My Quick 'n Dirty Guide on How to Collaborate

Hi! I'm DCS! I'm a trans/queer cartoonist and I've been dabbling in more and more collaborations lately. Because of this, I've had lots of folks asking me about how the process works! So, I've decided to write it down in hopes it helps more teams make awesome projects come together.

Why collaborate? Because it makes projects happen! Because it's fun and rewarding! Movies, games, TV shows, music, all sorts of things are a collaborative effort but indie works like webcomics, novels, etc, seem to have this idea of the "lone creative" doing it all by themselves: which is just not realistic and can get lonely fast. It also just makes actually completing something really difficult.

So, I'm here to help you get on the path of finding help, helping others, and getting things done! This guide is brief overview of my thoughts and suggestions to give you a kick in the pants to get started. As always, I suggest looking up other tutorials about this topic before diving in if you're still feeling nervous about collaboration. Now, let's begin!

Before you contact anyone about collaborating...

I've often received e-mails from people claiming they've never written a story before, never drawn before, never inked before, and don't have any examples or don't have any ideas. Those are usually e-mails I see go nowhere, as it quickly becomes clear the person isn't actually committed to making something. It sucks! You don't want to be that guy. You want to be desirable! You want to be competent! You want to be an asset to the team!

So, here are some things I recommend having before contacting anyone...

For writers:

• An example of your writing somewhere that's easy to share. (This can be something as simple as a Google Doc or a proper portfolio on your website.)

• OR an example of your writing in a word document that's easy to attach to an e-mail.

• If you have a portfolio, try to include prior collaborations you've done!

• If someone is asking for a pitch: complete your pitch BEFORE sending your first e-mail! Send the pitch with that e-mail.

• If you've never published your writing before: consider publicly publishing something before reaching out to a collaborator.

• Make sure you actually have the time available if there is a deadline for the project!
  

For artists:

• An example of your art somewhere that's easy to share. (Again, this can be something as simple as a Google Drive folder or a portfolio on your website. A media tab on social media will work fine too.)

• OR a PDF collection of your art that's easy to attach to an e-mail. JPEGS and PNGS are fine too but keep it to 5 or less pics.

• If you have a portfolio, try to include prior collaborations you've done!

• If you've never posted your art online before, consider posting it somewhere before reaching out to a collaborator.

• If you have a portfolio, try to include prior collaborations you've done!

• Ideally, showcase art that is relevant to the project. So, comic pages for comics, coloring for coloring jobs, characters for a character focused story, etc.
  

For musicians, game devs, etc, you're gonna take the formula above and repeat. A portfolio or social page that acts as one, a short list of credentials and direction with where you want the collab to go.

In general: try to have your work organized and presentable. This can be a simple as a well kept social media page or as complex as a custom web page, but you need something. There's nothing more off putting to a potential collaborator than someone who has nothing to show and no ideas. Be organized! Have your ideas ready! It's okay if your page is simple or utilitarian: it just needs to show that you work and finish things. These are both very important traits to bring to the table.

Finding someone to collab with...

This part is tricky. It can be difficult to know who is open to what, when and how and this is where being social and/or observant are going to come in handy. Social media is actually built for this kind of thing though!

If you're a creative, you've ideally already been following other creatives doing the things you like to do. And ideally, you've talked to a few of them. This is a great start! It means you have folks you can ask about collaborating. You can also ask friends, you can find folks in Discord servers, on Reddit, etc! There are lots of places! Itchio even has a whole category for jams: a type of community event that famously thrives with teams. I highly recommend checking them out!

Most of my collaborations have started by me thinking, "Hmm... I've got an idea I like and I think x person might be interested in doing it with me. I'll ask them!" and then the person either says yes or no and we continue on. And yes: I do get told no! Everyone gets told no! It is a fact of the business and is not a reflection on you or your work. YOU MUST REMEMBER THIS. A "NO" IS SIMPLY A NO. THERE IS NOTHING ELSE TO READ INTO IT.

I see a lot of folks struggling with the idea of rejection: especially earlier on as it's easier to get "no's" than it is to get "yes" but please remember this happens to everyone. It is normal. It does not mean what you think it means and it isn't a moral judgement on you or your art. It simply is what it is: and you must keep going and trying. Things will get better. You will learn. You will figure this out!

I've found someone I want to contact about a collab: what do I write in my introduction e-mail?

An e-mail to a potential collaborator is usually the best way to get into contact because e-mails are more easily organized than Discord messages; but if someone wants to work through Discord or other instant messaging, try to meet them where they're at. Regardless, the information below applies to both instances. DM'ing someone on a social media site just to check the temp is always fine, but I would avoid public comments about asking to collab unless you know the person well, as you can accidentally put social pressure into the equation by having the question be public.

