APCA -AMATEUR AND PROFESSIONAL CARTOONISTS ASSOCIATION

SPONSORED BY ELSMORE'S ABC'S OF CARTOONING

MEMBERS . HALL OF FAME .BOOKS .GAG WRITING . GUEST CARTOONS
CARTOON LINKS .SELLING .BULLETIN BOARD .LIST OF COMICS .GLOSSARY .TIPS
 

ABC'S OF CARTOONING - SELLING CARTOONS

TO SELL CARTOONS YOU WILL NEED TO KNOW WHAT CARTOON EDITORS ARE BUYING.  MOST OF THE CARTOON EDITORS TODAY ARE WOMEN. (CAREER WOMEN)  WHAT IS FUNNY TO MEN AND WHAT IS FUNNY TO WOMEN IS ENTIRELY DIFFERENT.  ARMED WITH THIS INFORMATION YOU CAN SEE THAT THE CARTOON ON THE LEFT  IS MORE SALEABLE THAN THE CARTOON ON THE RIGHT.

WHERE TO SELL YOUR CARTOONS

YOU CAN USE APCA'S LIST OF CARTOON MARKETS OR YOU CAN GET A USED COPY OF "HUMOR AND CARTOON  MARKETS." IT IS PACKED WITH PLACES TO SELL YOUR CARTOONS. "CARTOONIST PROFILES" IS A GOOD SOURCE FOR STRIP CARTOON MARKETS. (PO BOX 325, FAIRFIELD, CT 06430 SEND FOR SUBSCRIPTION  RATE.)

HOW TO SEND YOUR CARTOONS,

FIVE TO FIFTEEN GAG CARTOONS CAN BE SENT IN A 6 1/2" BY 9 1/2" ENVELOPE. I PUT IN A THIN PLASTIC DIVIDER FROM AN OLD NOTE BOOK. THE POST MAN CAN BEND IT, BUT IT DOES NOT CREASE MY CARTOONS. IF YOU WANT TO GET YOUR CARTOONS BACK, TAKE A  SELF ADDRESSEDS STAMPED ENVELOPE FOLD IT IN HALF AND PUT IT IN WITH YOUR CARTOONS. MOST OF  THE TIME YOU ARE ONLY SENDING COPIES BUT IF YOU HAVE THE CARTOON EDITOR SEND YOUR  CARTOONS BACK, YOU WILL AT LEAST KNOW HE OR SHE OPENED YOUR ENVELOPE. A COVER  LETTER IS GOOD BUT KEEP IT SHORT AND TO THE POINT. EXAMPLE: ENCLOSED PLEASE FIND 12 GAG CARTOONS FOR YOUR  CONSIDERATION. IF THEY DO NOT MEET YOUR NEEDS, PLEASE RETURN. THANK YOU -  SIGN NAME - ADDRESS - PHONE NUMBER - SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER. IF THE EDITOR BUYS  A CARTOON HAVING YOUR SS NUMBER WILL SAVE ONE MAILING BACK AND FORTH. FOR COMIC  STRIPS A GOOD SIZE IS 19" BY 6 7/8". THIS WILL GIVE YOU ROOM FOR FOUR FRAMES  WITH 1" BORDER ALL THE WAY AROUND. YOU CAN MAKE IT SMALLER OR LARGER AS LONG AS  YOU KEEP IT PROPORTIONAL.

KNOW YOUR MARKET

LOOK AT BACK ISSUES OF PUBLICATIONS YOU ARE GOING TO SEND CARTOONS TO. FIND OUT WHAT THEY ARE BUYING. SOME GOOD PLACES TO FIND BACK ISSUES ARE YARD SALES, SWAP MEETS, USED BOOK STORES, THRIFT STORES AND LIBRARIES.

A TOUCHY SUBJECT

IN TODAY'S MARKET IF YOUR CARTOONS HAVE A DOMINATE MALE CARICATURE, YOU PROBABLY  WILL NOT SELL ANY CARTOONS. PERSONALLY I DON'T LIKE POLITICS IN THE FUNNIES.  NO MATTER WHICH SIDE OF THE FENCE YOUR ON, I THINK IT'S BAD BUSINESS TO ALIENATE  ALMOST HALF OF YOUR CUSTOMERS. IN THE OLD OR NEW MARKET , KIDS, DOGS AND CATS  ARE ALWAYS GOOD SUBJECTS.

MORE TO COME...