So How Do I Pitch...?

By Tony Lee

It's Easter. And as such, I wanted to do a special He's Only A Writer - rather than another column of me just chatting about myself and my life, I decided to do something different. That said, I have had a most amazing week, especially on Tuesday where I got to hang out with Doctor Who: The Forgotten artist Pia Guerra at the Press and Preview launch of the Doctor Who Exhibition, where we got to have photos taken in front of the TARDIS and got to press a shiny red button, and I followed this seeing Sam Hart, my artist on Robin Hood: Outlaw's Pride and then attending the Hope Falls wrap party with Dan Boultwood and a bevy of celebrity chums. But, knowing that this was going to be an incredibly long and detailed column this week, you can read all about my Tuesday at my Livejournal.

Every few months, the same questions come out. ‘How do I get into comics?' or ‘What's the best way to speak to an editor?' ‘How do I become a writer?' And suchlike. Now, Brian Wood spoke recently on this, and over the years a veritable library of knowledge has been created on this very subject, out there in the world of the Internets. But, it's a field of knowledge that I repeatedly get asked on, almost as often as ‘where do you get your ideas from' (answer: I have a web cam in Mike Oeming's office and I steal from him) and I thought I'd at least attempt to get a few answers well, answered.

And, it being Easter, I thought I'd do something special and asked a few of my comic celebrity chums to help me on this; writers, editors, people in the industry who have seen these questions from both sides. I called for help, and they came. For you. To help you become the better creator. Or, in Oeming's case, to talk about reach arounds. Which in some publishing circles is pretty much the same thing...

Anyway. The industry experts I have here are both brilliant and talented and every single one of them should be making millions in the industry. And each one I owe a pint to for doing this. They are as follows...

JOSHUA HALE FIALKOV—Joshua is the creator of the Cult Hit Horror Anthology Western Tales of Terror, and writer of the Harvey Award Nominated Elk's Run. He's also the writer of Harris Comics ongoing Vampirella Quarterly, and has had work published by Top Cow, (of which he writes the pilot season winner Cyblade) Marvel, Wildstorm, IDW Publishing, and Boom Studios. He's also the writer of Punks the Comic.

LEE NORDLING—President of The Pack, Lee was the Executive Editor of the Platinum Studios Comic Book Department for six years. Before that, he's worked at both Disney Publishing and DC Comics. He's also worked in the industry as an art director, writer, cartoonist and packager as well as writing the 1995 book Your Career in the Comics.

MICHAEL AVON OEMING—A veritable one man band of artist and writer, Mike was put in this list because we had to. He owns a gun, you see. He's not very stable and twitches a lot, but his writing credentials speak volumes, including Bulletproof Monk, Thor, Red Sonja, The Mice Templar, Omega Flight and many more, however he is best known as the co-creator of Powers with Brian Michael Bendis. And he's one of our most favourite people in the world. I did mention the gun, right?

ANDY SCHMIDT—A one time college professor, Andy was an Editor at Marvel Comics for almost six years before leaving to become a writer once more. Andy knows both sides of the table and was the guiding force behind the Marvel Comics Annihilation event, as well as running the X-Books at one point. Now a freelance writer and consultant, he runs the Comics Experience writer seminars in New York to great acclaim. His first professionally published stories are in Marvel Comics Presents #8 (on sale in April) and X-Men: Divided We Stand #2.

HEIDI MACDONALD—A one time DC and Vertigo Editor who championed an almost unknown creator named Brian K Vaughn and a comic named Y: The Last Man based on a single pitch, as well as being a one time Senior Editor for Disney, Heidi is currently the Co-Editor of "PW Comics Week" for Publishers Weekly. She also writes a critically acclaimed daily blog about comics called The Beat and is the Editor for Fox Atomic.

ROB LEVIN—Vice President of Editorial at Top Cow since 2004, Rob is also a screenwriter and writer in his own right. He sees hundreds of pitches a week and knows what he likes and more importantly dislikes. He's also stepped across the table, having penned a The Darkness: Butcher one shot, out soon from Top Cow.

