Tom, you always say that a writer needs to prove...

Anonymous asked:

Tom, you always say that a writer needs to prove himself in the industry first, before he / she can work for Marvel. But what exactly are the criteria there? Do you read these stories and decide if you liked them or not? Do you want to make sure that they're full stories and that the writer didn't lose interest in them in the middle of it and simply stopped? Is it about the dialogue in the stories? And isn't there the danger, that you miss out on amazing stories from unknown writers?

brevoortformspring Answer:

What we’re looking for is quality work, so that encompasses everything you’re talking about. We’re looking to find something that catches our attention and makes us believe that the creator involved might have an aptitude that could transition to writing material for Marvel. And that they are, in some manner, a professional.

If the unknown writers are as amazing as you say they are, then they should be able to get their work published in some manner. If they can’t, or don’t, well, that’s a pretty good indicator that they’re not ready to work for Marvel yet.

As any writer will tell you, every reader imagines that they can be a writer. We all have ideas for stories that we’d like to see told. The difference is that genuine writers put in the sweat and the effort to create those stories—they do the necessary work, and it is an awful lot of work. The person who has a great idea but does nothing with it (or the person who’s been working away on the same perfect idea for years without any tangible results) isn’t a professional writer. At best, they are a dabbler, at worst, they’re kidding themselves.

If you want to write for Marvel, then you need to write. A lot. And at a level where somebody is willing to publish your work.

Marvel comics writing