The Foursquare Mission Press is looking to produce full color evangelistic tracts and is seeking submissions. The tracts are seven pages and are 4 ¾ x 7 ½. Interested parties should submit thumbnail sketches, along with a script.Tracts that are selected will be produced in the language of the native country of the artist. 3,000 to 6,000 tracts will be produced and the artist will receive 5% of that total. The tracts are to be evangelistic, meaning that they are to communicate the saving message of Jesus Christ to the reader. Some of the themes that can be covered are teenage issues, prison ministry, drugs, poverty, AIDS, etc. FMP is looking for culturally relevant and effective illustrated tracts to minister to people of all ages. Artists will be volunteering their time and talent and will not be financially compensated.Submissions can be sent to Eric Jansen at ericjansen@netzero.net and/or Ralph Miley at ralphellismiley@verizon.net. Then those submissions will be forwarded to FMP. The artists will be contacted to inform them if their submission is selected or not. Submissions will be considered as they are received. Since FMP plans to produce these tracts over an extended time period, there is no deadline to the submissions. Please do not send finished work because there is no guarantee that it will be selected. If you have any questions please feel free to contact us.
Don't consider this a contest or anything like that, consider it an open door. And the door remains open for the foreseeable future. Send me sketches of a story, something you're proud of, something effective, something you would give out yourself. Also, if you're "just" an artist who's interested in helping, let me see your work and I will put you in my (mental) file for any project that comes down the line that needs an artist. We can't pay you and there are no guarantees of being published, but my boss is willing to spend the production money if he sees something that will reach people in an effective way--it's definitely a "Let's help each other" situation.
Hi Bob! Basically you're pitching your own ideas to a publisher that is very open to printing something effective for the mission field. The main format we're looking for is the PARAMAN/STREET COMIX size--4 3/4 x 7 1/4 in. (same ratio as a regular comic--reduced from 11 x 17 in. art) and 8 pages total (7 for art & story and the 8th for text--prayer, invitation, church info, etc.). Your style might be better suited for our booklet size though--2 3/4 x 4 in. (like a Chick tract and that would be 16 pages/panels total. Also, if you'd like, I will check with our person in charge of children's literature to see if there's something specific they'd like to produce with your style--let me know if that's something you're interested in.
Well, I just pitched a couple to my boss and the one he liked best is the one where the main character dies instead of the expected repenting. But that leads right into the 8th all-text page. So, don't pitch a series, but don't simplify it too much either. (I believe my answer to your question is "yes.")
Can they be cliff hangers? Or does it have to be one shot, sinner, then gets saved and turns life around? And when I mean cliff hangers I mean it more like will he give in to peer pressure or go to God. Just asking so I can prepare a script.
I just want to add a little to what Ralph has posted here. Some people call them "tracts" because they are evangelistic. I call them "comics" because they are in the comic book format, even though they're smaller size and only 8 pages long. FMP prints 4 of my comics--3 of them (PARAMAN, LONELY LADY, and LITTLE THIEF) are the 8-page size and the 4th (THE CHRIST OF PROPHECY) is 24 pages. I drew them as comics (I started with 11 x 17" paper), so, yeah, there are multiple panels per page and everything. (The finished product will be an 8-page booklet, but we are only asking for 7 page stories because the 8th page is reserved for the Sinner's Prayer and instructions on finding a good church, etc. The stories can actually be 6 pages long if you want the first page to be more of a separate cover pic than the first page of the story.) Don't dumb it down because "it's only a tract." My boss is impressed by a good story. Thanks and God bless.
Hey there, Ralph!
I ´ve read this and I am very excited about! you´ll hear from me soon, God willing.
God bless
p.s have u some date for the sketchbook launching? please let me when I can give u the address where u can send my copy to.
Comments
I ´ve read this and I am very excited about! you´ll hear from me soon, God willing.
God bless
p.s have u some date for the sketchbook launching? please let me when I can give u the address where u can send my copy to.