A practical, editable agreement for writers and artists working together
Creating a graphic novel often means working as part of a team—most commonly a writer and an artist, but sometimes additional collaborators as well. Before you dive into months (or years) of creative work together, it’s essential to be clear about ownership, decision-making, and money.
This Graphic Novel Collaboration Agreement Template is designed to help you get aligned.
Important Caveat:
This template is meant to be educational, not a substitute for legal advice. It does not replace the advice of an intellectual property attorney. If your project involves significant money, long-term rights, or unusual circumstances, you may want to have a publishing-savvy attorney review your agreement before signing.
The Process
Here is how creators typically develop and finalize a collaboration agreement:
- The “lead creator” (often the writer) lists the aspects of the collaboration that are most important and/or specific to their situation
- They write up a draft agreement, often based on a template like the one linked here
- They share the draft agreement with their collaborator (often the artist) and ask for feedback
- If their collaborator has questions or isn’t happy with any aspects of the agreement, they discuss until they agree on what seems fair, and make any necessary changes to the agreement
- Everyone reviews the final draft agreement to make sure it reflects what they mutually decided
- Everyone signs the final agreement
Want more context?
If you’d like a deeper explanation of each of the clauses in a typical graphic novel collaboration agreement and why they matter, as well as how different publishing paths affect collaboration agreements, you may find this article helpful:
→ What Do You Need in a Graphic Novel Collaboration Agreement?