WE PUBLISH GREAT STORIES
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SUBMISSION GUIDELINES
THE SERIES
The 4 Pages 16 Bars: A Visual Mixtape trade paperback series is a celebration of where true diversity exists in this industry. It is a living historical document, the gold standard of independent works from creators of color. It is a sampler for potential fans to enjoy our intellectual properties. It is a showcase for existing and upcoming talent and a source guide for those fans to purchase our books.
The first volume dropped in June 2015 with subsequent volumes released in Fall 2015, Winter 2016, Spring 2016 and Fall 2018. We had three very successful Kickstarters for Volumes 6, 7 and 8, which were released in Spring 2021, Summer 2021, and Spring 2022. We’re looking for content that will make up Volumes 9 and 10 of the longest running anthology series featuring independent works from creators of color.
CRITERIA
This is what we are looking for:
EXCERPTS FROM EXISTING COMIC BOOKS, GRAPHIC NOVELS,
E-COMICS WEBCOMICS AND COMIC STRIPS
Minimum of four pages (or comic strips) of a property that has been
published or will be published within the next six months.
ILLUSTRATION AND/OR FINE ART
Minimum of four images, maximum of eight images for our gallery spotlight sections. Renditions of characters from popular culture (i.e. Marvel, DC, Star Wars, Star Trek, anime or any other licensed properties) WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED.
NO AI-GENERATED IMAGES WILL BE ACCEPTED.
ARTICLES, POEMS OR PROSE
We are looking for articles that speak to the history of creators and/or characters of color in comics. These articles are not advertisements, but more so academic explorations of the sequential art medium and popular culture.
Maximum of 1500 words.
We are also looking for short stories, poems or excerpts of speculative fiction. Poem submissions have a maximum limit of five entries. Short stories have
a maximum of 2500 words. Excerpts from speculative fiction have a maximum
of five pages.
GENRE
We are open to all subgenres of speculative fiction. Superheroes, Sci-Fi, Westerns, Horror, Humor, Fantasy… We like it all! It just has to have soul, flavor and people of color should be the focus either “in front of the camera” (characters and concepts) or “behind the scenes” (creative teams). The works in previous volumes are from creators who are Black, white, Asian, LGBTQ, local and global. Our main concerns are QUALITY and AUTHENTICITY.
We are looking for COMPLETED works. Things that already exist. You shouldn’t have to create new work to be included in this project. We’re looking for creators who have taken destiny in their own hands. What we are looking for is the next level; creators who have unique viewpoints and vision. We are looking for creators who continue to move the needle.
With that said, the anthology is basically PG-13. 4 Pages 16 Bars has been taught in universities and resides in libraries. So no gratuitous nudity, gore, etc. If you are questioning the taste level of your work, chances are it is not appropriate for the anthology.
BUSINESS
All who are selected must have a professional written biography, minimum of 200 words, for inclusion into the anthology.
All who are selected must have a WEBSITE (not just a social media page) for people to view, purchase products and/or procure services.
DEADLINES
COMICS AND ILLUSTRATION: October 1, 2023.
ARTICLES, SHORT STORIES AND PROSE: October 15, 2023.
SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS
• All art must be 300dpi (print resolution)
• All art must be sent in either .JPG, .TIF or .PDF formats
• All comic book, graphic novel and E-comic submissions
MUST BE 6.625” X 10.25” (full-bleed 6.875” X 10.5”)
• Comic book, graphic novel and E-comic submissions must be
a MINIMUM OF FOUR PAGES AND A COVER IMAGE WITHOUT text
(i.e. logos, subtitles, company identification, etc.)
• All prose, articles, short stories and poems must be sent in
a Word document (.doc, .docx) or shared through Google Drive
for document conversion.
If interested, send us samples of your submission through our CONTACT page or our e-mail address info@griotenterprises.com for consideration.
Best of luck!
