
Welcome to Paper Cat Press’s Weekly Roundup! In the Weekly Roundup, I provide links and summarized information about the crowdfunded projects, creator opportunities, and resources that have caught my eye over the week. I hope you enjoy!
WARNING! Some content below may feature NSFW content. Links will be marked NSFW! when the content identifies itself as adult material.
As a note: I am not sponsored by any company, group, or individual listed below or elsewhere on this site unless otherwise listed.
Want to jump to a specific section? Use the links below:
News || Helping Others || Awards || Crowdfunded Projects || General || Animation || Comics, Illustration, and More || Conventions and Events || Designers || Fan Zines || Games || Mentorships & Fellowships || Residencies, Retreats, and Workshops || Scholarships, Sponsorships, and Grants || Teaching || Voice Acting || Writing and Editing || Youth and Internships || Resources || Deals || Giveaways
Black Lives Matter. Paper Cat Press supports police abolition and accountability for police brutality. Check this page for a list of actions you can take.
- If you work with any brands, consider reaching out to them and ensuring they have made a statement, donations, and actions to support Black lives (idea from Austen Marie).
- This zine, 12 Things to Do Instead of Calling the Cops, is available for free.
- The Sherwood Forest Zine Library shared a free collection of zines regarding Black history/struggle, privilege, allyship, policing, legal rights, activism, and protest tactics.
- Shivana listed some ways that Art Directors and recruiters can make lasting changes within publishing rather than offering temporary support.
News
- Paper Cat Press now has an official mailing list! Sign up here and get notified whenever a new Weekly Roundup goes live.
- The Marginalized-Genders BIPOC of Comics Discord discovered that the Eisner voting website was malfunctioning, allowing for votes to be manipulated and personal information like full name, address, and email to be revealed. The leak occurred during the same week that a number of comics professionals were exposed as alleged sexual predators. The voting website was initially shut down on June 17, before the original cut-off date of June 18. On June 24, the voting portal reopened with the message that only those who attempted to log in during the [confirmed] compromised security period of June 3 through June 18 would be eligible to re-submit their votes. Gary provided some thoughts on the “anomaly” here.
- In response to COVID–19 and the hardships many creators are facing as a result, WEBTOON is extending the current 100% net ad revenue support for CANVAS creators through the end of 2020, with the final 100% net ad revenue payout happening January 2021 for December revenue.
Social Resources
- Need information on elections, candidates, and public policy in the US? Check out Ballotpedia.
- Need to contact your government officials? Let Resist Bot and 5calls help you out.
- The Crash Override Network has resources on what to do if you’re a victim of online harassment and/or doxxing and how to protect yourself.
- If you are a trans person in need of legal assistance, check translawhelp.org for pro bono services in your state.
- Here’s a list of free or low-cost mental health resources. Thank you so much for compiling this list, Tiffany!
- If you need to talk to someone or otherwise vent, please utilize this list of help hotlines.
Remember to rest, eat, and drink water when you can. Take care of yourself the best that you can. You, your presence, and your work have an incredible impact on the people around you. You should be here.
Awards and Prizes
Nilah Magruder shared this Illustration Awards Masterlist. Scroll down to the Resources section to see even more that Nilah has contributed to the community for free. Thank you so much, Nilah!
The Penguin Random House Library Award for Innovation Through Adversity is accepting applications from US libraries and staff who overcome adversity and create lasting innovative community service programs that successfully inspire and connect with new readers. A $10,000 cash award will be given to a US library, and four runners-up will receive $1,000 in Penguin Random House books.
The John Locher Memorial Award is accepting applications from cartoonists aged 18-25 whose work demonstrates both clear opinions and strong artistry on political and social topics until July 15.
The Duende-Word BIPOC Bookseller Award is accepting nominations from BIPOC booksellers until July 17.
The Hugo Awards are open for voting until July 22 at midnight PST.
The Dwayne McDuffie Award for Diversity in Comics is accepting submissions until September 1.
We Need Diverse Books is accepting submissions to the 2021 Walter Awards for Outstanding Children’s Literature until November 16. Submissions must be diverse works created my diverse authors, and fit into the category of either “Teen” or “Younger Readers.”
Crowdfunded Projects
Illustrator Melissa Capriglione is raising funds to produce Stellaria: A Sketchbook. The full-color book will be 5.5×8.5″ with 60 pages. Inside the book, you’ll find sketches, drawings, and illustrations from 2016 to present time. Reward options include physical and digital copies of the book, postcards, an acrylic charm, stickers, prints, a tote bag, postcards, and commissions. The campaign ends on July 23.
Cartoonist Shazleen Khan is raising funds to publish BUUZA!! Volume 2: In the Land of Spider Silk. Set in an urban fantasy Middle East, BUUZA!! follows Zach and Sam, two young people trying to get by in the sprawling nation of Dawlat al Harir, as they re-examine their cultural identity and find a family in each other and the people they meet there. Reward options include digital and physical volumes of both volumes 1 and 2, prints, postcards, and an enamel pin. The campaign ends on July 30.
