What to do next, for someone who's written and drawn a graphic novel?
August 1, 2013 12:50 PM Subscribe
A friend of mine has almost finished a graphic novel about a dystopian sci-fi future . It's quite good. But he's never published anything before. What should he do to get his work published? What should he expect? What are the resources for self-publishing comics? Any other advice he should hear?
This is the transition from creation to publishing, i.e., from writing and drawing to running a business. There's a reason publishers exist. It's because the skills and labor involved in creating a work are very, very different from the skills and labor involved in bringing that work to market.
So your friend needs to ask himself: does he want to run a small business? Because if not, he should probably avoid self-publication unless it's basically a vanity project. I know several self-pub comics artists--some of whom are quite good at what they do and are very successful--and all of them will say that they spend at least half of their time doing business stuff.
If he's not interested in doing that, he should take a look at some of the creator-owned publishers out there. We're talking Image, Vertigo, and Legend as the big ones, being imprints of Marvel, DC, and Dark Horse respectively. There are also smaller houses out there who do creator-owned stuff. Action Lab comes to mind, but there are others.
posted by valkyryn at 1:17 PM on August 1, 2013 [5 favorites]
So your friend needs to ask himself: does he want to run a small business? Because if not, he should probably avoid self-publication unless it's basically a vanity project. I know several self-pub comics artists--some of whom are quite good at what they do and are very successful--and all of them will say that they spend at least half of their time doing business stuff.
If he's not interested in doing that, he should take a look at some of the creator-owned publishers out there. We're talking Image, Vertigo, and Legend as the big ones, being imprints of Marvel, DC, and Dark Horse respectively. There are also smaller houses out there who do creator-owned stuff. Action Lab comes to mind, but there are others.
posted by valkyryn at 1:17 PM on August 1, 2013 [5 favorites]
If I was going to do something comics/gn related now I would put it up online first and if I can gather enough interest then do a kick-starter for a physical version.
The 'gather enough interest' part is as hard, if not harder, that producing the comic in the first place.
posted by fearfulsymmetry at 1:53 PM on August 1, 2013 [1 favorite]
The 'gather enough interest' part is as hard, if not harder, that producing the comic in the first place.
posted by fearfulsymmetry at 1:53 PM on August 1, 2013 [1 favorite]
Seconding webcomics.com for general advice. I'm also really liking webcomicunderdogs.com lately.
In general:
1. set up site for your comic - buy domain/hosting, drop in wordpress, add comicpress/comic easel/webcomic theme (your choice, I use CP), also add a security plugin (I use betterwpsecurity, I know there's a couple others but forget the names)
2. fill the queue
3. new page every N days - with something completely finished they could maybe even get away with one every day.
4. buy some ads, sell some too. projectwonderful.com is a decent way to do both at once.
5. Kickstarter/Indiegogo/Offbeatr/whatevercrowdfundsite to fund a print run. I printed about 400 books off of a 130-pledge campaign. Don't overreach, be sure you actually talk to printers and get quotes and account for shipping. And don't offer a ton of tchotchkes as bonuses for higher pledge levels unless you have found a source and done the math on those, too. Oh also be really stingy with pledge levels that require you to do new, unique art - those should start at at LEAST $100 or so IMHO.
Assuming you've gathered enough of a fan base to get enough money to print a few hundred books, proceed:
6. Start doing comic conventions with your book. Get an artist's alley table, make a banner, feel lucky if you break even the first few times at any con. When you're taking a break from the table, throw some books in your bag and say hello to your idols, other creators working in the same narrative/stylistic place, and folks you know from various webcomics boards. Offer to swap books, be prepared to pay money if the answer's no. Occasionally just give one out to a major influence: "Hi, Mike Mignola! I wanted to say thank you for your master-class in chiaroscuro. *hand over very starkly-colored book*"
6a. Follow those people you wanna try to swap books on Twitter/Facebook/Tumblr/wherever your online hangouts may intersect. Chat naturally and casually. Some of them may become something you could call a friend. Most probably won't. Like anyone else. Get drunk at future cons with the ones who do.
7. Drop by your local comic shops with your book. See if they want a few copies. Some will buy some outright, some will want to do it on consignment - either way expect them to want to pay about half the cover price.
8. Send copies of the book off to sites you think should review it. Send copies of the book off to appropriate awards.
9. Put it on Amazon. Both as physical books and as an e-book. I really need to get around to this step, it's lower priority than "draw more damn pages" for me.
