Shadowline Submissions

[Kris]

1.  NO projects that have already been submitted to Image Central.
    - Shadowline is NOT a back-door into Image. If IC has rejected you, we will too.

2.  We prefer 4 to 5-issue mini-series, in order keep our lineup rotating. OGNs will also be considered but but are far less likely to
be approved, especially for newcomers.

3.  We want books that are DIFFERENT from what we are already publishing.
    - There is no specific genre that we are looking for, originality counts. The caveat is that we have to perceive that there's an
audience for the book.

4. Send us 5 fully completed pages, and a cover.  Include a BRIEF, ONE PARAGRAPH synopsis of what your story is about.
   - pages CAN be, but don't NEED to be colored. They DO need to be inked and lettered.

5. Absolutely NO pitches on this board!  All posted pitches will be deleted.

6. E-mail all pitches to shadoweditor@gmail.com.  Include your name and e-mail address along with your synopsis and pages (jpeg
attachments only please! This means NO LINKS OR PDF'S!!).

That's it.  That's all you need to know.  Follow these guidelines and you should have no questions, and no problems! 

Please be warned inability to follow directions will get your submission disqualified immediately (you are already telling us you don't play well with others)!

If you CAN'T follow these guidelines, then don't submit!

[Kris]

Thanks for the suggestion, Elton!

5 Biggest Mistakes Made When Submitting to Shadowline

[Michael Sacal]

Can I submit a one shot or does it have to be a mini?

Thanks

[Kris]

Can I submit a one shot or does it have to be a mini?

Thanks

You can submit a 1-shot, yes.

You can also submit an OGN, but your chances of getting accepted are slim.

[Michael Sacal]

You can also submit an OGN, but your chances of getting accepted are slim.

Oh, ok.

Thanks

[Kris]

You can also submit an OGN, but your chances of getting accepted are slim.

Oh, ok.

Thanks

OGN's don't have a tendency to sell very well if you aren't a known creator.  And they cost a shitload of money to produce, and take over a year (or more) to see a profit.  So unless it's a concept with an extremely unique take (like Edgar Allen Poo)...we probably won't accept it.  Just an FYI.

[Michael Sacal]

OGN's don't have a tendency to sell very well if you aren't a known creator.  And they cost a shitload of money to produce, and take over a year (or more) to see a profit.  So unless it's a concept with an extremely unique take (like Edgar Allen Poo)...we probably won't accept it.  Just an FYI.

I understand

Thanks again.

[Michael Sacal]

Ok, I posted this before but then took it out because I don't want to become an annoyance, after all, I asked my question and got my answer.

What about an OGN that is intended to serve as a prelude to a three issue mini series? Would that have a better chance? (and yes, I understand that uniqueness counts too, heh)

[Kris]

Ok, I posted this before but then took it out because I don't want to become an annoyance, after all, I asked my question and got my answer.

What about an OGN that is intended to serve as a prelude to a three issue mini series? Would that have a better chance? (and yes, I understand that uniqueness counts too, heh)

No.  What will have a great chance is a 3-issue series that can be extended into a trade if it's successful.

[Michael Sacal]

Ok, I posted this before but then took it out because I don't want to become an annoyance, after all, I asked my question and got my answer.

What about an OGN that is intended to serve as a prelude to a three issue mini series? Would that have a better chance? (and yes, I understand that uniqueness counts too, heh)

No.  What will have a great chance is a 3-issue series that can be extended into a trade if it's successful.

Thanks for the reply.

[Josh Mills]

I've gone through the submission process with Image once and it was pretty easy. My pitch was rejected pending some corrections, but eventually I'm hopeful it will be excepted. Now, to my question, why would it be a good idea to send my pitch to you guys, rather than Image?

Please don’t misunderstand, I am very interested in knowing why, but after reading everything I could find here I didn't see a good reason why I would want to go through you guys rather than Image. I’m sure there is something written here, but I couldn’t find it. Just post a link and I’ll read it.

Thanks! 

[alexapprobation]

I've gone through the submission process with Image once and it was pretty easy. My pitch was rejected pending some corrections, but eventually I'm hopeful it will be excepted. Now, to my question, why would it be a good idea to send my pitch to you guys, rather than Image?

Please don’t misunderstand, I am very interested in knowing why, but after reading everything I could find here I didn't see a good reason why I would want to go through you guys rather than Image. I’m sure there is something written here, but I couldn’t find it. Just post a link and I’ll read it.

Thanks! 

Kris, Jim, & crew can give a much better explaination, but short answer- More help getting your book out there.  Kris is a hands on editor and Jim is available for suggestions.  Shadowline as a whole is like a big happy family- once you're adopted, everyone eats off the same plate and shares clothes... er... you get the idea.

At Image Central once your book is accepted, you're responsible for everything concerning the book.  You send in the finished files, they solicit it, and it's published.  With Shadowline you get more feedback during the creation process and more support backing the book while it's out.

Shadowline only publishes a certain amount of books at a time, while Image Central is more unlimited.  Going back to the family thing, Shadowline is the house in the city that is Image.

Hope that helps you out and holds you over until Kris and/or Jim can explain in better detail.

[Kris]

Thanks Alex!  We only publish 5 books a month.  We also only publish mini's that are 3-4 issues in length, 1-shots or OGN's.

Josh, I do get asked that question quite often.  As a result, I have a blog entry titled The Difference Between Shadowline/Image Central, and it is located on my myspace page: www.myspace.com/editor_girl_kris

While you're there, be sure to read the 5 Biggest Mistakes Made When Submitting to Shadowline entry, as well as the Top 10 Writing Tips for Comic Book Writers and/or the Top 8 Biggest Mistakes Artists Make, depending on if you are a writer or an artist!

I'm all about being helpful.   

[Josh Mills]

Thank you very much for the quick and decisive response. I've read most of the stuff on here and it was very nice. Mostly I knew this stuff, but it is important to get refreshers on writing. Pacing is something I want to read more about, though. I’ve made your forum a favorite so I’ll be around and I’ll talk with my writer about your site and see what he thinks. If we both like what we see we’ll be pitching to you.

Thanks again!

[Josh Mills]

Hi Kris,

I hope I'm not being a bother, but I was wondering about the color on pages. If I plan to color the book then would you like to see them colored? I planned to color them, but I figure I can get the pitch to you guys sooner if I only color the cover and from that you can see what the color will look like.

Thanks again!