By Dean Haspiel
Comics writer/artist/publisher, Jimmy Palmiotti, recently Tweeted, “Publish or perish.” Maybe it was end-of-the-year blues but I was feeling particularly bleak about my career and was struck by Jimmy’s charge and asked if we could discuss the origin behind those three ominous words and what I got was a pep talk for a lifetime.
Securing work from franchise publishers is harder than ever before and very few other publishers pay livable advance wages anymore. Most deals are made for royalties and back end rewards based on sales. Print is competing with digital and profits are questionable. Readers want archives and new stories but making money at publishing has become a challenging and schizophrenic mess. The risk for a corporation to launch something new has become greater and all the bean counters want to know before they gamble on your idea is the sales of your last three books and whether or not your comic book idea has multimedia legs and if you have a strong fan base. In other words, publishers hardly publish what they “like” and franchise publishers would rather update 75-year old icons every five years [which they've worked hard to maintain] than build and grow new ideas that inspire writers and artists today. I understand why that is but it’s paranoid, lazy, and shortsighted.
Frankly, pitching proposals sucks right now. What if you don’t have three books and your new idea doesn’t translate to a movie or toy? Worse, what if you do have three books and the numbers didn’t inform the zeitgeist and thrill Hollywood? Why does one thing need to yield the other in order to make a cool comic book? Because comic books don’t sell like they used to. I get it. While the internet leveled the playing field it also made everything a niche. However, the comix industry does have a strong fanbase. I’ve seen them and they are us.
Now is the perfect time for a cartoonist to manifest his or her own industry. We have the DIY tools. We have the social networks and viral know how. We have proof that crowd funding works and community is key. We have a cranky comedian like Marc Maron rise from the ashes of every bridge he ever burned and make his own rules with his WTF podcast, and popular acts like Radiohead and Louis C.K. making affordable, direct deposit products; offers no one in their right mind could refuse, and venues like Etsy and Kickstarter changing the ways we consume by supporting work with our wallets BEFORE it’s made so that it can BE made sans corporate fear and scrutiny.
But, what about us? Viva la Michel Fiffe for self-publishing ZEGAS, a print-only experience that reminds us why magical efforts like Los Bros Hernandez’ LOVE & ROCKETS were punk yet vital and stand the test of time. All hail Alex De Campi for recognizing the virtues of the old self-publishing model while implementing new rules with the understanding that in order to hawk your wares you must show up to the party and build sound relationships with the people who produce, distribute, and purchase your wares. Rock out with your cock out Jimmy Palmiotti for having the talent and acumen to keep your feet firmly planted in all ponds while knowing how important it is to be different.
Bottom line: I’m sharing these thoughts to rally myself, too. I count myself lucky to have been paid to make comix and I owe a lot of people my perpetual gratitude. I would love to continue to get hired and occasionally play with the toys I grew up with but I can’t allow over-worked editors to ignore me or my talented friends, anymore. It doesn’t champion creativity and it doesn’t pay the bills. Indifference only engenders ill-will and I won’t be banished to that bitter cabal of disgruntled cartoonists.
“Publish or perish?”
In 2012, I’m excited to see comix auteurs bring their A-game and step up to the plate with a hit in their mind and a home run in their heart.
–Dean Haspiel
(a version of this essay originally appeared at Comic Book Resources via Robot 6 and Tim O’Shea)
[Read "The Last Romantic Antihero"]
PS — Curiously, I wrote “Dear Content Maker…” last year around the same time about the same thing.
More by Dean Haspiel
45 Responses to “Publish or Perish” Subscribe
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January 6, 2012
[...] recentemente l’antico adagio (diffuso in ambito accademico) “publish or perish”, ha rilanciato negli Stati Uniti un punto essenziale nel dibattito sulle condizioni – in profonda [...]
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January 12, 2012
[...] there’s essays, comics and more from some of the same conspirators that formed Act-I-Vate. Dean Haspiel posted a essay today that has some interesting back and forth in the comments. Regarding the new reality in the [...]
