If you have published in newspapers, please indicate which ones they
are.
If you want the material returned, enclose a stamped, self-addressed
envelop.
TEXT COLUMNS
Each text column, ideally, should be between 500 - 700 words. We like
to see about six, and no more than twelve, sample columns.
COMICS:
Please include a letter explaining your comic feature. Tell us, also,
about your background, including information about any previous comic features you have
developed. A stamped, self-addressed envelope should also be included.
Any size comic or panel is looked and and acceptable as long as it can
be reduced. (Reduceable to 14 by 44 picas; panels to 26 by 22 picas.) Often they are drawn
twice as large as the comic strips that appear in the newspaper.
You can submit comics using any material, black ink, marker pens, etc.,
but a quality black line drawing is necessary. If you use shading tone, it must be no
finer than 65-line screen in the reduced size of the cartoon.
We like to see four to six weeks of samples of your feature.
Only one copy of each cartoon need be submitted. It is not necessary to
submit Sunday episodes.
HOW TO PREPARE A SUBMISSION PACKAGE TO
WHITEGATE FEATURES SYNDICATE
(OR, IN GENERAL, TO ANY SYNDICATE).
The quality of the contents of your subn-dssion package will help shape
your syndicate destiny. A carefully prepared package will put your submission far out
ahead of the multitude of artists, writers and creators who submit features to major
syndicates.
A well-conceived submission package should contain the following five
elements:
A well-thought out cover letter personally addressed to the
appropriate editor, Eve Green.
For comic submissions, include a page of character introductions
Text features might call for brief outline of future topics.
Sample copies, not originals, of your feature.
A self-addressed, stamped envelope. To save money, you might decide
to include a business sized envelope just for a response. You material might be filed for
future review or, very sorry, tossed away.
WHAT HAPPENS TO YOUR SUBMISSION AFTER IT IS
RECEIVED AT WHITEGATE FEATURES SYNDICATE?
Although each syndicate may have their own way of dealing with
submissions, here's how submissions are handled at Whitegate Features Syndicate.
We put each submission into mailing bins as they come in. We do not
logged it in by a submissions editor.
The head of submissions, Eve Green, or her assistant, will screen all
of the material. Features considered obviously inappropriate because of the subject matter
or unconsistant workmanship, etc., are rejected and returned. Because WFS receives so many
submissions and reading submissions is only part of Eve Green's position, it may take us
longer than a bigger syndicate to actually open and review your work.
If your feature stands out on the first reading, we then pass it on to
be reviewed by our text or comic editor. If those editors reject your feature, we
unfortunately send you back a form letter. Although we would like to give you suggestions
for improving the material, we just cannot do that because of our staff limitations and
time.
Because we have experienced so many comic and text creators calling us
after receiving a rejection notice, asking what they could do to improve their feature, we
started another division of our syndicate in 1989. We actually go through your feature
with you, help you improve both the content and the entire submissions package. While this
does not necessarily mean we would be able to add your feature to our lineup for many
different reasons, it certainly would give the creator of the feature a better package to
send out to other syndicates or newspapers. We do chage a fee for this service.
If the editors likes your feature, it it then reviewed by a committee
that may include other editors, salespeople, promotion personnel and, then the president
of the company.
We will then get in touch with you and either make plans to work
together refining your feature or ..."let's go!" -- we'll get started making
plans for a launch.
And that's a simple explaination of how we work.