KEITH GIFFEN—Currently one of the most prestigious writer / artists in comics today, having pretty much written every DC or Marvel character going. Recently best known for his work on DC's 52, Countdown and Blue Beetle, as well as Marvel's Annihilation, he's also known for successful runs on Justice League International, the Legion of Superheroes, Defenders, Midnighter and a variety of Lobo one shots to name but a few out of a long career. We don't care though, because this is the guy who co-created Ambush Bug. And for that he is a God.

ANDREW FOLEY—Writer of the critically lauded Parting Ways for Speakeasy, Andrew has also written Done To Death for Markosia and is co-creator of Cowboys & Aliens for Platinum Studios. He currently writes the weekly web comic "The Holiday Men" for The Chemistry Set.

And of course there's me. Tony Lee. Writer at large. Read the sidebar for more on me or read some of my previous columns. So. On with the questions...

1. HOW IMPORTANT IS THE PITCH?

JHF: It's important. I think having a good relationship where your editor (or the publisher) trusts you to actually execute on that pitch is probably more important. Having a great idea is easy, executing a great idea is the hard part.

RL: You don't need the world's greatest pitch to get a book off the ground. However, you better have one hell of a track record if said pitch isn't stellar. A good pitch can light imaginations on fire and excite what is otherwise a jaded, bitter man who is constantly receiving submissions.

LN: Several years ago, I wrote three articles on pitching, the first of which can be found here (and you can find the others linked to this one).

AF: It really depends on what stage of your career you're at. At the beginning, not as important as the artist you've attached to the project (you have recruited an artist for five or more pages, haven't you?), more important than the outline, and vastly more important than the script.

Art can hook an editor. So can a pitch. If you can't get them at the earliest stage, it doesn't matter how good your story or script actually is, because practically nobody's going to read them.

MO: It depends on whose catching... if you know what I mean.

AS: Totally depends on who you are and what company you're talking with. Brian Bendis doesn't have to worry too much about writing the perfect pitch, but someone who doesn't sell books on his name alone certainly does. A pitch is a really tough thing. Potentially the most difficult piece of writing.

HM: Very important. Basically it has to catch the interest of the person doing the acquiring. It should be fresh, interesting and non-trite. The pitch should show why a reader will want to buy this book.

KG: Nowhere near as important as the concept.

TL: As said above, the pitch is important. Because the right pitch can excite an editor, whereas the wrong one? Can bore them stupid. That said, if the concept is solid, a weak pitch can be forgiven in many cases. It all depends on how exciting your idea actually is.

2. WHAT DO YOUR PITCHES CONSIST OF / EDITORS - WHAT DO YOU WANT IN A PITCH?

JHF: If it's for a creator owned property, I tend to do a one sheet with the basic concept, the format, and any imperative information, along with some art. Then I'll try and put together a few pages of art (ten is probably best), and include a three or four page synopsis of the whole story.

RL: As an editor, I'm not the guy you need to want to keep in suspense. Tell me what the story is. Two lines about setup and nothing about character development or how it all wraps up does not a pitch make. Walk me through the whole story, focusing on the major beats and anything pertinent I should know. Somewhere between a one-sheet and a breakdown is a good medium.

AF: Whatever the company or editor I'm pitching to asks for in their submission requirements. Without those guidelines, I include: as much sequential art as I can get out of an artist, lettered; a one-page or less pitch starting with the title and fifty words or less premise; and a three-five page outline of the story.

MO: Money, coke, and a reach around.

AS: I tend to try and get right to it. If I can sum up the story in a sentence or two, I'll start with that (and hope that it also sells itself). Then I'll write in stages if you want to read more--setting and genre, a character list with a few sentences on each major player, and a short summary of the whole story--never longer than one page, no matter how many issues the story is planned to be.

