Independent publishing company
SelfMadeHero
Comics, Fantasy and Sci-Fi, Fiction
Published Updated Reviewed every month · next review November 2026
About SelfMadeHero
SelfMadeHero is open to unagented graphic novel submissions by email or post. Send a synopsis of no more than one A4 page and at least eight pages of sequential art. It welcomes new and established creators from the UK and beyond.
SelfMadeHero is an independent graphic novel publisher founded in 2007 and based in London. Its lists include Original Fiction, Non-Fiction, Classics, Graphic Biography, True Stories, Sci-Fi & Horror, Manga Shakespeare, Art Masters, Graphic Freud and LGBTQ+. Titles include Ruins by Peter Kuper, The Motherless Oven by Rob Davis and The Nao of Brown by Glyn Dillon. It also co-runs the biennial First Graphic Novel Award for debut creators.
Submissions are open to new and established creators from the UK and beyond, with or without an agent. You send a synopsis of no more than one A4 page and at least eight pages of sequential art. You can email the pages as attachments under 5MB or as a download link, or post printed A4 pages to the London office. Do not send original artwork. Reply times are not stated.
What SelfMadeHero is looking for
- Graphic novels from new and established creators in the UK and beyond
- Projects that fit lists such as Original Fiction, Non-Fiction, Graphic Biography, True Stories and Sci-Fi & Horror
- Collaborations pitched by a writer and artist who have already agreed to work together
- Debut creators can also watch for the biennial First Graphic Novel Award, whose prize includes a SelfMadeHero contract with an advance against royalties
Publishes
- Comics
- Fantasy and Sci-Fi
- Fiction
- Horror
- Independent
- Mystery and Thriller
- Nonfiction
Readers
- Adult
How to submit to SelfMadeHero
From its own guidelines- Review the books and catalogue to check your project fits a list.
- Prepare a synopsis of no more than one A4 page.
- Add at least eight pages of sequential art.
- Email the files as attachments under 5MB or a download link, or post printed A4 pages to Submissions, SelfMadeHero, 139 Pancras Road, London NW1 1UN.
Is SelfMadeHero right for your book?
A good fit if
SelfMadeHero suits graphic novel creators, solo or in an agreed writer and artist team, who already have finished sample art and a project that fits one of its lists.
Look elsewhere if
Look elsewhere if you write prose without sequential art or have a writer looking for an artist, since SelfMadeHero prefers teams that have already agreed to work together. Do not send original artwork.
Books published by SelfMadeHero
Well-known titles- RuinsPeter Kuper
- The Motherless OvenRob Davis
- The Nao of BrownGlyn Dillon
Questions about SelfMadeHero
Does SelfMadeHero accept unsolicited manuscripts?
Yes. SelfMadeHero accepts unsolicited graphic novel submissions from new and established creators in the UK and beyond, and you do not need an agent. It wants a synopsis plus finished sequential art rather than a prose manuscript. For collaborations, it prefers pitches from a writer and artist who have already agreed to work together on the project.
How do I submit to SelfMadeHero?
Send a synopsis of no more than one A4 page and at least eight pages of sequential art. Email them as attachments under 5MB or as a download link, or post printed A4 pages to Submissions, SelfMadeHero, 139 Pancras Road, London NW1 1UN. Review the books and catalogue first to check your project fits, and never send original artwork.
What does SelfMadeHero publish?
SelfMadeHero publishes graphic novels across lists that include Original Fiction, Non-Fiction, Classics, Graphic Biography, True Stories, Sci-Fi & Horror, Manga Shakespeare, Art Masters, Graphic Freud and LGBTQ+. Titles include Ruins by Peter Kuper and The Nao of Brown by Glyn Dillon. It also co-runs the biennial First Graphic Novel Award for debut creators; the 2025 round closed on 22 April 2025.
Listing history
- Checked on the publisher's own site
- Checked on the publisher's own site