DO: Send in your portfolio, examples of writing or a clear link on where either of these things can be found. You want it to be easy for your prospective collaborator to see the work you've already finished and you want to show off that you're organized too.

A link to your page or portfolio will work best, while attaching a PDF or other examples to an e-mail also work fine. Your examples should be easy to read (don't make your collaborator buy something just so they can check out your work) and easy to navigate. You should also include a short pitch on what you're looking to do with said creative: but sometimes it's OK to send it in the second e-mail as to not bloat this first one. Read about that in the section below.

DON'T: Send an e-mail saying you can link or show your work if the person is interested. This person won't know if they want to work with you until they see your body of work; so send something in! This creates extra work for your collaborator and adds unnecessary extra time into the process.

Cut out the bullshit and just send them your work. In my opinion, a decent introduction e-mails looks something like this:

"Hello! I'm reaching out in regards to your open call for collaborations. I'm DCS, otherwise known as DarkChibiShadow, and I'm a queer/trans artist who mostly makes comics and dabbles in illustrations and game dev. I really enjoy monster romance, transhet, and generally kinky stories. My portfolio can be found here and my webcomic can be found here! Let me know if my style interests you and I'd love to talk further about working on a project together. Thanks a ton for your time!"

This e-mail is quick, polite, and gives the information the collaborator needs to know. My name, what I am (an artist) what I like (monster romance) and where they can view my portfolio and read some of my existing work.

Other things you can include in these introductory e-mail are pitches for your story (see below) other skills you have, or anything relevant to the request your potential collaborator has made. People are busy, so show initiative by being upfront, direct, and helpful. It's always much easier to work with someone who is confident and responsive: it's okay not to know everything and to need help, but that shouldn't come at the cost of you being direct and informative. Always strive to include good, complete information that's accessible and easy.

What to do if you're approaching someone else:

Great! It's awesome you've found someone that wants to hear your pitch. Pitching isn't my strongest skill, so I'd recommend looking up tutorials on how to organize a pitch document, but I will go over what a really quick one might look in an e-mail and how you'd want to approach your collaborator with it.

Follow the guidelines above and then continue talking about your pitch: include a link to your pitch somewhere (Google Docs, Dropbox, etc) or directly attach your word document or images to the e-mail. A pitch can be long or short, it just depends on the project. Mine are often very short: just a starting idea, as I'm often working with authors who I want to see expand upon that idea.

DO: Include story bullet points in your pitch, include any concept art, include character profiles, include world building notes. Focus on making your pitch easy to read and clear. Your collaborator should know what your story is about in under 10 minutes. You can write a long and sprawling world building document and a fully fleshed out script later; right now, a pitch is just to help get someone hooked on the concept and willing to come on board to complete the project.

DO NOT: Send in vague wishy-washy summaries or text containing lots of "LOL" and "LMAO" in them. It's okay to be flexible or to not know every exact story beat: but you should be clear about that instead of trying to joke. If you don't know what happens in a certain part of the story: just write that. Instead of saying, "I don't know what happens here lol" try saying, "I'd like feedback on how to connect the previous scene with the upcoming one." and move on from there. Holes in stories are fine and are sometimes what collaborators are for. (And vice versa, if your writer has holes they need help with, consider seeing what you can come up with.)

Here's a small example pitch...

Summary: After Gwen's lover abandons the monastery late one night, she closes her heart off from her fellow nuns. In her sorrow, she commits herself to a live of piety and somber prayer. Years later, her lover mysteriously returns! And he's looking very, very different. Nobody else recognizes this man but her: his name is Caelan now and he's tall, strong and as charming as ever.    The way he looks is everything he ever spoke of wanting, and Gwen begins to question how it's all possible. Is this the trick of some demon? Or is it the gift of something even holier than God?  Project scope: Projected to be 35 pages or less. Seeking someone to do comic inks. Sketches and colors to be handled by me. A page template and sketches by me will be available for you to work off. You are not expected to style match to my work, inks simply need to be readable! No deadline at this time.  Comic will be posted online for free or paid with revenue share if all parties agree and we’re able to find a good distribution method. Story outline: --Small introduction about nun --Werewolf comes back to the clergy --He asks her to meet him in the garden that night --He explains he’s come back for her, and he’s received a gift from the god of the land --They start kissing --Sexy times (censored here for the public version of this post) --They are left huffing and looking at each other --Small epilogue of her very pregnant and in different clothing out in the woods with him Personality of werewolf: A very dedicated and serious man. Committed to making nun his wife. He's been hurt by religion in the past but has found peace amongst nature and his new "gift". Personality of nun: She was still mending her broken heart when the werewolf returned. She's extremely pent up and wanting and it won't take long for her to give in to his romance!

