SQUID WORKS SUBMISSIONS

I. What is the Squid Works?

II. Purpose of our catalog and website

III. Terms of Distribution

I. WHAT IS THE SQUID WORKS?

Squid Works is a comic art creators cooperative which exists to assist independent, self-publishing creators to better their exposure.

Squid Works hosts a website prints a feature flyers for retailers. The website and flyers provide fans and dealers with listings, promotions, and highlights of independent, self-published comic work for sale.

Squid Works actively promotes through their website and retailer mailers, and may assist creators to a limited capacity with press releases.

Membership for marketed creators is $35 per new project and $25 per year ($25 included in the $35 for new members).

II. PURPOSE OF OUR ONLINE CATALOG AND WEBSITE

The purpose of this catalog at this time is the following:

· To support independent, self-published comic creators

· To help organize distribution of comics for independent-friendly retailers

· To help provide a regular distribution channel to comic artists currently unable to attain wider distribution with other national distributors or looking for an additional distribution outlet

· To assist the self-published, self-distributed artist with exposure and distribution and provide them with some legitimacy by being associated with our organization

Stan Yan: "In my years of comic art creation, I have not actively marketed my projects with a great deal of fervor, and as a result, I have had little success circulating work that has received a great deal of praise from the half a dozen-or-so people who have read them. Over these same years, I have watched many of my peers have their meritous self-published projects shot down for distribution through Diamond and other distributors. After finally getting fed up with my sparse readership, I decided to handle things in a little more business-like manner.

After outlining a preliminary business plan, I decided to do a little research to find out exactly what Diamond was looking for. In reading though their submission package, I was dismayed to find that my current project at that time was unlikely to meet their criteria, although I felt (as many of you probably do) that readers would be severely deprived if my project wasn’t made available to

I have attached a recent list of vendors that are currently on our primary marketing list. If there are any that you would like to add, please let me know. These are vendors that will receive invitations to visit our quarterly online catalog. Printed flyer templates for the most recently added features to our catalog will be made available to these retailers via mail."

We hope to be your launching pad for bigger and better things to come.

III. TERMS OF DISTRIBUTION

You are encouraged to first seek distribution with Diamond and other larger distributors. When, and only when you have received more rejection than your fragile ego can take, hand it over here and let us have a shot. Like any business, we reserve the right to stomp on it like a flaming rag and reject any submission for any reason, but we aim to give you the benefit of the doubt as much as humanly possible.

Your submission package should include all of the following:

1. A completed sample copy of the product that you would like us to solicit

2. Some basic information about your product

3. Cover art (make sure this reflects your intended cover price) and / or other promotional art in a clean b&w format

4. And a press release

Be sure to include contact information with your submission package, so that we will be able to inform you of our decision. Please include e-mail, web address, or fax if available.

Since we exist for the self-published artist that may have had some difficulty with the major distributors or are strictly a micro-press publisher, and you are here still seeking distribution, we know you are stubborn and will have your comic printed no matter what. As such, we expect that your product is probably complete and likely already printed. Your submission package should contain a complete copy of your first comic – either an actual, shelf-ready book, a promotional ashcan, or a photocopy of your final, printer-ready book. Sample copies sent to Squid Works become property of Squid Works and will not be returned.

Squid Works’s selection committee will evaluate your submission for acceptance and notify you of our decision.

Squid Works distributes strictly on consignment basis. Upon acceptance, a consignment agreement will be sent to you. When you receive the agreement, review the terms, sign the agreement, and send the requested number of issues to us at PO Box 480453, Denver, CO 80248-0463. Finally, you will need to include your $35 check for the current year to help us defray our postage expense, made out to “Squid Works.” You or your printer is responsible for all postage. Please do not send us any shipments without a completed consignment agreement accompanying or preceding it. We will not distribute your products without the completed agreement, and we cannot guarantee return of your package.

The initial $35 covers all of the following:

· A ‘preview’ feature article in that quarter’s both Squid Works retailer mailing (including promotional flyer template for your book) and Squid Works website (You should prepare the article, but we reserve the write to edit it or prepare our own in lieu), including sample art or cover art.

· Distribution of your press release to various online trade publications and message boards, many of which are listed on the resources links on our website.

· One year listing in ‘back issues’ of our Squid Works catalog and website (as well as a link to your personal website if applicable) – includes your first $25 annual dues.

The annual $25 dues keeps you listed in our ‘back issues’ of our catalog and website (including link), no matter how many projects you have listed with us. You will be issued a reminder of this sometime in your 3^rd quarter. Failure to remit payment by the press deadline for your next year’s 1^st quarter deadline will result in your projects being left off of the subsequent catalogs. Your consigned inventory will only be held for 1 quarter. After that time, we reserve the right to return your inventory postage due. You may re-initiate at any time with your annual payment.

Discount – Squid Works is a cooperative, looking to better member’s chances of garnering readership, so we only ask for enough discount on consignment to allow us to operate and offer retailers their expected discount off of cover price. We will sell to retailers on a buy/sell basis. Sales to dealers generally equal 50% of cover. Upon dealer payment, we will remit 40% of cover to the creator.

Minimums and increments – We reserve the right to reject any shipment pursuant to a minimum or increment that you or your printer requires for inventory liability considerations.

