What's the best way to show work to publishers at SPX?

September 2, 2011 4:41 PM

What's the best way of showing my work to publishers at Small Press Expo? I have a portfolio of dozens of medium-sized narrative drawings from which I'd like to pick 10-12 to show. Is it best to e-mail ahead before the event to reserve time? To go to the event and ask when they'd be free to review them? I know how busy the SPX floor can get on a Saturday afternoon, so I'd like to hear from those who've tried there, at other shows and in general.
posted by the sobsister to Media & Arts (1 answer total)

Best answer: A lot of comic publishers have their policies on Looking At Portfolios At Cons listed on their website, usually near their submission policy.

Also if you're pitching yourself as an artist who would be hooked up with a writer ('medium-sized narrative drawings' sounds like isolated images, not a comic book) then you are probably doomed to disappointment, no matter what you do. The big publishers have the resources to do this but the little guys? Find your own collaborator, come to them with something they could theoretically say "this is awesome, let's get it published" to. (Which could also be a few pages of a story and a decent chunk of notes on where it will go and how it will end.)

Bring some of your stock of books. Bring xeroxed/printed-out portfolios you can leave in their hands in case they're just taking some stuff back home for the editorial folks to look at. Bring enough of that to leave something in the hands of every publisher there who you want to speak with, bring a few extras even.
posted by egypturnash at 1:43 AM on September 4, 2011