Are you a writer or writer-illustrator with a great graphic novel up your sleeve? Then British publisher Nosy Crow want to hear from you.
“We’re thrilled to be holding an open submissions for graphic novels,” Publishing director for fiction Kirsty Stansfield told The Bookseller.
“There’s a real love for the genre from readers of all ages and we want to find the most brilliant and the most exciting creatives out there! We’re hugely looking forward to seeing what comes through the door.”
Nosy Crow is a multi-award-winning, independent children’s publishing company that began publishing child-focused, parent-friendly children’s books in January 2011, with the aim of creating books that encourage children to read for pleasure. They are one of Britain’s fastest growing publishing companies, currently the 12th biggest publisher of children’s books in the UK.
Recent book releases include A Beginner’s Guide to Ruling the Galaxy by David Solomons, The Mermaid Call by Alex Cotter, A Seal Pup Called Pearl by Helen Peters & Ellie Snowdon, and Sunshine Stables: Willow and the Whizzy Pony by Olivia Tuffin & Jo Goodberry.
The publisher prides itself on publishing talented authors and illustrators from a diverse range of backgrounds across a range of formats, and day they are “hugely excited” to add fresh and original graphic novels to this range.
“As long-time readers of graphic novels, we are passionate about the storytelling possibilities they present as well as the opportunity to reach even more readers and to foster a genuine love for reading in all its forms.”
If you are a creator of graphic novels, read on for information on Nosy Crow’s submission guidelines, or head directly to their web site here.
What Nosy Crow are looking for…
An exciting, commercial graphic novel for children between the ages of 5-12, in any fiction genre. The main characters can be humans, animals, fantasy creatures or a mixture – the possibilities are endless!
“If you are new to children’s publishing, standard target age ranges are 5-7, 7-9 and 9-12. We recommend you look at already published fiction books and graphic novels in the market to get an idea of what is out there.”
Entry Criteria
Please send the following to graphicnovels@nosycrow.com:
- A graphic novel script/story (about anything for children aged 5-12 and minimum five sides of A4)
- A one-page synopsis
- A short biography (max 300 words)
If you are an illustrator, please also send:
- Max three double-page spreads of your graphic novel
- Links to further sample artwork in your portfolio
- Submissions can be in black-and-white orfull colour
Please send no more than three submissions per person.
The submissions window runs from: 1st August 2022 to 30th September 2022. Unfortunately, any submissions received after this time will be deleted.
Formats accepted are:
- Adobe PDF for illustration spreads
- Adobe PDF, Microsoft Word (or similar) for script, synopsis and biography
- PDFs should be no more than 5MB in total
Your submission must be:
- Unpublished anywhere in the world
- In the English language
- By someone aged 18 or older
The Fiction team will review all submissions sent in the two-month window. Nosy Crow say they are aiming to reply to everyone, whether you are successful or not.
“However, we are hoping for a large volume of submissions, so it may take some time to get back to you. Please don’t be discouraged if you don’t hear back immediately!
“If you forget an attachment in your email, don’t worry. Please resend your whole submission and let us know at the top, so we can delete your previous email.”
If you have any questions, please email graphicnovels@nosycrow.com.
• Check out the full submission guidance here on the Nosy Crow web site
The founder of downthetubes, which he established in 1998. John works as a comics and magazine editor, writer, and on promotional work for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. He is currently editor of Star Trek Explorer, published by Titan – his third tour of duty on the title originally titled Star Trek Magazine.
Working in British comics publishing since the 1980s, his credits include editor of titles such as Doctor Who Magazine, Babylon 5 Magazine, and more. He also edited the comics anthology STRIP Magazine and edited several audio comics for ROK Comics. He has also edited several comic collections, including volumes of “Charley’s War” and “Dan Dare”.
He’s the writer of “Pilgrim: Secrets and Lies” for B7 Comics; “Crucible”, a creator-owned project with 2000AD artist Smuzz; and “Death Duty” and “Skow Dogs” with Dave Hailwood.
Categories: Books, British Comics, British Comics - Graphic Novels, Comics, Creating Comics, downthetubes Comics News, downthetubes News, Other Worlds
In Memoriam: Comic Artist and Writer Nick Spender