HM: When I was editing I always said I wanted to see three things in a pitch:

• What is the story about?


• What happens?


• Why should we care?

A story about a detective tells me nothing. A story about a detective in 50s LA tells me almost nothing. An LA detective who has to team up with a living cartoon to try to save the light rail system tells me much more. To me the most important part of the pitch was why we wanted to read this story. Why is the hero or heroine someone we want to see win? My friend Todd Alcott always says "What does the protagonist want?" which is as good way as anything of putting it. Throw an interesting or socially relevant challenge against the hero and you might just have something.

KG: Mostly double-talk. I mean, they are editors after all.

TL: Well, as a couple of the above will testify, I suck at pitches. But I try to keep a few things constant. I'll always have a high concept, an overview in a couple of sentences. I'll give a synopsis. In this I give the who, why, where, when and how. I don't go into long character descriptions here—if the editor's not bothered about the story, they're not going to give a shit about the characters in the story, let alone read hundred word descriptions on them. The synopsis will be concise, tell the whole story with the main beats—if there's a particular ‘money shot' scene you think is important, then point it out. And, if there's a moral, or if there's a message to this tale—the make sure they know.

3. HOW IMPORTANT IS THE STORY AT THE HIGH CONCEPT STAGE?

JHF: I think it's very important (although, I suppose people would disagree with me). I think that a high concept only gets you so far. Look, if your goal is to sell a movie based on your comic, that's fine, but, if you're trying to actually tell a story and use the medium to its fullest, you can't skimp on characters and story for the sake of a whiz-bang idea.

RL: Fairly important. Those who are good at pitching can get past a relatively low concept. Those who aren't great need it for the hook. Not every story need be high concept, but they are easier to instantly get.

LN: Very. At its core, a publisher needs to know how they can sell a book to a reader. There are several ways to achieve this, and having a clear compelling concept that will appeal to that publisher's market is the best path for an unknown or little known talent.

If writers already have a dedicated following or are highly regarded for the quality of his work, the need for crystal clear compelling concepts is diminished, because a publisher is going to sell their books to readers based on brand recognition, Stephen King and Neil Gaiman being two pretty good examples of this.

The trick here is understanding that the book needs some clear commercial path if somebody's going to pay you money for writing it.

Now, if something is just so well-written that a publisher just can't resist buying it, you can bet that publisher will be selling the book on its merits, and that's a commercial path, too. All you have to be to accomplish this is the next Neil Gaiman. No sweat, right?

AF: Depends on your situation, again, but again, if you're at the start of your career, it's absolutely critical, especially if you don't have an artist attached.

MO: Story? I just gave him a reach around - isn't that high concept enough?

AS: It certainly helps to have something easy to understand and market. Die Hard on a bus is an easy sell. It's a little tougher if you're writing a piece about the triumph of the human spirit or something more complex.

HM: Well, I picked Roger Rabbit up at random and that's a high concept as it gets. Something imaginative like that will catch someone's attention BUT unless you are a known quantity you still need to sell it more. Show that you can pull it off.

BTW every editor has likes and dislikes. I always said I didn't like time travel. Of course then freelancer X would say "But I have a time travel story!" and tell me about it. A pitch longer than a page is a waste of time if you're just in the throwing ideas against the wall stage.

KG: Story trumps all.



TL: The story is the High Concept. That is, the High Concept has to show what the story can aspire to be. So it's important. But remember, the High Concept is a device to get the editor interested, excited even. It paints a picture. Dodge & Twist was pitched pretty much as ‘The characters of Oliver Twist twelve years on—Ocean's Eleven if written by Charles Dickens'. It shows the era (Victorian), the characters (Oliver Twist, etc.) and the basic premise (a heist) but with enough broad strokes to give a visual impression, nothing more. This is designed purely to make them read on, to read the detailed synopsis where the bones of the tale are. The story is there in the background, but it's pretty much a bystander at this point.