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January 15, 2012
[...] http://welcometotripcity.com/2012/01/publish-or-perish/ [...]
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January 18, 2012
[...] the age of the artist-entrepreneur where certain legislation’s are trying to negatively change the way we consume and share, [...]
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February 2, 2012
[...] nods: MTV Geek mentioned the project early on, as did Dean Haspiel’s post on creator owned comics. ZEGAS #2 news caught fire and spread over to Death To The Universe & The [...]
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June 20, 2012
[...] “Publish or Perish” ~ r/evolution of the comix auteur “Make Mine Me” ~ a battle cry to commit to your own concepts “Where Have All The New Ideas Gone?” ~ a comment on corporate contracts “Kill Fee” ~ the life and death of a pop culture illustration + “Goodbye Impulse Buy?” ~ a look at shopping practices via my DIRK DAVIES blog at ShiftyLook + “Copyright Seth Kushner” ~ putting a stop to copyright violence “Who Reviews The Reviewers” ~ a reaction to the Wall Street Journal review of Leaping Tall Buildings [...]
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November 14, 2012
[...] Antihero” was overshadowed by whiny essays like “Make Mine Me” and “Publish or Perish.” I understand how that can rally the troops because it involves them but I prefer to have my [...]
Perhaps the time is right for the return of the black and white press and a new business model. B&W on newsprint is far more affordable, can offer more pages for story development and if successful can then migrate to full color press or as a graphic novel as a fully realized development. Readers may want archives but as the song says you can’t always get what you want (unless you are willing to pay for the access). Maybe what can be offered for free instead of access to old issues (because that further erodes the retail end) can be fan created content created in hand with the editorial staff.
Tony–
I was thinking about producing B&W versions of content for print and color versions for digital [choose your desired reading/viewing experience] but, as Jef UK [below] points out, I believe, B&W printing costs are nearly as expensive as color. Perhaps there is a solution that splits the difference where a limited edition print run promotes/serves the digital version. I’ve seen that work, too.
Also, I would consider what Alex De Campi recently did with her Kickstarter project and ally myself w/specific retailers for the limited print edition while helping undecided readers make the leap to digital.
Bottom line: print versions will eventually become high-priced art objects. There aren’t enough people to sustain affordable print runs.
Good ideas, but I don’t think newsprint is significantly cheaper anymore, simply because not very many people use it, and therefore it’s not made in enough quantities to be cheaper than the glossy stuff, which is now used all the time.
Exactly. It’s harder to find a printer that’s doing newsprint over other types of more common paper, and the ones that still do newsprint require you to print really large runs.
Publish your work here – or email it to me and I’ll add it – http://occupylondon-withcartoons.org/gallery.php
You’ll be supporting a great cause, and have your work shown alongside great artists.
I think the question Dean is asking here is; “How can we make money as artists and writers?” It’s obvious that print is going through a rough time – maybe self-inflicted – and the good old days are behind us. With this new situation comes great possibilities but also the fear of not making a living. Musicians were among the first to have to figure out new sources of income in light of downloads – now the time has caught up with cartoonists and writers.
It’s an interesting question raised here, one that I’m sure will continue to be debated a long time ahead.
As always, it’s a joy to read, listen, learn and watch the talents of Trip City unfolding. Hope we are allowed to pay for it soon!
Thx, Palle.
I noticed that a story delivered in it’s proper [normal?] format doesn’t seem to be enough, anymore. Right now, the trend seems to be that a story [in this case, comix, and/or memoir/fiction] has to come w/extra product [signature, t-shirt, poster, card, behind-the-scenes material, a song, a video clip, etc/etc, so on and so forth] in order to entice a single sale. As a guy who just wants the merits of the story to stand alone, it’s daunting to think about but savvier minds are already turning their email exchanges, phone pix, and napkin scribbles into commodity. Sometimes it takes an extra neuron to fire and a drop of narcissism to think wise and pimp wares, accordingly.
