Is It A Grapic Novel?

I can't answer that because I don't understand what you're saying, I'm afraid.

If it's text and illustrations laid out like a graphic novel, then I don't see why it wouldn't be a graphic novel.

If you could explain why you think it might not be, that would be very helpful.

It's an illustrated novel, then.

They are very expensive to produce if you do them well, and they tend not to sell particularly well (at least, they don't sell enough extra copies to warrant the extra cost of producing them) so they aren't often published, I'm afraid.

It's expensive because of the cost of hiring an illustrator, putting an illustrated book through production, designing that book, and printing that book. If it is the same length as a regular novel with illustrations too then the costs of paper, of storing and shipping the book, and of shelving it at the bookshop will all be higher too.

It is a novel you want to be illustrated. Honestly there is no common procedure for that. I think if it is a deal breaker issue for you you are ruling out most agents and publishers before you even start.

Which is exactly the advice I've given you on another forum (where I'm big and bold and not the wee mouse I am here):


"What I think is best is for you to ask yourself how prescriptive you are being over the book. Only an agent or publisher will have their own views and, if you have this specialised single vision for the book, they are going to be wary of that (I think I said that in the other thread.)

I think you are better approaching agents who are open to graphic or illustrated novels and putting in a normal query with an end caveat that you would like to explore the possiblity of. IF the prose is good enough, you' should get bites, if you query widely enough. If it's not, it certainly won't.

But, if your vision is rigid and this is the way it must be, you might not want a publisher, who will impose some of their own vision/marketing requirements on you. If you want your vision done in absolution, self publishing or a specialist book publisher (more research, sorry - google illustrated book publishers and see what comes up?) may be an easier way forward.

Or, if it's truly unique (which I doubt) perhaps ask yourself why. Is there a market for it? Is it cost effective?

And, also, ask yourself why it must be in this format? For you or a reader? If for you, that's something any publisher will struggle to take forward.

In short, I think you need to explore why you want this format and if you're prepared to take the hit if there is no market for it. Because, really, by stipulating it in such a closed way I think you're making the already hellish odds of getting published almost impossible."

Which mirrors the same advice you were given last week by myself and others. If two good writing forums, one specialising in Sff, are giving the same answers, I think you have good, solid advice. Where you go from there is harder.

I believe such a novel might be a tough sale. I don't for a second think this means you should write it exactly like that. I can absolutely guarantee two things. 1. If you don't write it the way you want it, no one will buy it because it won't exist. 2. The best advice and the best opinion any of us can give you about what will or won't sell is, at best, and educated guess. Editors frequently say yes to thing that puzzle the hell out of me, and those things frequently turn into bestsellers.

Writing what you want, the way you want it, matters. The worst that can happen is that it won't sell, so you write a different one. But I'd hate not to write something because someone told me they didn't think it would sell. They just don't know.

As for the cost of illustrations, an illustrator charges no more for a regular novel than for a graphic novel. If you can write it in a way that makes sense with the illustrations, but not without them, it probably falls into graphic novel territory, whatever the layout.

Or it may fall into crossover country, and sell to fans of both.

If it's something you really want to write, stop going all over the place asking questions, and just plant your butt and write it.

Do the graphic sections add to the story or repeat the story? If they add to the story, great. If you are writing a middle grade, this is getting more common. Origami Yoda, Diary of a Wimpy Kid, The Invention of Hugo Cabret and other works are doing this. You should be able to find them in libraries or stores. It helps if you are the illustrator. I imagine this wouldn't be as hard of a sell in YA because the readers of these MG books have hit that age.

I don't know about the adult market though.

madprincelegion said:

So its basically a hybrid between novel text form and panels/artwork working alongside each other to give a visual and literature story.

Click to expand...

One of the Big Names published a set of paperbacks like that back around 1980. Text and full-page art panels were interspersed however the stories required. Some were mostly text, others mostly graphics. It must have been fairly successful cuz they printed 8 or 9 volumes of this stuff.

And I have the whole set, but it's boxed up and I can't think what they called it. It included some modern Doc Savage stories.