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Book Submissions Guidelines

Please write to us explaining your idea and enclose an outline and a sample chapter of the proposed book (typed and double-spaced, please) along with sample illustrations where applicable. For Children’s books, please submit full manuscripts.

Submissions. Be sure to include information about yourself with particular regard to your skills and qualifications in the subject area of your submission. It is helpful for us to know your publishing history—whether or not you’ve written other books and, if so, the name of the publisher and whether those books are currently in print.

Be sure to include your name, address, telephone number, and e-mail address. We will not return any materials submitted to us unless you specifically request that materials be returned and include, along with your submission, a stamped, self-addressed envelope.

Please note that we cannot guarantee the return of materials received. Please do not send original art or irreplaceable work of any kind. We are not responsible for any loss or damage.

Please send submissions to:
Submission Editor
Phelps Publishing
P.O. Box 22401
Cleveland , OH 44122

COMIC BOOK ARTISTS AND WRITERS

ARTISTS

1. SEQUENTIAL ART
Consider carefully what you are sending. An editor wants to see that you can draw sequential art, not pinups. Five or six consecutive story pages are usually adequate. Include quiet scenes as well as action, utilize a wide variety of faces, figures (male, female, normal people as well as "super" characters, etc.), and well-realized settings. Ask yourself the following questions: Does the angle you've chosen take full advantage of the dramatic potential in a scene? Do the backgrounds establish where the characters are in relationship to their surroundings and to each other? Is there a well-defined foreground, middle ground, and background? Is there a clear, readable story even without word balloons or captions? Have you left adequate room for the dialogue and captions? If you'd like to use a sample script to help you create a story sequence, you can download one here.

Notes:
# Never send original art. Send photocopies only. Make sure the photocopies you send are clean and sharp and easy to "read." Be sure that each page has your name, address, and phone number clearly written somewhere on it.

WRITERS

1. COMPLETE SYNOPSIS
Succinctly tell the entire story: beginning, middle, and end, omitting unnecessary details. A short-story synopsis should be no longer than a page. A synopsis for a series (limited or ongoing) or graphic novel should be about two to five pages. Indicate issue breaks where applicable. A synopsis should say exactly what happens and how, noting plot and character specifics. Do not leave the resolution of the story in question. This should be the most straightforward presentation of the story as possible, as the synopsis is often the make-or-break point for a proposal.

2. SCRIPT
You can include a full or partial script for any short story or single-issue submission, or the first eight pages of the first issue of any series, unless you are a published professional, in which case, you should include samples of previously published work. If the work is already completed, story, art, and lettering, copies of this may be sent instead. When preparing to send your story, consider the following questions: Are my characters believable and consistent throughout the script? Is the plot clear and easy to follow? Is all the necessary information? Including subtext, symbolism, essential background detail, communicated clearly to the artist? Does the script allow the pictures to tell the story rather than relying on captions or other forms of exposition? Please send submissions to:

Submissions
c/o Reco Comics
P.O. Box 22401
Cleveland , OH 44122

For more of a precise submission to Reco Comics, artists can send in submissions base on the Champ story and the Hero script below. Writers can submit a script base on the Champ story. This what I called our Try-Out Submission. Take note that all characters in the story & script are African-Americans.

Try-Out Submission.

The Champ

Former world heavyweight boxing champion CC walks into his old gym to visit his former trainer. They greet and talk while fighters are in the background hitting heavy bags, speed bags, jumping rope and shadowboxing. Almost in the middle of the gym is a 20 foot boxing ring with two boxers sparring dressed in the typical training attire such as headgear, 16 oz. Boxing gloves, mouthpiece, hip & groin guard?

Between rounds, one of the boxers, let’s call him the aggravator, challenges CC to into the ring for one round. CC tries to ignore him, but after a few more taunts decides to take him up on his challenge. All of the fighters in the gym stop training to watch this spontaneous event. CC takes his skirt off and puts on 16 oz. boxing gloves, donned with only his street shoes and pants he enters the ring. To the dismay of no one, CC gives the aggravator a thorough boxing lesson, dropping him twice in one round. Everyone in the gym starts chanting "CC, CC, CC," while he takes off the gloves and waves good bye to everyone as he exits the gym.

The Hero

Page One

PANEL ONE
The News Reporter is walking to her car in a small parking lot. It’s nighttime around 9:30 p.m., she has just finished an assignment. (Full front shot of the Reporter)

PANEL TWO
The Reporter continues to walk to her car. (Closer front shot showing ¾ of her body)

PANEL THREE
As the Reporter walks to her car, a silhouette of the Villain is approaching her from behind as she digs in her pocketbook to get her car keys

PANEL FOUR
The Villain has gotten closer to her; you can see the white of his eyes as his arms reaches out to grab her. (She totally unaware he is behind her.)

PANEL FIVE
Suddenly the Hero comes out from nowhere to stop the Villain as the Reporter looks around in dismay.

PANEL SIX
With one huge punch the Hero sends the Villain flying in the air.

Page Two

PANEL ONE
Close-up on the villain lying knocked out in a heap of garbage cans in an alley; you can see from about a 15 feet distance the Hero and the Reporter standing together talking.

PANEL TWO
A close up of the Hero and the Reporter as he warns her about being more aware of her surroundings.

PANEL THREE

She thanks him as she hands him her business card.

PANEL FOUR

Here is a Birdseye view, looking down over the scene about 40 high. One police car arrives; the Reporter is alone as two policeman get out of the car.

PANEL FIVE

Still at a Birdseye view, looking down over the scene about 40 high. One policeman questions the Reporter while the other arrests the villain.

PANEL SIX

Still at a Birdseye view, looking down over the scene about 40 high, we pull back little to a mid shot of the Hero observing the scene a top of a building.

Please send submissions to:

Submissions
c/o Reco Comics
P.O. Box 22401
Cleveland, OH 44122

Contact info: editor@phelpspublishing.com