Oneshi Press is raising funds to publish Mr. Guy and the Origins Comics Anthology. This campaign will fund two collections of comics that both explore the theme of Origins: “Mr. Guy: Zombie Hunter” and the “Origins Anthology.” Collectively, the work of over 30 creators are featured within these two collections. Reward options include digital and physical copies of the books, more digital comics, postcards, stickers, art prints, socks, a t-shirt, and commissions. The campaign ends on July 31.
Please check the Comics section on Kickstarter to find even more creative crowdfunding campaigns to support.
General
- Abelle, the creator of the #DrawingWhileBlack hashtag, has moved the directory to AirTable. Please add your name if you are a Black artist!
- Dual Wield Studio is hiring sewists at $20 per hour, or $1.25 per mask, whichever is less.
- Elijah F. of The Project 1776 TTRPG is looking for Indigenous sensitivity readers of the following nations: Abenaki; Lenape; Mahican; Massachusett; Wampanoag; Powhatan; Shawnee; Haudenosaunee; Catwaba; Chickasaw; Muskogee; Timuca; Apalachee; and Seminole. Pays $65 per 10k words. If you have ties to more than one nation listed, you can sign on for additional reading sections. Send applications to dfox [at] amuniversal.com. Direct any questions to paintedturtleco [at] gmail.com. No previous experience required.
- If you’re a Filipino artist, add your name to the Filipino American Artist Directory!
- Halsey is developing a project to give funds, resources, and a platform to Black creators. Use the hashtag #BlackCreatorsFund to be reviewed by her and her team.
- The Latinx Collective shared a directory of Latina and Latinx small business owners and collectives. Check it out!
Animation
- Rachel Richmond shared a list of Game and Animation job opportunities. Be sure to check it out! There’s definitely more than what I list here on the Roundup.
Bento Box is seeking a Background Designer, an Episodic Director, a Post Production Coordinator, a Post Production Supervisor, a Prop Designer, and a Storyboard Artist in Burbank, CA. In Glendale, CA, they’re seeking
an Episodic Director. In North Hollywood, CA, they’re seeking an Animatic and Animation Editor, an Assistant Animation Editor, an Associate Producer, a Background Designer, an Episodic Director, a Post Coordinator,
a Production Coordinator, and a Storyboard Artist. In New York, NY, they’re seeking an Animatic & Animation Editor. In Atlanta, Georgia, they’re seeking a 2D Character Animator, a 2D FX Animator, an Animation Director, and a Background Designer.
- (London, UK) Blue-Zoo Animation updated their career portal. They’re seeking a 3D Character Animator, an Art Director, a Design Breakdown Artist, an Editor, an Entry-Level Lighting and Compositing Artist, an Experienced Lighting and Compositing Artist, a Maya Rigger, a Senior Look/Development Artist, and an Entry-Level Toonboom Scene Build Artist. They’re also accepting Speculative Applications.
(Kilkenny, Ireland) Cartoon Saloon is hiring a Background Artist and a
Production Manager.
Copernicus Studios is seeking remote 2D Flash Animators to work on Teen Titans GO!
- (Burbank, CA) Disney TV Animation is seeking a Background Painter, Character Designer, a Color Designer, a Director, a Lighter, a Location Designer, a Look Development Artist, a Prop Designer, a Storyboard Artist, and a Storyboard Revisionist.
(Glendale, CA) DreamWorks Animation is hiring an Animation Artist,
two Animatic Editors (TV),
an Animator,
an Art Director, an Asset Artist (Surfacing), a Character Design Supervisor, a Character Rigger, a Compositor,
a Crowds Artist, two Directors for TV, an Effects Artist, a Generalist (CG Hair and Grooming), a Lighter (Feature), a Lighter/Compositor, a Locking Director, a Post-Production Supervisor, a Production Assistant, a Production Coordinator, a Storyboard Artist, a Storyboard Revisionist, a Supervising Director,
a Surfacer, and
a Visual Development Artist.
- (Madrid, Spain) Lightbox Animation Studios is seeking an Animation Lead, an FX Artist, a Matte Painter, and a Senior Animator.
- (San Francisco, CA) Lucasfilm is hiring a Storyboard Artist (project hire).
(Los Angeles, CA) Netflix Animation is hiring an Art Director, a Background Designer, a Background Painter, a CG Generalist, a Character Designer, a Character Modeler, a Color Designer, two Episode Directors, a Post Production Supervisor, a Prop Designer, two Storyboard Artists, two Storyboard Revisionists, a Technical Director, and a Visual Development Artist.
- (Ottawa, Canada) Mercury Filmworks is hiring a Senior Character Designer, a Senior Location Designer, an Assistant Editor, a Production Manager, and Animation Producer, a Storyboard Revisionist, a Storyboard Artist, a Crew Planning Manager, and much more.
(Burbank, CA) Nickelodeon is seeking
two Art Directors, a Background Designers, two Background Painters, a CG Character Designer, a CG Character Modeler, a CG Texture Artist, two Character Designers, a Character Technical Director/Rigger, an Environment Artist, an Executive Assistant, a Freelance Storyboard Artist, a Freelance Storyboard Director, a Head of Story, a Line Producer,
a Production Coordinator, a Production Designer, a Prop Designer, two Storyboard Directors, a Storyboard Revisionist, and two Supervising Directors.
