~Of Love and Too Many Questions~

[SeNalove]

Now here's my question I can't possibly seem to get out of my head, and it is just as impossible to understand where I'm supposed to place this thread or if I'm even asking it clearly. I've decided to abandon the normal forums of Gaia just for a bit as I'm seriously very sick and tired of being ragged on all the time when I just need a bit of advice. And well, as this question is about a shounen-ai ( here I am confused again! I've done my research, I thought shounen-ai was the same as BL but apparently I'm wrong and I hate getting so turned around! ) comic I would like to create. Now as this isn't a promotion for it rather than a few questions floating about my mind, can you see why I'm confused as to where to place it? >.< Anyway, I hope I can get some help for it nontheless.

It's probably a crazy dream, but I'm at least allowed to do research up on it, correct? Anyway, I've been scouring the net for any such possibly companies that specify in printing American-drawn BL. I've found many sites that seem promising, unfortunately they all require the artist to be over 18 to even think about submitting, and upon further research, it looks that many of these sites don't do BL at all, rather than graphic yaoi, which is obviously not what I'm aiming for. Here's what I've come across so far...

Yaoi Press
BeBeautifulManga
BLU
Umbrella Studios
June Manga

So yes, can you see that I've tried to do my homework, only to come up with all the wrong answers? *sigh* So depressing. I doubted my work would ever be up to par so as to be printed anyway, but at least knowing the options...

Actually, this does lead me to my next question, and I'm sure any of you who are artists had heard this question so many times over your going to want to take a bludgeon to my face. But I just can't keep myself from asking because it's really become a rather depressing topic for me. Anyway, this thing that I will finally reveal is the question that always crops up, the question of Style. Gah! It's that awful word! But please don't leave just yet!

It's getting more and more difficult to finally get to work on my current project as I just know that know matter how I draw my lovelies, I know I won't take to it. For BL, as I'm sure you all know, there as so many different ways of creating them. Some styles ( not the theme, the actual artwork I'm talking here ) are plainer with distinct features. Others are more realistic with careful detail. I'm not an expert at any of them. ( really, I'm not an expert at anything. Dear heavans, why am I even here!?!?) I'm a person who has been drawing ( as cliche as it sounds ) since as far back as I can remember. having a unique artist voice is extremely important to me, and while I understand it's really something that should 'find it's way to you'...oh come off it people! When has that sort of thing ever really happened to you in anything? *ahem*

I hope you can understand why I'm here and where I'm coming from. Let's see...anything else to add. Ah yes, does anyone know if it's true that if you're work has been put up on a webcomic, that pretty much squashes flat any chance of that work being published ( unless of course it's freakishly popular like I know one particular artists work here is, but I'm not going to name any names *cough* nor am I ever going to disillusion myself into thinking my own work could ever be so well loved and enjoyed by others )? Because if that's true, I think I'm pretty much screwed then as nothing I have is wonderful enough to be printed, but if I do put it up online....then any chance which I know doesn't exist is immedietly gone. >.<

I need to stop this here before I melt. Anyway, sorry for the length and any and all typos. Please be polite, please try to help, and please don't yell at me if this is completely inappropriate to ask and needs to be erased or moved.

Thank you! heart  

[Rue (Lement)]

have you tried onlinecomics.net or... just lie about youre age...  

[MooMooJuice]

If you want to draw yaoi OFCOURSE they're not going to submit anything unless you're over 18.
And Shounen-ai, I've heard, is an out dated term. Everyone just calls it BL or Yaoi now. *shrugs*

And I don't think showing your comic online would keep you from publishing it, except, not as many people might buy it because they can get it online for free.  

[SeNalove]

As I've stated, I think three times before, I DON'T want to draw yaoi. I don't enjoy it. Therefore, I wouldn't want to create it. I'm strictly fluff and cuteness. What I'm finding however, is all these sites seem to center around it and nothing milder. So what I think would be the problem was that even if I would like to submit something and see what they thought about doing something for young audiences, I wouldn't be able to anyway because I still have a year to go. Better?  

[For-Chan Cookie]

Requests for advice in art and the like always go in the Arena. Personal problems and rants go in the Rant and Rave. Your topid is potentially both, but fits more in the arena category. If a topic doesn't cover a wide general yaoi/bl topic, it does not belong in the main forum, ever. If you're unsure of where to post your topic, PM a mod before you post. Do not post and hope you got it right.

As of this reply, this topic is moving to the Arena subforum.  

[Spontanious Alias]

Why not try having that fluffy cuteness but also having the manga revolve around straight crushes, sexual confusion, and small time crushes. Like have the main character in love with a chick and then get fluffy cuteness from his best friend. Had an offsight Yaoi couple but not strictly too big. If you want to target young audiences make the storyline kind of bisexual. It makes it loads easier.  

[LadyNox]

Okay from what I’ve understood from your babbling, your work isn’t anywhere near the publishing stage. So what does it matter that you’re not of age. Age limits is the least of your worries if you want to be a published comic artist. Considering you haven’t even gotten a style of art that your comfortable with yet the last thing you have to worry about right now is age restrictions. My advice to you is forget about that right now and concentrate on content and your art style. Art and content are what’s gonna get you a publishing contract, not your age.

And if you have been drawing since you can remember as you say, then you have a style. It’s like penmanship. You draw a certain way just like you write a certain way, all you can do now is perfect it. Is it that you just don’t like your drawing style? Because if that’s the case you just have to work on it until it becomes something you do like.

A webcomic will not hurt your chances to becoming a published comic artist. It actually increases the possibilities. How can it possibly hurt to have work out there that you can refer publishing companies too?

You really need to do a lot more research and not just about who’s willing to publish your work and what that company’s requirements are.  

[SeNalove]

Maybe it will be easier to explain if I tell some of my own personality. I'm a goal oriented type of person. Some people out there who like to create webcomics do so simply for the joy of creating and that's fine if that works for them. I however, don't like to work that way. I like to have some sort of result I would like to be seen ( whether I understand if it's realistic or not is beside the point I think ) happen in the end. I think for this, my goal for this webcomic is to become published. That's why I'm attempting to research these companies, what they are looking for, etc.

I honestly don't feel I have a style, since drawing animals differs greatly from humans. When I was younger, you can tell by glimpsing through any of my many sketchbooks what I had on my mind-namely horses. That was all I drew ( and I can tell you now, I can create a rather pretty little thing in far less time it would take me to pull up one sketchy looking face ) but it helps me none now when my target focus is people. I've been told by numerous people that my style was nothing fancy...it fact, it was my worst fear-simply generic. So I've tried to pull myself away by this by adding in alot more detail and realism. Though as realistic drawings just never were all that to my taste anyway, it seems pointless. Though going from that to over simplified work is difficult. It's hard explaining a 'physical' problem such as this.

I figured a webcomic might ruin any chances as I know some companies flat out refuse to print anything that's been on the web before, also as it could be see as 'why buy when it used to be free' type of thing.

Lastly, is there anything specific I need more research on? I'm trying my best to seem mature and clear in looking through all these different sites of information. Please don't disregard my efforts.