The “extra product” thing is exactly right, I think–as is Palle’s comparison to musicians. If I had to guess, I’d say the near-future of comics publishing is going to shake out a lot like music: digital versions that will hopefully become more centralized (a la iTunes) but will likely continue to be heavily pirated–with high end physical versions of books including “extra stuff” similar to the way deluxe vinyl versions of new releases appeal to a certain segment of music consumers. You’re 100% right that the days of getting a check and letting someone else do the hard work of promoting and distributing your work are for the most part behind us. Great essay.
Thx, Ben. Time to brush off our PR hats and learn to shake a firm hand and act online how we would act in person and make sound our promises. Oddly, the physical version of our proposed “content” will yield nostalgia and the digital version will get buried in the BLACK MONOLITH [thank you, 2001 - A Space Odyssey] our future content will eventually be housed in [I don't trust that "cloud" they're trying to transition all our data in].
Personally, I’ve been waiting fifteen years for this time to arrive. I started using computers in the ’80′s, and have eagerly adopted all technical advances while waiting for today. I always knew the day would come when I could avoid the corporate cesspool, and I’d finally be free to create what I want without editors and producers watering it down. I’ve had at least 3 books censored by The Suits. I’ve had good artwork ruined by a publisher who was too cheap to pay for good paper. Marvel tells me exactly what style to draw their books in, leaving no room for creativity.
My self-published books were creatively superior to my corporate shit, but I got bogged down with filling orders, packaging and shipping, and traveling to promote. I’m so thrilled that digital publishing has low up-front costs, and no warehousing and shipping costs. Color doesn’t affect the price, and higher resolution doesn’t drive costs up like paper. And I don’t have to do conventions or bookstore appearances. I just need web links.
In the past, if I wanted to use high-grade paper or a fancy hardcover, it destroyed my profitability. Now I can load my e-book with fancy extras like animation, sound, sketchbooks, links, etc. with minimal expense.
We’re also in a rare time bubble. The big entertainment corporations are temporarily unable to enforce a monopoly on distribution. Anybody can get published on itunes or Amazon. For now.
I don’t know about you, but I have a nasty habit of taking corporate gigs for the so-called “security” it offers my family. Now that Disney and Warner have cut their production costs, the corporations aren’t really offering more than I can get without them. I no longer have to choose between working for love or working for money. I’m able to focus 100% of my effort on great work that I can be proud of instead of thinking, “Gee, I wish I could stop working on Deadpool, and go back to winning awards.”
Right on, Kyle.
It’s artists like you who help pave the way and encourage me to think different.
Eagle eye re: distribution monopoly. A keen warning.
I enjoy your corp. comix but, yeah, I dig Pure, Uncut Kyle Baker, even more.
Great essay, Dean. It’s an interesting coincidence that this post went up the same day that The Rumpus launched their Letters in the Mail subscription project:
http://therumpus.net/2012/01/announcing-letters-in-the-mail/
Online venues such as THE RUMPUS have become venues where artists can reach a mass audience, develop a following, and craft a brand. When Dear Sugar at The Rumpus decides to publish a collected essays, I think it’s gonna be a huge hit. Even though it’s a new kid on the block, it’s clear to me that TRIP CITY has that same potential.
That said, I think it’s unclear whether the better profit model is charging for access to the online goods, or keeping access free–but spinning off a boutique subscription service of exclusive additional content, perhaps emphasizing hard-copy items.
Kyle makes some great points about the fact that those DIY hard-copy items can be a nightmare in terms of overhead, though. Stephen Elliott (Rumpus founder) says he’s holding a big ol’ party in Williamsburg this weekend to stuff envelopes. That’s going to be really fun the first few times, not so much when they are three months in and dealing with returns on changed addresses, bulk mail rules, etc.
We also don’t know how to quantify trickle-down benefits for the participating artists in terms of commercial gigs and (in the case of writers, at least) speaking/teaching engagements.
In other words…let the conversation continue! I’m just putting out there some of the things that race through my mind whenever I turn to this subject. I’m glad to have the nudge to be thinking about it, either way.
Poets are notorious about demurring when it comes to hard talk about publishing, marketing, and money. I’ve always found that beyond silly. If you don’t take your career seriously and regard it as profitable, why should anyone else?