- (Burbank, CA) The Nickelodeon Writing Program is accepting applications until August 1. Roundtrip airfare and one month’s furnished accommodations are provided. A salary is also provided.
(Emeryville, CA) Pixar Animation Studios is hiring an
Editor, 2nd Assistant and a Technical Director, FX.
- (Vancouver, BC) Sony Imageworks is hiring Animators, Character FX Technical Directors, Compositors, FX Artists, Layout Artists, Lighters, Matte Painters, Modelers, and more.
- Titmouse is seeking an Animatic Editor, Assistant Character Designer, Background Painter, Color Designer, an Episodic Director, a Production Coordinator, a Prop Designer, a Storyboard Artist, and a Storyboard Revisionist. They’re also seeking a 2D Animator, a Background Layout Artist, a Compositor, and a Line Producer in Vancouver, Canada.
(Burbank, CA) Walt Disney Animation Studios is hiring a Lighter, a Look Development Artist, and
a Senior Software Engineer (Hair/Cloth Simulation).
Check this list of animation and gaming jobs worldwide that’s updated daily. You can find a directory of currently open animation jobs at animatedjobs.com. See Entertainment Careers for more listings.
Comics, Illustration, and More
- DisabledCartoonists.com has launched! Submissions at CartoonistsofColor.com and QueerCartoonists.com have reopened. Thank you Mari Naomi and Cameron for all of your work in creating and maintaining these priceless resources!
- The results of the Comics Workforce Study 2019 is now available. Thank you Sasha Bassett for all of your work in collecting and parsing this data!
Threadless is currently running the following design challenges: Hair, due July 17; Before & After, due July 24; and Stickers, due July 31.
- Fat Craft, Volume 2: Monster Mash is accepting applications until July 13. All proceeds will be donated to NOLOSE.
The 2020 Toronto Reel Asian International Film Festival campaign is seeking a Black Asian artist to create key artwork for a $1,200 CAD opportunity. The call for artists will also serve as a resource for others to use in their own practice of commissioning and paying artists for their work. The Film Festival will take the compiled list of artists and create an Excel sheet that will be openly accessible. Apply by midnight EST on July 13 for consideration.
- Bonfire Comics is accepting submissions of comics between 1 and 16 pages in length with the theme “dreams” until July 15. Contributors will be paid $15/page.
- Clip Studio Paint is accepting art submissions with the theme Skies, Space, & Stars for their 24th International Illustration Contest until July 15.
- Inspiration: A Comics School Anthology, the first volume of a comics anthology trilogy showcasing previously unpublished creators, is accepting portfolio applications until July 15. All proceeds will be donated and contributors will not be reimbursed.
- The Silent Manga Audition is accepting submissions with the theme “creatures, spirits, and monsters” until July 30.
- The Kyoto International Manga Anime Award is accepting submissions from international creators and manga artists until July 31. Winners will receive cash prizes, an invitation to the award ceremony in Kyoto, and an introduction to local manga publishers.
On August 15, Small Press Day 2020 will take place online. Draw a 1-4 page comic set in or about your small press retailer of choice and tweet it to @smallpressday on August 15 with #SPDCHALLENGE. From 10am to 6pm, post four pages of your small press comic in one tweet with #SPDBFREVIEW to receive a one-tweet review from Broken Frontier’s Editor-in-Chief, Andy Oliver.
- WildStar Press is open to family-friendly short story submissions until September 1 (extended).
- a.m. darke is seeking 3D artist collaborators to seed the Afro Hair Library. These are paid commissions for those who can craft loving representations of Blackness.
- Anathema accepts fiction and nonfiction submissions year-round from queer and nonwhite writers. They are open to portfolio submissions from illustrators for new/original and/or reprint cover art.
- Arledge Comics is accepting submissions of all-ages comics on a rolling basis.
- Arsenika is accepting portfolio submissions for reprint cover work and pays $100 for reprint artwork.
- AZE Journal is accepting general submissions from marginalized voices in the queer community.
- The Comicadia Herald is accepting submissions of news from webcomic creators, including convention appearances, publishing deals, relaunches and hiatus returns, contests, and more.
- Stephanie Cooke is actively connecting comic creators of all types for paid projects. Check out Creator Advisor for more information.
- GenderTerror is accepting submissions of LGBTQ+ horror from artists and writers.
- Jerry’s Art-A-Rama hosts a number of art contests, some ongoing and some requiring specific materials.
- Do you have a webcomic with LGBTQ characters and themes? LGBTQ Webcomics is looking to add more queer webcomics to their database on Tagpacker!
- The Magic Circle Art Collective is seeking visual and written art based around the theme “Your silence will not protect you,” as well as submissions that highlight personal experience of the contributor, or those that bring attention to injustice within their community. Proceeds from the zine produced will be donated to the House of GG.
