Advice i've been given is "The hardest place to sell a book, is a book store." With my writing partner, we took our comic to festivals, concerts, exhibits as well as comic cons. Our idea was pitchable to a lot of groups and reached a bunch of audiences not expecting to buy comics.
@alanrussette28194 жыл бұрын
As a Canadian indie comic writer, I can attest to how difficult it is to get momentum and gain a following when starting from zero.
@joelociraptorgaming802 жыл бұрын
I'm in the process of launching my first issue of my comic, digital and print versions. It's definitely a lot of hard work getting an audience for it.
@will_sketch Жыл бұрын
@@joelociraptorgaming80 Agreed. It can take a lot out of you creatively as well. I've seen zero sales on my first book and started questioning if I should keep going at all.
@Omarthedemigod Жыл бұрын
@@will_sketchI feel you. I actually published my first book, “The Bastard Mage” around the time you made that comment. I’m lucky enough to have friends and family who support me, but that shit is not easy. The best thing we can do in this situation is four things. Work with other independents, promote the best you can, write/draw the best you can and have faith.
@filmandpage11384 жыл бұрын
That's the real trick is finding the right market that will buy your book.
@johnnyjamboogie66144 жыл бұрын
Comic workers being condescending towards indie comic creators in subtle and passive aggressive ways? Yeah, I can believe that.
@keeganb20004 жыл бұрын
Couldn't agree more perch. I created a free 8 page MMA story once. The response from that community was incredible and generally none were ComicBook fans.
@williampowell33787 ай бұрын
Cool
@nerdrock80874 жыл бұрын
There are far too many so called Comics Professionals out there that are obsessed with Identity Politics and personal agendas, when they should be concentrating on writing good comics. Great point about marketing to the right people, Perch!!
@AL-ws5yi4 жыл бұрын
I think no one should be looking down on any one. Web comics also get a lot of shade thrown their way.
@ComicsPerch4 жыл бұрын
There are all different levels of quality for web comics.
@richmcgee4344 жыл бұрын
@@ComicsPerch They do vary enormously in terms of quality, more so than print books do because the production cost of a web comic approaches zero. But there's also more variety in content by far than the dead tree comic market offers these days, and sampling it to find the gems is also zero cost. I read a lot more web comics than I do floppies these days, and not solely because the odd Patreon ding is cheaper than than buying dead trees. The popular ones don't stay on the web, either. Pretty sure I own as many web comic trades as I do ones that came from print books at this point.
@pkscomix7 ай бұрын
I've been doing comics sense I was a teenager back in the 80's. However, I hadn't self-printed one until now. I do freelance artwork for other clients so I'm not sure how serious I want to go with this but it was great to hear a thank you from you in this video for folks who just create from scratch!
@RockandrollNegro4 жыл бұрын
I always point indie creators toward Dave Sim. Read the Cerebus Guide to Self Publishing, followed by all 300 issues of Cerebus. That will show you how to get started, how to meet deadlines, how to build readership through compelling narrative, maximize profit, etc. But more importantly, Dave Sim serves as a cautionary tale of what can happen when you insert your political and religious ideology into your comic book. He went from industry savior to Comic Box Office Poison almost overnight.
@hardsellcomixreviews75144 жыл бұрын
I think this is good advice I notice a connection between the car community and a anime or manga (I have the name on the tip of my tongue) so it probably wouldn’t be to good to market to them in Japanese car community I think this would work well for Sean if he made a car comic because it would grow his audience and he is one of the few comic creators who loves cars and can draw them well
@simonbarnett86684 жыл бұрын
Great stuff Mr Perch. Even as a non creative, this was immensely informative .
@will_sketch Жыл бұрын
I love this advice! Question: Should you be you (all the time) in the communities? I'm not saying try to troll these people with fake profiles just to make sales, but maybe you want to see what people legitimately think of your project. I feel like some people will be nice because they know they're speaking to the creator directly. So you may want an unbiased opinion. Like an actor or director who hides in the theater to see how the audience reacts to his/her new movie.
@hunnicuttp4 жыл бұрын
I was already deep into the comic book lifestyle but I remember how excited I was when I found genre comics in book stores. I think that’s how I started reading Anne Rice. Great information sir.
@BillySpenc4 жыл бұрын
i think the only time I would block someone is if they said something to me personally like if they said something to harm my life or anything.
@wolf-vs-wolf Жыл бұрын
Determining your target market is so important!
@MelvilleG4 ай бұрын
Thank you so much. Pity I stumbled upon your video 3.5 yrs after it had been released. Amazing points.
@COMICBOOKSandBEYOND Жыл бұрын
Have the upmost respect for anyone trying to do comics!!
@plumsink7 ай бұрын
Really good ideas! I am creating comics and about to go into promotion mode, and what you are saying just makes sense. Subscribed!
@dauntlessoperator416 ай бұрын
Very helpful and informative!! Thank you!! Never thought about some of the tgings you mentioned, like Libraries...
