Con-Pitching: How-To Pitch Your Comic Scripts and Art at The Comic Book Conventions

Once you’ve been through the mail cycles a couple of times, you’ll probably realize that pitching your comic script, your art style, your next Invincible is a frustrating to-do. All the time and cash spend shipping your submission to the farthest regions of the country for a simple rejection letter - if you’re lucky. Wouldn’t it be so much simpler to drop it in their hands? Or even better, ask them face-to-face? 

This is the unique opportunity pitching at conventions offers. You can feasibly walk up to a Dark Horse booth and drop off your submission there with little or no hassle. You can even talk to real human being about your pitch, and receive the much needed feedback absent in the form rejection letter. 

But the art of con-pitching is just that - an art. Like all art, it takes practice, and couple pointers. The practice part is up to you, but here are a few tips to get you within striking distance of the industry pros.

Figure Out What You Are Going to Do, and Do It Early - I made the split second decision of loading all of my projects, consisting of proposals, scripts and sample art from a college, onto a blank CD the night before. While this cut down on paper cost, I could have made it twice as professional had I truly give it thought. Do everything two-three weeks in advance - plenty of time to fill an order at Kinko’s if that’s what it takes. And if you do go the digital route, as I did, bring at least four or five hardcopy submissions just in case. Someone chewed me out for that reason alone .Which brings me up to my next point.

Be Prepared For Jerks - Ninety percent of the people you met at cons are going to be far nicer than that submission form Marvel sent you last month, even if these people are turning you down also. But when cramped in a sweaty conventional hall filled with sensory overload, well, bad things occasionally happen. Don’t let occasional jerks get you down. Hurt feelings are the cost of doing business. If you need a break to recollect yourself, take it. Go to the diner across the street and come back ready and able.