Self-distribution

[Lewis]

For various reasons I am contemplating distributing my comic book myself. Is anyone familiar with taking this route or, better yet, has anyone done this in the past with their own books?

I am weighing the pros and cons of self-distribution and would love any feedback anyone has to offer.

[T.J. May]

This pops up from time to time. If you do a search of other threads you will likely find some lengthy threads on the subject.

It works well for a few people. It is possible, but requires an enormous amount of dedication and time. It is slow going.

A good place to start would be visiting the Baltimore Con in a few weeks. Diamond holds a retailers summit there. So, you will have access to a bulk of retailers in one weekend.

Others will chime in on this subject. We've done it locally, but use Diamond for worldwide distribution.

My best
T

[Calloway]

consider the amount you'd be paying in shipping.

[eDuke]

Future Comics' model was self-distribution.

[jrod]

Future Comics' model was self-distribution.

NBM also self-distributes and they're one of the most successful alternative graphic novel publishers in America. They even distributed Dark Horse's graphic novels for a while.

All graphic novels, though - doubt they'd be as successful if they were distributing single issues.

[D.J. Coffman]

I've been successfully doing that ALL year, and making double what I would if I went through Diamond.

My formula was pretty easy. First, you need an audience. I'd say wait until you have at least 5000 returning people a day to your site (right now I'm at between 20-30k a day) --- then either print a small batch up ahead of time, or do a 2 week preorder-- while my preorder is going on and money is flowing in through paypal, I usually place my order with Comixpress, guestimating what the order number will be. Sometimes I've been a little short on that, but I just call up or e-mail and add some issues no problemo.

For shipping, I include mine in the flat price. For 5 bucks, it includes the full color book shipped to your door in the US and Canada. 6.50 worldwide. People don't hesitate at the price at all. And price is going to be your make it or break it. If you have something over 10 bucks, it's going to be harder to sell. 3-5 bucks, people will more easily part with and not think twice, and in fact, most everyone who ordered one issue from me, came back the next month!

Shipping yourself is TEDIOUS! but I suggest doing it through paypal, when you sell it, you simply go into your account and hit SHIP and add in the weight of the book, like say mine are like 4ozs-- it's usually 1.11 to ship in the U.S. , 1.30 or so to ship to Canada. The overseas orders I write out by hand, because I'm an idiot-- they usually take a special customs form you have to fill out. It's a pain in the ass, but I like doing it because I have readers and my books all over the globe! There's an easier way to do it by ordering a special attachment through USPS to the online shipping, but they sent me the wrong kind, and I never looked back from doing the overseas by hand.

one of the GREATEST things about self distribution is, you can make EVERY order unique if you'd like. I drew in every issue one I put out.... which was probably a mistake, but readers loved it! Every issue I try to put out something neat like a limited strip print you can't read anywhere else for the first 100 orders, etc etc...not gimmicks persay, just something SPECIAL, even a handwritten card. One time I did "sketch cards" -- which pretty much i just sketched on like 200 cards and numbered them as I went when I did the Pittsburgh Comicon and then I used those to filll books.

It's not for everyone though... it's VERY tedious and time consuming. You'll likely have to forget about dealing with retailers.. BUT i set my price up so that if I shipped direct to readers I made 2 bucks a book, and if retailer wanted some, I still had a buck to work with to give them, but basically, being in comic shops equals NOT MUCH MONEY, BUT it could be some neat exposure to send issues out to a select amount of shops.

HAVE FUN WITH IT! thats the most important thing.

[T.J. May]

I've been successfully doing that ALL year, and making double what I would if I went through Diamond.




Without getting into your specific income numbers, how many hours a week would you say you put into distribution alone, and what kind of profit are you seeing? What I mean is, are you putting in 40 hours a week and making a comparable wage if you were say, working at typical 9-5? Or, has this been a viable "part-time" job to supplement a typical income? On the otherhand, are you putting in 80 hours a week, for what you could make at a part-time convience store gig?

What's the time-output reality of it weighed against the income?

Thanks for the input so far.

[Lewis]

Many thanks to all of you for the advice. I have to admit this is a bit intimidating - sometimes gives me a headache thinking about the whole process - but I feel it will be worth it in the end.

T.J. - I have been seriously considering going to Baltimore. Thanks for the info on the retailers summit.

D.J. - the reason I'm considering self-publishing is exactly what you stated about not making much money in shops. After everyone else takes their cut it doesn't leave you with much if you price your book competitively.

Any advice on getting the word out and interest in your book before taking orders?

[D.J. Coffman]

TJ, I've really never sat down to figure out numbers breaking down into hours-- with my overall site, I clear about 1500-2000 a month from my webcomic site, depending on book sales, ads, etc..... It has been more than that and it's actually been much less recently due to the fact I spent my bankroll getting out to San Diego last minute and all that jazz, I had about 1500 saved up as a "bankroll" to pay for printing, promo stuff and advertising..... .one of the keys to my success has been multiple steady forms of smaller incomes.... say I make 400 bucks a month on book sales in my store, 200 from mini sponsor ads, 75-100 on tower ad sales, googleads, some commissions, etc.

Really though, I could do none of those things if it weren't for the daily comic, and I'd say, while I haven't calculated or timed my hours, doing the daily is pretty much a full time thing for me now.

___________

On how much time I'd put into shipping? I usually would let orders build up for a week or two, then set aside one day and do full on shipping labels, stuffing envelopes, etc. It's better to do it in bulk like that on an initial batch run-- but afterwards, between issues, I'd just fill orders as they came trickling in.

