MC-Guide
Content Writing
Website 34: Kingfeatures.com
How Can You Earn Money Writing For “kingfeatures.com” Website
This guide shows you, step by step, how a beginner can learn to pitch and sell stories to kingfeatures.com.
You will learn what Kingfeatures wants, how to test your idea, how to write a pitch, and how payment roughly works. You can use this like a small SOP.
Guide: How to Submit to King Features (Comics, Columns, Puzzles) — and Earn Money as a Creator
This guide shows you, in simple steps, how to research, prepare, and submit a feature to King Features Syndicate — even if you are a beginner. It is written like a small course (SOP style), so you can follow it step by step.
Important: King Features is not a “post your guest article today” type site. It is a syndication company. That means you do not usually submit one single blog post. You submit a repeatable feature (like a comic strip, a weekly column, a puzzle series, or an infographic/video feature) that can run again and again in many places. That is how creators often earn through syndication: their work gets distributed widely under contract.
By the end, you will know: (1) what King Features is, (2) which submission track fits you, (3) how to build the correct submission package, (4) where to email or mail it, and (5) how to think about money, rights, and long-term creator strategy.
Section 1 · Understand the company
What King Features actually does — and why that changes how you write
Most beginner writers learn one path first: “write a blog post, publish it, repeat.” That is good practice — but King Features is different. King Features describes itself as a producer and distributor of intellectual properties, and as content syndication specialists providing content to digital and print publishers worldwide.
So, instead of thinking “one article,” think “a feature.” A feature is a creative product that has a format and a schedule: a daily strip, a weekly column, a monthly puzzle pack, a recurring infographic concept, or a short-form video series. Publishers buy features because they help them fill pages and engage audiences consistently. King Features highlights that its offerings include comics, puzzles/games, and columns, plus digital solutions like embeddable widgets.
Syndication means your work can appear in many places. Your job as a creator is not just to write well. Your job is to create something that is:
- Repeatable (you can produce it every week/month without burning out).
- Clear in format (editors know what they are buying).
- Evergreen enough to stay valuable beyond one day (or at least predictable in schedule).
- Strong in voice so readers recognize it and come back.
If you treat King Features like a random guest-post site, you will get stuck. Treat it like a professional creative product pitch.
King Features is a unit of Hearst and has a long history in comics and syndication. Their “Who We Are” page explains milestones and how the syndicate was incorporated in 1915. That history matters because they have a big catalog — and they want submissions that are distinct.
- Who We Are (history + leadership)
- What We Do (capabilities overview)
- Content Distribution (comics/puzzles/columns + demos)
- Our Brands (portfolio overview + directory links)
If you are a beginner: do not panic. You are not competing with the whole history. You are simply learning the rules and building a professional submission package.
| Normal “guest post” world | King Features / syndication world | What you should do |
|---|---|---|
| One-off article | Repeatable feature | Design a format + schedule (weekly/daily/monthly) |
| Publish instantly | Evaluation + long-term business | Submit samples + cover letter + patience |
| Paid per post (often) | Contract-based (varies) | Learn basic rights + negotiation vocabulary |
| Mostly SEO | Mostly audience + editorial value | Focus on consistency, personality, usefulness |
Section 2 · Pick your submission track
Choose your path: comics, puzzles, or columns (with beginner-safe decision rules)
King Features’ official submission guidelines separate submissions into categories, including comic strips/panels, puzzles, and columns (plus related formats like infographics and video). You should not send everything everywhere. Pick one track first, and do it correctly.
Choose the track that matches your “production strength”
A syndication feature is a production job. That means you must be able to deliver repeatedly. Ask yourself:
- Comics: Can you draw consistently and deliver on a schedule?
- Puzzles: Can you create clean, solvable puzzles with consistent difficulty?
- Columns: Can you write clearly every week with a strong, recognizable voice?
Do not pick the track you “wish” you were good at. Pick the track you can actually produce. Then level up.
Start with a “mini-version” before you pitch
Most beginners fail because they pitch too early with too little material. Before you submit to King Features, build a mini-version of your feature:
- Comics: a batch of strips/panels that shows your characters + pacing + consistency.
