Story Press Africa, our collaborative imprint with South African media company Jive Media Africa, is looking for submissions from artists and illustrators who want to tell the stories and histories of Africa as part of our African Graphic Novel Series.
The first installment in the series, Shaka Rising—a graphic novel for young readers—told the story of a young Zulu leader’s rise to power against the backdrop of one of southern Africa’s most turbulent times. We want to continue bringing these stories to the page and to readers everywhere. Please read our submission guidelines and get in touch if you have a proposal. We look forward to hearing from you!
SUBMISSION POLICY
Story Press Africa is a publishing partnership between Jive Media Africa in South Africa and Catalyst Press in the United States to put African stories on a global platform.
The African Graphic Novel Series uses the power of stories and sequential art to engage young adult audiences on African knowledge. Story Press Africa has a rigorous editorial process to ensure that stories are based in accurate historical and social contexts, whether presented as fiction or non-fiction.
Story Press Africa seeks innovative proposals for stories about African people and events. Writers and illustrators are invited to submit proposals individually or as a team. We welcome submissions worldwide but prioritize submissions from African writers and illustrators.
Do you have a story to tell?
Please submit a 1-2 page treatment (up to 500 words) according to the following guidelines to info@storypressafrica.com. Submissions not adhering to the guidelines will not be considered.
- Please include a short synopsis of your story including: characters, brief plot outline, and most importantly, how this story fits into our larger mission of preserving and sharing African stories and histories.
- For writer-illustrator teams or illustrators, please submit up to 3 pages of art showing how the story will be brought to life as a graphic novel.
- In shaping your proposal, please provide as much information as possible about when and where the story is set, whom or what is involved and what knowledge it seeks to share. Please indicate the political, historical, scientific, or cultural significance of this story. Why is this an important story to tell? Why should the world learn about this? Has this story been presented in the past? In what way? How does your perspective differ? Explain how and why your perspective is specifically an African perspective of the story in question.
- Are there any potential political issues or community nuances related to the story that we should be aware of (e.g.: ethnic groups that might take issue with the version of the story as told)? Please note that we expect some stories will have political implications. We’re not afraid of that, but would like as much information as possible from the beginning of the project.
- What sources, resources, and experts will you consult in researching your story to ensure its accuracy and integrity?Please include the following information for both the author and the illustrator: name, address, email, phone number, brief bio and any previous work that has been published.
Submissions will be responded to within a period of two months. Submitting material is not a guarantee of publication. Copyright of all materials submitted remain with the creator and we will keep them confidential.
