Script to page, panel by panel
Proper comic scripting — panel description, beat, dialogue and caption — then the full art pipeline from pencils through to lettering.
What goes into producing a comic or graphic novel?
A panel-by-panel script with camera direction and dialogue placement, then character design, thumbnails, pencils, inks, colour and lettering. A Western single issue is 22 pages; graphic novels run 80–150. Arkedia runs the full pipeline from £2,450 in Western, manga or indie styles.
- From£2,450
- Single issue22 pages
- Graphic novel80–150 pages
- StylesWestern, manga, indie
A comic script is a technical document. Every panel needs a described image, a camera angle, a beat, and dialogue placed so the reader's eye travels in the right order. Prose writers who move into comics usually discover this the hard way.
We script in industry-standard format, then run the full art pipeline: character and environment design, thumbnails, pencils, inks, flats, colour and lettering — with review points you sign off at each stage.
Fixed price, quoted in GBP before you commit. Milestone payments.
- Free 1,500-word sample first
- Mutual NDA signed before we start
- Two revision rounds included
- Full rights and royalties stay yours
Everything in the Comics & Graphic Novels service
Panel-by-panel script
Industry-standard format: panel description, camera direction, dialogue, captions and sound effects.
Character and world design
Turnaround sheets, expression sheets and environment designs before any page is drawn.
Thumbnails and layouts
Page layouts approved before pencilling, so structural changes cost hours rather than weeks.
Pencils, inks and colour
Full art production in your chosen style — Western, manga, indie or bande dessinée.
Professional lettering
Balloon placement, tails, reading order, captions and sound effects, properly set.
Print and digital files
Print-ready CMYK with bleed, plus optimised RGB for digital platforms.
How comics & graphic novels works, step by step
You approve before we proceed. Every time. No stage begins until you have signed off the one before it.
Story and format
Premise, arc, page count and format — single issue, trade or webcomic.
Script
Full panel-by-panel script delivered for approval.
Design
Character turnarounds, expression sheets and key environments.
Thumbnails
Rough page layouts for the whole book, approved before pencils begin.
Art production
Pencils, inks and colour, delivered in batches.
Lettering and delivery
Lettering, final checks and print and digital file delivery.
What authors say afterwards
I came with eleven years of workshop notes and no idea how to make a book out of them. The outline stage alone was worth the fee — it was the first time I could see the shape of what I actually knew. The finished book reads like me on a good day.
I had three self-published titles that were not selling. They showed me my covers side by side with the top forty in my category at thumbnail size and I understood the problem in about four seconds. New covers, re-optimised listings, and the back catalogue started moving.
Writing about my mother's illness was not something I could do alone. The interviews were handled with real care, and they were clear from the start about what would be in the book and what would not. My family have all read it. That matters more than sales.
Comics & Graphic Novels — your questions answered
Can you match a specific art style?
Within reason, yes. We shortlist artists whose existing portfolio is close to your reference, because an artist working against their natural style rarely produces their best pages.
What page count should a first issue be?
Twenty-two pages is the Western single-issue standard. Graphic novels typically run 80–150. Webcomics work to episodes rather than pages — we advise based on where you intend to publish.
Do you handle manga format?
Yes, including right-to-left reading order, tone work and the panel grammar that goes with it. Lettering is set for the correct reading direction.
Services that pair with this one
Children's Books
Age-banded children's writing with illustration, from board books to middle grade — with the reading-level work done properly.
Learn moreCover Design
Covers designed to work at thumbnail size in your category — three original concepts, unlimited refinement on your chosen route.
Learn moreBook Publishing
Print, eBook and global distribution set up properly — in your name, with your ISBN, and 100% of royalties paid to you.
Learn moreTell us about your book
A 45-minute call, no charge and no pressure. You will leave with a realistic timeline, a fixed price and an honest view of whether the book is worth writing.