Jan 03 2009
Changes to Dark Horse’s Submissions Policy?
Only a few weeks ago, Dark Horse required writers to have artists on-board before their stories could be considered. However, according to Dark Horse’s Submissions page, it seems like Dark Horse has nixed that requirement. In the miscellaneous notes, it says that “If a submitted project has an artist collaborator, samples of the artist’s continuity work must be included.” That suggests that DH will consider submitted projects that don’t yet have an artist. That should make it much cheaper for writers to prepare a script for DH.
However, if you’re applying to DH, I would really recommend getting an artist anyway even though it’s not required. Preparing a sample of 5 pages and a cover will probably set you back $400-500 (colored) or maybe $250-350 (inked). That’s a major investment. However, if you’re serious about your application, having art accompany your writing could really help you. Providing pages that have been inked (preferably colored) will make it very easy for the editors to decide if you’re worth hiring. If all you have is your script, it won’t be nearly as clear whether your team has the style and skill to convey the story on the page. Remember, businesses hate risks. When they put money down, they want to know they’re getting quality.
Get an artist on board? Geez Louise, how am I gonna do that, I’m sixteen?
That’s a good question. I suppose you could take $300-500 in savings from a summer job and spend that on a freelancer. That’s pretty much what I’m doing with Banu, who has agreed to be our series artist if we get published. Alternately, if $300-$500 is not at all doable, you could just send in the script naked (without art) and hope that a publisher signs off on it without seeing the art. I think your odds would be best if it had art, but I can understand why it might not be feasible for you to do so.
Ultimately, I would recommend keeping your eye on the script. Don’t get hung up about the art, or the money you need to buy the art. Stressing out about those details will probably cause writer’s block.
Once your script is finished, I’d recommend that you apply for a few grants to help you fund your writing career. Winning a grant would help you come up with money for the art, which will help you sell the story. For many reasons I won’t get into right here, you have a very good chance of winning a grant. A lot of grants are open-ended, so you’d probably pitch it as something like “I’m a talented high schooler that needs a little help breaking into a very competitive industry.” Our pitch was essentially “we need a few thousand dollars to create an educational website to help talented high schoolers pursue their dreams.” Our benefactors were very generous.
On a related note, I’d recommend talking informally with a few of the the teachers that have had graded some of your writing over the past 6-12 months. Have any of them noticed a strong improvement? (If the last three months on this site are any indication, I’d suspect that at least one teacher has noticed a big difference). If so, he or she can help you prove to grant organizations how talented you are and that you have a good chance of making it in a tough writing career.
Good luck.
Cadet Davis had a good comment on the grant process here.
and if u need freelance work done the best place i know is http://www.ifreelance.com