Comics One-Shots Needed for Online Literary Magazine

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Alexander D.
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Comics One-Shots Needed for Online Literary Magazine

Post by Alexander D. »

For those of you who don't know (which is probably just about everyone, since I don't think I've mentioned it here), my wife and I publish a small press literary magazine called Shades of December. We've been on hiatus for a while for financial reasons, and have now decided to relaunch as a Web publication. In the process of restructuring, we've decided that we want to bring in comics as a serious part of our content.

The part of our Writers' Guidelines relating to comics is pasted below, but I'll give you some extra details as well. We also accept fiction, poetry, and plays (don't need much poetry right now, though). If you're interested in submitting that sort of work, check out our full guidelines at www.shadesofdecember.com.

Our guidelines do say not to just send me URLs. For folks on the Zwol board, I'm going to make an exception -- you can send me a URL for your submission, but please give me a synopsis also, or at least send me to a page that only includes your submission. My main aversion to taking URLs is that half the time people send me URLs, I go to their site and then can't figure out what it is they're trying to submit. And don't forget to mention that you came by way of the Zwol forum.

Now, some details on what we want. Well, the first thing I would really stress is that since we are not strictly a comics publisher, a very large part of our audience will not be familiar with comics. This means two things -- First, it means a great chance to bring your work to a completely new audience, and maybe even help convert open-minded readers to real comics-enthusiasts. But secondly, it means that I have to be all the more selective about the pieces I accept for the magazine. They have to be not only exceptionally good, but also fully accessible to a general audience. Please bear that in mind, and don't take it personally if I don't take your work. I fully expect to find myself in a position of having to reject pieces I personally love, simply because I don't think they'll suit the audience.

If you want some examples of pieces I would be likely to publish (if they weren't already published) check out www.nextcomics.com and look at pieces like Forced Migration, Welcome to New York, Tusk, and Blue Fish. This certainly isn't all inclusive, but hopefully it gives you a good starting point.

If you have any questions, feel free to contact me.

Here are the official guidelines.

Graphic Fiction
comics@shadesofdecember.com
We are looking strictly for complete one-shot stories. Serials and comic strips will not be considered. All submissions will need to be finished projects, including all artwork, inking, and lettering. We are NOT able to help you assemble a creative team. All submissions will be judged as a whole - on the quality of both the writing and the artwork, as well as the legibility of the lettering. We prefer subtle and realistic storytelling. This does not rule out sci-fi or fantasy elements - in fact we enjoy speculative stories. But we do expect to see more than just spiffy gadgets and weird creatures. We want stories that are emotionally and/or intellectually engaging. We are not looking for action/adventure stories.

Do not submit artwork electronically, and do not simply send us URLs. Please e-mail a detailed synopsis of your story. If it sounds like something we can use, we will make arrangements with you to view the completed work. Any artwork received by e-mail without prior arrangement will be deleted unviewed.
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