The pitch doesn't need to be complicated, it just needs to be organized and clear. And it's okay to have an incomplete idea or starting point, but that needs to be communicated to whoever you're talking with. Making a pitch document helps show off your story, but it also helps show that you're willing to put in the work and that you're organized. Those are two very important traits to have as a collaborator!

What to do if you want someone to approach you:

First and foremost: this path is going to work best if you've got a few previous collaborations and/or projects finished first. If you're very new to everything, you're going to want to be the person sending in pitches first as opposed to letting folks approach you. So, read the section above instead. If you think you're ready to attract others, read on!

It's good to make a document or web page that people can refer to when wanting to work with you. It should clearly include your contact information and what you're looking for. Are you seeking an artist? A writer? For what kind of project? What's the deadline? Is it paid work, free work, or revenue share? What are you offering in return?

It's important to be clear and honest with what you want: otherwise you may receive a lot of e-mails from folks just looking to get free work out of you, instead of folks invested in making your ideas come to life with you. (Though, maybe you are interested in giving work out for free! That's a fine thing to do too!)

You can check my transhet collaboration page for an example. But in general, you'll want to make sure you have...

• Your contact information

• Information about your project

• What type of creator you're looking for (Artist, Cartoonist, Writer, etc)

• If there's a deadline

• If the work is paid or not
  

If trying to find collaborations for an existing project, put as much information about that project into your call-to-action post as possible. Next, you'll wanna share this information around you socials, friends, chats, etc. Lots of people want to collaborate but are too shy to reach out to people: so if you're seeking someone, you can't be shy too! Be bold and post about how you're seeking collaboration.

You can also ask creators specifically about collaborating with them instead of having an open call: but you will still want to have all of the above information available. Do not approach a creator you don't know unless you've got your stuff together! Popular creators have people asking to work with them all the time and you need to be different: you need to be organized and ready with information! (And hopefully a budget!)

You've found someone to collaborate with, now what?

Congratulations! That is awesome and I hope this will be the start of something amazing for the both of you!

Deciding your work load and pace is largely going to be up to you and your new collaboration partner. Talk openly and transparently about what you can and can't do and what you need help with. For example, if you're a comic artist doing all the art yourself and the collaborator is just doing the comic script: you're putting a lot more hours into the project than they are. If the writer is paying you for their time, then you're even: but if you're doing rev sharing then it isn't unreasonable to ask them to cover marketing and production. This would include things like social media posting and preparing the PDF for print.

But again, this is up to your and your partner. There is no one, true, ultimate method to collaborating and some people do and don't like certain types of work; but it's important to realize that these projects will be work. Getting any story to the finish line is work and you'll both be expected to put in the effort. Do not start a collaboration with someone if you aren't willing to put in the time and effort! (Or, only week small collaborations like a single illustration or very short story.) Know your limits.

Setting deadlines can be helpful, discussing rev split is good, figuring out how you want to market the story, where you want to post, and generally just working out the vibes is great. There really isn't one exact way people collaborate. (And sometimes people just don't match up, it's a hard truth! But, don't take it personal. Always try to split in a polite way and thank someone for their time if things aren't clicking. Just keep trying, you'll find someone.)

Some examples of collaborative work I've done with revenue sharing...

• I do illustrations, marketing, and cover art while my collaborator writes the novel.

• I do the sketches and colors for a comic while my collaborator does inks/linework for the comic.

• I do art and marketing for a web series and my collaborator does writing and audio design.
  

To me, these work splits have felt even. But to you, they might feel uneven. That's why talking to your collaborator on what they can and can't handle, and what you can and can't handle, can be very helpful. You could even consider bringing in a third person on to the team or creating an anthology. There's lots of possibilities! Just remember to try and be kind, flexible, and understanding during the process.

What the timeline of a collab often looks like for me:

My most frequent collaborations are with authors for illustrated novels, or folks who do inks for me for comics. So! Let me break down how either of these might look.

Illustrated Novel Timeline:

• I touch base with the author, we decide we want to collab together.

• We agree on our pitch, ironing out any initial big details.

• We discuss the work split, the scope of the project, deadlines, rev split/share, business-y things like that.

• Once we agree on those: we get an outline of the story going. Either as a team or one of us does it, depending on the project.

• I do a loose sketch for the cover of the book and/or begin working on the cover.

• Author begins working on the meat of the story. (This is often when I finish the cover/logo outright.)

• I wait until the story is farther along/finished before I start working on any interior illustrations for the story.

• Around this time, I make sure our project listing page looks good, tags are in order, the summary is nice, etc. Marketing things like that.

• Once the story is finished: I make sure my illustrations are finished and the author approves of them: then I assemble the PDF with formatting, etc.