[The Predator]

It´so inspireing to read your messages DJ. Can you give me an example or idea of how to bring visitors to the site. I have some plans for myself as you probably understand. I would be very grateful for some tips.
The Predator

[L Jamal]

It´so inspireing to read your messages DJ. Can you give me an example or idea of how to bring visitors to the site. I have some plans for myself as you probably understand. I would be very grateful for some tips.
The Predator
First, you have to have something for people to visit. Then you have to update it regularly. Then it's just maintaining and advertising and maintaining and advertising and more maintaining and more advertising.

[D.J. Coffman]

As for bringing in visitors... it'll be HARD to do things the standard way and just put out a 32 page book series and expect people to come to your site to buy it. Even "previews" of your issues or "free issues" isn't really enough to make it work right. In my opinion, the key is updating as often as possible on a schedule. Here are a couple different ideas to approaching it from someone who's looking to put out a book for sale.

Before you read further, it's only common sense that this isn't a formula that could work for everyone, not EVERY idea will keep people coming back, and some ideas just plain suck and people won't be interested. It'll be hard to judge, but I say persistance is the key, if you don't see readership numbers growing, or coming back, it might be best to go to different project. For a FULL ON "THIS IS YOUR LIFE" project, you might want to really consider a full on long term plan of "slow build" consistantly updating. Look at something like PvP, it's a humor strip, but he's been at it for 8 years, when he started out, he had no books, then he put out his own, then he got the deal with Image, and now he's got an Eisner! -- If it worked for a humor strip, it can surely work for your own universe of comics if your'e serious and dedicated enough.

#1 A daily comic, M-F, or 7days, detailing a plot or something that can coincide with your book series coming out. It's a lot of work though dedicating yourself to a full on daily, but take a good look at what a simple update could be... you could stretch out things over time in a strip form, and if you're creative, you could time plot lines out to build up right to a book's release! Say you did a 3 or 4 month plot that suddenly, something left off as a mystery and people want to know more about that character or plot resolution, and BAM, there's a mini series available. For an idea as a writer of how to just pace a story out, see my SPACE APE comic submission:http://yirmumah.net/spaceape.html -- It's cartoony and a bit funny, but I was originally thinking about "scifi adventure" before I started hamming it up. -- another sort of example I give is Wandering Ones by Clint Hollingsworth - http://wanderingones.com/D/20000411.html --- He didn't really launch his comic with what I'm telling you in mind, he did it just to tell his stories. I think if you're clever and creative, you can leave the readers each day wanting more.

Actually, I just completed the first chapter, (33 days of updates) of a storyline that was a bit more "serious" and I ditched the gag-a-day format. My numbers actually GREW, especially returning daily visitors. People would e-mail me trying to guess what was going to happen to the bible reading biker next! Here's the first page link: http://yirmumah.com/d/20060703.html --- I'm going back into story mode on Sept 4th with Chapter two, and I can't WAIT to put these in a book for sale.

#2 M-W-F updating. This has worked well for Penny Arcade, again, a humor comic, but still-- I'm still betting that something that was well thought out, like a comic book world or story world you created could be really mapped out well if you use the site as an interactive tool for the audience, allowing them to comment, etc.

#3 Weekly Updates. I always SOUR when I hear the idea of a webcomic updating once a week. It's hard for people to remember you're updating, or they do it sporadically. Like-- OH! I wonder what's happened in SUPERWBCOMICMAN these last 5 weeks!? they check in, go through your five pages of updates, and they leave until they remember to check back in again. That's no good to me! But it might be your only choice due to time constraints. -- Quite possibly THE BEST webcomic today is a weekly comic that still not to many people have heard of even though it's been up for years!!! ATLAND by Nate Piekos: www.realmofatland.com

One trick to the weekly thing to make it work, you migth want to consider a DAILY BLOG-- see Mike Wieringo's blog: http://www.mikewieringo.com/html/Blog.htm - Very cool! And even though it's just pinup type sketches, I always remember he has something there everyday. Imagine if at the end of the week he'd have a webcomic!? Or imagine those sketches as character ideas, discarded things--- or even showing people a little bit of the process... our forum's own megastar, UNCLE WYA has been doing an AWESOME job of this on his new site: www.ryanottley.com

Still, I think the more you update, THE BETTER. Have gameplan, but do it for FUN first and foremost. If your projects are FUN to look at, read, etc... people will be back and remember you and your projects.

[D.J. Coffman]

Shiit, Leave it to LJamal to pretty much give you all I just said in one or two sentences. I'm a wordy bastard, but I type how I hear my words in my head.

So I tend to ramble. Sorry. :laugh:

[L Jamal]

LOL.. I thought Kep was the wordy bastard!

Really it's all about building, maintaining and advertising and then maintaing and advertising.

Everything you do online can be advertising especially forum posts. Always link to whatever you want to promote in you signature. Even if people don't click search engines will follow the link and that will get you listed and bring in more people and more search engines.

[sgotr]

I haven't done this but direct mailing from mail lists.
Here's a link of a company that that does it comic books, etc http://www.fandata.com/
They used to publish a bound book with addresses , emails, etc but I think they don't do that any more. Besides sending info, etc about they comic you could add the web site address or bolg, etc.

They also have a list for fandom publications - which might do a write up for their fans.

[The Predator]

D.J. Thanks for your GREAT advices, it gives me ideas that I actually should do this and not just think about it. As I said before, your posts are very nice to read.
Ljamal. same goes for you.
Digital Webbing is a great forum.
Thanks guys
The Predator