Cheers,
Sandra
TRIP CITY will always be free; a beta-platform for whatever we decide to cull, package, and sell as individuals. Sure, there may be the occasional future group event to buy tickets for or a group project for sale, or something we fund and hand out as an example of what you can get online – for free – but the point is to create a desire for people to buy our wares if we make certain content available for sale. If it’s good it will sell. A TC store? That’s next.
Meanwhile, our current currency is community and spreading the word. TC is only 2-months old. An embryo w/a few kung fu kicks to recommend it.
I met Stephen Elliott via Jonathan Ames, several times. A swell guy/a progenitor of cool, and he walks the proverbial dog. I’ve yet to become a full-fledged RUMPUS racketeer but it’s sites like his that speaks to what we’re shooting for. A lifestyle change and experience.
Bias for us? Hah. Good to nudge. Let’s keep nudging.
Thanks, Sandra!
I think that’s a great philosophy for the TRIP CITY platform: keep it free but spin it off.
It’s important, too, for artists to think about their arsenal in terms of not only discrete products, but flexible services. Lately I’ve been stepping into the world of MS critiques in poetry and pre-pub coaching in memoir. The visual chops I’ve seen on TC could easily appeal to authors looking to hire a collaborate for help developing a book trailer for YouTube.
Small world–Stephen Elliott is a total sweetheart (in a kinked-out off-center way). We have friends in common too. That’s gonna be one hell of a happy hour, when we get around to organizing it someday.
I think Kyle is exemplary of the kind of success we’d all like in our respective fields. A completely digital workflow and distribution can work well for him for the reasons he mentioned but is largely successful because of the many wonderful Kyle Baker books we’ve enjoyed throughout the years.
My question is how does someone starting out navigate these waters? Are free webcomics really a solution for someone without an already large following? It used to be the ideal that we would give it away to build that audience online and sell the book later. Sadly, the dismal economy and corporate bottom lines have meant that if we give it away, why should publishers pay for it? If we can do the whole thing without them, then why should they speculate on a book with only a synopsis and a few sample pages? I fear that we’ve sent the message that we’ll do this for nothing and our audience (whether they are publishers or readers) has taken note.
All I can think of is crowdfunding solutions or communities like Trip City that will offer real life direct experiences to their audience for money.
Thoughts?
I think you raise great points, Joe. Much as I love the exemplars of Radiohead and Louis C.K., those are talents with major name recognition that was built in part by standard distribution & support structures.
One of the tussles I get into with my publishers is that we’re asked to constantly guest-blog or do interviews in order to promote our books. It’s flattering, and generous, but that’s text we’re not getting paid to produce–and it’s taking time away from the writing we need to do to either make a wage or further our creative careers. Occasionally I’ve finished these voluntary assignments, looked at it, and thought “Maybe I should save that material for a paying gig.” But then you end up generating replacement material that is banal, and no truly creative personality feels good about sending that out into the world under your name.
You’re only as good as your last page.
Sandra, one reason I became a publisher is that I realized a publisher does nothing. I’m the artist, designer, and writer of the comic. When a publisher asks me to do publicity, I say, “If I’m making the book AND selling the book, what are you doing?” They say paying the printer and calling distributors. You know what? I can do that. I have no problem with doing all the work. I just believe that if I do all the work, I should get all the profit.
You talk about not getting paid to guest-blog or interview. Try doing AWESOME interviews and blogs! In a year, you’ll have enough material to sell! Call it “Shit Sandra Beasley Says”.
Hell, if I write something cool on this TRIP CITY comment page, you bet I’ll put it in the next book.
Fuck yeah!
Treading these new publishing waters with previous fame/proven saleability naturally helps but what about the rookie/newbie? And, what about the veteran who doesn’t have his/her commercial and indie-hits? In a weird way, the newbie/rookie has a better chance. They haven’t been quantified.
When I say “Kyle Baker,” that actually means something to you and me and a lot of other people. When I say your name or mine, less so. How to sell that? The never-ending question with lots of compelling answers but it’s a good position to be in despite the anxiety.