- Puzzles: a small set of puzzles with clean formatting and answer keys.
- Columns: a set of sample columns that follow one format, one tone, and one reader promise.
Then submit. This is the simplest way to feel professional — even as a beginner.
Understand what King Features is likely buying
In syndication, the “product” is not just words. It is a reliable content stream. That is why you should design your feature like a product:
- Title: memorable and short.
- Concept: one sentence that explains the hook.
- Format: length, frequency, style, tone.
- Reader promise: “What does the reader get every time?”
When an editor reads your package, they should instantly understand what your feature is.
| Track | Best for beginners who… | What your samples must prove | Common beginner mistake |
|---|---|---|---|
| Comic strips / panels | Can draw consistently and love storytelling | Clear characters, consistent style, repeatable jokes/ideas | Only submitting 1–3 strips (too few to judge) |
| Puzzles / games | Think logically and can format cleanly | Solvable puzzles, consistent difficulty, correct answers | Messy layouts or missing answer keys |
| Columns (and infographics/video features) | Can write weekly and teach/entertain clearly | Strong voice, clear structure, consistent length and angle | Submitting random topics instead of one column concept |
Section 3 · Research like an editor
How to validate your idea so you don’t pitch something they already have
King Features has a large catalog of comics, puzzles, and columns. So your first job is not “write.” Your first job is “research.” The goal is simple: don’t pitch a duplicate, and don’t pitch a concept that is too vague. Use the links below like a professional editor would.
Start with King Features’ own pages:
- Content Distribution (featured content + contact links)
- Our Brands (portfolio + directory links)
- Submission Guidelines (exact rules and emails)
- Comics Kingdom (read comics; understand tone + formats)
When you browse, take notes:
- What topics are common? (family humor, workplace, advice, puzzles, etc.)
- What feels missing? (new audience, new format, new voice)
- What styles do publishers already buy?
Syndication is not only print now. King Features also highlights embeddable widgets that update daily. That means creators who design content for digital formats can be valuable too.
You are not required to build widgets yourself as a writer. But you should understand that publishers want content that works across platforms.
Now here is the beginner-friendly “gap-finding” method. You can use it even if you are not sure what your idea is yet.
Pick one “reader promise” that is easy to repeat
A reader promise is what the audience gets each time. Examples (choose one style):
- Laugh: “A clean, fast joke about modern work life.”
- Learn: “One useful tip per week that improves daily life.”
- Solve: “A puzzle that fits a consistent difficulty level.”
- Feel seen: “A voice that speaks to a specific community kindly and intelligently.”
Your promise should be repeatable for years. If you can’t repeat it, don’t pitch it.
Choose one format that publishers recognize
Publishers buy what they understand. Design a format:
- Columns: a title, a clear length range, a structure (hook → advice/story → takeaway).
- Comics: consistent art style + consistent pacing + consistent characters.
- Puzzles: consistent rules + consistent presentation + consistent answer formatting.
If your format changes every time, it becomes hard to buy and hard to edit.
Validate with “three checks” before you create a full pack
Before you spend weeks building a submission package, run these checks:
- Check 1: Search King Features / Comics Kingdom to see if something similar already exists.
- Check 2: Ask: “What is my unique twist?” (voice, audience, structure, style)
- Check 3: Ask: “Can I produce 50+ of these without hating my life?”
If you pass these checks, then you build the submission pack.
Section 4 · Build your submission package
What to include (and how to format it) so you look professional as a beginner
King Features’ submission guidelines are very clear: follow the instructions. They describe what to include and which emails to use for each category. So your goal is to create one “submission bundle” that is clean, complete, and easy to review.
Think of your submission package like a small product box:
- Front label: your cover letter (who you are, what the feature is).
- Product inside: your samples (enough to judge quality + consistency).
- Instructions: a short “how it works” description (format, schedule, reader promise).
King Features asks for a cover letter with your contact details and information about you and your work. Write it like this:
- Line 1: Your feature name + category (Column / Comic / Puzzle).
