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Sorry, going to ramble on about how great this is, so I think is worth throwing this in there. Traditional children’s publishing is an industry that requires you to do 1 of 3 things to make it a full time living: - Sell a lot of copies (you probably won’t) - Do a lot of events - Stack other projects

Hannah Berry@streakofpith.bsky.social · 4d ago

Did an article for @thebookseller.com recently about a problematic new trend in the comics industry, but because I’m a 🌟glutton for punishment🌟 I did it in comic form.

A page of comic which reads: 

A MARATHON, NOT A SPRINT
by Hannah Berry
It's 2026, the National Year of Reading, and everything is coming up comics:
Kids Who Read Comics Twice as Likely to Enjoy Reading as Kids Who Don't!'
40% of Young People Read Comics at Least Once a Month!'
High Street Chain Graphic
Novel (GN) Sales Triple
Since 2019!
2026 GN Sales-to-Date
26% Higher Than Record-
Breaking Year 2025!

Sales of Bunny vs
Monkey by the award-winning Jamie Smart are predicted to hit a staggering 3 million copies this year.

Naturally, other publishers want a slice of that success (Bunny vs Monkey see, Bunny vs Monkey do).

As co-director of the Comics Cultural Impact Collective, l am thrilled to see more publishers getting into comics!
However...

"For kids GN series, new books need to come out while the previous one is still classed by booksellers as 'new, and still fresh in kids' minds - about every six months - for maximum impact."*
"Doing a whole
GN in six months is impossible, but I don't feel like / can say 'nó' to my publishers."*

"I'm burning out, working every hour to make this publication deadline."*

"I'm trying to write the next book while drawing the first and I'm just not doing my best work on either!"*
"I don't even like what I'm producing any more."*
"The desperation is real."**

*Paraphrased comments based on conversations with creators, agents and publishers
**Actual quote

While comics are notoriously labour intensive, some graphic novels can be turned around more quickly, which may account for the high expectations:

David Fickling Books can publish Bunny vs Monkey at their leisure, since they're collected from over a decade of comics originally published weekly in The Phoenix.

"It's really down to the author to be truthful about what they're capable of."
We can offer you £££ to do six 200pg GNs in two years!
Creator who has never done a graphic novel before: I am sure this is feasible. 

Which is true. Creators DO need to be realistic.