4. WHAT'S THE BEST WAY TO CONTACT AN EDITOR COLD?

JHF: Formally, professionally, modestly, self-confidently.

RL: Hat in hand, humble as hell, and with the mindset that if he tells you he's too busy, he's probably too busy. Just respect everything he has to say, right or wrong, and realize that he's a gateway to getting a book off the ground. He's going to have his own taste, and it's a good idea to do some research on the kind of books he both likes and works on.

LN: Write a clear, compelling query letter or email outlining your interest in their company and qualifications as a writer (without bragging). Every publisher is going to have different needs; many won't work with unpublished or too-new writers, many will. We will.

AF: Have someone who knows both of you do an intro e-mail. Any colder than that and you'll be lucky if you get a response at all.

MO: Reach around is a good contact with editors.

AS: When I was editing, either being polite at a convention or a short and simple email. I wasn't a huge fan of getting a call in the middle of my day. It broke my concentration and wasn't something I probably wanted to deal with right at that moment. I didn't hold it against anyone, but I usually asked them to email me. Then I'd make time in my week to go through those emails all at once. I tried to get back to everyone, but I think that's pretty unusual.

HM: Just write and email with a link to stuff you have done that can be sampled online. Mention known companies you have worked with. For a writer this may be hard but a blog or web page is a must. Follow it up with a package of things you have done. Either the editor will be interested or not. Editors are always looking for more talent... If there is something they like they will get in touch.

KG: Ouija board?

TL: Polite introduction letter/email stating who you are, what you've done and why you're contacting them. Usually as well why they're the particular recipient—is it because of a mutual contact? Is it because of a particular book they edit? Let them know how you decided on them, let them know it's more than a phone book list, even if it is that.

If they don't come back to you? Then walk away until you have a chance to meet them at a convention or something.

5. WHAT'S YOUR BIG NETWORKING TIP?

JHF: Try not to be a dick, associate with people you respect as well as like. I see people who are so obsessed with networking for the sake of networking. For me, it's great to have somebody who knows you who knows somebody else. But, having somebody whose work you respect, and who you can actually learn and better yourself from is even better. If you surround yourself with people who inspire you to do better, you will do better.

RL: Alcohol, humor, and humility.

LN: Ask for advice, not for jobs. Listen. Discuss what they've suggested, showing that you listened. Thank them in person (if that's how you met them), and thank them later by correspondence - then ask for suggestions about whom they might recommend you speak to that they know. You'll then be able to use their name as a reference to begin the process over again.

Eventually, you'll come across somebody who's interested in what you do, and you'll get work or the job you're seeking. This is advice I got from a professional counselling company that specializes in this kind of work, and it's never failed me.

AF: Move to New York.

MO: Glory holes work pretty good.

AS: Simple as can be. Polite and easy going. Networking does not mean getting your idea to the editor at all costs. It means getting your name and face out there. Usually, when you're networking and making connections, your pitch is best left behind. Don't even think about it. Don't look for an opening. Talk to the people you're with and be in the moment, in the conversation. That will be much more helpful to you than looking for your opening.

Also, if you're talking with one editor (or whomever) always ask if there are other people that he or she would recommend that you speak with. It gives you an automatic in simply by saying, "so-and-so suggested I talk with you..."

HM: At SPLAT the other day CB Cebulski mentioned that being a regular and intelligent commenter on message boards was a good way to do things. I would say that and a maintained web page with updates on projects and so on shows that you are actively marketing yourself and your work. A MySpace page isn't great but it is better than nothing, unless it looks like a crappy psycho killer MySpace page. Sadly company marketing and PR departments don't have time to do it all any more so showing you can pitch in by being articulate and cogent will help. Plus it shows your personality. Is this guy going to be a pain in the ass?

KG: Don't be a jerk. I know that sounds glib but think about it.