- Narratively is seeking submissions of writing, photography, and illustrations.
- The New Southern Fugitives is seeking submissions of fiction, book reviews, essays, poetry, photography, and visual art from creators in the South.
- You can send samples of your work along with pitches to thenib@firstlook.org to be considered by The Nib.
- Pink Narcissus Press is seeking cover artwork for SF/F speculative fiction. They pay $100-$200 for nonexclusive rights.
- POMEgranate Magazine is accepting pitches from artists and writers.
- QueerWebcomics.com, a new small comics publisher, recently launched and has two mailing lists available for sign-up – one for professionals, and a general list for customers.
- (Oxford, UK) Rebellion is seeking a Junior Graphic Novel Editor.
- Scholastic Canada invites professional illustrators to email sample art and links to an online portfolio to Andrea Casault, Art Director at acasault@scholastic.ca.
- SOLRAD is now accepting pitches for comics criticism, essays, and interviews. They are especially interested in cartoonists writing about other cartoonists, as well as work from academics.
- The Washington Center for the Book invites Washingtonians of all ages to send 1 to 3 page COVID-19 stories to be collected into an anthology zine.
- (Los Angeles, CA) WEBTOON is currently seeking a Creative Lead, a Digital Comic Editor (Spanish), an Editor, a Producer, and a Spanish UA Performance Manager. They’re also seeking a Freelance Bilingual Editor/Linguistic Tester (Korean/English), un Corrector Freelance Coreano, y un Copywriter Creativo.
- The Webcomic Library is a new resource that hopes to serve as a comprehensive list of webcomics. Submit your webcomic using this form.
Check out Arts for LA, Call for Entry, College Art Opportunities, or Graphic Competitions for more exhibition, residency, and grant opportunities. Check Chris Arrant’s #ComicJobs hashtag on Twitter.
Conventions and Events
Many conventions and major events have been cancelled due to travel restrictions, guest cancellations, and preventative responses to the spread of coronavirus. Here is a list of cancelled and postponed conventions. Please check in daily with any event you have planned for the next year. And, as always, wash your hands.
- Anime Expo has been cancelled.
- AwesomeCon (Washington D.C.; December 11-13) is currently accepting applications for its Artist Alley, Pride Alley, and Makers Market.
- CAKE, the Chicago Alternative Comics Expo, has been postponed until 2021.
- The Castle Point Anime Convention Virtual Dealer’s Room and Artist Alley are now available to view online.
- The Center for Cartoon Studies is hosting its series of summer workshops online.
- The Chicago Alternative Comics Expo (CAKE) has been postponed until 2021.
- CrunchyRoll Expo will take place virtually from September 4-6.
- Denver Pop Culture Con has been postponed until May 14-16, 2021.
- Emerald City Comic Con (Seattle, WA) August dates have been cancelled. The show will instead take place March 4-7, 2021.
- FlameCon has been postponed until August 21-22, 2021.
The in-person GeekGirlCon is postponed. However, GeekGirlConline will take place as a virtual event, with details to come.
- Genghis Con has been cancelled.
- LightBox Expo will take place online from September 11-13.
Literary Cleveland is hosting The Inkubator, an online writing conference, from July 13-31. It can be accessed for free online.
- MICE, the Massachusetts Independent Comics Expo, will take place online during October 2020. MICE will host multiple live online programs with panels, special guest interviews, drawing games, and cartooning workshops. They’ve also expanded their MICE Mini-Grants.
The Portland Zine Symposium 19.5: Time Is Not Real will take place online from July 11-12. There will be no in-person PZS this year.
- QFX East has been rescheduled to April 2-4, 2021.
- Rose City Comic Con has been cancelled.
- San Diego Comic-Con has been cancelled. Comic-Con@Home will take place July 22-July 26 and include panels, exhibitors, gaming, and more.
- Short Run Comix and Arts Festival has been postponed. The Short Run Dash Grant is now on hold.
- STAPLE, The Independent Media Expo, has been cancelled for 2020.
- Thought Bubble UK will take place as a digital comic con from November 14-15.
Designers
Fan Zines
Looking for fan zines to submit to? Check out this spreadsheet created by magicalzombie or the FindAnthologies twitter page for more!
Games
- Rachel Richmond shared a list of Game and Animation job opportunities. Be sure to check it out! There’s definitely more than what I list here on the Roundup.
- (Warszawa, Poland) 11 Bit Studios is seeking an Expert Technical Animator, Senior Gameplay Animator, Lead Artist, and more.
- (Salt Lake City, UT) Avalanche is seeking two Lead Designers and a temporary Production Coordinator.
- CAPY is pairing aspiring or junior game developers with creators for 6-month mentoring programs.
- Failbetter Games is hiring a Senior Writer/Narrative Designer.
- itch.io has launched a job board so that studios can post paid positions to the itch.io development team.
- KO-OP is hiring a Producer and a 2D Spine Rigger and Animator.
- Multiverse is seeking a part-time Pixel Artist.
(Irvine, CA) Nexon is seeking a Character Artist, a Lead Combat Designer, Lead Gameplay Engineer, a Senior/Principal VFX Artist, and a Technical Artist.
