Master the Art of Publishing Graphic Novels
Graphic novels and comics is one of the fastest growing sectors of publishing. Driven in part by Japanese manga and anime, they are becoming more mainstream and can represent a significant growth opportunity for companies. For children, young adults and adult readers, they can include TV and film tie-ins, as well as original works.
With the success of Alice Oseman’s Heartstopper series and many titles being listed for or awarded literary prizes, graphic novels are gaining new audiences. Globally, the comic book and graphic-novel market was estimated to be worth over $520 million in 2024.
This one-day course covers all aspects of producing graphic novels, from ideas and concepts through quality control and sensitivity reads.
Who is it for?
Anyone who is considering launching a graphic novel list or who wants to publish a graphic novel. This includes:
- Artists
- Business development executives
- Commissioning editors
- Designers
- Editorial assistants, assistant editors, editors
- Freelancers
- Production staff
- Publishers
- Publishing directors
- Writers
What will you achieve?
On completing this course you’ll be able to:
- Think about what you need to set up and start a graphic-novels list
- Be able to argue for starting or taking on graphic novels within your organisation
- Understand all the steps involved in creating a graphic novel, from start to finish
Programme
Day one
Introduction & background
- History of comics and graphic novels
- Developments and trends in the UK now
The Editor’s role
- Different roles
- Acquiring and commissioning
- Business strategy
Editorial processes
- Big publishers versus small indies
- Working with creatives
- Digital versus traditional methods
- Genres
- Planning and scheduling
Day two
Hands-on/in practice
- Practical examples of editing pages
- In-depth analysis of artwork
- Works in translation
- Sound effects
- Quality control and sensitivity reads
Sales, Press and Marketing
- Comic cons and literary festivals
- Successful campaigns
- Social media
About the tutor
Emma Hayley is Founder and Managing Director of SelfMadeHero. Established in 2007, the publishing house specialises in graphic novels. Emma has won several awards, including a Nibbie for UK Young Publishing Entrepreneur of the Year and Tripwire magazine’s UK Indie Press of the Year. In 2025, she was inducted into Broken Frontier’s Hall of Fame. Before publishing, she worked in journalism and film PR.
For more information about any of this course, or any of our other courses, please email . Or you can sign up to receive our newsletter for updates on this and our other offerings.
Please read our Terms & ConditionsDates
Thursday, 20 November 2025
Date information for future sessions
November 2025
- Dates: 20 & 27 November
- Times: 9.00am to 12.30pm
Course format
- Virtual course
- 9am to 12.30pm
- Four x 1.5-hour sessions plus breaks, comprising two half-day sessions on two days, one week apart.
A number of discounts are available
What you will need
To join the course, you will need access to a computer, tablet or laptop with a camera and microphone. You will need to activate a free Zoom account to join the course. This takes two minutes and does not require any payment. It is purely for administrative purposes.