- Line 2: One-sentence concept.
- Line 3: Format + schedule (example: “weekly 600-word advice column”).
- Line 4: Why you (credibility: experience, background, published work).
- Line 5: What you are submitting (samples count, file format).
- Line 6: Links (portfolio, socials, sample publications) if relevant.
Keep it short: 200–350 words is enough. The goal is to make the editor curious and confident.
Do not try to impress with complexity. Impress with reliability. Your samples must prove:
- Quality: strong writing/art/design and clean presentation.
- Consistency: the feature “feels like itself” every time.
- Longevity: you can keep producing without losing the concept.
A beginner-friendly tip: create your samples as a “season.” Example: 10 columns that all follow the same structure and cover one theme area. That makes your package feel intentional.
Submission packages by track (exact rules + beginner-friendly execution)
Below is the “do it correctly” breakdown by track, based on King Features’ own submission guidelines page. Always double-check the live page before you submit, because rules can change. Start here: Submission Guidelines.
Comic strips and panels: how to prepare your bundle
King Features routes comic submissions through Comics Kingdom submissions. Use their guidelines page as your source of truth. For comics, your bundle should normally include:
- A short cover letter (as above).
- A meaningful set of sample strips/panels (enough to show range and consistency).
- Clear character notes (1–2 paragraphs per main character).
- A one-paragraph “what happens each week” description (your engine).
- Clean files: readable, properly named, not messy screenshots.
Where to send: the guidelines page points comics submissions to submissions@comicskingdom.com. If you are unsure, the Comics Kingdom help center also points back to the King Features guidelines.
Helpful links for research and tone: Comics Kingdom, Comics Kingdom FAQ: publish my comic.
Puzzles: how to prepare your bundle
King Features’ guidelines include a puzzle submissions section with an email address and instructions. Your puzzle bundle should include:
- A short cover letter (you, your puzzle concept, difficulty level, audience fit).
- Several sample puzzles (clean layout) plus an answer key.
- Clear rules and naming (so an editor can test quickly).
- A difficulty statement (example: easy/medium/hard) and how you keep it consistent.
Where to send: their guidelines page lists a dedicated puzzle submissions email: puzzle_submissions@kingfeatures.com.
To understand what “publisher-ready puzzles” look like, explore the demo list: King Features Online Demos and the Puzzles Palace demos: Demo: Puzzles Palace.
Columns (and infographics/video): how to prepare your bundle
This is the closest thing to “articles” in the King Features ecosystem. But again: it is not a one-off guest post. It is a recurring column concept. King Features’ guidelines include specific requirements for column submissions. Their page says column submissions should include 14 samples and that each sample should be no more than 600 words.
So your column bundle should contain:
- A cover letter (title + one-sentence concept + your credibility).
- 14 sample columns (each ≤ 600 words) that clearly match the same concept.
- A “column promise” paragraph (who it is for + what readers get weekly).
- A list of 10–20 future headline ideas (to prove you can continue).
- Optional: a simple infographic sample or short video concept if your feature is visual.
Where to send: their page lists a columns submissions email: column_submissions@kingfeatures.com. They also describe sending columns as a single PDF and include an option to mail to an address in Orlando, Florida.
Beginner-friendly format tip: Create one PDF with this structure:
- Page 1: cover letter
- Page 2: column concept summary + “audience promise”
- Pages 3–16: the 14 samples (one per page)
- Final page: “future topics” list + your links
This is clean, easy, and feels professional. Editors love clean.
| Bundle part | What it does | Beginner way to do it |
|---|---|---|
| Cover letter | Makes the editor understand the product fast | Use the 6-line structure above + keep it under 350 words |
| Samples | Proves quality + consistency | Create a “mini-season” that follows one format |
| Concept summary | Explains the format and audience | One paragraph + 5 bullets: audience, tone, frequency, length, promise |
| Future topics | Proves longevity | Write 10–20 possible headlines or episode ideas |
Section 5 · Submit correctly
Exactly how to submit (emails, mailing address, file rules) + how to follow up like a pro
This section turns the submission guidelines into a simple workflow you can follow without confusion. The biggest beginner mistake is emailing the wrong place or sending a messy package. So we make it foolproof. Start with the official page: Submission Guidelines.