There are some things we’ll make for free and some things we hope to sell on speculation. Sometimes those same ideas cross-over. And, yeah, I think publishers got hip to the fact that content-makers were beta-testing some of their wares online and then, like vultures, scooped down and poached popular concepts because they were already pre-sold! Doesn’t take a genius to figure that one out. I’m not interested in working with the publisher that is synonymous with paying the printers bill. I’m interested in working with the publisher that is willing to take the same risks I am.
I’m honored to say Vertigo took three big risks with me and helped put me on the map. Alas, sign of the times dictate otherwise, these days, and the leveled playing field has made it harder to sell risky ideas to corporations. Ergo, TRIP CITY, crowd funding, Apps.
Meanwhile, make something that means something. Know your community. Show up to the party. Spread gospel. That’s where it begins…again.
The answer to everything is: Make Better Stuff. If Justin Beiber can become an internet success overnight, that proves it can be done.
Yesterday, someone published an article about an upcoming indie project of mine. The article said I’d been “Under the radar” the last few years. I’ve been drawing Deadpool for Marvel for three years! The reason this journalist didn’t know is because Marvel specifically asked me to stop doing advance publicity for my Marvel books, while at the same time, I’m assuming they never sent review copies out or publicized the fact that I was working for them. As soon as I started blogging about my new indie projects, I suddenly was back on the journalist’s radar.
Two of my biggest influences are Chuck D and Bill Plympton. The best advice I got from Bill is: Keep the budgets low. I never expected to get rich from a “Nat Turner” educational history book. I knew it wouldn’t be as popular as Batman. So I published it in Black & White on newsprint. It was profitable before the first printing of 3000 sold out. Because I’m cheap!
I won’t be giving my e-books away for free. That makes no sense. People are paying millions for e-books today, so it makes sense they will pay for yours or mine. As long as the comic is good, and the price is reasonable. I’ll probably give ten page previews away for free, and then make folks buy the rest to find out how the story ends. I’m also designing some games which work the same way: Play the first level for free, then once you’re hooked, you can buy the upgrade.
You can also offer “Deluxe” editions of your e-books, full of deleted scenes, scripts, sketchbooks, and additional character info.
As far as print copies go, the main thing is to maintain the cost/profit ratio. Since publishing books is so expensive now, why not offer a limited edition “ESSENTIAL” boxed hardcover collection with fancy appendices? If they cost $10 to print, sell ‘em for $100. Autograph it and include an original drawing. I also include a “Certificate of Authenticity” and some collectible stickers or a poster. these cost pennies to produce, but add tons of value to the package. You won’t sell many, but if you print only 100, you’ll break even after you sell the first ten. Don’t forget that you can also buy your own printing press! I love Silk-screens and inkjet printers.
The key to all of this is quality. Do great work. Everybody wants to discover a new comic book that they can love. As a fan, I spend hours online searching for great entertainment. When I find something good, I don’t care who published it, or what company distributes it. I heard a great song on the web, and immediately bought it on itunes. I buy tons of audiobooks and e-books. My four kids spend hundreds of dollars stocking their ipods with games and manga. Clearly this is a lucrative market. Your job is to create something people want to buy.
Sometimes I want to do an artsy-fartsy avant garde esoteric indy cartoon. I know going into it that it will not sell. I’m just doing it because I think it will be cool. Right now I’m doing a dirty “adult” animated cartoon full of sex, drugs, cursing, and tasteless un-PC humor. Obviously, I know that’s a limited market. The cartoon will amuse me and my friends. It will be too offensive for TV to buy. So I keep the budget small and the schedule tight. I say, “This week I’ll work on my loser dirty cartoon and eat canned soup instead of steaks.”
On the other hand, I have some ideas for kiddie cartoons based on the Bible. That is a commercial concept with a huge potential audience. There are thousands of websites which will be interested in that product. I can be more generous with my budget and schedule, because I know it will sell.
