Comic Book Publishers Accepting Submissions

Below are the publishers that take submissions, with what each asks you to send, and the ones that are closed or take agented work only. AuthorWings isn’t a publisher and isn’t on this list. If you have a script and need sample pages for a pitch, a comic book illustrator can draw them.

Comic book publishers accepting submissions

These 11 publishers post guidelines for unsolicited submissions on their own sites (checked 16 October 2026). A few say they’re accepting or seeking talent now; the rest post instructions without an open or closed date. Click through to the official page before you send anything, because policies change.

Publisher	Status on its site	What to send	Team needed?	Rights
Image Comics	Says it’s actively seeking new talent	Cover letter, one-page synopsis, 5+ inked and lettered pages, cover mock-up, by email	Yes. No scripts	Creator-owned. Image keeps a small flat fee and pays no page rates
Black Panel Press	Accepting now	The complete work as a PDF link if you have it; illustrated projects need 10+ pages	Yes. They don’t pair writers with artists	Creators keep their copyright
Alterna Comics	Accepting now, for its anthology It Came Out On A Wednesday (issues 24 and 25) only	A finished short story, up to 10 pages, teen-rated, as JPEG or PDF	Yes, finished art and lettering. Pitches are deleted	Creators keep ownership. Paid in copies, 3 per page
Dark Horse	Guidelines posted	Logline, synopsis (about 300 words), one-page-per-issue outline, up to 6 consecutive art pages, signed submission agreement, by email as attachments. No AI-generated material	Yes. Writer-only pitches aren’t reviewed	Not stated on the page
Fantagraphics	Guidelines posted	20+ pages of finished art (copies), synopsis, planned page count, cover letter, by mail or email	Yes. They don’t pair writers with artists	Not stated. Usually rejects superhero, vigilante, horror, fantasy and science fiction
NBM Publishing	Guidelines posted. North American creators only	One-page synopsis and a few finished pages or pencils, as one PDF under 10 MB. Don’t send the whole book first	No illustration-only pitches, and they don’t build teams	Not stated
Top Shelf Productions	Guidelines posted	10 to 20 inked and lettered pages, by download link or mail. A cover letter, synopsis or script only alongside those pages	Yes. No scripts on their own	Not stated
Drawn & Quarterly	Guidelines posted	A PDF of at least 20 pages of comics; thumbnails or roughs are fine	Drawn pages required. No scripts, decks or character sketches	Not stated
Scout Comics	Guidelines posted	Logline, cover letter, one-page synopsis, 6 inked and lettered pages, cover mock-up, in one PDF	Yes	Creator-owned only, with shared royalties and no page rates
Antarctic Press	Guidelines posted	Main line: one complete 22 to 30 page issue of finished art; manga style preferred. Anthologies also take scripts and story ideas	No. One creator who writes and draws is preferred	Advance and royalties; says it can’t pay high page rates
Mad Cave Studios	Pitch form posted, no open or closed date. Also handles creator-owned pitches for Papercutz	A pitch PDF with 6 to 8 art pages and a series breakdown	Art pages required; team credits optional	Not stated

On a phone, swipe the table sideways to see every column.

Closed, windows only, or agent only

These publishers aren’t taking unsolicited pitches right now (checked 16 October 2026).

Publisher	Status on its own site
Marvel	Doesn’t accept or consider unsolicited story ideas, art, scripts or manuscripts
DC	Its latest posted policy (2019) says it takes no unsolicited scripts or art
IDW Publishing	Takes no unsolicited submissions or portfolios
BOOM! Studios	Takes no unsolicited submissions
Oni Press	Opens in submission windows; closed now, next window not announced
Iron Circus Comics	Closed to unsolicited proposals
Silver Sprocket	Not taking submissions
Humanoids	Not taking open submissions
First Second	No longer takes unsolicited submissions
TOKYOPOP and Seven Seas	Not taking original pitches
Abrams (including Abrams ComicArts)	Doesn’t accept unsolicited submissions; recommends a literary agent
Little, Brown Ink	Its parent company, Hachette, doesn’t consider unsolicited submissions and recommends an agent

We left out publishers whose current policy we couldn’t confirm on their own site.

What to send: the comic pitch packet

A comic pitch packet shows an editor the story and proves your team can draw it. Here’s what the publishers above ask for.