Shipping – Shipping charges should be paid by the creator or the publisher (if applicable). Please include a packing list referencing your name, address, and phone number. Packing lists should include the quantities and names of the products included and a completed consignment agreement should accompany or precede the shipment.

Product Information Sheet:

Some basic information should be sent to Squid Works for every product that you would like Squid Works to solicit. The information that we request will help us to write a noteworthy description of your products, price them correctly to our customers, and prepare internally for distribution. Although it may appear in other parts of your submissions package, we ask that you summarize the information on the one sheet for us.

Your Product Information Sheet should include each of the following items:

· Title

· Issue number and number of issues in series (if applicable)

· Writers’ and artists’ names

· Synopsis

· Intended audience

· Format (color or black & white (cover and guts), size, and page count)

· Retail price (Cover Price in US $)

· Printer information (if you are not shipping them yourself)

· UPC code (if applicable)

· Licensing restrictions (if any)

Most of the above information is self-explanatory, but here are some more detailed descriptions of some:

Synopsis: Write a brief, objective description of your comic book. Squid Works will use your write-up as the foundation for what is written in the promotions. In many cases, we will use the copy that you provide verbatim. This synopsis should be two to three sentences. It should be an overview of the product that will excite readers and entice retailers to support the title. Squid Works reserves the right to edit any submitted copy.

Intended audience: Please indicate whether your material is for All Ages, for Mature Readers, or Adult Material. “All Ages” do not include any nudity, foul language, adult situations, or excess violence. “Mature Readers” products may contain some violence, brief nudity, adult situations, or profanity. “Adult Material” is material that should not be sold to minors. Adult comic books may contain gratuitous nudity or sex. Due to the nature of the material, we may reserve the right to not promote this material.

Format: Please note the page count of your comic or graphic novel. If it is sized differently than a current standard size comic book, please note the physical dimensions. If it is mini-, digest- or magazine-sized, you may note this instead. Please also note if the interior pages are printed in black and white or full-color, and make the same distinction for the cover.

Printer information: If you are having your printer ship your product and not shipping the it yourself, please let us know from where you will be shipping your product (including name of printer, address, country, phone number, and ship date).

Licensing restrictions: If your comic book is based on a license you have purchased, you may have certain restrictions on where your comic can be distributed. Please inform Squid Works on your Product Information Sheet of any restrictions to which you may be contractually bound.

Promotional graphics: Please indicate which graphics you would prefer to use for promotional purposes. Squid Works does, however, reserve the right to use an alternative graphic from your product due to mature content or layout considerations. Any color graphics should be provided to us in a clear black and white format.

Press release

One of the jobs of a publisher is marketing. With your debut issue and with any other special issue or event, you should send a press release. If we feel that extra exposure is warranted, Squid Works may devote some editorial to your comic in one or more of our publications. If we do not have a press release, then it becomes much more difficult to give your comic book or graphic novel any editorial coverage.

Should you stop submitting to other distributors?

Absolutely not! Prior to your arrangement with us, we trust that you have exhausted your resources with your current project. As you work on future issues of your project and other projects, please continue to send submission packages to the big boys first. If you happen to be accepted by one of them and as part of their distribution agreement, they agree to pick up your previous issues, please let us know. Any new distribution agreement that requires EXCLUSIVE rights of distribution will void the Squid Works consignment agreement for that particular product. Unfortunately, we cannot refund or rebate any part of your promotions fee or any remaining annual dues, but you can be sure we will make readers well aware of your good fortune and let them know where to find your product line from now on. You may continue to submit products to us as long as it is not in violation of any other existing distribution agreement. If at any future date, your distribution agreement has been terminated with another distributor, you are welcome to resubmit those products to our catalog. If any new distribution agreement is NOT exclusive and you wish to maintain your listing with the Squid Works, you may do so as long as you continue to pay your annual dues.

The Squid Works Online Catalog

With our niche market and our website tie-in, we feel we can effectively and efficiently communicate with retailers. In order to do this, however, we need your help. In order for us to be meet our mailing deadlines, we need you to supply timely information and artwork. Missing one of these deadlines could force us to pull your product solicitation from the Squid Works Catalog. Please note our publishing schedule that we have attached and plan your own schedule of printings, mailings, and publicity accordingly. Here is an explanation of the columns you will see:

Cover Date: This column represents the month that each issue of Squid Works Online Quarterly Catalog will be updated, and promotional flyer templates for your book will be mailed, and when our customers will be placing initial orders for your products.

Deadline for Catalog Info & Artwork: This is the deadline for all solicitation material, including Product Information Sheets, actual issue or photocopy of final mock up of your product, other artwork (if applicable) are due at this time.

Web Links

We are more than happy to link our website to yours, however we ask that you do a couple of things. We ask that you not directly sell items currently under distribution with Squid Works via your website, instead, direct buyers to the Squid Works website or to Squid Works retailers. Second, we ask that you link our website to your own clearly during the term of distribution with us.

Primary Vendor List | Publishing Schedule

Please note that all images are (C) Copyrighted by creators. Use of images without permission is strictly prohibited except for review purposes, where partial reproduction is allowed. If you DO review any of the books seen here, please let us know, because it could mean FREE merchandise for you from Squid Works!!! Find out more by clicking on "reviews."

Your support of small press comics is appreciated: