Archive for the ALC Publishing Category


Top 7 Things Every Young Artist or Writer Needs To Know

May 31st, 2009

The Museum of Comic and Cartoon Art Festival is next weekend. I believe I have said this before, but I will keep saying it – if you go to one comic event a year, it should be this one. Comic-Con is fun, and it is interesting and cool and overwhelming, and it crosses a crazy number of media boundaries right now. But MoCCA is *AMAZING*. This is the home of independent, original, unique illustrative art in America. I get a total contact high off the sheer energy, talent and electricity of the people who gather there.

ALC Publishing will be there at the PRISM Comics booth. There’ll be fabulous, fun times there, so please drop by and meet some amazing comic artists from the only LGBTQ comics consortium that is full of awesome and win.

If you love independent comics, original ideas, meeting young artists and people who do what they want, the way they want, because they want to – the hardest row to hoe, but the most rewarding – MoCCA is the place to be. I feel more at home there than at any other event I’ve ever attended.

Because I’ll be there, yesterday on Twitter, I posted a few pieces of advice for young, upcoming artists. I get many queries, in person and by email, and I find that my answers to most of them go along the same lines. There are some rather harsh facts that most kids who want to “get into the industry” haven’t really thought through. Because professional artist and Twitter gadfly MariKurisato forced me suggested I do so, I’ve gathered these thoughts and offer these pieces of advice for you here.

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Top 7 Things Every Young Artist or Writer Needs To Know

7. No one is going to discover you if you sit home and draw/write for friends

Making your work public means you’ll risk criticism and ridicule. If you cannot deal with this, you will not make it as a professional artist or writer.

6. Putting your work on Deviantart/Your Blog is not “publishing.”

Your blog or website can definitely function as an online portfolio. But publishers do not trawl Deviantart or WordPress looking for new talent. *If* a publisher is interested in your work, they *may* take a moment to look at your website. Don’t be fooled into thinking that posting a webcomic irregularly means that you’ve published.

5. More than anything else, Publishers need you to meet a deadline without excuses.

No matter how much time you *think* you have, Life will invariably take most of it away. Your publisher does not care that your scanner broke, your dog was sick, work is making you do overtime. Deadlines are deadlines and must be met.

4. You are not as good an artist/writer as you (and your friends) think you are.

An editor or artistic director knows what makes a story or piece of art better. Listen to them, because you can gain valuable critical feedback from them. Don’t just roll your eyes and claim that it’s your “style.”

3. You may be an *amazing* artist/writer, but that won’t get you a job. Professionalism and flexibility will.

An editor may need you to draw in a slightly different way, or in a completely different style. It’s true that you want to develop your own work, but many artists start by doing assistant work for other artists. Being the go-to person is a good way to build up a great work reputation and experience. How you handle a request for this sort of thing will be a major factor in whether an editor or director turns to you later. Now is not the time to be a Diva.

2. What you do is not as important as who you know. Spend equal time on your networking as you do on your art.

Attend as many book or comic events as you can, get on Twitter and follow agents and editors. Meet and befriend agents, publishers, managers, art directors. Talk to people, listen to people and make an effort to be as visible as possible. Make a LinkedIn profile, join organizations, go to open networking events. You have no idea when your big break may happen, but if you’re at the right place at the right time with the right people, it’ll happen.

1. And lastly, no matter how stupid s/he is, your editor or publisher is always right.

Nobody likes criticism. The bottom line is – this is a job and you are a professional. Changes will be made and you will have to make them. Don’t explain why you did it that way, don’t whine. Listen to the people who are responsible for the publication and do what they need you to do the way they need you to do it. When you’re the editor or publisher, you can call the shots.

Extra Tip #1: Everyone is busy. None one has time for you. Before you email a publication, read the Submission Guidelines and **actually follow them.** Don’t email artwork if it says to not email artwork. Don’t focus on your experience writing historical drama, when the publisher is looking for superhero work. Start your email off with:

Dear Sir or Madam –

My name is /yourname/. I am writing to you to /why you are writing/.

Write a short, polite, coherent introduction, followed by a discussion of whatever it is you are writing about.

Do NOT write a long, rambling introduction of you, your story, your lifework.

You have 3 lines to impress the person on the other end that you are professional, coherent, sane and have some reasonable talent. 3 lines. That’s it. This is your chance to market your work – so, use those three lines wisely.

I hope that this gives you a clearer idea of what is important in “the industry.” Of course, I wish you all the very best of luck as well!





Earn a copy of "Yuri Monogatari 6" through "Project Engage!

May 10th, 2009

As you know, ALC Publishing recently launched Yuri Monogatari 6 and as we know there are a lot of you who would like a copy of the book but, for one reason or another, cannot get it. Maybe you’re in school and can’t afford it, or maybe you live somewhere where shipping from Amazon makes it outrageously expensive.

So, we’ve developed this new Project special for you!

Here’s how it works:

“Project Engage” is very simple. Use any and all social media you *already use* to promote YM6 and EARN a copy of YM6 for your efforts!

– Mention Yuri Monogatari 6 in a relevant Forum, Mailing List, Blog post, Twitter about it, or talk about it on your Facebook, MySpace, LiveJournal page, or any other form of social media *that you already use* with a link to either the ALC Page on the Yuricon Shop or Amazon and get *5* points.

– Embed the Yuri Monogatari 6 video trailer (see below) on the any of the social media *you already use,* and get *10* points.

