Submission Guide
*Comic & writing competitions have been cancelled. We are no longer accepting short story or novel submissions.*
Anyone is welcome to submit to Socko Press by emailing a query letter to sockopublishing@gmail.com. For creators looking for professional feedback on their work (comic, script, or pitch), please fill out the contact form, or reach out to Max Hoven directly at max@hovencrow.com.
What we're looking for:
A PDF pitch sheet detailing your project. We will be publishing 80+ page manga-size graphic novellas and graphic novels. However, your project does not need to be completed to submit.
A pitch is generally expected to have creator bios, a logline, synopsis, sample pages and a sample cover for the full story arc you're wanting to tell.
Our initial line-up of titles will all have dark themes and tones, and we'll most likely focus on publishing horror, sci-fi, fantasy, crime, action and thriller. But if you have a powerful story outside of those genres, go ahead and send it over.
What Can You Expect from Socko?
Not much. We will only be publishing a handful of titles in our first few years. And we will not have a wide reach. Our print runs will most likely be less than 500 copies. Sales will be direct, mostly online through our webstore or in-person at conventions. Comic shop and book store sales will be limited to those we can deliver to directly until we establish a consistent release schedule.
Creator Incentives
1. Socko Press has access to email lists, sales funnels, and private groups with access to thousands of comic and manga readers, hungry for new content.
2. We'll create YouTube and podcast content to drive organic traffic (Indie Comic Empire).
3. We self-distribute via our own web store and on Amazon, making us available everywhere.
4. We have partnerships with local book stores and comic shops, and will pitch to have your own books in a shop/store near you.
5. We travel to comic, anime, horror, and author conventions for direct-to-consumer sales in various communities.
6. We'll send a list of relevant conventions and art fairs to creators, to help them sell their books directly.
7. We offer complimentary copies to creators and the option for creators to purchase copies of any Socko Press book at 50% off retail price.