• We look over the final product, make sure we're both happy and boom! Release!

• I keep in touch with the author for rev share/etc things like that so I know we're both taken care of.

• Rinse and repeat.

Getting my comics inked timeline:

• I touch base with the person who is gonna ink my comics, make sure we're both on the same page.

• We agree on page length and deadline: we also talk about rev share/split.

• Once we agree, I start working on as many sketches for the comic pages as possible.

• Before I send off pages to be inked, I make sure my layers are named and organized as to be clear to the next person.

• I create a Dropbox folder where every sketch page can be put into, this also allows inker to put their inks into the same folder.

• I name my pages "Page 1 Sketch" so they can name it something like "Page 1 Ink" so every part of the process has different files, in case of mistakes or needing back-ups.

• As soon as I've got about 3 pages sketched, I hand them over to the inker so that they can ink while I sketch.

• Ideally: I finish my sketches early so I can start coloring/finishing their inks while they're doing inks. We play a game of cat and mouse in a fun way like this.

• Eventually, all the pages get done! We make a PDF and release!

• Rinse and repeat.
  

This probably looks like a lot of work and most likely, it is. Getting any project done is a lot of work. But, I promise you that working with someone else makes it less work: it's just more e-mails instead. But e-mails and messages are so much easier than not getting a project done. And often times: your collab looks and feels better because more eyes were on it. My life and my art has gotten so much better since I found reliable folks to collaborate with and I want this feeling for everyone.

And again, the timeline above is just an example. You do not need to work how I work: you can find your own way and you and your collaborator can split the work in any way you feel comfortable. You can also give away any step of the process of the work to anyone else: yes, any step. Yes, someone else can do your outline. Yes, someone else can do your thumbnails. Yes, someone else can do your letters. Literally, there is no job too small not to give it away.

If you hate one part of the process: find someone who loves it. That is the point of all of this! I don't like inks, so I've finding people who do. I don't like world building, so I'm finding people who do. And my work is much better for it! We can cover each other!

How can I be a desirable collaborator?

I'm using this eye-catching header to basically put in a bunch of random thoughts I think are valuable for you to read here that don't belong anywhere else. These things are meant to empower you, to help you figure out what you can put forward and to help you develop your skills. Now, let's begin.

• Marketing is often the thing people want to do the least. If you can learn to do this, you will have something very valuable to offer, every time. It's a make or break skill.

• Because of this, learning how to market is very valuable for folks like script writers, colorists, etc. If your usual job is much shorter than the others, marketing and production are going to be valuable skills for you.

• Being reliable is so sexy and so important. Being able to get the work done you said you would is everything. Even if you have delays, getting it done is great. Just don't make someone wait too long.

• That said: communication is everything. If you're late: send an e-mail. If you're sick: send an e-mail. Do not keep someone guessing because you're feeling embarrassed, shy, anxious or ashamed. Those feelings are the enemy of a finished project!

• And also said: if you know you can't get to the finish line: communicate that early. It's okay if this happens, just try not to waste your collaborators time! Give them enough time that they can find someone else.

• If you have a hard time communicating: find ways to make it easier for yourself and then tell your collaborator that. Are e-mails easier? Are calls easier? Are DMs the best? Find the middle ground and meet there.

• The finish line is the ultimate thing. You must prioritize the finish line! You love the finish line. It is your everything.

• Scraping things is part of the process. If you like something you scraped, write it down and keep it for later. It may become your next collab.

• If a collaborator has red flags, jump the project early. There is no shame in this.

• If you haven't been paid, if there wasn't a contract: you don't owe anyone anything even if they're demanding it.

• Understand that collaboration comes with risks: the risk of something not getting done, the risk of feeling hurt, the risk of disappointment. It's all very normal. You will learn through this.

• Start small. Start so small. Please, small projects first. Big projects once you know you like working together.

• Don't be afraid to chat a little before collaborating to see if the vibes are good.

• Always try to be polite. Be as kind to each other as possible. You are here to help each other, not to tear each other down.

• Pitching a new story as a collaboration often results in less hurt feelings. Your 5+ year old, very developed idea that you haven't started yet might be a bit too personal to bring to the table. (At least at first! Or unless you're willing to make changes.)
  

And that's about that!

There's truly so much more I could say on the matter but I think I'm going to leave it at that. This post is past overdue on getting made and I think anymore bloat on this post is just gonna have people's eyes glaze over, rather than being helpful. So hey, I hope this helped you in some way and that you're feeling more confident about finding someone to work with. Maybe it'll even be me!

Cheers to you, your potential collaborator(s) and to all of the cool things I know you're going to make. Go forth, create, be kind to each other and make some dosh!