– When you have earned *50* points, email us links to these posts, your age and your address at anilesbocon01 at hotmail dot com with the subject line “Project Engage Links” and we’ll send you a copy of “YM6!”

It’s that simple.

Here’s the IMPORTANT GUIDELINES YOU MUST FOLLOW TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR A BOOK:

1) You MUST be 18 or over. There is no exception to this rule. Include your age in your email the first time. Don’t make us chase after you for it.

2) You may not create dummy accounts/blogs or pages for this. If we check and you have no other posts on your blog, or no other posts on the Forum in question, your entry will not count AND you’ll make us look bad, like we’re spamming the world. So – please only use accounts on places that you already use regularly.

3) This project is meant to support and promote ALC and YM6. A link followed by a damnation of everything we are doing will not make you any friends. If you want to help us out, we’re delighted. If you want us to die a fiery death, don’t feel obliged to “help.” :-) Lying and cheating to get a book is also not the point. This is to reward folks who *want* to do something concrete to help support us.

4) All links *must* be verifiable. I’m willing to sign up for forums, or friend you, but if you stick them in a private area that no one but you can see, then that’s kind of not the point. -_-;;

5) Yes, previous posts, links and embeds count. If you already mentioned YM6 somewhere before today, that is absolutely, positively acceptable. Just collect *50* points worth and you’ve earned yourself a copy of YM6!

6) If you are not 18+, please feel free to share links and embeds, but at this time we cannot send you a book. However, your support is still very much appreciated and I want to thank you, so email those links and I’ll send you an “I Love Yuri” postcard to show our thanks!

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Here are the links to share:

YM6 Video Trailer Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yli_kPSVkFs

YM6 Video Trailer Embed (click on the arrow icon on the bottom of the video next to the volume control and cut and paste the “embed” code to your blog/page:)

Yuri Monogatari 6 on Amazon: http://tinyurl.com/bgnvut

Yuri Monogatari 6 on Yuricon Shop: http://tinyurl.com/alcpub

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Project Engage is open to anyone 18 or over, they do not need to be a member of the Yuricon ML or a reader of Okazu. So feel free to get your friends involved. A few of you banding together *can* get a book to share – the point is to get the word out.
:-)

If you have questions, please ask them here in the comments, so everyone can see the answer. Thanks and here’s to the success of Project Engage!





Yuri Monogatari Launch Party Report

April 19th, 2009

I only took a few pictures, and these aren’t all of them. But at least I remembered to take pictures, so you have to give me some credit!

First of all, as always I want to thank Bruce, Serge, Donna, Sean and Kelli. You guys are truly the best. And of course, I want to thank my wife, because. And *of course* I want to thank Rica, JD, Jess and Althea for coming and making the night a total blast!

So we arrived early, and Donna immediately began to shop. The Rare Flix store doesn’t just have anime, they have a really amazingly diverse selection of live-action, horror, porn, sci-fi, cult movies, anime, with nice Yaoi and Yuri sections, and the occasional totally random item like Pride and Prejudice.

(Click on the pictures for larger versions.)

Bruce, always ready to do whatever, doing whatever.

Serge, who was piling candy on plates with determination, as if he was playing tetris or something. The man was possessed.

This sign in the bathroom warmed the cockles of my heart. I had to take a picture.

We eventually corralled all four guests and made them pretend to be having fun. :-) From the left to right they are: Jessie, Rica Takashima, Althea and JD.

I stepped outside for some air, and got this picture.

And here are a chunk of people watching the YM6 trailer. They look a little creepily engrossed here, I think. lol

We gave away a few prize bags, we marveled at the $600 velvet box set of the entire Cream Lemon anime series, people bought a ton of stuff. (Honestly, I don’t think anyone walked out there empty handed. Even I bought the complete Dangermouse box set – oh, yes, there is one and they had it. That’s what I mean by they have an amazingly diverse selection.) We all had a nice time hanging out, forcing asking the guests to sign books and chit-chatting with everyone. A very laid back and fun night for all.

I hope to do this again for the next book – it was really a great party. Thanks to our guests and to everyone who came, thanks everyone who wished us well and thanks, as always to all the heroes who support ALC by buying Yuri Monogatari 6!





Yuri Monogatari 6 Video Trailer

April 19th, 2009

Thanks to JD Glass for this great video trailer for Yuri Monogatari 6! Please post it on your Facebooks, blogs, MySpaces, Twitter is and get the word out!

I’ll have a recap of the party with some pictures as soon as I’ve had more coffee and watched some Kolchak.





YM6 Launch Party & Events Update

April 18th, 2009

I am of course, not “out of office.” I am getting ready for the Yuri Monogatari 6 Launch Party tomorrow at the Rare Flix store in the Secaucus Outlets.

Join JD Glass, Rica Takashima, Althea Keaton, Jessie B and some of the staff behind ALC Publishing for a late-late brunch, Yuri anime and lots of great conversation!

I will therefore not be posting a news report tomorrow, because I plan on sleeping in and kicking back. I’ll see you all tomorrow anyway. :-)

Going forward, you should probably know that ALC is *not* planning on being at Otakon this year, but we do plan on hitting up Anime Las Vegas 2009 – the furthest west we’ve made it since Anime Expo in 2002.

We do hope to be at AnimeNEXT and MangaNEXT as usual, barring disaster.

In any case, don’t expect a post again until Sunday at the very earliest. Have a lovely weekend and see you in Secaucus!