TL: When meeting an editor at a con? Introduce yourself, point out that you recognise that they're busy (because trust me, they will be) and ask when a better time to come back is. And when they give you a time? Stick to it. If you see them in a bar? Offer to buy them a drink, and remember that they're people too. They need relaxation time as well. You can possibly chat to them, arrange an appointment for the following day if they know you, but they don't want you yammering about the new adventures of Captain Bollocks.

The bar is not the office. I've seen people say hello to an editor in the Hyatt bar and then suddenly the portfolios come out and the poor bastard is stuck there. And others see that ‘Hey! He's looking at portfolios' and suddenly there's a queue. Don't do that. That's crappy. And seriously unprofessional.

Be honest as well—editors can spot a fake a mile away. Buy them a drink because you want to. Do it purely to suck up for a pitch opportunity? It's pretty transparent and they will realise. I'm very lucky that I class several editors as friends now - I've never had any work from some of them, but that doesn't matter. I'd rather be able to be invited to sit at a bar with them without pitching - than get a gig and have them avoid me because I always am, capeesh?

6. IT'S BEEN TWO MONTHS. YOU'VE HEARD NOTHING. WHAT DO YOU DO?

JHF: I'll usually give a polite follow up e-mail, and then, just leave it be. If an editor or publisher is genuinely excited about a project (certainly enough to pull the trigger) they'll be in regular contact with you. There's always the chance you got spammed or slipped their mind, but, the fact is if it's not the right book for them, don't push it. Save them for later.

RL: Politely drop an e-mail to the editor and ask if there's been any progress, or if there's anything else he needs (more materials, more time, etc.). I can't tell you the number of times I've been into something but had to backburner it because of other in progress work. If you don't hear back, it's not necessarily a rejection. If you've gone a long time with no response, you might be getting a soft rejection. Realize there are dozens of submissions every week. Editors are busy folk.

LN: Send a polite query outlining what you sent the editor (so they'll remember), and request a status report. Unfortunately, we have a culture where not replying to emails is an accepted practice. It's a practice I reject and am offended by.

AF: Depends. If the pitch was made ice-cold (sent via snail mail), nothing. If I was in some kind of reciprocal communication with an editor, either e-mail or phone, I'd send a polite e-mail inquiring as to the status of the submission.

MO: Give up, he's not going to call you, it was only a handjob for fucksakes.

AS: Short and polite email inquiring about it.

HM: Send an email. A polite follow-up. 2 months is a while, but sadly well within the busy editor's guilt zone.

KG: Approach another editor. If the guy / gal can't be bothered to, at least, zip off a "no thanks", you're better off with someone else.

TL: This is my worst vice. I'm so paranoid about spam filters ever since a Marvel Editor told me I lost a gig because my pitch went into the spam file, and he didn't see it until he'd sorted the book—so I now email a little catchup message to the editors I deal with / want to deal with every month or so. They all know that it's just Tony keeping his face above the water and they know they can ignore or reply as they see fit. It is however bad practice for many, and I wouldn't suggest it unless the editors are aware that's why you do it, but I try to keep it as informal as I can. If I'm waiting on a specific pitch though, I'll politely ask how things are going after a couple of months.

I wrote one once to Bob Schreck in the form of a Christmas Carol. I like to think that sometimes I bring joy to their days. But really? They probably hate them.

7. WHAT ONE THING WOULD YOU TELL ANY ASPIRING CREATOR TO DO?

JHF: Publish your own stuff. It sucks. It's expensive. It's demeaning. But, it's the only way to figure out what the hell this business is about, and, it's the only way to prove you know what you're doing. That being said, you also really need to be able to look at your work and say, "This just isn't good enough." I spent a good two or three years toiling through webcomics and minicomics just learning how the medium works, and how I, is a writer, worked in the medium, before I really even attempted something grander. I think that time is probably the best spent time in my life.

RL: Be excellent. There are enough mediocre stories out there without the need to add more to the world. If you pitch something because you managed to talk to an editor and he asked for something by a certain time, be certain it's your best work. And realize that if you're pitching something you don't want to read, chances are no one else will either.

