Dear Miss Oliver,

I’m sorry to email you on Christmas Eve, but I didn’t want to wait and miss the chance to connect with you. I’m an editor at Timber Press, an imprint of Simon and Schuster, and I’m reaching out because like many people in the past week, I found your new webcomic series The Arrangement on Drawn2. I was immediately drawn (pun intended) into the dynamics between your characters, Lucy, Joe, Sam, and Ricky, and it served as the perfect antidote to spending the holiday season with my family. As I eagerly awaited more episodes, I also went back and discovered your first series, Snow Day. Your artwork is captivating, but it’s your understanding of storytelling and your voice that really kept me reading.

It took me a while to track down your email address, and I hope you’ll forgive me for being so aggressive. As an editor, I’m always looking to work with new authors and artists, and I’m especially interested in the possibility of seeing your work as a longer project. I think the market is ripe for an adult romantic comedy in graphic novel form. I’m not sure The Perpetual Suck has quite the tone we’re looking for, but The Arrangement and Snow Day could make an incredible romance (as long as we can give the characters the happy ending they deserve). I would love to set up a time to chat with you more.

Do you already have an agent? If so, I’d be happy to connect with them moving forward. If you’re not currently agented, I would love to help you find someone who would be a good fit. I’m excited to hear from you (and to see what happens between Lucy and Joe).

Sincerely,

Samantha Clark

“Holy shit!” I put a hand over my mouth and stare at my phone, reading the email a third time.

“You’re freaking me out here a bit,” Jack says, giving my shoulder a squeeze. “What’s going on?”

“It’s—it’s an email from an editor! She found my webseries on Drawn2 and she loves it!”

“Your what?”

“I—I—” I’m not thinking clearly, not thinking at all. “I started creating webcomics after I got fired from Laika, and this editor read The Arrangement and she… she wants to publish it. She asked if I have an agent? I have no idea what an agent does! Oh my God, I should google it!”

I don’t even know what I’m saying, know what I’m thinking. This mess—this absolute messy webcomic that I made just for myself… this thing that actually brought me joy. “She loves my work! My work!”