So, Joe, to answer your question about starting out, I’d say first set your goal; Will this be an artistic expression or a product for profit? If it’s an artistic expression, then do whatever you feel and don’t expect anyone to understand or pay for it. That’s fine. I do that a lot. If it’s for profit, then you must decide who the audience is and give them what they like. If your audience is little girls, fill your cartoon with fairies and rainbows and happy colors. If your audience is boys, write an adventure story about a young man who becomes heroic. Write a romance for women.
The key to success in ANY business is quality of service. Your audience is a customer. The customer wants what they want. All you have to do is CLEARLY promise them what they want via your cover image and title, then DELIVER MORE than you promised.
“Will this be an artistic expression or a product for profit? If it’s an artistic expression, then do whatever you feel and don’t expect anyone to understand or pay for it.” o
i don’t think it has to be that black and white. Because of genuine “tastemaking” blogs out there like BoingBoing, LaughingSquid, BrainPicker, DangerousMinds + creators like Warren Ellis who are champions of new work and the thousands of mini-versions of the above, like i daresay myself JahFurry, I do think artistic expression -NOW MORE THAN EVER- has a chance. bc folks can get a taste for free on sites like TRIP CITY (which sure does need a store soon). And by the power of noodging each other on social media, we have the ability to make our own Programming, not was DC says we should read but the 5 self published things our friends say we should read —
Curators will be big, and the work MUST be GREAT —
but because we can give folks tastes, and spread word, chance is better than ever to sell, bc the barrier to knowledge and falling in love with a new thing is much less than before.
it will be about fighting thru the clutter tho, and may the best work be read by the most people,
Thanks for your verve and wisdom, Kyle. Such energizing inspiration.
I think that the important thing to remember in the “publish or perish” concept is that digital publishing IS publishing now in a way that it wasn’t a few years back. Through the tablet and smartphone devices we’ve now got a reasonable marketplace for selling the content that webcomics didn’t formerly support. We don’t have to rely on the ads or the tip jar or the merchandise sales to sustain us. Now, thankfully, we’re selling the content itself as well as seeing unique ways to reach an audience outside of the comic mainstream.
Kyle’s examples of creative freedom and the ability to choose the kind of work we each want to make speak well for the digital side of comics to outstrip print as a place for personal expression. But if we keep seeing print as “real publishing” will never give this kind freedom the chance it needs to grow really new work.
Basically, we need to accept that comix and literature [and any other art form we're used to enjoying first in print] is now like music and video/movies. We’ve gone from paper to data. From pulped, pressed wood & ink to zeros and ones. –> Files.
So many of us [including me] are having such a hard time letting go. Aw, print. You’ve become an expensive habit. I don’t know what the repercussions of relying on electricity will yield [especially when the Burgess Meredith/TWILIGHT ZONE Apocalypse happens] but I guess the good news is that going digital means going “green.”
Joe said everything I’ve been thinking and more cogently than I would have.
And yeah, Radiohead is the biggest band in the world, and Louis C.K. is the most popular comedian in America.
Radiohead did not establish themselves without traditional means though, and neither did Louis C.K. So as was mentioned we need to figure out how to cut through all the noise of the internet. In that vein, nothing has changed.
In retrospect, I realize my comment was vague, but, yes, what I meant was that Radiohead and Louis C.K. can succesfully sell their products directly to fans for $5 because they were ALREADY the biggest band/comedy act.
Everything I’ve been doing on my latest comic already had this in mind. The reality is the negatives can very easily worry you to the point of not putting anything out (what’s the point?). But what I’m always reminded of, when I show my work to people, is that comics do not need to be explained or learned, they are automatically understood by all audiences. In that we always have a silver lining, and the only issue is eyeballs.
Then we think about it in terms of the internet and analytics and realize we’re only scratching the surface of what can be done. Wrapping up my first issue (done in black and white so it’ll be cheaper to print) and looking forward to distributing. If I don’t get any bites from publishers this may be my last year going to them. I have no idea what they’re looking for at this point, since I don’t trace photographs.
Make the stories you want to read and see and let people know about them and hope for the best. Publishers and editors are waiting for you to do well. And, if/when that day comes, you’ll have a choice.
