When Marvel Comics made some rapid-fire changes to their business model back in 1995, they called it Marvelution. In addition to pulling out of the traditional Direct Market distribution channels and buying Heroes World so they could self-distribute their books, Marvel divided all of their books into five “families,” each with its own editor-in-chief.

They also issued a little booklet to help explain their new world order and to try to answer questions from an anxious public that included retailers, consumers, and their freelance artists and writers.

The little 8 1/2 x 5 1/2 inch black and white saddle-stitched booklet was the 1995 Marvel Editorial Handbook, and there’s a part that freelancers of the day might’ve been the most interested in - how to get a raise under the new system Marvel had just installed.

Here’s that section of the handbook:

“Q: Are the processes for establishing and raising rates going to change under the new structure?

A: Since the editor in chief job was split into five, there’s a new system at Marvel for setting and raising page rates for all the disciplines. When a freelancer gets his/her first assignment from Marvel, the assigning editor fills out a Rate Establishment form. The editor then submits it to his/her editor in chief. When an established freelancer has done about a year’s worth of stories for Marvel and feels a raise might be in order, he/she mentions it to his/her main editor. If the editor agrees, he/she then fills out a Rate Raise Request form with all the freelancer’s vital information, including work done since last raise, date of last raise, and any other pertinent fact, and attaches it to samples of the freelancer’s current work. Again the editor submits it to his/her editor in chief.

Q: What criteria is considered when discussing rate establishment and raises?

A: The five editors in chief meet once a week to go over rate establishment and raise requests. The joint chiefs discuss the freelancer’s work, and evaluate the freelancer’s page rate by the following factors: 1) level of accomplishment in the work; 2) the freelancer’s dependability in meeting deadlines; 3) marketability of the work; 4) the freelancer’s experience in the field; 5) the freelancer’s exclusivity to Marvel; 6) how long since his/her last raise; and 7) what freelancers who are roughly comparable in the preceding areas are currently making according to the rate sheet. Some of these criteria are admittedly more subjective than others, but with five individual editors in chief with their varying tastes, a consensus can usually be found.

The rate is then voted upon. The result is notated on the submitted form. A letter signed by the editor in chief of the editorial group the freelancer works for apprising the freelancer of his/her new rate goes out within a week. The new rate is effective with the start of the next complete job the freelancer turns in - rate increases do not take effect mid-job.

Q: What if a proposed raise doesn’t get approved?

A: If the freelancer or his/her sponsoring editor is not pleased with the rate committee’s rate determination, the editor can resubmit the freelancer’s name with hopefully more compelling information and hopefully more convincing samples. On rare occasions, the committee will amend its rate determination.

Because the EICs meet on a weekly basis, the rate review process at Marvel is as swift and efficient as we know how to make it. Because there are five different reviewers who have input into the decision-making, we believe the rate review process at Marvel is fairer than any system where fewer heads prevail.”

Of course, because it’s always better to have more people involved in a decision than it is to have one go-to person.

Don’t the Rate Establishment form and the Rate Raise Request form sound like filling out all the paperwork for an insurance company? “All the disciplines” I believe refers to the creative - the writing, penciling, inking, lettering and coloring.

One way not discussed, but seems like a sure thing: if you want to increase your page rate, do everything you can to raise sales on the book you’re working on. Also, about to be signed to an exclusive by DC might help too. And so would being a writer on a popular TV show…

Viva the Marvelution!

[Artwork: Cover to the Marvel Editorial Handbook, © Marvel Characters]