those issues one by one. I’m surprised anyone would make a pitch without a script. In the “traditional novel” world, you would never submit something that isn’t complete.
BRITT: It’s all right to submit a graphic novel proposal without a completed script. I’m totally open to submissions where there is no script. But it’s not ideal. I would prefer to have a script and I think most publishers would prefer to have a script.
BETH: If a finished script is not required, what do you need to see?
BRITT: What I need to see are some sample pages and either a synopsis or a short blurb—an elevator pitch. The script doesn’t need to be complete, but the writer/illustrator needs to be sure where they want to take the story. When I get a pitch from someone who hasn’t started the script, it’s a sign that they are excited but they are not yet thinking in a business-like way. A script is just like a first draft. We want to edit it, we want to make sure that the dialogue is clear, that the transitions make sense. The script is really important.
BETH: Ah, so you are talking about writer/illustrators. What if someone is a writer who wants to write a graphic novel and get someone else to illustrate it?
BRITT: If you’re just a writer you don’t have illustrations, you will email me with the complete script. Because that’s your contribution to the graphic novel!
What I think is really key in this department, and I think a lot of people don’t fully grasp, is that it’s not a graphic novel until there’s art. It’s not graphic. Artists are so important and so valued. Artists help to shape the story and show emotions visually. They will indicate visually what the stakes are, and that is so important.
It’s perfectly fine for writers to submit the script only. Just like in the picture book world, it’s okay to send just text only and then the publisher will pair you up with an illustrator.
What happens a lot more in graphic novel publishing, though, is the creator is one person, doing both the writing and the art. Those are the ones whose submissions don’t need a complete script. But they do need to communicate that they’ve already worked out the complete story arc.
In graphic novel publishing, we also deal with artist/writer collaborations. They submit their work as a team—two different people creating one story from the start. This is not the way it works for picture book publishers. [Picture book publishers prefer that writers submit the text only. Once the text has been acquired, the publisher will choose the illustrator. Publishers do not generally accept writer/illustrator team submissions for picture books, though they do accept illustrated submissions if the writer illustrates their own work.]
BETH: Let’s move on to issue number two.
BRITT: When a graphic novel has been published as a web comic online, and it’s available for free, I need to know why a publisher would want to produce it as a book. Does it receive 100,000 hits every week when you update it? Did it win some award? Do you only allow readers to see the first five pages online? When you’re sending me submissions derived from a web comic, I want to know why it needs to be a graphic novel.
BETH: What other advice do you have for people submitting graphic novels to agents?
BRITT: Pay attention to professionalism. Become familiar with the standard query letter and an agent’s submission preferences.
BETH: Describe your ideal graphic novel submission.
BRITT: For me, an ideal graphic novel submission says right in the subject line, “Graphic Novel Submission, here’s the genre.” Sometimes I don’t even realize that the project is a graphic novel until I’ve already read in the middle of the query letter. If you don’t say “graphic novel” I might assume it’s a traditional novel.
I always want sample artwork—at least ten pages. They don’t have to be colored, but it’s always best if they are colored.
I want to see the full synopsis for sure: in a page or less, what is this story about? Ideally I want to also see a script.
I want to know about your professional experience. Are you a graphic novel creator and you’ve been published with smaller presses? Are you a writer and you’re transitioning from the novel-writing industry? Are you an artist transitioning from the fine arts industry? Tell me why you are qualified to do this. I want to know that you have the stamina and the perseverance. Because it’s hard to make a graphic novel.
BETH: Do you have different advice for middle-grade graphic novelists compared to YA graphic novelists?
BRITT: I think what’s important is for a creator to know if their story is middle-grade or YA. A lot people have trouble with that distinction. (NOTE: See our article on Graphic Novel Categories.) If its YA, we should probably see some aspect of the characters’ everyday life, which is often high school. YA graphic novels show real teenage troubles. In middle-grade graphic novels, there is also room to take on tough topics but the characters are younger, we don’t want explicit sex or violence.
BETH: What kind of graphic novels are you looking for now?
BRITT: Right now I’m really looking for middle-grade and YA, not so much adult graphic novels. I’m always looking for sci/fi or fantasy-esque – graphic novels. I like magical stuff taking place in other worlds.
I also want to see contemporary fiction. I want to see middle-grade—kids dealing with really tough issues. Like right now, I have a graphic novel that is about a girl with autism and how she’s treated in school and not quite understood. Readers see how tough that is for her. The main character creates this sort of world in her head to help her cope with the bullying. I love that. It’s this very real issue. There may be kids who probably wouldn’t read a non-fiction book about autism, but they would read a story that’s visual.
In the YA realm, I want to see teens dealing with the transition from childhood to adult. This is the age where they are losing their innocence and there is all of this responsibility thrust upon them. How do they cope with that? I would really love to se, this is more niche, but I would love to see something in the realm of e-sports or table top games. Stories about D&D or Magic: The Gathering.
BETH: Is there anything else you think aspiring graphic novelists need to know?
BRITT: This is a growing industry, there’s a lot of room, and people should not be afraid to do something new. Know what’s been done and be innovative. Take that and run with it. Find a new way to tell a story. This is a visual medium. You have so much freedom. You’re not bound to sentences on the page. Take those ideas and just make them completely new.
ABOUT THE PEOPLE IN THIS POST
BETH BACON writes books for young readers. Her titles include, I Hate Reading, The Book No One Wants To Read, The Worst Book Ever, and Blank Space. See her work at BethBaconAuthor.com
BRITT SIESS is a literary agent with a strong background in publishing as she’s seen all aspects of the industry. She is a former bookseller, and has interned for the Taryn Fagerness Agency, Wales Literary Agency, and Martin Literary & Media Management. She was also with the sales division of The Quarto Group, where she worked in domestic and foreign book sales.