@cameronwood1981 Жыл бұрын
Currently finishing up the final illustrations on my self written, self illustrated, self published indie comic. Although this was more of a pet project for me to recreate the superhero comic that my friends and I wrote back in jr high, your video gave some great advice. Keep it up
@TheNCChurch2 жыл бұрын
I definitely appreciate the advice and guidance. Keep being a light like you are doing.
@oliviadouglas45773 жыл бұрын
Omg! This is the first video i've seen of you, and I love you for this video.
@Markbro101 Жыл бұрын
I’lol take these ideas to heart- thanks so much!
@hr38004 жыл бұрын
The big problem is the formats. We want more.. Differences. The panorama is better for the screen and get your eyes covered with art Fills the space. Drop the standard. Have you some answers? Thanks😀👍
@cwilcoxart40174 жыл бұрын
Great video Perch, this was definitely some red meat for us creatives! Thank you!
@GrandaComics3 жыл бұрын
Great advise, THANKS!
@hr38004 жыл бұрын
You should do a whole episode about formats templates. That's the issue with me. The last frontier to begin with. Thanks👍
@zionleach30012 жыл бұрын
I want to write comics as a career. I can't draw people to save my life. I want to write supernatural action horror like Hellboy and Trese. I want to write comics in a dark urban- fantasy with robert rodriguez levels of action.
@PeterPalmiotti4 жыл бұрын
Some very good points! New to this channel, SUB'd.
@MarshMakesComics4 жыл бұрын
Such a great idea thank you!!!
@xeroforhire2 күн бұрын
This video was enough to make me go and change up my bio on social media.
@emorris02043 жыл бұрын
Great advice perch ,I think I did something like that before but I’ll totally do it again since I have a book that will appeal to fans of heavy metal music and sci fi sword and sorcery in Facebook groups \m/ ps the thumbnail picture of the draft board and the desk looks exactly how I setup my studio \m/
@lxxl81564 жыл бұрын
Perch, if this works for me I’ll break you off your percentage. Cool idea man. I dig it.
@xeroforhire2 күн бұрын
I will send a free digital copy of issue #1 of my indie comic, "The Last Day" to anyone who mentions they saw this comment.
@WORLDSAVER452 Жыл бұрын
Great video,great advice!
@SonOfBlad32 жыл бұрын
New subscriber here! I'm in the process of writing my story. I want to make a graphic novel and I'm going to share the art concepts with my daughter (who is AWESOME btw)..but it still feels like somethings missing. Thanks for your channel..no fluff or distractions, just straight talk when we need straight talk💯✊🏾
@theheroshack Жыл бұрын
This was a great video! Thank you!
@poorrichlives37275 ай бұрын
Excellent advice. I have been working on a dark fairy tale children's graphic novel For the past few years. I have been putting a lot of thought to what kind of market. Would be best for that genre. Thank you.
@agent_meister4774 жыл бұрын
Love your stuff Perch. I could listen to you read from the phone book (if there is such a thing anymore)👍
@tvcrazyman2 жыл бұрын
Very good advice.
@MobileFilmmaking Жыл бұрын
That's exactly how I sold 2000 copies of my Sci-Fi/fantasy comic with no promotion beyond the sci-fi groups and comic groups I posted in.
@hassanmcmillian4 жыл бұрын
that's awesome i want to learn more about this thanks man
@artmin1003 жыл бұрын
With advice that good I had to subscribe, thank you so much.
@hr38004 жыл бұрын
Going old school like the old days. Like Milton caniff. Broad format
@matthiesoliveira24584 жыл бұрын
Totally read Scott Pilgrim meets Alien.
@hr38004 жыл бұрын
Keep going keep supporting us newbies. I wanna know about landscape panorama template. And square formats.. Think it calls coffee table book format. Different formats then the standard 11×17
@brandonperlow90914 жыл бұрын
really good starting points here. I think you just have to be willing to cast a wide net. So whats your advice for trying to get the attention of a YA supernatural OGN. Since that is my next project. Im sure there are the related supernatural genre stuff I can check out. YA seems to be wierd thing, as it needs to be something that pre-teens/teens need to think is cool.
@Off-Brand_Devin4 жыл бұрын
I'm going to pretend you're trying to get the attention of a YA supernatural OBGYN, because that makes me laugh. When I was growing up, there wasn't really a sector of the market called YA.There were kids books and "adult books", i.e., everything that wasn't a kids book. I started reading "adult books" at age 10. There would often be things I didn't understand or sometimes content I'd rather my hypothetical kids not read at that age, but I was usually up to the task. But I never felt the need to be told a book was specifically for my age group, and I have to imagine that's a pretty commonly held sentiment. Is the YA label really going to attract any more pre-teens/teens than having an interesting story? That's a long way of saying I wonder if there's a need to brand yourself as YA at all. Always seemed unnecessarily limiting to me.
@brandonperlow90914 жыл бұрын
@@Off-Brand_Devin there really is a YA market. If your protagonists are young teens, its generally harder to sell that to general comic audiences. The DC 6x9 books are geared for YA and Middlegrade. For the YA market, you really need to make a book like Scholastic or First Second would make. There is a huge library and school market for them. I notice a lot of what Marvel, DC and Image try to do just doesnt work for that market.
