News > Local Act FAQ

Local Act FAQ Local Act FAQ
Wed, Sep 3 2008

1. Local Act Comics eh? What’s it all about?
Local Act Comics is an independent Australian comic publisher and on-line store. We are committed to expanding the range and exposure of local comic writers and artists. As one of the only independent publishers in Australia to have regular monthly releases, Local Act Comics has a range of titles suited to all ages and tastes, and there is always something new and exciting to read.

2. An Australian comics publishing company! Cool, so how do I get in if I want to be a part of it?
You can submit work to a number of our anthologies, or if you already have your own comic you can send in a sample for consideration. If we like it we can publish it for you – simple as that!
You can submit work to us as long as it has a Submission Form attached to it. You can download a Submission Form from the submissions section of this website.

3. I’ve written a script, but I don’t have an artist – what can I do?
We can line up an artist to work on your script for you. You can send us the script along with a submission form and we’ll get in touch with you if we can find a suitable artist.

4. I’m an artist looking for a project to work on – what can I do?
Since we accept scripts, we can try to find something that will complement your style and level of commitment you are able to give to the project. Send us a sample of your artwork along with a submission form and we’ll see if we can find something for you.

5. I’ve got a finished comic that I’m looking to have published – what can I do?
Submit the comic to us for consideration. If we like it we’ll contact you. From there we can move onto the necessary paperwork.

6. What sort of paperwork is involved in being published?
Local Act Comics operates under licence agreements. This means the material always remains your property. There is no transfer of copyright. The licence agreement simply outlines that for the decided period of time Local Act Comics has the exclusive rights to publish and distribute the comic. Once that agreement is over we can either re-enter into another agreement and continue on or you may take your material elsewhere.

7. Will I lose my Copyright?
Absolutely not! Local Act will publish and distribute your comic for the agreed period of time but at no point does Local Act own your material.

8. What sort of expectations do you have with my comic? Do I have to follow a certain genre or can it be something that is of my own creation?
While we don’t want to plug the flow of creativity we cannot accept pornographic or illegal material. If we feel that the content of your comic is too offensive in any way (themes, violence, etc) we’ll let you know and we can talk about changes that might be made. We need to make sure a comic will be saleable and that our stockists will approve of the content otherwise it makes it very difficult to sell your book.
Other than that we are open to just about anything else. One thing that is important is that the material is of a professional standard. Once again this comes back to being able to sell your comic.

9. Can I submit ‘manga’ style comics?
Sure you can, as long as it’s original. We can’t publish fan art or fan books. Once again, we want you to have as much freedom as possible in how you create your comic, your style, the story and so on.

10. What if I have a comic but I’m from overseas?
There are a few extra details to work out with payment when international fund transfers are required, however being outside of Australia does not exclude you from being published.

11. How many pages can a comic have at current stage?
The sky is the limit! We are printing both single issues (usually around 20-30 pages) and graphic novels/trade paperbacks (which start at 75 pages and can be as big as 500 pages). If you’ve got something in particular in mind let’s talk about it.

12. Does the comic have to be in full colour or black and white?
We are currently printing in Black and White for the interiors and full colour for the covers.

13. What are the comic page specifications?
For single issues - Standard Comic book size is 26cm by 17cm with a 5mm bleed. Make sure no text is within 1cm of the edge of the page. You can download a template below.
For graphic novels – The overall page size is up to you (from A5 to Standard comic size), however the same rules apply as with the single issues. The pages will require a 5mm bleed and no text can sit within 1 cm of the edge of the page.

14. You don’t like my comic? I’d like to know where I went wrong!
We’ll give you a full rundown of why we are not interested in your comic at this time. It may be details of content, skill level in the art or storytelling aspects or any number of other reasons. Rest assured we’ll give you a reason. The important thing is not to give up. Take the criticism into consideration and see if your work improves in time.

15. Wow my comic has been approved! How long will it take before it goes on sale?
This depends on how much material we already have ready for release, however we can usually narrow it down to a particular month for you.
We’ll organise a proof copy from the printer for you to approve. Once you give us the go ahead we organise the print run.
Once it heads off to the printers it usually takes a few weeks before you’ll see it on the website or store shelves, but we’ll let you know as we go what’s happening with it and where it’s up to at any given time.

16. How many copies will be printed?
Local Act prints the comics using a digital process which means print runs can be anywhere between 10 copies and 1000 copies. We will usually begin with a small print run (up to 30 copies) and see how the book sells. If it does well we’ll organise for subsequent print runs as we go.

17. Do I make any money from the comic you’ve just published? If so how much do I get and when will I get paid?
Yes you do! Once the initial print run cost has been recovered you will start to receive payment. At the end of every month we tally up the sales and pay you a percentage of the sale of your comic. All details are outlined in the licence agreement, but the short version is you (and everybody else involved in the production of the comic) get an equal split of the profit made from the sale of your comic.
The profit is determined by the sale price minus the production cost. Where comics are sold to comic stores the sale price is less (so they can put on their own mark-up) and so the profit is less. The production cost depends on how big the comic is (ie. how many pages).
We will go through all of the details with you when the time for the licence agreement comes up.

18. What if I want to buy copies of my comic for myself - do I get a cheaper price?
You are able to purchase your own comics at the wholesale rate that is usually reserved for stores.

19. Where can my friends and family purchase a copy?
You can purchase the comics on-line at our website, or at the many comic shops around the country who stock our material.
If you have people overseas looking to purchase your comics they can do so from the Local Act Comics on-line store using PayPal.

20. What can I do to help LAC get the attention it deserves?
You can spread the good word to comic minded people, sell your comics and other people’s comics published by LAC to friends and family, at markets, universities or local convention opportunities.
The more you get yourself involved the better the business prospects are for everybody associated with LAC. With growth comes economic and social prosperity for the LAC community and the Australian Comics industry – this is a good thing for all of us and is exciting to be involved with too!

21. I’d like to be more involved in the Australian comic community. Where is a good place to start?
Check out the forums at www.pulpfaction.net for advice and also check out www.ozcomics.com for the latest comic news from around the world. There are groups in most major cities that meet up each month to talk comics. You’ll find all details at the Pulp Faction forums.

Got more questions?
You can email us at info@localactcomics and we’ll do our best to answer any further queries you have.