How To Get A Job Writing Comic Books

I never thought I would become a comic book writer, much less be paid to do it, but here we are.

I started my career as a comic book writer in 2019 and have been working hard ever since. It has been a wild ride so far, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.

The comic book industry is a huge one and it’s been around for more than 80 years now. It was originally created to be a forum for creators to display their work and for fans to read and enjoy it. In those early years, most comics were created and published by small independent companies who used in-house graphic artists and writers to put out their comics. These companies often went bankrupt as the industry grew and shifted to be more of a profit-driven venture. In more recent years, the industry has been undergoing a digital transformation with indie comics moving to a hybrid model where they are published digitally and in traditional print comics as well.

The Growth Of Digital Publishing

Comic books started to see an evolution in the digital age. Companies like Marvel and DC started to see the value in a digital version of their comic books and started placing more emphasis on their e-books. At the same time, creators started to see the value in self-publishing mini-comics through online platforms like Comic Mart or Kafka Comics, allowing them to reach a bigger audience than they could before.

The Rise Of The Virtual Assistant Creative

In the past, a comic book writer would begin by pitching their ideas to various publishers. If they were lucky, they would get paid $100 per comic book. Today, with the growth of virtual assistants and freelance content creators, that number has jumped to $300 per comic book or more. With online platforms like HubSpot, you can create and run your own virtual assistant team, taking on small tasks such as creating proposals or ordering supplies for clients.

So, how does one become a comic book writer? For me, it all started with a bit of googling.

I saw an ad for Creative Cloud suite on my computer’s Chrome web browser, which is where I do most of my browsing these days. Creative Cloud is the app suite from Apple that allows you to upload and store your designs, animations and other content in high-quality formats that are accessible from any device. At the time, I already had a design background, but didn’t really know what else I could do to make money online. I’ve always been fond of storytelling and drew inspiration from Gears Of War 4 to come up with an idea for a comic.

I’ve always been fond of storytelling and drew inspiration from Gears Of War 4 to come up with an idea for a comic.

I came up with the concept for a zombie-themed comic where the protagonist, Daniel, has to fight for survival against the undead. Inspired by the gameplay of Gears Of War 4, as well as the book World War Z by Max Brutt and Chris Eliopoulos, where the zombie pandemic is known as the Zombie Plague, I decided to give it a try. I built a character design for Daniel and started drawing the pages. Before I knew it, I had finished the first issue and submitted it to a comic anthology called Pulp Fiction that is put out by Dynamite Entertainment.

I built a character design for Daniel and started drawing the pages. Before I knew it, I had finished the first issue and submitted it to a comic anthology called Pulp Fiction that is put out by Dynamite Entertainment.

When I first submitted the comic to Pulp Fiction, I didn’t really have many expectations about the outcome. I had always seen indie comics succeed and figured that this was just another opportunity for my work to be seen by a larger audience. To my surprise, the publisher liked the concept and asked if I would be interested in a full-length graphic novel based on the anthology. I had finally found my place in the industry!

I built a character design for Daniel and started drawing the pages. When I first submitted the comic to Pulp Fiction, I didn’t really have many expectations about the outcome. I had always seen indie comics succeed and figured that this was just another opportunity for my work to be seen by a larger audience. To my surprise, the publisher liked the concept and asked if I would be interested in a full-length graphic novel based on the anthology. I had finally found my place in the industry!

The anthology released last year and I was fortunate enough to have my work showcased alongside some of the bigger names in comics. It was an amazing experience and one I’ll never forget.

The Difference In Publishing Trends

When I worked for a large publishing company, we would often get bombarded with pitches for new comics and graphic novels to publish. With the rise of e-books and digital comics, the amount of pitches has decreased significantly and now, as a freelancer, I get to focus more on the quality of my work rather than the quantity.

Where Do I Submit My Work?

When I first got started, I would submit my comics to indie comic book websites and the occasional pitch forum. As my work started to be noticed, I got a call from one of the premier indie comic book publishers looking for new material. Since then, I’ve mostly freelanced for small-to-medium sized publishers and worked on projects for some of the top-rated creators on Twitter.

The Future Of Comic Books

I think the future of comic books looks pretty bright. As more and more creators and fans see the value in digital comics, the line between traditional comic books and digital ones will continue to blur.

Comic books have evolved a lot in the last few years, but the fundamental element of storytelling has not changed. I believe the future of comics will see more experimentation and new ideas as old ways of telling stories are overthrown in favour of fresher, newer ones.