2. APPLY FOR A JOB AT A COMIC BOOK PUBLISHING HOUSE

You have now have a beautiful portfolio… but where do you take it? If you've always dreamed of drawing your childhood favorites (characters like Batman, Spawn, or the X-Men), then your goal is to get hired by one of the major companies (the "Big Two" are Marvel and DC). Other large independent companies include Image and Dark Horse. If you've always wanted to bring your own creations to life, worry not - we'll deal with the self-publishing option a bit later on.

In order to make it to the promised land of mainstream comics, you'll have to contact editors at the major companies and introduce them to your stuff. This is a trying process that requires iron resolve, stubborn determination, and incessant phone calls. There are 5 standard steps:

1. Request submission guidelines
2. Apply
3. Deal with positive feedback
4. Deal with rejection
5. Remember the small press

1. Request submission guidelines

Most of the major companies have submission guidelines for artists and writers. These are written instructions on how to format your submitted materials. Since many companies won't consider submissions that don't follow their guidelines, we suggest you play it safe and do what they say. Many companies (like Marvel and DC) have submission guidelines on their websites. You can also try to contact editors directly, though you'll have to do a bit of research to find their names and contact information. Most editors can be found listed in the credits of their company's books, and a phone call to the company's offices could lead you in the right direction.

2. Apply

After you receive the submission guidelines, start putting together your samples (following a procedure similar to the one outlined above for portfolios). Your samples should be photocopies of your best work and should accurately reflect your range of ability. Be sure to include a cover letter (explaining your intentions in a brief and courteous manner) and your contact information. Package your materials up and send it off to the appropriate editor. Then wait.

3. Deal with positive feedback

If you receive an encouraging response in the form of a phone call or a letter, great! But don't break open the champagne yet. Chances are you won't be hired right away, but at least you attracted an editor's attention to your work. Your work will probably be placed on file (and even better, you'll be on the list of candidates for potential jobs in the future). If you're really lucky, though, you'll be called in for an interview immediately. In this case, bring your original portfolio (duh!) and be sure to read our fabulous article "SYW Ace a Job Interview?"

4. Deal with rejection

If, on the other hand, the response you receive sounds more like a rejection, don't fret - it's not the end of the world. All it means is that, in the editor's opinion, your work is not a good fit for that company at that time. So just send your stuff to other companies, and even feel free to try the same company further on down the road. Don't take it personally. Unless you really do suck. Then you should.

5. Remember the small press

Keep in mind that the larger, more established companies are harder to crack than the smaller independent publishers. Though these books may be less glamorous because of their smaller distribution and tighter budgets, they can be a stepping stone to landing an assignment with the bigger companies. Some of the most celebrated comic books in the industry today were published independently: Bone, Understanding Comics and Strangers in Paradise, just to name a few. There are tons out there, so start applying.