- (Wilmslow, UK) Playdemic is seeking a 3D Artist, an Assistant Producer, and a Games Designer.
- Queerly Represent Me is seeking more pitches for their Game As You Are series. Selected contributors will be paid. They’re also seeking interviewees who are queer and work in games.
- (London, UK) Roll7 is seeking a 3D Animator, a 3D Character Artist, an Environment Artist, Lead Programmer, a Senior Game Designer, and a Quality Assurance Tester.
- (Manchester, UK) TT Games is seeking an Editor and a Gameplay Programmer.
- (Toronto, Canada) Ubisoft is hiring artists, programmers, office workers, and more. In Annecy, France, Ubisoft is seeking a Props Artist.
- WB Games is seeking a Senior Release Manager in Needham, MA; a Senior Software Engineer – Mobile Games in San Francisco, CA; a Contract Animator, a Cinematics Director (Contract), a Lead Technical Designer, a Level Designer (contract), a Level Artist (Contract), a Physics Programmer, a Senior Game Designer, and a Senior Level Designer, a Technical Animator, and a Technical Level Designer in Montreal, Quebec.
Check this list of animation and gaming jobs worldwide that’s updated daily. Mitch Dyer shared a doc full of Game Dev jobs.
Mentorships & Fellowships
- Leslie and Sloane of the Salt & Honey podcast are accepting applications for a mentorship until August 1.
- Jillian Tamaki is accepting applications for 6-month mentorships until September 1. One selected mentee will be from Toronto, and the other can be from anywhere; all will meet remotely.
- VS Books is accepting applications from unpublished writers who are Indigenous, Black or a person of color and who are 50 or older living in Canada until January 4, 2021.
Residencies, Retreats, and Workshops
Check out the Alliance of Art Communities, Arts for LA, College Art Opportunities for exhibition, residency, and grant opportunities.
Scholarships, Sponsorships, and Grants
- We Need Diverse Books is offering small grants for diverse creatives in children’s publishing who have lost income due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The Francis Thompson Education Foundation is offering $3000 scholarships Black trans and/or non-binary students, with no GPA requirement.
U.S.-based freelancers, gig workers, and independent contractors are eligible for a $1,000 grant. If you go through the process, you do not need to also apply for the loan. Grants do not need to be repaid.
The Loft’s Wordsmith 2020, a writing conference that will take place virtually from October 1-4, is accepting scholarship applications from BIPOC and disabled writers ready to take the next step in their writing careers — whether that means finding a writing community, participating in workshops, and/or meeting one-on-one with an agent or editor. Apply by July 17 for consideration.
July’s round of ShortBox mini-grants are open for application: five £100 grants available to independent cartoonists. Email info@shortbox.co.uk linking to your current comics work/site, with ‘mini-grant’ as the subject. You must have a Paypal account. The deadline to email is July 25.
- MICE (the Massachusetts Independent Comics Expo) will award 30 MICE Mini-Grants of $100 each. Creators from New England and beyond can submit previously unpublished print mini-comics for consideration through August 1.
- The Arts and Culture Leaders of Color Emergency Fund is sending US-based BIPOC artists and art administrators whose income has been directly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic payments of $200. Click the link to apply or to donate.
- The Awesome Foundation offers $1000 grants on a rolling basis.
- Black Rainbow offers microgrants of $300 to LGBQTI people of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community that includes $200 to assist with hosting Indigenous LGBTQI community events.
- The Covid-19 Aid Funds website lists funding opportunities.
- The Eyebeam Center for the Future of Journalism is accepting applications from artists on a rolling basis. Artists covering data privacy, the 2018/2020 elections, the role of technology in society, political influence campaigns, harmful technologies, countering disinformation, and artificial intelligence may receive $500 to $5,000 in grants.
- Gumroad’s Creators Fund is accepting applications on a rolling basis. Gumroad will be allocating $50,000 in creative grants of $500 to $5,000 throughout the year.
- Are you a professional freelancer experiencing financial duress? The Haven Foundation offers grants and assistance to applicants with chronic illness or injury or other career-threatening emergencies (excluding COVID-19).
- Mel Gillman shared this list of Grants, Fellowships, and Residencies for Cartoonists! Thanks, Mel!
- My Documented Life maintains a list of scholarships for undocumented students.
- Canadian artists and cultural connectors are welcome to apply for grant funds through the Professional Development for Arts Professionals of Supporting Artistic Practice. Details on how and when you can apply are available on the page.
- Point of Pride has established the COVID-19 Emergency Fund to connect trans people to small grants for short-term expenses.
- Springboard for the Arts offers an Emergency Relief Fund for personal and community disasters that affect artists in Minnesota.
- Tulsa Remote is accepting applications from remote workers who are willing to relocate to Tulsa, OK in exchange for reduced rent and a total of $10,000 over the course of a year.
Check out Arts for LA, College Art Opportunities, or this list by ProFellow for grant opportunities.
Teaching
Sign up to teach at Skillshare to earn royalties based on the premium member students in your class. See here for additional information.