Man, I’m loving the insight and advice from Kyle. Thank you.
Dean, I can really appreciate everything you’re talking about here. And the fact that you’re going through the same frustrations I go through is sorta surprising to me because — as a cartoonist that’s still working to cross over from amateur to professional — I look at someone like you and think “Damn! He’s got it made!!”
I do everything DIY right now by virtue of the fact that it just doesn’t make financial sense to do it any other way. It’s great because I don’t have high costs on anything that I create, and despite the fact that I don’t sell much, I haven’t lost much money either.
But, on the flip, it’s really discouraging to be hustling through every phrase of production just to realize that print content is selling poorly, and — frankly, for me — digital content sells even worse.
Still, I work really hard to stay positive and motivate myself through the discouraging shit because I’m not leaving any other option open. I’m at a stage right now where I’m willing to experiment with every format for my comics because I know something is bound to click.
I’m getting kinda rambly here, so lemme sum it up — basically, I’m saying that I can relate to what you’re going through and I appreciate this blog post.
Thx, Nick.
Collectively, we’re experiencing and discovering a publishing paradigm shift and it’s a little weird, daunting, scary and exciting. Let’s continue to do what we love and make the things we like and be smart and grateful that we have the fuel and the map.
As I very actively imagine the day when I can quit my day job and draw/write/generally-be-funny full time, I list out all the ways I can generate the revenue to make up for what I’m losing by not going to work for someone else every day. Publishing books is rather low on the list.
If I have a publisher that is willing to put out actual printed books, I’m not planning on much revenue from that. A book would almost be more of a calling card, giving me distribution and access to stores, media, readers I’d have difficultly reaching on my own (and I know a LOT of that depends on how hard your publisher will work for you). To Kyle’s point, working with a publisher is outsourcing a chunk of the work of making a book (and having someone else pay the upfront costs) and I’m making the calculation that having the publisher risk their time and money is worth it so I could have something out there to attract attention to the other ways that I can make money from my art. I know I’m punting on the idea that you could make money from publishing actual books and I don’t think that’s necessarily true. I’d be making the choice to let much of that money go to someone else because I risk less time and money in order to get something I feel is useful to promoting myself–a printed book. (and, btw, this is all theoretical at this point hence the conditional tense above)
If I launch a website and try to attract people there, I retain the means of production that I signed over to the publisher in the earlier scenario but I have to figure out how to monetize the site.
An obvious thought is having an online store and even techno-idiots like me can figure out how to run ecommerce to sell printed comics, coffee mugs, postcards, commemorative merkins, etc. Beyond that, there’s the option of putting up a pay wall for some of the content on the site. That’s scary because you’re announcing that “this content is uniquely better, more exclusive, etc etc than everything else” and you’d better make good on that claim (which leads back to Kyle’s great point about just making really good art).
There’s another avenue for online revenue and I don’t know if it’s taboo or not but what about selling advertising? I look at Trip City and the thought of ads on there for the latest indie band or special offers from Dick Blick don’t seem right at all. But, it’s an option, isn’t it? I know it’s a whole new line of work, ad sales, that eats into one of the resources that’s in short supply for many of us, i.e., time. But, I just wondered what people thought about that idea. If they’ve tried it or like it or hate it or…
Thanks, Dean! This is exactly what I need to be reading right now.
TRIP CITY isn’t against ads. We’re just 2-months old, is all, and learning what our website is and letting Google Analytics advise us what/how we approach the concept of monetizing. Give TRIP CITY half-a-year and y’all will tell us whether we shall continue or shutter. And, yes, a store is in the works.
The auteur cum publisher is a heady question. I keep thinking/wondering how much smarter it would be to get a small, like-minded gang [8-10 writers/artists] to “hire” [by commission?] a person who would handle the grunt work: production, printer/distro communications, orders/shipping/etc., which could allow the writers/artists to make MORE content coupled with social networking/signings/events, and deal less with biz operations. I stare at my gang everyday and we gripe about the same stuff and then I cry to Jimmy Palmiotti and write screeds like “Publish or Perish.” Maybe we need to find/secure a person who loves what we do, doesn’t necessarily have the desire to make art but will be our glue and find joy in the business of making our wares sell. An alliance w/a mission to make a living is a compelling option to consider.
