Comic books characters are hotter than ever right now as people are eagerly looking for distractions to drown out the doom and gloom of the economy. If you’re itching to get into the biz as an artist, you’re not alone.

But how does one break into the biz? In this highly competitive industry that is focused on who you know, and more importantly- who knows you, how do you manage when nobody knows you or your work. Where do you start?

Up-and-coming, nationally published comic book illustrator and author, Daniel Crosier offers these five tips, for the superbly talented but network challenged artists, looking to break into the biz.

Get Deviant- Having an online presence to promote your work is a given, but utilizing a online outlet that publishers and editors troll to pick up talent is where you want to be. DeviantArt.com is a highly trafficked website that industry folks access regularly for the specific objective of reviewing talent. An example of a DeviantArt.com artists page can be found at http://danielcrosier.deviantart.com

Conventions are Key- This is key component to networking. Conventions give you an opportunity to get face time and portfolio critiques with established editors, publishers and artists. Conventions can be expensive, but bypass the costly exhibitor both space and opt for a table in artists alley. The cost is greatly reduced and you’ll be in the vicinity of some big name artists. Pick their brains during down time, generally they are more then happy to offer advice to “newbies”.

A Portfolio with a Plan- Your portfolio is your elevator pitch to the publishers- it needs to be direct and to the point. Try to keep your portfolio within 10-12 pages. Also, don’t fall into the trap of just displaying covers and pinups. While having one or two covers or pinups is ok, the editors want to see interiors. They want to make sure you can tell a story with strong sequentials.

Carve a Niche- Standing out is key in this competitive arena. Develop your own style and make it unique to you. Crosier created a watershed wood burning technique for his sold out series, “Bartholomew of the Scissors.” He’s now known as the “the wood guy” in the industry- which is memorable to say the least.

Beware of Time Burglars- You’re talented and everybody wants a piece of your art. However, you need to learn to be protective of your time. The more exposure you get, the more folks will ask for “freebies.” Analyze these requests carefully, as they can end up eating your time and energy without much ROI.

These tips will help budding new artists pave a path to a publisher.