Step-by-step: the “clean submission workflow”
Pick the correct category email (do not guess)
From King Features’ guidelines page:
- Comics: submissions@comicskingdom.com
- Puzzles: puzzle_submissions@kingfeatures.com
- Columns / infographics / video: column_submissions@kingfeatures.com
This is critical. If you send a puzzle to the comics address, it is an instant “no” or no response.
Make your subject line boring and searchable
Editors manage a lot of emails. Help them. Use a subject line like:
- SUBMISSION (COLUMNS): [Feature Name] — 14 samples — [Your Name]
- SUBMISSION (PUZZLES): [Puzzle Type] — samples + answers — [Your Name]
- SUBMISSION (COMICS): [Comic Name] — sample pack — [Your Name]
Avoid: “Hello Sir,” “Important,” “Please read,” or emotional subjects. Clear beats clever.
Attach files the way a professional does
Beginner-friendly file rules:
- Use PDF when possible, because it preserves formatting everywhere.
- Name files clearly: FeatureName_YourName_Submission.pdf
- Keep file sizes reasonable (compress images if needed).
- Include your contact info inside the PDF (not only in the email).
King Features’ guidelines mention sending column submissions as a single PDF. If your track allows multiple files, keep them in a clean bundle.
Use the mailing option only if you must (and follow the address exactly)
King Features’ guidelines include a physical mailing address option (especially referenced for columns). If you mail anything:
- Do not mail originals unless the guidelines specifically tell you to.
- Include a printed cover letter with contact information.
- Use clean copies (do not send your only master artwork).
The guidelines page includes a mailing address in Orlando, Florida (P.O. Box format). Copy it directly from the live page when you send.
Follow up politely (and only once)
Most beginners either never follow up or spam follow-ups. Do this instead:
- Wait a reasonable amount of time (often a few weeks, sometimes longer).
- Reply to your original email thread (so your submission is attached).
- Send 3–4 lines maximum: a polite check-in and a reminder of the feature name.
If there is still no response, do not burn bridges. Keep creating and improve your pack. Syndication decisions can take time.
Keep a submission log (this is how professionals stay sane)
Use a simple spreadsheet or notebook with:
- Date sent
- Category + email used
- Feature name
- What you included (samples count, PDF version)
- Follow-up date
- Result
This stops you from re-sending the same thing by accident and helps you improve each version.
If you need help (support / contact links)
If your question is not “submission category” but more general help (access, platform support, premium questions), King Features also runs a support portal where you can submit a request:
Section 6 · Money + rights
How earning typically works in syndication (and what you must understand about rights)
This section is important because beginners often misunderstand “how money works.” A syndication company usually doesn’t pay like a typical blog marketplace. Instead, money is commonly handled through agreements (contracts) that define how your feature is licensed and distributed. King Features positions itself as a content syndication specialist distributing comics, puzzles, and columns across platforms. That implies contractual licensing and distribution relationships.
I cannot promise what King Features pays (that depends on the deal, the feature, the market, and your negotiations). So instead, I will give you a beginner-friendly understanding of common syndication money models and the rights vocabulary you must know. This is educational, not legal advice.
- License fees / revenue share: your feature is licensed to publishers; you receive compensation according to the agreement.
- Flat fees (sometimes): some features or special projects may have set payments, but this varies.
- Long-tail income: a feature that runs widely can generate ongoing revenue over time.
- Secondary opportunities: book collections, merchandise, speaking, courses, sponsorships, or licensing extensions (more common for strong IP).
Beginner thinking: your first goal is to create a feature that can live for years. That is how syndication becomes “real money.”
- Copyright: legal protection for your original work.
- License: permission for someone to use your work under defined terms.
- Exclusive vs non-exclusive: exclusive means only one party can distribute; non-exclusive means you can license elsewhere too (depends on contract).
- Derivative works: adaptations (books, animation, merch, etc.).