10. Send copies of the book to publishers. Don't hold your breath - I'd be delighted, at this point, with "This isn't right for us - but you should totally send it to EDITOR at PUBLISHER. Tell 'em I sent you."
11. Don't quit your day job unless you win the lottery or have a very well-off relative leave you a ton of money or have a spouse who made a shit-ton of Internet boom money or something.
Aaaand don't forget to start working on the NEXT one. That is, like, step zero. Go through the same process all over again with that one; try to not make any of the same art/storytelling mistakes you made on the first book. Make exciting new mistakes instead.
Also to be honest I have to say that Valkyryn's suggestion of trying the various creator-owned publishers is a pretty long shot. I've been shopping my comic around for a while and responses ranging from silence, to form rejection letter, to "this is amazing but we could never print this". Your friend might have better luck with his project, but I wouldn't count on it; there are a LOT of people who want to get into comics. Prove you have an audience by accreting a modest one yourself. Or maybe a huge one, who knows, maybe your friend's project is the next Homestuck. But don't hold your breath.
Well that got long.
posted by egypturnash at 11:04 PM on August 1, 2013 [1 favorite]
In general:
1. set up site for your comic - buy domain/hosting, drop in wordpress, add comicpress/comic easel/webcomic theme (your choice, I use CP), also add a security plugin (I use betterwpsecurity, I know there's a couple others but forget the names)
2. fill the queue
3. new page every N days - with something completely finished they could maybe even get away with one every day.
4. buy some ads, sell some too. projectwonderful.com is a decent way to do both at once.
5. Kickstarter/Indiegogo/Offbeatr/whatevercrowdfundsite to fund a print run. I printed about 400 books off of a 130-pledge campaign. Don't overreach, be sure you actually talk to printers and get quotes and account for shipping. And don't offer a ton of tchotchkes as bonuses for higher pledge levels unless you have found a source and done the math on those, too. Oh also be really stingy with pledge levels that require you to do new, unique art - those should start at at LEAST $100 or so IMHO.
Assuming you've gathered enough of a fan base to get enough money to print a few hundred books, proceed:
6. Start doing comic conventions with your book. Get an artist's alley table, make a banner, feel lucky if you break even the first few times at any con. When you're taking a break from the table, throw some books in your bag and say hello to your idols, other creators working in the same narrative/stylistic place, and folks you know from various webcomics boards. Offer to swap books, be prepared to pay money if the answer's no. Occasionally just give one out to a major influence: "Hi, Mike Mignola! I wanted to say thank you for your master-class in chiaroscuro. *hand over very starkly-colored book*"
6a. Follow those people you wanna try to swap books on Twitter/Facebook/Tumblr/wherever your online hangouts may intersect. Chat naturally and casually. Some of them may become something you could call a friend. Most probably won't. Like anyone else. Get drunk at future cons with the ones who do.
7. Drop by your local comic shops with your book. See if they want a few copies. Some will buy some outright, some will want to do it on consignment - either way expect them to want to pay about half the cover price.
8. Send copies of the book off to sites you think should review it. Send copies of the book off to appropriate awards.
9. Put it on Amazon. Both as physical books and as an e-book. I really need to get around to this step, it's lower priority than "draw more damn pages" for me.
10. Send copies of the book to publishers. Don't hold your breath - I'd be delighted, at this point, with "This isn't right for us - but you should totally send it to EDITOR at PUBLISHER. Tell 'em I sent you."
11. Don't quit your day job unless you win the lottery or have a very well-off relative leave you a ton of money or have a spouse who made a shit-ton of Internet boom money or something.
Aaaand don't forget to start working on the NEXT one. That is, like, step zero. Go through the same process all over again with that one; try to not make any of the same art/storytelling mistakes you made on the first book. Make exciting new mistakes instead.
Also to be honest I have to say that Valkyryn's suggestion of trying the various creator-owned publishers is a pretty long shot. I've been shopping my comic around for a while and responses ranging from silence, to form rejection letter, to "this is amazing but we could never print this". Your friend might have better luck with his project, but I wouldn't count on it; there are a LOT of people who want to get into comics. Prove you have an audience by accreting a modest one yourself. Or maybe a huge one, who knows, maybe your friend's project is the next Homestuck. But don't hold your breath.
Well that got long.
posted by egypturnash at 11:04 PM on August 1, 2013 [1 favorite]
Every self-publishing comic creator I know highly recommends Dave Sim's Cerebus Guide to Self-Publishing.
posted by dfan at 9:30 AM on August 2, 2013
posted by dfan at 9:30 AM on August 2, 2013
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