An approach to sell comics
Creators can sell comics as the usual 24 pages book or as a
graphic novel 60 to 200 plus pages. When one wants to sell
comics as the 24 page book, the comic book would have to come as
a series of separate issues. In this way it may be cheaper to
produce. You can have a series with 5 issues that come out in
different periods of the year. The revenue made from issue #1
can be used to cover the expenses for issue #2. In my opinion
this is probably the best way for inexperienced comic book
creators to start.
However, if a creator thinks that making a graphic novel is more
convenient for him/her to start with, you can go for it under
two conditions. You have the funds and a marketing plan. I say
this because the marketing is the most strenuous part any
creator experiences when producing a product. These days
publishing your comic book doesn't have to take fifty dollars
out of your pocket if you do the writing and drawing yourself.
This method is known as publishing on demand. For first time
comic book creators, the difficulty of marketing your comic book
can be ten times multiplied.
Creators who successfully sell comics they created are usually
those who have experience and background in the producing of
comics. It would be easy for someone who is known for working on
titles like X-men or Spiderman to come out of Marvel and produce
his own comic books or sell his comics. This was the case for
Todd McFarlane. McFarlane reached star status in Marvel comics.
When he came out of Marvel, he was involved with other
illustrators in starting Image comics. Once he published his
title called Spawn, it became an almost instant hit because of
McFarlane's popularity. The thing is, not everyone who wants to
create comics would get the privilege to work for a giant
publisher like Marvel Comics, and also not everyone who works
for Marvel will become popular.
How I see it is there are two ways one can break into the comic
book industry by creating comics and to sell comics. Both ways
involve developing a name for your-self. First, it could be done
by integrating oneself with existing publishers and editors,
getting hired as staff in an editorial office, and getting
published by a smaller publisher. The second way is by
independent publishing. Let me add, both ways are extremely
difficult, can take years to getting positive results and could
cost you big time money.
The encouraging news, there are other methods to get your work
to the audience for less money or time. Thanks to the increase
in technology, the conventional (going through the big time
publishers) way of breaking into the comic book industry to sell
comics is not the only way. I'll explain.
The hardest and biggest hurdle comic book creators have to
overcome is marketing their comic book or getting an audience to
their comics. Once people know that your comic book exists and
like the comic book, to sell comics would be a lot easier for
you.
First of all and most important is that when you want to sell
comics you have to have a good quality and appealing comic book
to sell. Develop an appealing comic book that you know a certain
group of people would like.
The next step to sell comics is to market it to those people you
made the comic book for. The people whose needs your comic book
is meeting. In this way you are almost certain to have a buy.
You can do this by creating a website for your comic book and
then refer interested people to the website to check your comic
book out.
Creating a comic book and marketing it through the internet is
now one of the most convenient ways to get your comic book
recognized. Like I said before, once your comic book is
recognized and liked, to sell comics would be natural.