In lots of ways the question of ‘how to break into comics' is like asking ‘how long is a piece of string'. The answer is pretty much the same too. NEXT QUESTION!

Oh…you're still here? Hmmm… looks like this is going to be trickier than I thought.

Ok, being serious for a second, the first distinction we need to make is whether you're an artist or a writer. Breaking into comics as an artist is incredibly tough, but breaking into comics as a writer is even tougher.

At the moment in comics there is a trend to hire people who are established writers in other mediums such as TV, movies and prose. In the last few years we've seen Joss Whedon of ‘Buffy The Vampire Slayer' fame write X-Men, Kevin Smith, the writer/director of the movie ‘Clerks' write Daredevil and Green Arrow and currently, Stephen King is working on a comic book property at Marvel Comics.

Why is this the case? The answer from the big two US publishers -- Marvel & DC Comics -- is that talent is talent, regardless of the medium it originates from. They argue why shouldn't they make use of pre-existing talent that they know a) doesn't need nurturing and b) will sell gazillions of comics.

From their position of having to sell books in an increasingly competitive marketplace that argument makes perfect sense, but from where you're standing it sounds depressing. However, take heart as all is not lost. The truth is that the Whedon's et al are still the exception to the rule in the comics industry and the majority of writers and artists both working and attempting to get work have come into the industry through a very different route.

So how do you develop the skills needed to work in comics in a professional manner that will give you the best chance to get work?

Firstly, what I would say to writers is that the best thing you can do is to write. Huh? No, I'm being serious. Write…and read! And not just comics, in fact make a conscious effort to read things that are definitely not comics. If you only read comics then chances are that you'll only write comics that reference other comics and – despite what some may think -- NO ONE wants that. So read widely and write often.

Writing comics is NOT like writing prose or plays or movie scripts, so while studying those forms can help you in terms of understanding story, character etc you can only improve as a comic book writer by writing comic book scripts. If you don't know what a comic script looks like then I suggest you pick up one of a number of books.

Firstly, ‘The Sandman: Seasons Of Mist' trade paperback published by DC Comics/Vertigo contains a complete Neil Gaiman script at the back of the book. It's a great primer in seeing what a comic script written by an absolute master looks like and well worth your time and money.

Another book that's worth getting is Dennis O'Neil's ‘The DC Comics Guide to Writing Comics'. This is a volume that contains lots of great script examples, notes and general theoretical approaches to comic writing and is also well worth buying. Two similar books, which are very good on anecdotal ‘how I did the impossible and became a comic book writer' evidence are Titan Books' two volume ‘Writers on Comic Scriptwriting'. Both are extremely useful and give a good insight into how writers work and how they developed their careers.

However, the three main books I would recommend to any aspiring comic book writer or artist to read would be ‘Graphic Storytelling' and ‘Comics and Sequential Art' by Will Eisner and ‘Understanding Comics' by Scott Mcloud. All three are brilliant and cut to the quick in terms of showing just how comics achieve their own unique magic and how you as a creator can achieve that too.

Right…you've done your reading, you've written and re-written those awkward first scripts, you've sketched and sketched and worked up a portfolio that shows off your sequential storytelling skills, so what next? Well, what you need to do now is hook up with an artist or writer and get them to draw/write a story with you and make some mini-comics.

What are mini-comics? Simply put they are photocopied DIY comics that serve as a living portfolio that show you can tell a coherent story with a beginning, middle and end. Now, from making mini-comics you will learn just how good your storytelling skills are and where your relative strengths and weaknesses lay. The more professional the mini-comics look, the more chance you have of someone reading it.

So mini-comic it hand, what next?

Comic conventions are the place to begin. What are conventions? They are gatherings of fans, professionals and would-be professionals that are held all over the world, although probably the biggest two are the San-Diego Comic-Con in California and the Angouleme festival in France . The biggest two conventions in the UK are the Bristol Convention (usually held in May) and the Brighton Comic Expo (usually held in November). These shows are the ideal place to not only meet other artists and writers, but they are best for meeting editors and it's the editors you need to be showing your portfolio/mini-comics to if you want to get work.

Now editors are busy people and everyone (including working professionals) wants to talk to them about potential work, so it's imperative that you attempt to see an editor in the right environment and that's usually a designated portfolio session. Now if you're a writer, give your mini comic to the editor along with your contact details and leave it there. There's no chance he'll be able to read your work there and then so any feedback is going to be a long time coming, so patience is definitely a virtue!

If you're lucky (like I was) and the editor is an affable chap (he was), he'll give you his card and give you the option to email him at a later date and build up a relationship that way. This is how I got work at both DC Comics and Games Workshop and how I've developed subsequent relationships with other editors. If they like you and see some evidence of ability in either your mini-comic work or something you say or do that may open the way to you being asked to pitch for something…and that's where the real work begins!

It's easier in this environment if you're an artist as an editor can pretty much decide whether your work is up to scratch on the spot and give you encouragement – or even an offer of work! -- there and then. In terms of what you should have in your portfolio, I would suggest you only show your most recent and most polished work and that it should have at least five pages of sequential art. Don't show off pin-ups or sketches. These aren't comics and tell the editor nothing about your skills as an artist.

From looking at people's work myself I would say show examples of both inked and un-inked pencilled pages in your portfolio. Why? Well, you may not be a good inker and that could kill your chances of getting work, however an editor may see your ‘naked' pencils and decide that a decent inker could bring your work to life in a much more vivid way. The same is true in the other direction. You may be a really good inker and not quite there as a pencil artist and an editor may think you have some thing to offer as an inker.

Comics is a fairly amorphous business and there is no real career structure through which people can progress, but apart from sending blind submissions meeting editors face to face is the tried and tested way of making contact with people and getting some sort of professional feedback on your work.

No one enters comics fully formed and every professional has their own story of rejection, perseverance and ultimate success. There are no overnight successes (well…apart from Garth Ennis, but that's a story for another time!). The standard of comics currently being published is probably higher than it's ever been and the competition is fierce. But if you have the talent, are willing to persevere and improve and willing to listen to informed criticism then you've got a chance!