Sometimes it's not even one paragraph! Sometimes you stare at the screen for half an hour, write a paragraph, stare at it for half an hour, and then delete it. But that didn't fit quite as neatly into my wrap-up :)
Very helpful information! Have you any suggestions for a way to include a graphic novel chapter that is in a graphic novel script format (there is no standard format), which consists of a panel by panel description of the characters, setting, and action and the the dialog for the characters in each panel?
Good question, Janet! I think it depends on whether you have an artist already on board (or if you'll be doing the art and text yourself). When I've worked on illustrated-book proposals with no artist attached, we've usually used a format in which the author would have a page number header, include a description in brackets of the potential art on that page, and then have the text that would appear on that page in script format. But in addition to that, we've included existing sample art from the artist or artists that we think would be the right fit for the project, to give editors at least a hypothetical sense for the visuals of the project.
If there is an artist attached, I've found it most useful to try to have at least a few finished spreads in the sample chapter. Even if the rest is in script format, including a handful of illustrated spreads will at least give editors/agents a real sense for the book. But the gold standard, if you are the artist or you've already partnered with an artist, is to include a full sample chapter in graphic-novel format.
The only other thing I'll mention (before this risks becoming its own post) is that for children's picture books it's often better to not have an illustrator already on board because it gives publishers more freedom to define the visuals of the project (and children's-book imprints often have a big network of illustrators to call upon). I confess I'm venturing out of my usual wheelhouse here, so take all this with a grain of salt, and definitely fact-check me against other editors and agents!
"... embrace days of single-paragraph progress." Thank you for this. Today I fixed one paragraph and wrote one new sentence! Sigh.
Sometimes it's not even one paragraph! Sometimes you stare at the screen for half an hour, write a paragraph, stare at it for half an hour, and then delete it. But that didn't fit quite as neatly into my wrap-up :)
Very helpful information! Have you any suggestions for a way to include a graphic novel chapter that is in a graphic novel script format (there is no standard format), which consists of a panel by panel description of the characters, setting, and action and the the dialog for the characters in each panel?
Good question, Janet! I think it depends on whether you have an artist already on board (or if you'll be doing the art and text yourself). When I've worked on illustrated-book proposals with no artist attached, we've usually used a format in which the author would have a page number header, include a description in brackets of the potential art on that page, and then have the text that would appear on that page in script format. But in addition to that, we've included existing sample art from the artist or artists that we think would be the right fit for the project, to give editors at least a hypothetical sense for the visuals of the project.
If there is an artist attached, I've found it most useful to try to have at least a few finished spreads in the sample chapter. Even if the rest is in script format, including a handful of illustrated spreads will at least give editors/agents a real sense for the book. But the gold standard, if you are the artist or you've already partnered with an artist, is to include a full sample chapter in graphic-novel format.
The only other thing I'll mention (before this risks becoming its own post) is that for children's picture books it's often better to not have an illustrator already on board because it gives publishers more freedom to define the visuals of the project (and children's-book imprints often have a big network of illustrators to call upon). I confess I'm venturing out of my usual wheelhouse here, so take all this with a grain of salt, and definitely fact-check me against other editors and agents!