@brandonperlow90914 жыл бұрын
You look at a series like Amethyst from DC, it was totally mis-marketed. Its got a great talent in Amy Reeder, but they should have released it as a YA OGN in their other line. Its not the right title to launch as a floppy.
@Off-Brand_Devin4 жыл бұрын
@@brandonperlow9091 I wasn't very clear there. I didn't mean to say the YA market doesn't exist, just that it seems to me an unnecessarily limiting category to position one's work in. Not that I know much about marketing. You sound like you know your stuff, so let me just wish you luck in finding the market for your story.
@brandonperlow90914 жыл бұрын
@@Off-Brand_Devin Thanks sorry I mis-interpreted what you said. Making comics is hard. Ive done it before and I didnt quite intrepret the market properly, and it was costly. My book was critically acclaimed and got awards/nominations, but was not financially acclaimed.. Its an expensive thing to learn, and probably crazier that I want to try again.
@Devon_maloy3 жыл бұрын
My RPG group eats up my comics
@sgrim_artz Жыл бұрын
I've been posting on tapas and webtoon with shorter silly comics, but I now want to turn my newest story into a print, so its good to see videos like this out there! The only thing I'm still struggling to find out about, as an indie artist, is how to copywrite, since I cant very well shove my watermark on every pannel... ill figure it out lol
@apollogreat81134 жыл бұрын
Very informative video.
@MannySimoneCards Жыл бұрын
Thanks for the vid!
@DialetoNerd3 жыл бұрын
Great advise
@curtisnordstrom3 жыл бұрын
I make cartoons and this is the conclusion I came to. Don't try sell to other animators. Try sell to a more general audience
@hr38004 жыл бұрын
Can I just tilt the standard format
@danielleister12 жыл бұрын
Thank you very much for the info. I was wondering if you or anyone here could point me in the direction of a group for scif-fi themed material? You spoke of getting to know people on the boards and may like your comic did you have a specific place for that? Reddit? Facebook? All the above?
@theinvisibleskulk45634 жыл бұрын
I notice you didn't mention fantasy in your list of genres. What about the fantasy community makes it harder to sell books there than in sci-fi, horror, romance or kids?
@ComicsPerch4 жыл бұрын
Absolutely fantasy counts... an oversight on my part for sure.
@TJ-cg8mq3 жыл бұрын
Wow - Finally - Thanks! I didn't set out to create...but I just couldn't sleep and long story short- now have this 'mini comic' on my hands and its like " What now??" Stepping outside the zone is great advice. Do you know if Print On Demand is suitable for printing minis? Do we need ISBN/ Barcodes? What's your email?
@hoaniwihapi-belmont62693 жыл бұрын
cool content bro
@michaeljohnson-curry39794 жыл бұрын
i guess my question would be, where do I go? the comic I did is an homage to superhero shows like batman TAS and Justice League?
@ComicsPerch4 жыл бұрын
If it's younger, shoot for some of the parent groups that are targeting sci-fi/heroes and put your content there. If it's older, then look for channels talking about cartoons/that universe.
@michaeljohnson-curry39794 жыл бұрын
Comics, by Perch hey man thanks! Also I want to add, I’m a comic creator and work in comic retail also. Your videos and talking about the industry, poking fun at it (comic fail visualized was genius “op here come some of those toxic fans looking to help“ lol )and just being very level headed and fair on Your channel Has been a huge inspiration to how I look at the industry and how I try to treat people within it. You call a spade a spade and I respect it. I hope to be able to join the creative side of the industry with the same level of professionalism you provide on KZfaq everyday :) keep up the great work and thank you
@ryanhowell44923 жыл бұрын
Cool
@cliffelor59274 жыл бұрын
Thanks, much appreciated for the strategy. But I got just one question if you can answer for me. I just need an answer... and I know what to do. You recommend the young route or adult sci-fi. Send me a sign please.
@ComicsPerch4 жыл бұрын
I'd personally go Sci-Fi right now for elbow room; the YA market is a bit crowded. Not impossible, just might be a tougher climb.
@cliffelor59274 жыл бұрын
Comics, by Perch bro thank you!!! You don't know how much appreciate this!!! Thanks, i got this now.l!!!
@Nanashinoshi4 жыл бұрын
Only reason why I ran my 1 block bot, was because I needed to get that stupid WC nonsense out of my feeds and for them to stop using my artwork for their bullshit ass streams...
@gwlankard19 ай бұрын
I think the idea that non-comic book readers will buy a comic book is wishful thinking. I don't get why somebody who likes sci-fi books or tv will look at a sci-fi comic book like it has leprosy but they do.
@matthiesoliveira24584 жыл бұрын
Super Harem, I looked it up. It’s a good idea but the delivery is bad. The name is bad too, lose the “Harem” part. Take out the over-sexual stuff. You’d have something. But not what it is now.