I WAS ASKED THIS QUESTION ON LINKED IN. MY RESPONSE:
Rates are based on history and circulation. The editor does buy the strip. Depending on the paper, there can be a committee that reviews it. But in most cases it's more like 3 or 4 editors who review and decide.
Committees are not ideal for new strips or syndicates as the salesperson in almost all cases does not pitch to the committee ... so the strip is left to sell itself on its samples.
And to paraphrase Ricky Gervais ... if you gave a committee the job to create a horse ... you'd get a camel. And do you think there'd be enough support for a strip like Doonesbury if it had to go to committee? Everything gets watered down in a committee.
Every paper is different so there's no right answer as to what they're looking for. Obviously broad subject matter appeals, but then it gets harder to distinguish yourself. And if you do a family strip because it appeals to multiple generations ... an editor will say: "I've already got 10 family strips. Why should I buy yours?"
There are some great, hip, adventurous editors out there, but they are fewer and fewer. Most editors don't have time to deal with phone calls and e-mails about canceling a comic. Because every comic has a few fans and when it goes away, the fans take it personally. So editors are better off saying "no" and they'll not get any e-mails or calls.
So my suggestion to all new creators: "be different but the same." You have to create something that's identifiable to an editor and a readership, but different enough that the editor can't say "already got it."
How's that for impossible?
Also, position your property so that being a comic strip is just part of it ... for us to consider a new property these days it has to have the potential to be successful in multiple media: newspapers, Web, merchandising, licensing, Film/TV ... the more the better.
But it can be done, Cul de Sac, Argyle Sweater and Lio www.gocomics.com/culdesac,
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