Voice Acting
Check the Casting Call Club for more voice acting and audio opportunities.
Writing and Editing
- We Need Diverse Books is looking to fill three contractual team positions: Webmaster for WordPress Site; Assistant Editor for YouTube Content; and Contributing Writers for the blog.
Name & None is accepting submissions from Black trans/non-binary/intersex creators only for their fourth issue Black Trans Power until today, July 10.
Augur Magazine is accepting submissions of fiction, poetry, and graphic fiction for Issue 3.2, themed “A Multiplicity of Futures,” until July 15.
Reclaim the Stars: A Latinx SFF Anthology is accepting submissions from Afro Latinx writers until July 15. One selected writer will be published in the anthology and will receive $1,600.
Color Bloq is accepting feature-length article and cultural critiques, personal essays, and other media with the theme “World Building” until July 20.
(London, UK) #Merky Books is seeking an Assistant Editor. Apply by July 21 for consideration.
- The American Copy Editors Society (ACES) has webinars available for free until July 31. (Thank you Sam for the tip)
- Bitch Media is seeking submissions for the POWER issue until August 24.
- Lee and Low’s New Visions Award is accepting submissions of YA/Middle Grade novels and graphic novels from writers of color or Native/Indigenous writers until August 31.
- Lee and Low’s New Voices Award is accepting submissions of children’s picture book manuscripts from writers of color or Native/Indigenous writers until August 31.
- Graydon House, a subsidiary of Harper Collins, is accepting unagented submissions from Black authors until September 8. If they make an offer, they will recommend agents to you. Send pitch letter and the first 30 pages to GHSubmissions [at] Harpercollins.com.
- Nerve Endings: Smut and Nerve Endings: Romance are accepting submissions of short fiction addressing trans and non-binary experiences of sex, sexuality, and relationships. Submissions for Smut are due by July 5, and submissions for Romance are due by July 5, 2021.
- AbleGamers is looking for pitches about disability in video games to be featured in our newsletter and on the AbleGamers website. Financial compensation available for accepted pieces.
- Anathema accepts fiction and nonfiction submissions year-round from queer and nonwhite writers only. They are open to portfolio submissions from illustrators for new/original and/or reprint cover art. They are currently seeking poetry submissions for their upcoming release.
- Anime Feminist is looking for contributors. Read here for more information. Article writers will be paid $50 per article.
- Anime News Network is seeking Freelance Editorial Contributors.
- (New York, NY) The Asian American Writers’ Workshop is hiring a Digital Communications Manager and a Programs Manager.
- Autostraddle is seeking personal essays, feature stories, and article submissions on fashion and beauty, sex and relationships, humor, and investigative journalism, particularly from butch/masculine-of-center women, people of color, people over age 45, and trans women.
- beestung is accepting submissions from non-binary and two-spirit writers. Poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, hybrids, and art with intracommunity sensibilities are welcome. Contributors will be paid a $20 honorarium.
- Black Rainbow accepts pitches from LGBQTI people of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community and pays $150 for selected articles.
- (London, UK/REMOTE OKAY) Blue-Zoo Animation is seeking Speculative Script Writers.
The BookEnds Literary Agency is hiring remote literary agents and contract consultants.
- Carnation Press is seeking submissions of short stories from fanfiction writers seeking to transition into publishing their original writing content.
- (New York, NY) Catapult, Counterpoint, and Soft Skull Press is seeking a Marketing Coordinator. The salary is listed as $45,000.
- CBR is seeking experienced writers to write on comic book news, analyses, and movie and tv show casting news.
- Clarksworld Magazine is looking for fiction and nonfiction contributors and pays up to $0.10 per word.
- Online monthly magazine The Dark is accepting submissions from 2000 to 6000 words in length. Encouraged genres include horror and dark fantasy, but graphic, violent horror is not desired. Payment is $0.06/word for up to 6000 words. Republishing payment is $0.01/word.
- The Drinking Gourd is accepting pitches from Black Muslims. They accept work across all genres with a particular fondness for Afrofuturism and speculative fiction. All contributors are paid a $50 flat rate.
- GenderTerror is accepting submissions of LGBTQ+ horror from artists and writers.
- Hashtag Blak is accepting submissions of YA or adult fiction from Black British writers.
- Interlude Press has reopened to submissions.
- Interstellar Flight Magazine is accepting submissions of essays, reviews, and creative nonfiction featuring queer and marginalized perspectives in science fiction and fantasy. Contributors are paid a $15 appreciation for publication.
- “Love Like Mine,” an ongoing column in Xtra, is seeking essays about queer love in all its forms – romantic, familial, platonic, and more.
- Panel Patter is looking for contributors, particularly from writers interested in manga and webcomics. They do not offer payment.
- POC in Publishing is looking for POC to volunteer as mentors for the next iteration of their mentorship program for 2021, particularly in the following fields in the industry: editorial, agenting/scouting, marketing, publicity, and art/design. All queries from people interested in mentoring can be directed to Mentorship & Retention Committee Director Saba Sulaiman at ssulaiman [at] talcottnotch.net.
