How To Stand Out

When you're up against other intelligent and qualified candidates?

So many people are looking to break in, and good-paying jobs seem to be getting scarcer. The competition is tough. How does one stand out when so many amazingly talented candidates are up for the job you want?

It’s frustrating no matter who you are. I will be transparent here and tell it like it is. I will use an example of Blizzard Entertainment seeking a temp Book Editor for story and franchise development. Working remotely is an option, and it offers a salary between $55k-$100k salary. Six-month gig. Here are the requirements:

Now, I applied for this job a very long time ago. I could do this job in my sleep, and I also have a background in adapting video game IP’s into comics. I worked for two Blizzard competitors, whose player bases were in the millions, in the past. Within that background at a former company, I was asked to model what we were doing off of Blizzard, so I even know their properties, how they do things, and the artists they work with. However, I could not even get an interview. Even with stating all that in my cover letter. I know, it’s shocking, right? Not really, and I will tell you why.

I don’t know anyone at Blizzard. I have no connections there, and if you go on LinkedIn, you can see how many people have applied for the job, and it is a crazy, insane number. They are buried in applications! The fact is that you would need to know someone there who could forward your application along to the right people. No one wants to hear this. We want to believe that our experience and qualifications alone would at the very least get us into the room where we would have a chance. Unfortunately, this is not the case. And we can moan about it all we want, it doesn’t change a thing. And sometimes, even if you do know someone who can pass along your resume, it can get you in the room, but not get you the job. And a lot of times, that’s because someone else knows the person to whom your resume is being handed!

It’s true, that it’s all about who you know. The answer is networking. And yes, networking sucks, especially when you’re an introvert. Especially when you feel like your work should be able to stand on its own! So, how does one even begin to network? I’ve mentioned some ways briefly before, and I will go over them again here. And I am speaking directly to those who wish to be in editorial. This isn’t a catch-all, as I don’t have experience in all aspects of the available comics industry positions.

First, if you happen to break in as a letterer or a colorist, this is helpful. A columnist at a news site. A writer or artist for a story that’s in an anthology. These things help you get to know others behind the scenes. This shows that you are familiar with another aspect of comics you would need as an editor.

Other ways that can help are volunteering at a comic con, interning for a publicist, attending a comics meet-up or signing at a comic book store, a Drink and Draw, or other social event, or doing anything else that might be tangentially related to the comics industry. These activities allow you to make connections, which is networking.

Knowing people is the first, most crucial step to getting your name thrown into the hat for consideration. And once you are being considered, you need to bring something to the table. And that’s the creators. Who do you know that you can bring in? Especially if you haven’t been able to build up a solid work history, you need something that makes up for that.

If this sounds hard, I’m here to tell you that it’s actually not. This is a recognized part of being in the comics industry, so literally everyone is open to meeting someone else who is in it. This is the name of the game! But please, don’t be weird about it. The key to good networking is listening more than talking. Having said that, here are some don’ts to go along with the do’s:

Don’t cling to someone, hoping to become their friend. Don’t stand at their con table, blocking traffic and talking their ear off. Don’t incessantly email them or waste their valuable time by monopolizing them at an event. Networking is a balance. Be friendly, be open, and let them know you hope to see them again to talk more. Ask if you can connect with them on social media. Bring an extroverted friend who has nothing to gain with you! And lastly, watch how much you drink.

Next week, I’ll tackle another question, and if you have any of your own, please feel free to comment with them!

If you haven’t heard, I am on a podcast! Last week, we spotlighted our friends in podcasting, Lisa and Brad Gullickson from the Comic Book Couples Counseling podcast. This week, we interviewed our last guest of season one, Patrick McDonnell, the creator of MUTTS, which is one of my all-time favorite comic strips. So make sure you check out that post when it goes live on Friday.

If you subscribe to The Superfan Podcast’s Substack, you get access to kick-ass recipes related to our guests' fandoms! A reminder that the podcast has not yet been released; the episodes will start coming out soon! Subscribe to the Substack to be in the know.

Thanks for reading, and welcome to my new subscribers! You can also find me on Instagram as @geekchic_promos, and on Bluesky as @kris10simon. There’s also the Editor Girl website. If you’re on Cara, you can search for me using @kris10simon. See you next week!

Onward,

Kris