I’ve been meaning to comment here, but I got distracted having a daughter last week. So, maybe this goes into the ether, but I need to get it off my brain.
(Who’s this joker?: I’m a web designer. I co-founded smithmag.net, which produced initial web versions of Dean’s Next-Door Neighbor collab, Dan Goldman’s Shooting War, and Josh Neufeld’s A.D.: After the Deluge)
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We all see distribution channels breaking down these days. Digital books are growing, but let’s face it, still largely an experiment for publishers and often not profitable. Big publishers offer the comfort of the advance, but little else. They can book radio gigs like nobody’s business, but not much else. It’s a freaky time, for sure.
Like it or not, we are entering the age of the hustler: in books, music, everything. Audiences want more intimate and authentic experiences, and that shifts the onus for success onto the author. There’s probably nothing that will stop this trend.
Kevin Kelly’s 1,000 true fans is a good meditation on this topic.
http://www.kk.org/thetechnium/archives/2008/03/1000_true_fans.php
When we started doing webcomix at SMITH, we wanted to build a unique experience that included blogging, multimedia, etc. It was much harder to do than we first thought: the limitations of time and the everyone’s inexperience with social media created a lot of resistance, expressed in the idea that all these extras were “distractions” that were adversely affecting the work. There’s no blame, it’s just where everyone was at the time. The good news is that we were able to get some experience and build some of these extras into the workflow over time, so it got easier.
But it does change your workflow a bit, you’ve got to think more long term, like, would this research make a cool blog post? You need to be willing to consider your process (at least parts) as performance and share it. Basic lesson in internet findability (SEO): the more content you publish on your primary topic, the more people will find you via search engines. Maybe it’s banal, but you get used to it, and it begins to take up less of your time.
Age of the hustler.
One idea that’s been percolating in my head is on expanding the idea of ebooks. There’s really no limit on how often or big they need to be. If they’re interesting, that’s enough. The great genius of Apple’s App Store is that they have amassed an army of consumers who make digital impulse purchases ($.99 or so) and make them often. Ever notice how you don’t get your receipt for an Apple purchase until days later? Immediate gratification, delayed expense. Brilliant.
This creates a situation where more readers can make casual purchases of your work, if you let them. Creating an ecosystem of books to explore, even short ones, means more possible entry points for new fans. Kindle Singles is a great example. Also, TED books and O’Reilly Rough Cuts.
I do think everything you publish needs to be carefully curated, however. Throwing absolutely everything at the wall is probably not the best idea, but your fans can probably tolerate more of your work than you might think. You have to be willing to explore those boundaries.
Age of the hustler.
Congrats on your new daughter, Tim.
And, yes, what you kids did at SMITH Magazine, adding extra value and context to content, helped set a standard for the “Age of the Hustler.” I’ve always felt the internet was a beta-test for content to be refined for print and other mediums ["perfect collections"] but it seems more people are sticking around now that we furnish digital downloads and expanded experiences. It used to be David vs. Goliath. Now, it’s becoming David vs. David.
“The girlies are free ’cause the crack costs money.”
-and-
“Pimping ain’t easy.”
Such a great article by Dean, followed by insightful and inspiring comments, thanks everyone that’s posted.
As a guy doing an autobio journal comic it’s really tough to find an audience outside of the typical twitter/facebook updates. I want to do more, but I’m not sure what route to take. Plus, as a guy without a following or name, who has a day job and a 1 year old daughter, finding time to make comix and hustle to find readers/publishers, is daunting to say the least. I’m approaching 500 strips on my site (all 400+ available free) while simultaneously working on a slasher horror graphic novel. Autobio and slasher horror aren’t exactly mainstream ideas so what’s the next step?
Is more content the answer? More blog updates, more twitter, etc?
At the end of the day it all goes back to Kyle’s advice: “Make Better Stuff”.