Connecting with Artists and Other Creators
Connecting with creators has been our job from day one. Since we launched in 2018, we’ve worked with over 160 creators on our books – not including the 8 members of Limit Break itself. There’s a recurring question we’re asked at conventions and when teaching:
How do I find an artist?
In this post, we’ll look at answering that question, as well as how to manage the relationship with an artist, and what artists should be considering when requests come in for work.
How to find an artist
In our early days, we found our artists the old-fashioned way: in person, at events. Sometimes this meant attending conventions, picking up people’s books, and talking to them about how they work and whether or not they might be interested in working with a writer on a story. In other cases, it meant attending things like the Comics Lab in Dublin or the Cork Comic Creators meetups, and connecting with creators there.
This isn’t always a solution for people, and we can’t speak about the broader international scene – never mind access opportunities for people in Ireland who don’t live near Dublin or Cork, and don’t know how to go about setting up a group elsewhere.
There used to be more options online that were both public and/or anonymous, including a service that Creator Resource ran on Twitter once upon a time (which, incidentally, led to a story in Plexus #1). Options that still exist for writers today include:
- Scour #PortfolioDay when it pops up
- Announce that they’re looking for an artist in X genre with Y vibes and would like to see portfolios
- Look at anthologies and find the creators you like in there.
Connecting with an artist and managing the relationship
Comics are typically more work for the artist than for the writer, and so artists need to be pickier about the projects they take on. When approaching an artist – preferably by email – address the following:
- Ask if they are available for work
- Tell them how long the story is, and whether any deadlines exist
- Give them a short summary of the story
- Ask about their page rate
- Mention work you’ve seen of theirs that strike the same vibe you’re looking for
- Mention any publication plans for the story
Keep the email short, and clear, and be patient waiting for a response. Keep in mind that if an artist says no, it isn’t necessarily a reflection on you as a writer.
When it comes to managing and maintaining the relationship, a few key points help:
- Stick to the deadlines yourself
- Be prepared to make changes to the script if the artist isn’t happy with something
- Don’t argue over page rates
- Pay them promptly
It also helps to be a cheerleader of sorts on social media about your artist. In small press comics in particular, people aren’t paid as much as they likely deserve or would want, so doing what you can to help them get more eyes on their platforms while they work on your story is generally appreciated.
Advice for artists, and why to say no
There are many reasons an artist might not want to work on a project. They might not like the publisher or the writer – even if the writer doesn’t know it. They may have strict guidelines over the types of stories they draw. The personal reasons aside, consider the following:
- Does it pay? (Your preferred page rate at a minimum.)
- Will it help you get exposure?
- Do you actually like the idea that’s been proposed?
Ideally, you’ll want to say Yes to at least two of those three questions. Otherwise, the general advice is to decline the work.
What happens when you have two queries? Let’s assume for a moment that you only have time to work on one story, and that both queries fall along the same timeline.
Story 1
This story will pay slightly above your page rate, but the writer is unknown and they only plan to publish it on their social media platforms. However, you love the idea, and you think you could show off some of your favourite things when working on it.
The writer wants to have the story done within a couple of months so they can begin to advertise themselves as a comic writer.
Story 2
This story will pay your page rate, and it’ll be published in an anthology by a reputable publisher. You like the story idea, but it doesn’t excite you.
The anthology has a deadline that needs to be stuck to so that it can go to print ahead of a convention.
You have to choose: do you want to work on an exciting story that pays slightly better but that fewer people who don’t already follow you will see, or do you choose the story in the anthology that might get more eyes on your work?
You could say no to both, and do your own work in the meantime. Otherwise, you need to figure out your priorities, or attempt to negotiate timelines.
Our advice for artists
If building a list of published stories is your priority, you should accept the work on Story 2. You can still ask the writer for Story 1 if they can come back to you at another time for the story – you can give them an idea of when you’ll be available – and then work from there.
What you shouldn’t do is attempt to work on both if you’ll already be stretched to complete one.
Look at your schedule for the next few months. Are there any personal, national or religious holidays you need to take into account? Do you have a convention appearance booked, or are you waiting on responses? How much other work do you have to do outside of these stories?
Proper planning of your time is essential to both continuously working, and avoiding burnout by taking on too much in one go.
Getting connected
With the basics covered, the next step is to start contacting people. Be sure to have to hand:
- Your portfolio (see our checklist), and
- Your story summary or pitch document
If you’re looking for an anthology to pitch to, Bump in the Night is currently open until March 2nd, 2025.
