Publishing is HARD

[jamontoast98]

I've been thinking about submitting my manga to a publisher recently (particularly VIZ Originals) and am really daunted. It would be amazing if I somehow made it in - like imagine, a new FIGHTING GAME MANGA of all things on an official platform. But at the same time, it's not like a publisher would just accept anyone, would they? There's a lot of dedication that goes into getting a manga published, like researching the publisher's existing works, making sure your drawing/writing skills are good enough and then coming up with a pitch to wow the publishers. And it's very unlikely you'll get accepted the first time so you'll get rejected again and again without any feedback on what you did better. And then even if you do get accepted, the work doesn't stop there - you have to work hard tirelessly to make sure the story is perfect under deadlines. At the same time, I'm not even sure that publishing is what I want because I want because I want to make the story at my own pace which is why I've just been self-publishing for now.

I don't want to dissuade anyone from trying to get themselves published - infact use this as motivation! Tell me that I am wrong and that you are willing to go through/have already gone through all that. I'm just venting because while I think I actually have the potential to get published, I don't have the drive, at least not yet... and most importantly I don't believe in myself.

Edit: I also have a fulltime job, which makes it even harder.

[VibrantFox]

If anything I think that's just part of the game when you're a creator (whether writing, drawing or both) and in the same vein it's normal to have periods of tie where you're too busy, demotivated or lacking drive for whatever reason. But it's as you said persistence is what pays off whether it's continuing to submit to publishers, keeping at it with uploading your own works with self publishing or just being involved in whatever part of the production process as a whole.

I'm not at a place where I'm looking to reach out to any large publishers right now, both due to my own perception of skills (i've still got things to practice and study) but also time and execution. I think everyone is kinda learning and growing at all times so even when things are difficult how you handle it determines outcome. Know when to push ahead, when to wait, when to rest, etc.

I hope i'm not just spouting nonsense but I hope you and anyone who passes over this thread can know that even when things feel hard or impossible you can keep going, your struggles aren't the end of things just a passing moment and if you can keep at it there's something better ahead. Until then cherishing and celebrating the little things will be what help in moving forward whether it's a small personal goal, learning something, meeting someone, or just having something nice happen. you/we/i got this

[Kevbrinx]

Fellow self-publisher here.

I totally understand the feeling of not being able to work on a project with the same frequency for a long time.
I agree, the work never stops, it's not just the initial hype, but it's an ongoing effort to make every issue/episode/volume of your work outstanding!

I also know how exciting it would be to have a professional publisher and I too dream to see a printed copy of my work in the future.

I am definetly not an expert on this topic but my advice is to see the situation by all angles.
Considering contacting VIZ or any other studio you want to pitch your idea could be a good start!

Or at least, that's what I would do!

I'd ask for more details to see how much time it would take me every day/week/month and if pitching a project would actually be worth it (including how much artists would earn from it).
Maybe, after you get a few pages done it could become your main and only job!
Also publishers can assist you with the talent of other artists who will worry about backgrounds, writing, inking, coloring, even lettering!
See if once you are in the work environment needed, you will be able to completely avoid crunch (it's important)!

Like OP already said, nobody is trying to convince anybody to do anything. But be informed!

About the "I don't believe in myself" part: I definetly am not competent enough to tell you what to do... but again, try to see the situation from all angles and perspectives.

Ask yourself: "What can I do about it?", "Is this a rational way of thinking?", "Is this useful or is it damaging?", "If I need it, how can I get help?" and, finally, "It is hard to try and fix this, but is it worth it?". I already know the answer to the last one. It is "yes, absolutely"!

Hope this was helpful! Happy creating!

[Caro]

Former self-publisher/currently published full-time comics person here!

I think it's easy to get swept up in the idealism of having a physical book that you can hold that is sold in stores but the truth is you absolutely have to be prepared for the workload. Personally, I wouldn't start sending out pitches or querying agents before I had at least a couple of completely finished projects under my belt.

There's a big issue right now where publishers are picking up folks to make comics left and right, lots of new imprints starting up at large, reputable publishers. So in the flurry of new opportunities a lot of inexperienced people are getting gigs and getting published before they even know how to work comfortably as an industry professional.

I've been seeing a lot of books get dropped because people can't finish their proposed project and can't meet deadlines and that's something that if your biggest fear is the pace you might have to work at , limited motivation, and no finished project to back up the fact that you CAN finish them, then you might not be ready for publication. It's not like if they say "yes, we will publish this" you automatically gain those skills/ability/motivation to do everything you have to do to be a professional cartoonist.

I don’t want my reply to dissuade anybody from trying but I just hope to help people manage their expectations a bit. And keep in mind that most people with one published comic still have day jobs. You may get an advance but that’s no guarantee its going to be a money-making book once its out there.

[jhucis]

i just started a webtoon. even tho i want the episode to be atleast 25 panels i cant do it because im a beginner and drawing + color takes so much time than i thought (im a slowpoke snail). but well i just decided to publish it out with less panels XD. see how it goes see if i could actually speed up my process and consistency (failing) but yeah. What I meant is just publish them when you could. maybe try to think of another story that you can let go for free and save up the story that you want to submit to pro's.. That makes the free one as something like a portfolio.

A Bit of Everything | Tapas

[jamontoast98]

Thank you for all of your kind comments so far!

@VibrantFox yeah since I only started thinking about publishing a short while ago I've just realised how much work would go into it. I think, deciding whether you want to publish or not isn't a decision that you should make straight away - so hopefully in a few weeks I'll have a more level head and decide whether I want to go for it or not. In the meantime cherishing the little things is always a great idea!

@Kevbrinx asking VIZ for more details is a great idea! I'm a bit disappointed that they didn't go into more detail about some things, such as who owns the rights to the work you produce, or an example of a successful manga pitch to use as a template. And what if my skills aren't good enough? I've seen people with skills that far surpass mine who are still unable to make it in. And then if I do, what if they want me to take the story/characters in a direction that I don't like, or I can't keep it up and get fired? Such questions cross my mind alot so it's important to stay informed. If a publisher let me do my own thing or at least gave me feedback on where I could improve, that'd be a great motivator.

@Caro I didn't know about the job thing... how do people manage it? Before COVID I was travelling to and from work everyday and was too tired to draw, it literally made me put a big focus on drawing faster because otherwise I'd never get any progress! The quality of my pages aren't always the best (I'll link my comic and some of my most recent work below) but I overall like how it turned out. I think measuring the pros and cons of getting published, and then if so coming up with some realistic plan to get there one day, would be good. May I ask what motivated you to get published and how did you get there?

World Of Fighters

https://tapas.io/series/World-of-Fighters
Some of my most recent work: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Cf3oFt5QcV1G-fIfwu4_QfW9ahAk7h_ykt1bMFhFHpk/edit Edit: (I submitted it for critique but you don't have to do that if you don't want to)

[Jenny-Toons]

[Jenny-Toons]

Closed due to spam bots coming in. But I'll keep it up in case anyone wants the information.