Approaching a Client or Publisher
Whether you're trying to sell your cartooning to a greeting card company or a comic strip syndicate, take some time to research how they prefer to be contacted. Most companies will be much more receptive to your query when it's clear that you respect their system. Most publishers and printers make their expectations clear on their Web sites. In general, the majority of companies follow some standard procedures. Here are a few tips to stay in the clear:
Never send original art. Your submissions should be clean photocopies.
Make sure each sample has your contact information printed on it.
Include a self-addressed stamped envelope (SASE) so they can contact you easily.
Include a query letter. This is a brief introduction that explains the purpose of the mailing and includes your contact information.
Don't fold your samples. Slide a piece of cardboard into the envelope to keep it from getting bent in the delivery process.
Above all, think twice before picking up the telephone. Following up a mailing with a telephone call is risky. You might be remembered as a nuisance. For better results, wait a few months, double-check your contact information, and mail another submission.
Artist's and Graphic Designer's Market is an annual publication that contains contact information for publishers of greeting cards, magazines, and books. It also has information on contacting newspaper syndicates and other opportunities for cartoonists. There is also an excellent section on negotiating pay rates and royalties.
You will be mailing a lot of samples to several different companies. Keep a log of the companies you've contacted, the date the samples were mailed, which samples were mailed, and whether you've received a response. This will help you to organize your mailings — timing follow-up mailings correctly and avoiding sending the same samples out to the same prospective client.