- POMEgranate Magazine is accepting pitches from artists and writers.
- (Washington D.C.) The Pulitzer Center is currently seeking an experienced Copy Editor.
Queerly Represent Me is creating a series of ‘Best Practice Guidelines’ on a number of topics related to diversity and inclusion, and are seeking additional writers and reviewers to contribute. This is a paid opportunity.
- Reedsy is seeking a remote Freelance Editor.
- Rogue’s Portal is seeking contributors and columnists. They do not offer payment.
- Scholastic Canada is currently interested in reviewing Indigenous material in all genres and at all levels. No other unsolicited submissions are being accepted at this time.
- The SFWA blog is open to nonfiction submissions that might be of interest to new and/or established writers of science fiction and fantasy.
- Shelf Awareness is seeking a Publishing Assistant.
- SOLRAD is now accepting pitches for comics criticism, essays, and interviews. They are especially interested in cartoonists writing about other cartoonists, as well as work from academics.
- The Temper is seeking written works, particularly from marginalized writers, that relate to sobriety, addiction, or recovery.
- Three-Lobed Burning Eye is seeking original speculative short stories and flash fiction. Accepted authors of short stories will receive $100 and for flash fiction authors will receive $30.
- (Los Angeles, CA) WEBTOON is currently seeking a Creative Lead, a Digital Comic Editor (Spanish), an Editor, a Producer, and a Spanish UA Performance Manager. They’re also seeking a Freelance Bilingual Editor/Linguistic Tester (Korean/English), un Corrector Freelance Coreano, y un Copywriter Creativo.
- Yen Press is seeking manga proofreaders and copy editors and proofreaders of our novels. Many projects available on a rolling basis. Proofreading test available to interested parties. Working knowledge of Chicago Manual of Style required. Email Yen Press at proofreading (at) yenpress (dot) com. BIPOC especially encouraged to apply.
- Zooscape is accepting submissions of furry fiction up to 10,000 words. They pay 6 cents per word up to 1000 words, $60 for longer stories, and $20 for reprints.
Check out writingcareer.com for a list of calls for submission!
Youth & Internships
- Looking to hire a remote intern? Jessica shared some tips on how to do so!
- Comics Club highlights and connects comic clubs and shares advice and resources to help youth comic creators.
HarperCollins Publishers are seeking remote interns for Fall.
- Natalie “Tally” Nourigat offers advice & resources for young cartoonists ages 14-18 (although this is good advice for creators at any age)!
- The NewPages Young Writers Guide for artists and writers shares publications seeking applications from youth contributors.
REMOTE WORK: NPR is seeking a Fall intern for the Code Switch team. They’re also seeking an Illustration intern for the Visuals Team. Apply by July 13 for consideration.
Soho Press is seeking remote interns for a paid three-month program. Apply by July 31 for consideration.
- (Los Angeles, CA) WEBTOON is seeking a Digital Marketing intern and a Legal intern.
Resources
- This zine, 12 Things to Do Instead of Calling the Cops, is available for free.
- 28 Pages Later lists local comic shops in need of support, and even lists whether they have curbside pick-up or local delivery.
- Andrea of White Squirrel Co. shared a series of threads on how to set up an online store.
- Ashe shared a list of discounted and free art courses.
- Ashley shared a spreadsheet of resources and job boards. Thanks, Ashley!
- Aud Koch shared a PDF with stretches and exercises for wrists and hands.
- Check Becca Hillburn’s Youtube channel for new video interviews with independent artists, walkthroughs with dip pen nibs, tutorials, and more.
- COVID-19 Freelance Artist Resources is an aggregated list of free resources, opportunities, and financial relief options for all kinds of artists.
- Creative Capital shared a list of Arts Resources, mostly of funding information and a list of arts events moving online.
- Have you checked out the Creator Advisor? Initialized and run by Stephanie Cooke, the project aims to connect anyone involved in making comics together for paid projects, with a goal to prioritize marginalized creators.
- DB shared a thread about “injury prevention for writers, illustrators, colorists, letterers, and anybody who sits at a computer for a living.” Great tips!
- Elissa shared a thread on reaching out to your local bookstores as an author!
- Emily Riesbeck shared what their process was for finding an agent.
- The Etherington Brothers share all kinds of drawing advice on their Instagram. They also just shared a 50-page free downloadable e-book for young artists.
- Eve G. shared a PDF with Comic Lettering Basics.
- Everest shared a HUGE list of artist opportunities (mostly residencies, grants, and galleries) with over 375 links!
- The English-language version of Free Manga Materials is now available on Facebook and Instagram. Find the links in this tweet.
- The 2019/2020 Illustrators’ Survey results are now available.
- Gale Gilligan shared a graphic with questions to consider when doing the work to dismantle racism in publishing.
- Danielle and Jes & Cin have released The Comic Creator’s Guide to Literary Agents as a pay-what-you-want downloadable PDF. All proceeds are donated to the Marsha P. Johnson Institute.
- The Juneteenth Book Fest can be watched anytime on YouTube.
