When I get home this evening, I'm on it. It'll be fun having an excuse to go back through some of your old stuff!

Whoa, I'll put some time in this afternoon, when I get back from lunch. Where are you submitting?

Kick ass.

I'm trying Top Shelf, and, what the hell, Fantagraphics. Just to dip my toe in the submissions pond. I'm not expecting much, but I think I need to be brave and do it.

Congratulations just for trying. I get these occasional pangs that I should send things out, and the thought of the process just freezes me up-- for some reason, it seems like it'd be 500 times harder with comics than it was with words.

I've been thinking for a while that A Year In Comics would make a great omnibus collection.

Hey, one question: how would you like the 5-10 denoted? The URL for their Flickr page, the upload date, a vague description ("the one with Potato").

I'll throw together a recommendation tonight.

cobra!, either is fine, or you could go by the title, since most of them are saved on my computer that way. Thanks, guys!

I vote for the one with Potato!

POTATO!

My text-URL-pasted-licious pick of 10:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/johnralston/375032821/in/set-72157594456951115/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/johnralston/404146552/in/set-72157594456951115/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/johnralston/627613890/in/set-72157600361115472/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/johnralston/447782408/in/set-72157594575877737/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/johnralston/413223299/in/set-72157594575877737/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/johnralston/464612662/in/set-72157594575877737/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/johnralston/467820267/in/set-72157594575877737/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/johnralston/500357425/in/set-72157594575877737/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/johnralston/541697557/in/set-72157594575877737/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/johnralston/644591572/in/set-72157600361115472/

I think my absolute favorite is the one where you're awakened by Car Talk.

Wow, not at all the ones I would have expected. Thanks!

This is one of my favorites, and it turns out i am fond of the Sweet Pea, heat and leash ones.
i'll try and give it a good go through later.

Now I'm really curious as to which ones you would've expected. But, then, I suppose posting them here would prejudice people's answers. Oh well.

Anyway, it was fun going through them all, making picks.

Hm. Your comics are so quiet and peaceful and realistic and I've just wasted a good while reading them. I can definitely see this selling, although Our Cancer Year had a central narrative, so probably not Fantagraphics.

/missing Cleveland and its Pekar

Oh: and your cats are alive. Even when your cats die, they will continue to live in these comics.

I'm really glad you enjoyed them, By the Grace of God.

I'm really glad you drew them!

Be sure to send some that capture teh peace.

Additional peace.

lol!

1 (I know it's a logo, but it's just beautiful)
2
3 & 4 go together
5
6
7
8 This one still makes me kinda well up
9
10
11
12

All right, thank you, BP!

*closes eyes*

I am not reading what other people wrote. Repeats back to self.

I've read some before off and on, but if you're still accepting input, I'll try and read these comprehensively on the weekend. Sadly, very sadly, that's when I think I'll be able to.

That'd be great, safetyfork, thank you.

You know, I read all of these comics over the last two days and I have to say that I really love them. I don't know if I'm particularly qualified to say which ones you should submit but I would suggest some of the black and white line drawn ones, a few to show the range of color, and something with a little story arc. That's what I'd want to see as a representative selection.

In your cover letter, be clear and concise about what you are offering and express a reasonable amount of willingness to work with the publisher to create something great.

If some lulu.com type thing was cheaper I'd suggest that, but that's because I work in publishing and I'm often disenchanted. I wish I had my own publishing company because I'd publish your comics.

Thanks for the advice, Divine_Wino, and I'm glad you like them. What I really want is to say in my cover letter is "first, I'd like you to publish a magical compendium of the entire year's worth of comics, and after that, I want my own four-to-six-times-a-year comic book that will contain the following long-term stories," followed by a couple of synopses. I hadn't thought of the "willingness to work with the publisher" part, so thanks a lot for that, I'll keep it in mind.

Please keep the advice coming, anyone who's still reading this!

I'm still reading. My favorites thus far. (I had hoped to then double back on my total tracking list and then send you the top 20, but I don't know if I'll get to that). You might've already sent your selections in, but I'm enjoying the comics so I'll keep posting here until I'm done (I haven't finished spring or summer yet).

John's Comics.

