So you want to write for the Marvel Lab, huh? Well you're at the right place! Not only does the Lab allow fanfic writers to write the classic and well known superheroes of the Marvel Universe that we all know and love, but it also allows them (and encourages, as well!) to create their own heroes and villains to co-exist in this world in the Epic Imprint. So if all of this excites you to the point where you have that crazy idea that you just need to send our way, then follow these steps and I'm sure we'll be releasing your work soon!

First and foremost, our continuity for this site breaks off mid-2004. For Avengers, that's the Lionheart of Avalon storyline, for the X-Men it's right after Morrison left, right around ReLoad. If you have any questions regarding specific continuity, feel free to ask! All writers are required to write for one of the five Anthology titles listed at the site. The Heroes Branch: Marvel Lab Presents, X-Men Branch: X-Men Unlimited, Knights Branch: Street Tales, Otherworlds: What If..?, and Epic Branch: Epic Anthology.

We are currently ceasing proposals for the Otherworlds Branch. This ban will be lifted in the future, either check here or the forums to see if the blockade was released.

You must pitch a story to both showcase your talents, and to show us your commitment to a story. If you can get through your anthology story without a problem, we can then begin to accept a limited series or ongoing series from you. Now that that is out of the way, its time to propose your story! Lets take for example, you want to propose a limited series featuring Iron Man. The first thing you should do is check the Dibs List, which is located on the Site Info links on the top left of the screen. On the Dibs List is a listing of characters other writers in the community have dibbed, as they are writing them and they have full priority over what is done with them until they release their dib on the character. For argument's sake, we'll say that Iron Man is not dibbed. If he was, however, you would need to contact the writer who has him dibbed and ask his permission in order to use said character. They have every right to refuse.

So you've checked the dibs list, and made for certain that Iron Man isn't dibbed, or you've gotten permission from his writer to use him. Great! Now you can finally begin writing your proposal! The first thing you need to do is open up your e-mail and write the following things:

Your Name:

Your E-Mail Address:

Title You are Proposing (In this case, Iron Man Limited Series):

If you were submitting a proposal for an anthology story, you would instead, write the name of the Anthology title you'd like to write for. And if you were instead interested in writing for an ongoing series, you'd of course mark that down somewhere in the Title name. Next, you write this:

Imprint:

If you are writing an Anthology, you will not need to have this option as the title you would be writing for would be in the Title you are Proposing section, such as Epic Anthology. We can figure it out from there, haha. In the case of this example, Iron Man would need to go into the Heroes Branch. Next:

How Many Issues?:

Since you are writing a limited series, how many issues will this story have. Is it a 4 issue limited series? 6? 12? Please be specific. Once you include your number, it is locked and cannot be changed, so make sure you know for sure how many issues your story will take. If you are propping an ongoing series, this section would still apply. You would write here, how many issues you'd like your run to be for up to 12 issues. After you have completed your initial 12 issue run, you may either drop the title, or re-apply for another 12 issues.

Characters Needed:

This is an important part of your prop. You will need to include all of the characters you plan to include in your story. Since we assume you've checked for Iron Man on the list, he is free for you to propose. However, if there are more than just him in the story, say, such as the Mandarin, you will need to check the Dibs List again to see if he is taken as well. You will need to make sure that all of the characters included in your story are either not dibbed, or you have been given permission by the author who has the character dibbed to use.

Issue Synopsis:

Finally, the meat and potatoes! Your story goes here. Explain, in detail what will be hapenning in your story to the best of your ability. For a limited series, explain what you have planned in each issue. For an Anthology proposal, do so as well, or for a single issue Anthology, just give a paragraph of what would happen in your one shot. For an ongoing series, you will need to include a full synopsis of a 12 issue run. And now the final part!

Writing Sample:

Have you written for other sites before? Give us a taste of what we can expect! Either a poem, a story, anything!

Congratulations! Your proposal is now complete! Now...what do you do with it? Well send it to us of course. You're gonna send that puppy over to marillaquamouse@neomail.com (Chris Oliva) AND hookworm86@yahoo.com (Ryan Schmidt), once you feel its all set and ready to go. And once we receive it, we'll read it over and get you a response as quickly as we possibly can. Please do remember that this is only a hobby, and that if we don't get to you in the fastest manner, it is not because we are being rude, it is because life is being a pain, as we all know it can be.

Well thats that! I hope to be reading some exciting proposals very, very soon!