LN: Learn the craft of Writing, Pitching, Outlining, Scripting.

They're all different forms of writing, and each has its own unique dramatic structure.

AF: If you're a writer, learn to draw, letter and colour. Whatever your craft, move to New York.

MO: Practice on cucumbers. Bananas are too soft and really don't represent texture and solidity. Editors really get off on making writers get down on our knees.

AS: Experiment.

HM: Do something. As an artist put stuff up on a blog or web page. As a writer, find an artist to do something. Five pages. Two pages. A blog. Show that you like to create.

KG: Know your limitations.

TL: Three things. Firstly, recognise that you're not the greatest thing since Grant Morrison, and won't be until you've learned your craft. Take your script and give it to someone who doesn't care about pissing you off. Make them give you a harsh criticism on the work. Learn to accept change. If you can't accept that your work needs, well, work—then get out of comics because you shouldn't be here. Nobody is that perfect.

Secondly, get something published. It doesn't matter if you make no money and it gets cancelled after one issue—you'll spending a few years making sod all money anyway, so get used to it—but it gives you a portfolio piece, something that isn't a cold, white paper script. The editor can read it, gain an idea of your skill and talent, ability to plan page structure, dialogue, etc.

Thirdly, be a consummate professional at all times. Unless you're relaxing in a bar with friends of course. This is after all a job. A career. You wouldn't go pissing about if you worked in a bank now, would you?

8. WHAT ONE THING WOULD YOU TELL ANY ASPIRING CREATOR TO AVOID AT ALL COSTS?

JHF: Don't get trapped in the negativity that pervades so much of the industry. I know because I get trapped in it myself. The fact is, you're making comic books, and that should be fun. If it's a tedium or a drag, you're doing something wrong.

RL: Never tell me how great your idea is in the pitch. Let the book sell itself. And please, don't tell me how much money we'll make together. Let's just worry about making a good book before we go counting stacks of cash.

LN: Don't argue about what somebody believes to be true about your story or your writing. It's fair to probe, ask questions about where missteps may have occurred, but do not do so in a manner that suggests their evaluation is somehow incorrect. What will be more often true than not is that the writer failed in his/her efforts to convey what was truly important and compelling, so the trick is to figure out where you slipped up.

AF: A day job that pays too well for you to quit when you start making headway in your comic career.

MO: Get advice from Tony Lee.

AS: For me, I knew the conversation was over with an aspiring writer when he or she would ask me what character I wanted them to pitch to me. The fact of the matter was (and this may sound harsh, but it's true), I didn't want you to pitch me anything. You want to pitch me something, so take your best shot with a story you love and a character you can't get out of your head. If I want to develop a particular character, I'm going to take that to guys I'm already working with and have a relationship with. It just strikes me that you're out of ideas if you're asking me to help you pitch me.

HM: Don't get sloppy ass drunk at conventions where you are trying to make a good impression on editors and industry professionals. That goes for unknowns and knowns. However this is a fine line. If you are a bibulous guy or gal who can remain coherent during good times at the Hyatt in San Diego (now an oxymoron I think) then you will be known as someone fun to have around and people will want to work more with you. Other must not dos: pesky annoying emails every day. Big packages with ostentatious presentations. Also those emails which are generated by a program which inserts the recipients name. I think those are worse than just DEAR INDUSTRY COMRADE or whatever.

Actually there is another thing that is an ultimate must not do: don't be predictable or drab or always the same. Spin, rethink, go to the moon. Show that what you do, no one else can do. Be irreplaceable.

KG: Bravado. It's usually the sign of a no-talent wannabe.

TL: Reaching around Mike Oeming for a pen.

And there you go—hopefully you've gained some knowledge from this week's column. I'd like to thank this week's special guests once more for the assistance they gave at very short notice.

Next week, back to normal. Until then, have a good seven days.

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© 2008, Tony Lee

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