This Post is Graphic
That’s right: graphic. I’m gonna be throwing all sorts of graphs at y’all. You won’t know what hit you.
TAKE THAT!
AND THAT!
AND ANOTHER!
And there’s plenty more where those came from, so don’t test me.
But beyond simple graphs, I am faced with a rather thorny problem. As a writer, I don’t have a lot of dealings with the graphic arts. I paint pictures with my words, not with actual paints.
But that does not mean there is no overlap between what I do and the world of visual storytelling. After all, what great book has not also benefitted from great cover art? The same goes for film and stage adaptations of books. Visual elements are added to what was a text-only experience.
So it is that I find myself in a rather strange predicament.
Congratulations, You’re a (Graphic) Novelist
I occasionally loan out my manuscript to people I know. It ends up with coworkers, mostly. Recently, one coworker finished reading it. His assessment: the book would work better as a graphic novel.
Now, coming from him, this was actually a great compliment. But it does pose a problem for me, because I’m a writer, not an artist. And I’m afraid he is not the first person to make the same suggestion.
My editor (the one that I hired to help me polish the manuscript) said that if I could adapt the book into a graphic novel, that would make it easier to pitch to Hollywood producers, whose interest could cause publishers to buy my original manuscript. Even just some concept art could be helpful. But what would be really helpful is a successful Kickstarter.
But creating a successful Kickstarter requires a few things. The best possible situation would be for me to get a well-known comic artist to create the book. And, honestly, I think I could accomplish that, if only I knew who to ask.
With a big-name artist, I could make a dynamite Kickstarter. Even if we only adapt the first half of the novel, it could lead to bigger and better things. And I’d be willing to pay for the privilege. It’s just that I have no idea where to start.
It’s just a Suggestion
It’s not like this is the only option available to me, and my editor only floated it as possibility. I don’t know if it’s the right course of action for my book.
But I need to at least explore the idea.
So, among other things, I am looking for ways to obtain an artist’s consultation. If only I knew where big-name comic artists hang out.
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