Open to Women & Underrepresented Creators
Accepting 20-24 Page Original Comic Book Scripts
March 5 — May 10

Elevating marginalized voices in comic books!

Our Spaces Comic Book Writing Competition gives diverse and underrepresented creators, with stories focusing on diverse characters, an opportunity to grow their professional connections and learn what it takes to thrive in the comic book industry.

We welcome creators from diverse backgrounds, including but not limited to people of color, immigrants, women, LGBTQ+ individuals, and all those who have been historically marginalized. Your unique stories and perspectives enrich our community, and we eagerly invite you to share your voices and experiences with us.

Our grand prize winner receives mentorship from three industry professionals. Learn how to pitch to publishers, work with editors, create the career of your dreams, and tell the stories the world needs most!

Submission Windows & Cost

  • SUBMISSION COST: $35

  • FINAL DEADLINE EXTENDED: May 10

  • +$50: TWO PAGES OF FEEDBACK

Announcements

  • FINALISTS: June 9

  • WINNER: June 16

Benefits

1 Grand Prize Winner

  • Three 1-hour mentoring sessions

  • Bio & script synopsis featured on website

2 Runner-Ups

  • 1-hour mentoring sessions with Negative Space

  • Script synopsis featured on website

Submission Windows & Cost

  • SUBMISSION COST: $35

  • FINAL DEADLINE EXTENDED: May 10

  • WINNER ANNOUNCED: June 16

1 Grand Prize Winner

  • Three 1-hour mentoring sessions

  • Bio & script synopsis featured on website

2 Runner-Ups

  • 1-hour mentoring sessions with Negative Space

  • Script synopsis featured on website

2024 Mentors Coming Soon…

2024 Mentors Coming Soon…

2023 Mentors

Alex Segura HeadshotAlex Segura
Writer & Publishing Exec.

Alex is the bestselling and award-winning author of Secret Identity, which the New York Times called “wittily original” and named an Editor’s Choice. Alex is also the author of Star Wars Poe Dameron: Free Fall, the Pete Fernandez Miami Mystery series, and a number of comic books — including The Mysterious Micro-Face (in partnership with NPR), The Black Ghost, The Archies, and more. A Miami native, he lives in New York with his wife and children.

Twitter: @alex_segura

Sara Alfageeh
Illustrator & Author

Sara is a Jordanian-American illustrator and creative director in San Francisco. She is passionate about history, teaching, girls with swords, and the spaces where art and identity intersect. Her award-winning debut graphic novel SQUIRE is on shelves everywhere, and she’s best known for her work on Star Wars, Avatar the Last Airbender, and Ms. Marvel. Sara’s clients have included Scholastic, Hank Green, Google, and Disney. Sara is currently co-founder of One More Multiverse, making roleplaying games for all.

Twitter: @SaraAlfageeh

Stephanie Phillips
Comic Book Writer

Stephanie Phillips is an American writer known for comics and graphic novels such as HARLEY QUINN, WONDER WOMAN: EVOLUTION, BATMAN: LEGENDS OF THE DARK KNIGHT, SENSATIONAL WONDER WOMAN, WE ONLY KILL EACH OTHER, and THE BUTCHER OF PARIS. Her stories and comics have appeared with DC Comics, Dark Horse, Oni Press, Top Cow/Image Comics, Heavy Metal, Black Mask Studios, A Wave Blue World, and more.

Twitter: @Steph_Smash

Competition Rules

Rules

  • This comic book writing competition is open to any-and-all diverse or underrepresented creators.

    What do we mean by diverse or underrepresented creators? We want stories from those who have been historically marginalized, those who don’t see themselves in the comics they read — women, people of color, people with disabilities, people who are LGBTQ+ and/or people of a non-dominant religion. We want the voices that have been unrepresented, oftentimes silenced, in comics (and society) for way too long.

    If you have questions, additions, concerns, etc., please don’t hesitate to reach out to me, Nahuel Fanjul-Arguijo, Co-Founder of Negative Space Comics.

  • Applicants will submit an original 20-24 page comic book long-form script — can be first issue of a series, a one-shot, or pages from a longer graphic novel.

  • Scripts must be the original work of the author and cannot be adapted from existing property. You must have rights to the work, characters, and story.

  • You can submit multiple scripts. Each new submission requires a new application and fee.

  • Writers from all over the world can enter the competition, but scripts must be submitted in English.

  • Please include a title page with your submission. This page should have your full name, your email address, the title of your script, and a short synopsis/summary of your comic book (like the logline).

  • Scripts that have been picked up by a publisher, produced for a profit, or are currently under option are not eligible.

  • Writing teams can submit, but they should submit under one name and only submit once (you will be able to specify if the project is co-written within the submission form). The writers are responsible for the distribution of the competition prizes.