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Visual Art Submissions Now Open For The CACN Anthology!

Welcome future comic stars to 2019!

I sincerely hope that this is your year, whether that means the year you get your big break, the year you start writing or drawing every day, the year your job or schoolwork allows you to focus on your passion, or even just the year you make some meaningful friends. What I know is that CACN will be working to make sure this is our year. And part of how we’re going to do that is with our first ever CACN anthology!

We received story pitches from many of our talented writers late last year and now it’s time to see what the rest of our community can do as well. We took some extra time making sure the writers were fully taken care of, and we do appreciate your patience, but it’s finally your turn. We’re looking for pencillers, inkers, flatters, colorists, letterers, graphic designers and any other kind of visual artist who wants to make comics to submit.

To writers who missed the submission period, do not worry.  You are welcome to send us some of your work as well. Though we can no longer accept pitches, there is a chance that a talented artist may not fit the stories that we’ve picked and we may call upon writers who were late or previously declined to write a story for that artist. After all, there’s no right way to make a comic.

If you’re interested in being a part of the book, please send a portfolio or other sample of your work to cacnanthology@gmail.com and we’ll enter you into the artist pool. Especially if you’re interested in a more specific side of comic art like coloring or lettering, we need you and we’re looking forward to working with you.

All artistic submissions are due no later than February 14th, a fine day for connections, don’t you think?

Once submissions are finalized, artistic teams will be paired with writers to complete stories during the spring and early summer. That means that this isn’t just a chance to produce some more art, but an opportunity to network in itself!

We regret that we cannot offer payment to our contributors, who undoubtedly deserve it. However, anyone who works on the book will receive as many copies as we can afford of the completed anthology to sell. Additionally all contributors will have the right to purchase books at a discounted rate. In the unlikely event that enough money is raised that it cannot reasonably be put back into the production of the anthology, 100% of that profit will be transparently returned to the contributors.

Anyone who’s ever attended any CACN or Creator Connection event is eligible and, in the spirit of the group, we encourage you to spread the word to your Creator After Con Network.

I hope you had a wonderful holiday season and a happy new year. Now let’s get back to work and make some amazing comics.

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UPDATED – Announcing the Creator After Con Network Anthology!

Creator After Con Network started with a group of aspiring comic creators, some strangers to one another, coming together at a pizza place after a very productive NYCC to continue their conversations that the boundaries of the convention itself couldn’t sustain. Much like the connections made that day, a simple meet-up grew into an event, which grew out of the pizza place and into our annual NYCC home The Twins Pub. But we expanded even further, branching out into different regions, spreading the word about independent creators coming together to collaborate and make comics.

Now, in 2018 we’ve decided to go even further and give a shining example of what a few like-minded individuals with a hot streak for creativity and can do when they unify into a single, concerted effort.

An Anthology. A collection of stories by members who have met by way of our events nationwide, with a through line of Connections.

Because what else would a group of networking advocates create an anthology about?

We’re sure this raises many questions, so please allow us to field them in a simple FAQ.

What are we making?

A comics anthology, created entirely by rising creators from CACN, with a theme of ‘Connections’.

Who’s involved?

This project is being managed by the members of the Creator After Con Network and will be fueled by content from YOU.

Who are we looking for?

Writers, artists, letterers, colorists, anyone interested in working together to make this project happen. If you are reading this, then most likely you’ve been connected through CACN or a member of CACN.

What are the due dates?

We ARE EXTENDING THE NOV 15TH DEADLINE!! All log lines and pitches/outlines no later than November 30th for Writers. We’ll also expect a first script draft by Dec 31st if you are selected.

Artist/Colorists/Letterers portfolio submissions for consideration are due by December 31st.

What should I pitch?

We’re looking for short stories of 5-10 pages, from any genre or point of view and based around the word “connections” to get us (and your future collaborators) as excited about your story as you are. Connections can mean a lot of things, so find the story that speaks to you and don’t be afraid to be creative with the prompt. This anthology is a chance to show off the diversity of our stories, so tell a story that that no one else but you would tell.

What should my pitch look like?

We’re looking for a short summary, at least three or four paragraphs, but preferably no more than a page, that gives a strong idea of the characters, plot, tone, and arc of the story. Ideally, this will include a page breakdown of the story including the ending.

Think synopsis more than elevator pitch. This will give us a sense of what the story will look like in action, rather than as a concept. Don’t hold anything back. This is your chance to show us exactly why your story is great, so don’t be afraid to get into detail or spoil twists. It’s the audience who needs to be wowed, we’re the ones who need to know how you’re going to wow them. 

How are we funding this project?

Currently our sights are set on Kickstarter.

When will it be finished?

We hope to have these in hand and available at NYCC ’19

 

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Reaching out is hard!

Hello everyone!

CACN members Jeff Rider of Cloudwrangler Comics and Johnny  of the Barntstormers will be at San Francisco Comic Con this weekend. They are hosting our first 2 Collaborator Connection Panels, where you can meet your next creative partner. These panels are like speed dting for creators, you’ll get 2 hours to meet folks and find that next awesome partner to make comics.

 

If you attend the panels, you’ll here these guys talk about the importance of “reaching out” afterwords. It’s imperative when networking to land a solid follow up email as soon as possible, maybe even before your head hits the pillow that night. But these emails don’t always come naturally to some of us. Thankfully, we have an easy to cut and paste template you can use RIGHT HERE!

 

Hello (Fellow Creator’s Name),

We got to meet at the Collaborator Connections panel during (whatever Con we were just at) and I  really enjoyed talking to you and looking at your work, specifically (YOUR AWESOME THING). Hopefully we can find something to collaborate on! Please add me on your social media channel of choice, and let’s keep in touch directly!

Sincerely,

Me

@me (social media channels go here)

(Phone number, if you are comfortable)

 

It’s that easy! Check out the homepage for all the details on these panels and the LEGENDARY CACN afterparties! See you in San Francsico!