- Territory: where the content is licensed (US, global, etc.).
- Term: how long the agreement lasts.
Even as a beginner, you should understand these words. They appear in real agreements.
A beginner’s “contract self-defense checklist”
If you ever receive an agreement, slow down. Do not sign quickly because you feel excited. Instead, scan for these items (and ask questions if unclear):
| Clause / concept | What to check | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Rights granted | Exactly what uses are allowed (print, digital, archives, social, etc.) | You don’t want to accidentally give away more than you intended |
| Exclusivity | Is it exclusive? If yes, how broad and for how long? | Exclusive deals can limit your ability to publish elsewhere |
| Payment language | How and when you get paid; reporting; minimums (if any) | Clarity prevents future conflict |
| Term + termination | How long it lasts and how either side can end it | Long terms with no exit can trap you |
| Ownership + derivatives | Do you keep IP ownership? Who controls adaptations? | This can be life-changing for comics and character IP |
| Credit / byline | How your name appears | Portfolio value matters for your future earnings |
Beginner-friendly resources about rights (learning links)
One more important money mindset shift: Even if your first submission is not accepted, the package you build is still valuable. You can repurpose it to pitch:
- Local newspapers (regional syndication or regular columns)
- Magazines in your topic area
- Digital publications that accept serialized content
- Your own paid newsletter or subscription platform
So when you build a “King Features-quality” pack, you are not wasting time. You are building a professional asset.
Section 7 · Ethics + AI
How to stay original, credible, and safe (especially if you use AI tools)
In syndication, trust is everything. Your work can be distributed widely. So your submission must be: original, accurate, and cleanly presented. King Features emphasizes high-quality content across comics, columns, puzzles, and games. So low-effort or “generic AI copy” will not help you.
- Copying jokes, premises, characters, puzzle formats, or column structures too closely from existing creators.
- Submitting unfinished work (inconsistent art, untested puzzles, unclear writing).
- Using AI to write the entire column and sending it without deep editing and fact-checking.
- Inventing credibility (fake bio, fake awards, fake published credits).
- Over-promoting (turning your submission into an ad for your product instead of a feature for readers).
Your submission should feel like a real, human creative product with a clear voice.
- Outline helper: generate headings, then rewrite everything yourself.
- Clarity editor: ask for simpler phrasing, then apply selectively.
- Brainstorm helper: generate 50 headline ideas, then choose 10 and refine them.
- Consistency checker: ask it to spot tone changes or unclear sentences.
Rule: AI can assist, but you must remain the real author and quality controller. Your name is what matters in syndication.
Quality control by track (mini SOP)
Make sure your comic is readable in one second
- Text is readable (font size, contrast).
- Panels are clear (no confusing layouts).
- Characters are recognizable across strips.
- The “engine” repeats (it’s not a one-time joke).
If a reader can’t “get it” quickly, editors worry about publishability.
Test puzzles like a skeptical editor
- Every puzzle is solvable.
- Answers are correct and included.
- Difficulty is consistent (do not randomly spike).
- Instructions are short and clear.
If your puzzle pack has errors, your credibility collapses instantly.
Write for a busy reader (clean structure)
- Strong first sentence (hook).
- Short paragraphs (2–4 lines).
- Clear point (what is the reader learning / feeling?).
- Clean ending (takeaway, tip, reflection).
For King Features column submissions, remember their guideline constraints (samples count and word limits).
Section 8 · Wrap-up
Final checklist, FAQ for beginners, and a huge link library
If you only do one thing after reading this guide, do this: Build a clean submission package, and submit it to the correct email address. That single skill — packaging your work professionally — is what separates beginners from paid creators.
Final pre-submit checklist (tick it like a pro)
FAQ (beginner questions)
- Week 1: Research 10 comparable features (comics/columns/puzzles) and take notes on formats.
- Week 2: Design your feature format (title, promise, structure, schedule).
- Week 3: Produce a mini-season of samples (enough to show consistency).
- Week 4: Build one clean PDF bundle, run quality checks, and submit correctly.