The First One
http://www.flickr.com/photos/johnralston/341799590/in/set-72157594456951115/

A True Story from a Bygone Age
http://www.flickr.com/photos/johnralston/353380500/in/set-72157594456951115

A Walk
http://www.flickr.com/photos/johnralston/357681691/in/set-72157594456951115/

And Yet I Never Meant to Get One
http://www.flickr.com/photos/johnralston/360080746/in/set-72157594456951115/

And Later Tonight, Star Trek
http://www.flickr.com/photos/johnralston/365341575/in/set-72157594456951115/

Birthday 2007
http://www.flickr.com/photos/johnralston/413223299/in/set-72157594575877737/

Uptake
http://www.flickr.com/photos/johnralston/415148693/in/set-72157594575877737/

...is his castle
http://www.flickr.com/photos/johnralston/422717658/in/set-72157594575877737/

Hell is Other People
http://www.flickr.com/photos/johnralston/424649242/in/set-72157594575877737/

Cats, Leashed
http://www.flickr.com/photos/johnralston/427625043/in/set-72157594575877737/

The Hat
http://www.flickr.com/photos/johnralston/439418203/in/set-72157594575877737/

A Party
http://www.flickr.com/photos/johnralston/441441846/in/set-72157594575877737/

Nostril Fools
http://www.flickr.com/photos/johnralston/443025120/in/set-72157594575877737/

Potato Baiting
http://www.flickr.com/photos/johnralston/445634637/in/set-72157594575877737/

Potato Any Time You Want
http://www.flickr.com/photos/johnralston/447782408/in/set-72157594575877737/

The Life Cycle of Origami
http://www.flickr.com/photos/johnralston/451775211/in/set-72157594575877737/

The Unspoken King of Mnemonic Devices
http://www.flickr.com/photos/johnralston/466767573/in/set-72157594575877737/

The Darkest One Ever
http://www.flickr.com/photos/johnralston/470728503/in/set-72157594575877737/

Her First Word
http://www.flickr.com/photos/johnralston/484404292/in/set-72157594575877737/

Uh oh
http://www.flickr.com/photos/johnralston/492016318/in/set-72157594575877737/

Funtime Potato Super Windup Freakout
http://www.flickr.com/photos/johnralston/514232656/in/set-72157594575877737/

Oops, sorry about including your secret identity.

Thanks, and I haven't sent in anything yet.

Sorry so late! It's been a crazy week. I'd like to actually be at home in the evening, maybe that will happen on Sunday. :(

Here are the rest of my favs.

At the Movies
http://www.flickr.com/photos/johnralston/524343686/in/set-72157594575877737/

Poor Fatty
http://www.flickr.com/photos/johnralston/572656076/in/set-72157600361115472/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/johnralston/578413969/in/set-72157600361115472/
Something weird happened with the linky between my second time browsing and my third. Weird like me making a mistake with the URL.

The Bank of Me
http://www.flickr.com/photos/johnralston/689462487/in/set-72157600361115472/

The Departure
http://www.flickr.com/photos/johnralston/781414690/in/set-72157600361115472/

Fourth of July
http://www.flickr.com/photos/johnralston/792871684/in/set-72157600361115472/

Arrowhead Hunting
http://www.flickr.com/photos/johnralston/792871836/in/set-72157600361115472/

Potato Troubles
http://www.flickr.com/photos/johnralston/813091317/in/set-72157600361115472/

Nevada Nightmare, 1 - 4
http://www.flickr.com/photos/johnralston/825133548/in/set-72157600361115472/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/johnralston/825133644/in/set-72157600361115472/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/johnralston/826031330/in/set-72157600361115472/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/johnralston/826031366/in/set-72157600361115472/


Surrounded
http://www.flickr.com/photos/johnralston/867422950/in/set-72157600361115472/

Bed Commands
http://www.flickr.com/photos/johnralston/873536380/in/set-72157600361115472/

Her Normal Speed
http://www.flickr.com/photos/johnralston/890903705/in/set-72157600361115472/

Quite Fetching
http://www.flickr.com/photos/johnralston/900599835/in/set-72157600361115472/


I don't think I'll be able to go back and do a sweep of what I was tracking as a favorite and come up with top favorites. This week has been too much and I'll be working on the weekend.

You have so much great material to work with, there were plenty of other good comics that didn't make my first pass. Actually, that's one thing that I would look at is how to wrangle your diverse formats. You can either try to exploit the variety or you can narrow in on one particular type for your submission. I think you'll want to make sure that what you submit appears either focused or intentionally diverse, in other words. This is not to say that you shouldn't let the best content drive your selection process, but since you do have so much good stuff I think you can also afford to consider the structural aspects of your submission. There was a moment when you shifted from basically three panels across to two panels across and I wasn't sure how long that was going to hold so I avoided marking a few of those, then I realized that shift was more permanent (though you would return to a few of the 3 panel across) and so then I started marking those two panel ones as well. In addition to the structure you also have the opportunity to look at how you want your submission to hang thematically. These are all fantastic "problems" or as I am constantly told at work "opportunities" to have!

Anyway, you might've already sent things in by now so I'll stop rambling. Keep us posted.

Thank you, safetyfork. I've been trying to figure out how to turn the diversity of format into t a strength, bceause I kind of see it as a big weakness.