No Open Call

Well folks, after much thought I've decided that, this Spring, GirlAMatic will not be holding its usual open submission call.

At first, I thought that just postponing the April call until May would be enough, but there are just too many things going on behind the scenes right now for me to conscience bringing new people on board. I'll open the submission floodgates again in the Fall. Until that time, here's what potential GAMmers can do to improve their chances of becoming actual GAMmers:

Build your archive.

When I tell people that I need to see at least half a dozen pages of continuity to get a feel for their work, that doesn’t mean that that's all one needs to have finished. That's just the minimum it usually takes for me to decide if a series is right for GAM.

A full, ongoing and regularly updating archive tells me that the creator in question is making her/his webcomic because that's what they want to do. Whereas a few pages that were created just for an open call tells me that that creator has no real idea what's involved in producing consistent updates every single week. Adding a few extra pages to beef your proposal won't cut it either. If a series creator can't show that they update their story regularly, on their own, without editorial mandate, then I can be pretty sure that they'll wash out of GirlAMatic in short order. Hey, if committed, seasoned pros find the pressure difficult at times, then what chance does the unlearned amateur stand?

If you're uncertain, try putting your series up on your own site (or blog, or whatever) for awhile. Update weekly. If you can manage that for six months without burning out or calling it quits entirely, then we can talk. Your series still might not be right for GAM, but at least you'll know what it takes and there are other Modern Tales sites that will gladly look at your submission.

Write your proposal now.

Seriously. Then put it away and forget about it until you're ready to submit your series for my review. Then take it out, read it and be amazed. Then be prepared to rewrite the entire thing.

Get to know us first.

GirlAMatic is a family. If the first question in your submission is, "How much money can I make?", then it’s a pretty safe bet that you won't be joining our family. It's not that we don't want to make money, far from it! But getting rich isn't why we do what we do. If it was, we’d all be politicians or plastic surgeons.

This is a creative field, so for cryin' out loud, use your imagination!

The comics industry is full of unfunny gag strips, bland slice-of-life chronicles and trite superhero stories. I've seen more than my share of manga-afflicted artwork and "tell" rather than "show" writing. There is so much more to good storytelling than aping the stuff you grew up on.

Read more than just comics. Learn what makes good storytelling good and apply that to your work.

That's about it. I'll meet you all back here in the Fall, when I fully expect to have my socks knocked off.

Until then, à bientôt!