Back In 2020 we shared some insights into our application process, and how to make the most of yours! The number of applications Thought Bubble received has jumped up a lot since then, so we thought it was time to revisit and update a few things!
First, it's really REALLY important to remember that if you don’t get the result you hoped for it is not a reflection on the quality, appeal, or excellent-ness of your work. We say this a lot, and it might feel like an easy-get-out, but we simply get more applications than we have space for. “BUT MAKE THE CONVENTION BIGGER?!”, I hear you cry! Well we kinda have, since 2019 we’ve added in a lot of tables! BUT we still have to ensure a good balance between exhibitors and ticket holders, and there are a load of other factors that come into it too. We do not enjoy turning people down, but that is part of it being a curated show. If you don’t get in, try again next year!
WHAT HAPPENS TO MY APPLICATION
Once we receive everyone's applications they’re collated into one giant spreadsheet and the team starts reading straight away. Curation becomes the whole team's primary focus for a few weeks. We check the links you’ve sent us, read what you’ve written and then each one of us will individually mark them with a key.
Amy, Martha and Chloë all have different likes and styles we gravitate towards, however when curating we’re also looking for a few other things: people making new work, people with something powerful or interesting to share via their comics work, incredible eye-catching illustration and those creating traditional comics. Alongside this, we look for comics publishers, and retailers who have fun things like back-issues we know our ticket holders love.
Once we get through all the applications we have a big team meeting (or two) to chat through our selections where we make the final decisions.
Here are a few points on how to make the most of your Thought Bubble application:
COMICS ARE NUMBER ONE
We’re a comic convention that focuses solely on comics; artists, writers, publishers and the very closely adjacent art forms. You don’t have to have worked for DC or Marvel, far from it; we love indie comics, zines you’ve printed at home, anthologies you’ve contributed to. If you’ve created any of these pieces, show and tell us!
If you’re linking to your Instagram (for example), are we going to see those comics in the first 6 posts? Is it really clear from an outsider that it’s a fully printed piece of work that you can physical put on a table at a convention? If that’s not the case, maybe rethink the way you’re showing your work to us.
If you’re working on a comic you’re aiming to have printed for November, tell us about that in the supporting info and use the links to show us concept art, or unfinished pages too if you have them. e.g “I’m working on a 32 page zombie/romance comic that I’ll have printed for the convention! The first link shows you some concept art.”
Comics being our main focus does not mean we don’t accept other types of great creators like illustrators, poster artists, or that you aren’t able to sell other work you’ve made alongside comics, but comics take precedence at Thought Bubble and are what will make your application stand out.
BE VERY CLEAR
Keep it short, keep it concise. In your Supporting Info we love hearing stories about how you got into comics, but make sure it’s snappy so we can digest it quickly. Imagine we’re 500 deep into reading applications - make it as easy as possible for our tired, tired brains. If you’re unsure if you’ve sold yourself well, ask a friend to give it a read over!
MAKE USE OF THE LINKS
You can link your own websites, webstores, dropboxes, social profiles, digital portfolios, and/or PDFs of your comics. Even photos of your work are great. You don’t have to use them all, just whatever works best for you! Imagine you’re showing us what you’ll have on sale at your Thought Bubble table.
We love social media so linking your Instagram, Facebook or Twitter is great. It is not about follower numbers to us; it’s more important that we can see your work in the top few posts. Remember we might be looking at your application 2-3 weeks after you send it to us, so if in that time you’ve posted a bunch of family holiday snaps, it might not work out great.
TIP: Double and triple check your URL’s, if the links are broken, we won't be able to search out an alternative. Make sure your google drive links/dropboxes have access granted. It makes us so sad when they don’t work and we won't have a chance to contact you if they don’t work.
TIP TIP: Tiktok/youtube/other video platforms don’t work great for us when curating, so maybe give those a skip.
SHOW US YER TABLES!
A really useful resource for us is to see past tables you’ve had at conventions. We LOVE to see table set ups, it really helps sell how you’d fit at the convention. Of course we know that Thought Bubble might be your first ever convention, so don’t worry too much if you don’t have one, it will not count against you.
TIP: Take your time with your application, read each question carefully and triple check you’ve put in everything you want to before you hit apply. Providing you meet the deadline, there is no benefit to getting your application in early, so take it easy and send it in when you’re ready.
GO APPLY!
Team Thought Bubble