Item	What it is	Who asks for it
Cover letter	A short note on the project and your past work, with contact details	Image, Fantagraphics, Scout
Logline	The story in one or two sentences	Dark Horse, Scout
Synopsis	The whole story, ending included, on about one page	Image, Dark Horse, NBM, Scout, Fantagraphics
Outline	One page per issue, start to finish	Dark Horse
Sample pages	Drawn comic pages; most want them inked and lettered	All of them: 5+ (Image), up to 6 (Dark Horse), 6 (Scout), 10 to 20 (Top Shelf), 20+ (Fantagraphics; Drawn & Quarterly, where roughs are fine)
Cover mock-up	A sample cover with the title	Image, Scout
Signed agreement	The publisher’s own submission form	Dark Horse

Send exactly what each page asks for, in the format it asks for. Several publishers decline anything that doesn’t match, without a reply.

Can you pitch a script without art?

Usually not. Most publishers in our check ask for drawn sample pages from a complete team, and Image, Dark Horse, Scout and Drawn & Quarterly say plainly that they don’t take script-only pitches. There are two exceptions. Oni Press takes writer-only pitches when its window is open and helps pair strong ones with artists, and Antarctic Press’s anthologies take scripts and story ideas.

So a writer has two choices: team up with an artist, or hire one to draw the sample pages. If you hire, check what the publisher requires of the team. Image, for example, expects the team that pitches to be the team that makes the book.

Creator-owned or work-for-hire: what you’re agreeing to

In a creator-owned deal, you keep the rights to your story and characters, and the publisher handles printing and distribution. Image, Scout, Black Panel Press and Alterna say creators keep their rights.

In a work-for-hire deal, the company that hires you is the author and owner of the work. For a freelancer, a commissioned work counts as made for hire only if it fits one of nine legal categories, such as a contribution to a collective work, and both sides sign a written agreement saying so (US Copyright Office). Comics based on characters a company already owns often work this way.

Many publishers don’t state their terms until they make an offer. Read every contract closely, and have a lawyer or a creators’ rights organization review it before you sign. This is general information, not legal advice.

Red flags to watch for

None of the publishers we checked mentions a submission fee. BOOM! Studios goes further and warns that its staff never ask for payment for a submission, because scammers impersonate its staff to get money from authors. If someone asks you to pay to be read or published, check that the request really comes from the publisher before you reply.

When to self-publish instead

Self-publishing is the other route. You keep the rights, choose the format, and can still pitch a publisher later with a finished book. See how to self-publish a comic book or graphic novel, and start your pages on our free comic page templates.

When to get help

If you have a script and need finished pages for a pitch, an illustrator can draw them to the publisher’s specs. For example, Dark Horse takes up to 6 pages: 6 full-color pages at $249 each come to $1,494, or $1,194 in black and white at $199 a page. Image asks for at least 5 pages and a cover mock-up: 5 full-color pages plus cover art come to $1,494.

Frequently asked questions

Does Marvel or DC accept submissions?

No. Marvel’s help center says it doesn’t accept or consider unsolicited story ideas, artwork, scripts or manuscripts, and DC’s latest posted policy, from 2019, says it doesn’t take unsolicited scripts or art (checked 16 October 2026). Image and Dark Horse are among the publishers that post guidelines for new creator-owned pitches.

Will a comic publisher accept a script without art?

Rarely. Most publishers in our October 2026 check want drawn sample pages, and several say outright that they don’t read scripts alone. Oni Press takes writer-only pitches during its windows, but it was closed when we checked, and Antarctic Press’s anthologies take scripts. Otherwise, pitch with an artist or hire one for the sample pages.

How long do comic publishers take to reply?

Many don’t reply at all unless they’re interested. Image says no reply within one month means a pass, Alterna says two months, and Dark Horse only contacts you if an editor wants to hire you. Oni Press promises a reply within about two months when its window is open. Keep making comics while you wait.

Do I need an agent to publish a graphic novel?

Not for the independent comic publishers in our check: none asks for one. Large book publishers are different. Abrams and Hachette, which owns Little, Brown Ink, don’t accept unsolicited submissions and recommend working with a literary agent. If you’re aiming at a big children’s or trade publisher, look for a literary agent who represents graphic novels.

Related reading: How to make a comic book · Comic book ideas · Free comic book and graphic novel templates