Dear Graphic Novel Publishers,

Library Journal will be presenting a feature previewing spring/summer 2020 graphic novels in the April 2020 issue. LJ graphic novels reviewer Douglas Rednour will be focusing on the following topics

• Debut creators and series
• New imprints and presses expanding in new directions

• In 2019, Marvel’s cinematic universe had its largest grossing and most critically acclaimed year yet, and Warner Brothers reached new heights with the “Watchmen” and “Doom Patrol” series. Has this extraordinary popularity translated into the world of comic books and graphic novels in any way, or are the two phenomena completely separate?
• With comics subgenres such as crime fiction, memoir/biog, literary, historical, and women’s fiction boasting increasingly strong sales figures, is it fair to say that 2020 will see readers moving away from superheroes and toward these ever-expanding areas?
• How will comics in 2020 continue to address topics of inclusion and #ownvoices, and women’s and LGBTQ+ narratives?
• What’s on the horizon for comics in translation?
• Recent works, such as Keum Suk Gendry-Kim’s Grass, Gina Siciliano’s I Know What I Am: The Life and Times of Artemisia Gentileschi, and the anthology Drawing Power, a deep look at sexual harassment and violence from the POV of women artists, continue to shed light on the darkest recesses of our world, even as they seek a path forward. Will this trend continue in 2020?
• With the richness of creators and creations coming out of comics today, are we approaching an era of “peak comics”? How are creators keeping the format fresh?
• What other genre trends will be popular in 2020? For instance, in horror comics, body horror has been more prevalent than other forms of terror. In sf, will dystopian misery or optimistic utopia reign? Is memoir outpacing biography?

• A single graphic novel may contain as few as four or more than a dozen standard-sized single issues of a series. How do publishers decide how many issues to include, and is this process evolving in 2020?
• Are sales figures reflecting a readership seeking specific genre, creator(s), or art technique? Or a combination of all three?
• Will there be growth in digital comics platforms or new digital initiatives in libraries this year?
• Are there any major new imprint initiatives planned for spring/early summer?
• Are manga still the most popular translated comics?

If you have any suggestions for authors/artists, editors, or publishers who would be available for an interview or a possible Q&A, please let us know. We’d love to hear from you on any or all of these topics.

We also will be highlighting your lead titles for the coming seasons (pubbing April through August 2020), to be discussed within the feature and included in a companion list.

Please send the following information for your top releases: author, title, ISBN, page count, price, marketing plans, formats available (print, audio [these do exist], ebook), and a brief description—catalog copy will suffice—along with any relevant quotes from editors or publishers to Douglas Rednour at drednour@gsu.edu and be sure to cc me at apesek@mediasourceinc.com.

The deadline is Monday, February 24.

Sincerely,

Annalisa

Annalisa Pešek
Assistant Managing Editor
Library Journal
123 William St., Suite 802
New York, NY 10038