Call For Submissions
Submissions Open: Immediately Website: www.border-x.com Contact: mauricio@border-x.com
Deadline: Saturday February 1, 2020
Submission Page Count:1 to 8 pages
Format: approx. 200 pages, Standard US Comic 6.625”x10.25” Full Color perfect bound
To get involved, contact us..
WHAT IS BORDERx: A Crisis In Graphic Detail?
The BORDERx Project is a collective of concerned artists, writers, and volunteers who will raise our voices, raise our pens, raise awareness, raise funds to help migrants, asylum seekers, and refugees. We are creating a comic book anthology. We will tell stories from the frontlines, from history, and from the heart in pictures and words. We are looking for original short comics, posters and illustrations.
The current state of immigration in the U.S. and around the world is a very complex issue and to understand it we need a multi-faceted approach — objective, subjective, historical, personal, speculative, investigative, etc. We want to provide a wide array of insights collected in the anthology and will also produce a companion educational guide to further explore the issues raised in the comics.
The collected works will be made available to the public through a crowdfunding campaign that will raise funds to print the publication. The majority of the funds will be donated to the South Texas Human Rights Center who work directly with migrants in need.
WHAT WE WANT:
Your donation of time and talent in crafting comics which will serve as the centerpiece in raising funds for the South Texas Human Rights Center.
- Stories that explore issues of migration, refugees, and displacement.
- Non-Fiction of all types with references and citations (document your sources).
- All genres of fiction. Drama. Sci-Fi. Humor. Horror. Anything as long as it’s “on topic”.
- Infographics. Interior covers. Exterior covers and other one-page projects.
- Posters, especially WPA-style propaganda posters (contact us for details).
- Biographical stories with references and citations when appropriate.
The final format should be 1-8 page comic art ready for publication. Technical specifications are listed below.
OTHER WAYS TO HELP:
You can also help ease the difficulties migrants are experiencing in one of three ways:
- You can donate physical art, artifacts, signed books, signed posters, etc. that we can include as an incentive for the crowdfunding campaign levels.
- Spread the word to everyone who might be able to participate, students, scholars, journalists, as well as comic creators.
- Donate! The fundraiser will go live soon, and you can give through the Fractured Atlas portal to the BORDERx Project! Also spread the word to potential donors.
WHAT WE DON’T WANT:
This isn’t about Trump — he gets enough press. He may appear in your story where relevant, but we want to focus on the issue: a humanitarian disaster. As a non-profit, we can’t accept any submissions that openly lobby for any specific candidate or legislation. Please no text only submissions (see FAQ if you’re a writer seeking an artist).
Not sure about something? Contact us. We’re happy to help.
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS:
We expect the final collection to run 200 pages +/-, it will be printed in full color and perfect bound/glued spine on 50lb stock or better. The pages will be trimmed to 6.625×10.25 so documents must be submitted at minimum 7×10.5 with appropriate margins or larger -10×15 or 10.33×15.5″ is the preferred size. We prefer TIFF format, uncompressed at minimum 300 dpi. If you are unsure about any of these tech specs, please contact us immediately. We will not print work that is under the minimum size and resolution.
COMPENSATION:
All participants published in the print edition will receive a physical copy or copies of the publication. All participants (print/digital) will receive a digital edition of the collection. Additional print copies will be provided if we meet certain fundraising goals or find a print sponsor/benefactor. Discounted copies will be made available to participants.
USAGE/CREATORS’ RIGHTS:
Author(s) is (are) the sole copyright owner (s) of the Work, and retain(s) all rights to the Work except for those expressly granted to BORDERx Publications in this Agreement.
If accepted, all work submitted to the BORDERx Project grants continuing, non-exclusive, worldwide rights to reproduce the work and the right to reproduce the collection in print, digital format and a Spanish translation edition.
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“The BORDERx Project” refers to the collected works in the anthology edition.
“Work” refers to the author(s) own contributed content submitted to The BORDERx Project and not to the anthology as a whole.
Submission of work to BORDERx for publication indicates agreement to these rights.
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In plain speech. We will only use the work for the stated project, for anything else (i.e. film, television, etc.), we would have to obtain the permission from the creator(s). We can print and distribute it anywhere in the world. We can also reprint this publication in a new edition, a Spanish language edition, but we can’t take your work to create a new separate/different project without your permission. We can use your work for promotion of the BORDERx Project, educational projects like a teacher’s edition, but can’t use it to promote anything else like a political rally or a brand of shaving cream. We can’t transfer the rights to a third party either.
Who owns the work? Simply put, you the creators of the work own the work that you contribute. By submitting your work, you allow us to use the work, but the creators retain ownership of the work and can publish it wherever they choose. You do not need to ask us for permission to reuse your own work, we are simply requesting that you inform us if you plan on publishing it elsewhere before July of 2020.
PROJECT TIMELINE
Mid September
- Call For Submissions
- Crowdfunding Site Goes Live
October/November
- Send in your Pitches/Plots/Descriptions
- Feedback From Our Editorial Team
Early November
- Progress Check-In
- Crowdfunding Push/Reminder
Early December
- Final Crowdfunding Push/Tax Deductible End-Of-Year Appeal
February 1
- Submission Deadline — Saturday, February 1st, 2020
February
- Editorial Review/Content Selection
- Print Production
March
- Rewards Fulfillment
- Proceeds Donated to South Texas Human Rights Center
- Final Project Accounting
How Do I Get Involved?
If you want to get involved as a contributor or volunteer, please contact Mauricio Cordero, Project Director
FAQ
I have a great story but I’ve never created a comic before, can I participate?
Pitch us your story and if we think it would be a good fit, we will try our best to connect you with a seasoned comics scriptwriter and/or artist. We cannot guarantee pairings so please try to find an artist on your own.
I’m an artist, but I don’t have a story in mind.
We are looking for artists to illustrate stories, so please get in touch! We can’t guarantee pairings but we artists are in high demand.
Who is your target audience?
Fans of comix, young adult and up. Activists. Educators. Concerned humans.
Does my comic have to be serious? What genres are you looking for?
Nope! While the subject is serious all types of commentary are sought. Well-written parody, satire, metaphor, allegory, symbolism, motifs, etc. can reach broad audiences. Every genre is welcome as long as the focus is on the migration issue. Sci-Fi, non-fiction, science writing, journalism, fiction of all sorts, if you have a doubt, reach out and we are happy to help.
Can I submit something that was previously published/will soon be published in another publication?
If you have the rights and are not restricted by any other agreements, you can, but please let us know up front the exact publication and date it was/will be published.
CONTACT
Mauricio Cordero, Project Director