People may lump them together but there are distinctions. It's hard to say. If you're in that field there are always people following this kind of material. I'm thinking of the obstacles you must overcome to be able to do what you love to do. When there's more acceptance and value placed on comics, when it becomes 'narrative art' or 'graphic literature' it must be easier to be published.
People look at a manuscript and they read it and they look at things.
Editors realize there are the most commercial comics and there are all kinds of comics. There is a whole spectrum like in any medium. There is some level of discrimination among editors and people who make publishing decisions. There has to be. Others will never pick it up.