20 replies to this topic

[THE REAL SCOTt]

How long should it take for a guy to get success as a comics writer on average?

[Russell H]

That's an impossible to answer question. Everyone is different. Everyone's output over time is different. Everyone's definition of success is different.

The first comic I ever wrote that people actually saw, they liked. To me, that's success as a comics writer. It hasn't changed my life, and I'm still not very prolific, but I have written comics that people like. All future success is just an expansion of that.

[Steve Sensible]

5 years, 3 months, 12 days and 21 hours.

On average.

[Michael Stranger]

That's UK time, Steve. In the US the average differs, due to the larger comic book market. Success as a comics writer usually takes 78 days. If not, you're doing it wrong.

[GordonM]

Comic writers achieve success?!

[James L. Sarandis]

While it does wildly vary for everyone I find that to be a big name writer in the Big Two can take up to 10 years, and to be a big independent writer after that tack another 10 on.

[brucegray666]

While it does wildly vary for everyone I find that to be a big name writer in the Big Two can take up to 10 years, and to be a big independent writer after that tack another 10 on.

But that's just the ones that make it. Taking the writers who don't make it (and I imagine there's many of them) into account would drive the average waaaaaaaaay up, such is the way of statistics.

[Gibsonian]

It really depends on which god you worship and animal you sacrifice...............

[Sarah Horrocks]

Most of the famous guys you know now we're doing stuff for about ten years before you heard of them. So ten years.

[Jim Ohara]

If you find yourself asking this question it's never going to happen as you clearly haven't figured out how the industry works.

[craggy]

How long should it take for a guy to get success as a comics writer on average?

83% of your life, divided by half, plus 7, then take the name of your first pet and the street you grew up on.

[David Chapman]

83% of your life, divided by half, plus 7, then take the name of your first pet and the street you grew up on.

No, craggy, that's how long it takes you to start writing porn comics.

[craggy]

Rawsac's Journal: April 20, 1969.

"Ordered good, wholesome American food for stakeout. Stamina important. Called DiMaggio's. Was asked if I wanted "the heavy-topped special". Accepted offer, but price seemed excessive. Was told Krystal would be over within 30 minutes to give me satisfaction. Customer service important for repeat business. Good work ethic."



David. That is how you start writing porn comics.

[ditta]

It seemed suitable to me-

[jamon g]

[Scott the Writer]

It's just hard when you make misunderstood art comics. Or, maybe it's me?

[stuperrins]

it all depends on what you mean by success.

[brucegray666]

Wasn't this mentioned in another thread? I seem to remember "half your age then add seven" being something to do with this...

[Sanjay]

Great SCOTt! It takes 1.21 gigawatts!

Or, as Sarah said, 10 years seems the norm for many writers, though if you are really lucky and having your projects noticed very early on it could happen much sooner (Ax-Cop). Knowing how to marketing yourself and having a premise with a hook that makes people want to pick up your work is a must.

Ask yourself what it is about your current project that is different from others in it's genre, what are you saying differently with it? Then make that the crux of your selling point.

[garjones]

Or, as Sarah said, 10 years seems the norm for many writers, though if you are really lucky and having your projects noticed very early on it could happen much sooner (Ax-Cop).

Yeah for a lot of the guys at the top of the tree now that isn't far off. Grant Morrison started in 1978 with Gideon Stargrave and got Zenith 9 years later, DC work about 10 years after he started. Millar got work but not a great hit until about 10 years after he started.

Garth Ennis took two years from his first published work to getting a regular DC title and he was only 21. Jim Shooter has the famous claim of writing a DC book at 14 years old.

I think probably the most important question is tragectory. Is your work building readers or are you going backwards.? I think most of the people that that made it took different paths and speeds but had that building of an ausience.