kcgreen
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Failed Book Pitch to Big Publishers (pdf)
🕑 Added 2024-07-26 18:39:40 +0000 UTC
I've always wanted to make a collected book out of a handful of small projects I've done. F-Off™, Little Comis, and Church Funnies in particular. Just a flat-out simple collection, no whistles, no bells. But big humor book publishers don't like Simple Collections.
When I brought this to a literary agent, she wanted me to think about theming the book around... Something! Cus that's how to sell to these publishers and get comics into big box stores like Wal•Mart, Target, B&N, etc. That's just the way the cookie crumbles for the Humor section and gag cartoonists like me or like others you can actually find and buy at these kind of stores. The book has to be ABOUT something, it can't be JUST comics. Why? No one JUST reads comics. They need some kind of reason, I guess, to read them.
Those comics I wanted to collect are all very different in style, but the vibes are usually similar. So I tried! As you can see from the pdf title attached to this, I tried to come up with something 5 times before I was told no one was interested in it or, more than likely, I gave up on it. Same story with Pinocchio when I tried. They like the work, sure, Oh and the Meme is so funny. But no one knows how to sell this work of mine. Which includes me, I guess.
I figured I'd share the final pitch here, for posterity. The only new thing it contains is some writing I did as an introduction to the book and to one of the "chapters" in the book. It's all very depressing to me to look back on, cus I feel like I have (or had) the energy to give someone a funny book, but the powers that be who actually plunk down the money to make the book want a Good Reason other than my smiling face. And trying to find that perfect balance for these goons is like searching for water in a desert. Especially with an eclectic mix of comics like these.
Maybe there's little room for me in main stream, and the only way I got in there is, well, the meme! My desire for trying has decreased since then. And it shouldn't matter. But here we are anyway. It mattering and all. But just to me.
Anyway, enjoy what you can however you can and be sure to hit like and subscribe and ring that bell and hit the table real loud and feed your pets and cause no problems and boycott this or that or whatever!!!! I'm throwing this post away! It's YOUR problem now
Comments
Arthur
Pinocchio absolutely deserves a wider release. It’s a beautifully unique adaptation of a classic so I don’t understand what the publishers’ problem is with this one. I think it belongs in every home and classroom. Have you tried approaching young adult publishers like Scholastic? You can also try Deathwish Inc., they publish alternative comics and may be interested. Please don’t give up, good luck & have a great weekend!
Scott
Going with the weed theme, it being legal in more places now, maybe you could make a book that is sold at dispensaries instead of at book stores? Or maybe you could put some comics in the packaging of some weed farmer like how Bazooka Joe went with the bubble gum.
Andrew-b
Naw, it matters to us too. But I'm happy to see it mattering to you too
Ami
Not blowing smoke up your ass. Clearly you're an american treasure as demonstrated by how quickly the mainstream will steal shit from you out of context but it looks like the powers that be of the capitalist investor class are still unsure how to handle you with context. I'm sorry it's not working out and I realize it's not much financial comfort knowing that you're contributing to the world's expanded vocabulary with your works
PotentPinion
Oh mondo cool!! Thank you for the info!
KC Green
that's the next step with some local printers, tbh. I just need to make the time to put together the book
PotentPinion
Also like these deserve to be in a proper book so you can get paid the big bucks for them, they absolutely deserve the big bucks, but they feel like they belong in a zine, which is good. I'm saying I would buy these for book prices at zine print quality if that makes sense idk
PotentPinion
Broke table😢
Ricardo
oh man these are so fun! everyone who denies you is an idiot
It's That Guy!
If you ever wrap up in a bunch of comics in a big ol’ pdf, I would spend cash money on that
lympho nodge
come on pubbishing houses its called demos b-sides and rarities and we like it
Laura Morland
P.S. I just fed my pet. ;-)
Laura Morland
I just KNOW there's a publisher out there who would love to produce your book. Do you have an agent to do the shopping around on your behalf?
Christian Southgate
I am SLAMMING the table
