The graphic novel revolution is here to stay. Positively booming in children’s publishing (with a big thank-you to school libraries), graphic novels have proven their ability to reach reluctant readers. But it doesn’t stop there. The comic format can now be found in fiction and nonfiction, across the spectrum of genres, and for readers of all ages. Want to learn about climate change? Check. A biography of Stephen Hawking? Check. A memoir exploring Hapa culture? Check. It warms my heart to hear more and more acquisitions editors ask for graphic books for their mainstream imprints, and several of our agents are actively signing in the format.
So, how do you pitch a graphic novel? When you get into the realm of pitching to publishers, it varies a lot. Some only want author/illustrators. Some want the creative team in place. Some are open to assembling the team. Some want 5, 8, 10 pages, or even the whole thing completed. Some want the script in a specific format. Some don’t want scripts. That’s all stuff your agent should account for depending upon the genre and type of outlet that’s best fit for your project. So, for this, I’ll focus on what you’ll need in order to pitch agents for mainstream publication.
It goes without saying that you’ll need a query letter, and you’ll need to pitch the agent in their desired fashion, as with any kind of book. My advice doesn’t supersede agents’ submission guidelines, but it should put you in a better position to fulfill them.
Be sure to have either a full script or a detailed synopsis of ideally 3-5 pages. We need to be able to see the entire story and character arc, so yes, spoil the ending in the synopsis (you don’t have to in the query if you don’t want to). If this is the first book in a series, also work up one-page synopses of the next two or more books you’ve planned. Again, it helps to know where the story will eventually go once it’s completed, and in general, the more information you can give your agent, the better they can handle your work.
To that end, especially if you have a series, I encourage you to work up a list of traits for each of your main characters. You don’t need much; usually about 10 to 100 words per character should do. Most agents won’t ask for this, but you can offer it in your query.
If you have an illustrator, or if you’re both author and illustrator, try to have at least 5 finished, sequential pages that show off the narrative range of the project. For example, if it’s a sports story, your sample should include in-game action sequences. These pages should be inked, colored, and lettered, as close as possible to what we’ll read in the final book. From there, try to have at least another 10 pages of sketches or other sample material. I personally prefer finished character illustrations, especially if you’re pitching a series (they pair well with your list of traits). Be prepared to put all of this material together into one PDF, and in the likely event that it’s over 5mb or so, put it on a private page on your website and include the URL in your pitch. If you don’t have a website, be prepared to send the file via Dropbox link, WeTransfer, or other file sharing program. Attachments can quickly clog up an agent’s inbox, so it’s common for them to prefer alternatives.
If you’re a writer and you don’t have an illustrator onboard, that’s OK. It’s common for agents to accept graphic novel scripts, just as they do with children’s picture books. In that case, you will need the script, rather than a synopsis, because we need some way of seeing how the material will read on the page.
Note that, if you’re pitching graphic nonfiction, you will also need to have a book proposal. The change in format doesn’t negate all of the publishers’ necessary questions about market and platform.
One notable difference, though, is that graphic books are best pitched with an anticipated page count instead of word count. Prose books utilize word count, as font and trim size, etc. will affect the overall length. Graphic books don’t really have that issue, so page count is the more useful metric. And if it wasn’t clear, you usually don’t need to have the whole thing finished before you pitch. Some publishers will ask for that on occasion, but in the world of mainstream book publishing, it’s pretty well understood that graphic novels will be pitched and acquired on a partial.
Good luck, and we hope to see some great submissions soon!
