Many people ask me how to pitch to a US publisher. First thing you need to do is find out what they're all about. What books are they putting out? What genres are they into? If your book doesn’t fit their style, they’ll probably pass. Then you want to go to their website and check out if they have any submission guidelines. Some publishers are very specific in what they’re looking for, others aren’t. Then you put together your pitch. Keep in mind that these people receive dozens of these daily, and if they’re going to invest their time and money in you, you better make it stand out from the pile. It should look professional, exciting and easy to flip through.
Our SWAMP DOGS submission pdf to Scout Comics horror/sci-fi imprint Black Caravan contained our trade-dressed cover, a cover letter, a complete 5-issue arc synopsis, character profiles, as well as eight consecutive pages of finished art. Our publishers Rich Woodall and Joseph Schmalke informed us that it was the best pitch they have received so far.
I can't share the finished pages or the synopsis just yet because of spoilers, but here's our cover letter and our main characters' profiles and pinup sketches, as well as a disclaimer about the book’s controversial villains, in the wake of George Floyd’s murder and the BLM movement. Hope you find these helpful.