Recently, letterer/artist Chris Eliopoulos posted some guidelines for how to stay in the business once you’ve broken in. There are a few comics-specific details, but mostly, this is how you stay in any field. A sampling:
•Don’t be a jerk. Obvious, yes. But in the stressful environment of periodical publishing, things can get tense. Don’t take out your frustration on others. People talk and if you become known as a jerk to one person, expect everyone to hear it.
•Don’t lie. Again, obvious, but hear me out. You’re a colorist and you have a crushing deadline. Do you tell your editor that you’ll have it done in time when you damn well know you won’t, or do you tell them honestly that it’s not going to happen? Editors are jugglers. They have a lot going on at once and if you screw them over, they drop the balls. They’d much rather you be honest and work with them. More than likely they can give you more time, but more importantly, they know that you’ll be honest with them in the future. I’ve seen too many people no longer in the business over-promise.
I wish I could have read sage wisdom like this from someone when I was a younger guy in this business who thought he knew everything. But, thinking I knew everything, I wonder if I would have listened… :)
Some very wise observations there. And appropriate for all of us in the arts, or in fact, in any business at all. Should be required readng!