- Keetz shared a thread on free and/or affordable artist tools and software.
- Kickstarter updated their Publishing, Comics, and Journalism Creator Tips website.
- Kiriska has shared the 2019 Convention Artist Census Report. See how well artists spent and sold at different conventions through the US.
- Litebox has launched its website which shares wages earned by illustrators from a variety of clients. They also shared an illustrated thread explaining the importance of sharing rates.
- Literary Agents of Color is a directory that aims to support literary agents of color in the publishing industry.
- Mads shared information about getting a job in animation.
- Melanie Gillman shared a website that shows you how your website looks to those with different types of color-blindness.
- Mitch Dyer shared a doc full of Game Dev jobs.
- Nilah Magruder updated the list of literary agents who represent illustrators and added a new page with Steps to Querying. Niki Smith also has a list of agents who represent creators of graphic novels. Maria Vicente shared a guide on querying your graphic novel, from the perspective of a literary agent.
- Nilah shared a bare-minimum standard for graphic novel artists to negotiate with. Mel Gillman added that publishers need to get on board, too, with Alex de Campi reminding that secondary rights should also be negotiated. More pay and more time for drawing will improve the health of creators and the industry.
- Nilah, again, being the amazing person she is, also shared that David Chlystek is offering Black artists to attend his online storyboarding class free of charge (which is very cool of David!). E-mail him at chlystek@hotmail.com.
- Paul Duffield shared some great tips for engaging with Twitter in a productive, professional, and positive way.
- Over the past week, writers and creators have been sharing their advance rates and other received pay and experiences with the hashtag #PublishingPaidMe. Grace Fong maintains a survey on advance rates, with data gathered here.
- The Ripped Bodice shared its fourth annual State of Racial Diversity in Romance Publishing report. Four years of reports show only a 0.4% industry-wide increase of the number of authors of color being published by 18 of the top romance publishers.
- Sarah Stern shared tips on optimizing your artwork for working with a colorist.
- Shannon Wright shared the “Super Condensed Zine” PDF – a FREE collection of tips on portfolios, websites, agents, and pitching.
- The Sherwood Forest Zine Library shared a free collection of zines regarding Black history/struggle, privilege, allyship, policing, legal rights, activism, and protest tactics.
- Shelly Romero created a document of Publishing Industry Resources.
- Shivana listed some ways that Art Directors and recruiters can make lasting changes within publishing rather than temporary support.
- Smithsonian Open Access allows you to download, share, and reuse millions of the Smithsonian’s images. Nearly 3 million 2D and 3D digital items are available for free use.
- Steve Lieber shared insight on the specifics that should be mentioned when negotiating contracts with commercial clients. He also provided general notes on what to improve in your comics portfolio.
- TO Comix Press has shared a sample contract for comic anthology projects, the start-to-finish process of producing an anthology, and articles on marketing and getting indie books into stores. Recently, they shared the questions they ask in an anonymous survey given out at the end of anthology projects, which help contributors air grievances and help the publisher gain insight and grow to be better. Amazing! Thanks for always being so helpful.
- Weird Enough Productions is offering 400 pages of comics and educational resources for free!
- Wendy Xu shared a primer on getting an agent as a comic artist.
- Zack has shared a lot of tips and guides for using Clip Studio Paint. Find them all here!
Deals
- Céli shared 5 free coloring pages.
- Chrissie shared a free Animal Crossing-themed coloring page.
- Crisalys has shared 6 free coloring pages.
- iasmin omar ata has put everything on their itch.io up for free/pay what you want.
- James Jean has put up some coloring sheets for free digital download.
- Katie Longua shared a digital coloring book for free.
- Kelsi Jo shared a pack of coloring pages.
- kiDChan shared her digital symmetry coloring zine for free.
- Lauren Walsh has made her digital coloring pages available for free.
- Pam has shared the digital edition of their coloring zine Folklórico for free.
- The Public Domain Review Coloring Book is available for free.
- Silver Sprocket is posting hundreds of their comics online for free.
- TKO Studios is sending 50% of the purchase price of their comics to the store of your choice when you checkout at TKOpresents.com.
- TO Comix Press is offering all of its Toronto-themed anthologies for free in their Gumroad store.
Remember to check ComiXology, Dick Blick, Jerry’s Art-A-Rama, Joann, Michael’s, and RightStuf for their weekly ads, coupons, and specials on comics and art supplies.
Giveaways
- Goodreads offers giveaways for a variety of titles in all genres. Check out these giveaways for comics and graphic novels.
- Seven Seas has a new survey for June/July. Suggest up to 18 new titles for Seven Seas to consider for licensing. Fill out the survey to be entered into a raffle to win a copy of any book Seven Seas has published so far in 2019!
That’s it for this week! Look out for another post next week with these categories and possibly more. Is there something you’d like to see more of? Something you know about but don’t see here? Let me know!
If you enjoy the Weekly Roundup, please consider supporting me through my Patreon, Paypal, or Ko-Fi.
Link to the previous Roundup: Weekly Roundup – July 3, 2020