Selling Cartoons To Newspapers
Newspaper cartoons are primarily editorial cartoons or syndicated
comic strips. Competition in both fields is fierce, although there is a niche market at some newspapers
for editorial cartoons on local and state issues.
Syndicated Comic Strips
Most comic strips are distributed by newspaper syndicates. Typically the syndicate sells the comic to
a number of newspapers for a few dollars a week and they split that income with the cartoonist, usually
on a 50-50 basis. In some cases the syndicates may pay a salary instead of the royalty arrangement.
Cartoonists usually sign a contract for 3 to 10 years, which may be extended. These syndicates employ
knowledgeable marketing experts and have better access to the newspapers than the individual cartoonist
may have.
A cartoonist wishing to sell a syndicated feature should submit from four to six weeks of samples to the
syndicate for their consideration. The competition is fierce. Syndicates receive thousands of proposals
and usually only sign a few features per year. Even when you've sold your feature to the syndicate you
still face the challenge of getting newspapers to buy the cartoon series from the syndicate. Most
newspapers won't take on a new feature until they drop an old one.
Syndication can be very profitable for the few comics that are most successful. Charles Schultz, the
creator of Peanuts, reportedly once earned a million dollars a month.
Here are a few of the most popular syndicates you may want to try:
UClick
King Features Syndicate
United Features Syndicate
Newspaper Enterprise Association (NEA)
Creators Syndicate
You can find more listings in
Editor & Publishers's Syndicate Directory
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Some cartoonists have been moderately successful in self-syndicating their comics, although most
newspapers are reluctant to deal with artists directly. Also syndicates can offer package deals,
which consist of a number of features, at a price which is so low that the individual artist can't
compete against it. One artist that had moderate success with self-syndication, though, was George
Crenshaw, the creator of Belvedere. He told me that he was mostly able to hit the very small newspapers,
such as the weeklies. It should be kept in mind, also,
that Belvedere originally started as a syndicated feature for King Features Syndicate and was later
carried by a couple of other syndicates before Crenshaw took it over himself. Without the major
syndicate involvement in the beginning, George might not have been able to get the feature off the
ground.
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Belvedere, created by my friend the late George Crenshaw, was one comic which
achieved some success in self-syndication.
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Editorial Cartoons
A few months back I submitted an editorial cartoon idea to my local newspaper. They didn't publish it
but they sent a very complimentary letter along with some great suggestions for the cartoonist who
wants to do editorial cartoons. I thought I would share some of these thoughts with my readers.
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The editor told me that most people who want to submit cartoons to him can either draw but don't know
how to make a humorous political point, or they can make a humorous political point but can't draw. He
told me that he felt I could do both and called my cartoon "pretty good." He went on to explain some
of the realities of trying to market editorial cartoons to newspapers.
As you can see, newspaper editors are looking for three things: a good drawing, a current political
point and humor. Too many would-be editorial cartoonists look at the editorial cartoon as an opportunity
to gripe or try to impose their views, I think. You might accomplish both if you remember to keep it funny.
A big problem in trying to sell to local newspapers, however, is the low pay their budgets allow. This
editor told me they pay a "token payment" of $25, which isn't much when you consider what is demanded for
this type of cartoon. When you do editorial cartoons you are competing against syndicated cartoonists.
A newspaper syndicate typically charges a newspaper $10 or $15 per week and for that price they offer
a selection of several cartoons, often by Pulitzer-prize winning artists. You can see why it's difficult
for an independent cartoonist to sell his work to newspapers and command as much as $25.
However, there is a niche market if you like doing this type of work. What newspapers don't receive are
many quality cartoons about state or local subjects. If you can produce cartoons on these types of topics,
you may find a market for your work.
To make the bigger money, though, you would have to become syndicated. That's tough to do, but by doing
local editorial cartoons you can build up a portfolio and the experience to help you to achieve that goal.
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Websites By Ron Coleman:
*Colemantoons
*Belvedere Cartoons
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