Small Press Comics FAQ How do I get my comic published?

3: How do I get my comic published?
3.1: Okay, smarty, how do I get it printed, then?
3.05: Whoa whoa, wait a sec, I hafta know the cover price before I go to print! How do I figure that out?
3.06: How do I copyright my sutff?
3.2: How do I get my comic distributed?
3.3: How do I get my comic advertised?
3.4: What about trading?
3.5: How do I get feedback?
3.6: Do I need an editor?
3.7: My comic is published: now what?


3: How do I get my comic published?

... y'know, that's one of those questions you can't really answer. "Publishing" isn't actually just one process: it really refers to a whole slew of interconnected processes, starting with printing and getting into distribution, advertising, etc.

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3.1: Okay, smarty, how do I get it printed, then?

Most small pressers go to copy shops [e.g., Kinko's or some place like that] to get their comics printed, but sometimes there are alternatives. I'm fortunate enough to live in a university town, and universities often have their own printing departments. And those printers are often allowed and willing to do work that isn't for the university. Others besides myself have found that university printers are cheaper than their more commercial counterparts, they do excellent work, and they seem to welcome printing the occasional comic as an interesting break from the usual blah sutff they hafta print -- they give comics special care and attention. Not everyone has access to this option... but if it's possible that you do, then check it out.

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3.05: Whoa whoa, wait a sec, I hafta know the cover price before I go to print! How do I figure that out?

This is just rules of thumb, but the final answer depends on a number of things:

  • how big your comic is: by which we mean both "what size" and "how many pages". Let's assume an eight-page minicomic [one of the "industry standards" and probably the simplest]: each page is one-fourth of a sheet of copy paper, so that's four pages per side, and comics are printed on both sides of the page, so one two-sided photocopy will hold an entire 8-page mini.
  • how many you print: if you're just starting out, a pretty standard print-run for photocopied small press comics is 100. Most places will give you a reduced rate per page once you reach 100 copies, so take advantage of it. Besides, with the number of promo copies you'll give out, that hundred will dry up sooner than you expect.
  • how much your printer charges: it usually isn't too hard to find a printer who can do 100 two-sided copies @ 10 cents each -- so that's ten bucks total (plus tax if any). Therefore, each comic costs you anywhere from 10 to 12 cents, let's say. Allow a few cents per envelope on mail orders and you could say 15 cents each.
  • what's convenient to pay: you could be a philanthropist and charge 15 cents for your mini and just break even on each one you sell. But believe it or not, you'll probably sell more if you charge a quarter. For some reason, digging up one coin to pop in the mail or otherwise pay for a zine feels like less fuss to most people than having to find a dime and a nickel, or even getting change back from a quarter: a quarter just feels easier to do, somehow. Why, I dunno: a psychologist I'm not. Also, people don't trust the quality of your work if you undercharge for it. It's like if you don't feel that your work is worth much at all, then they feel like it probably isn't worth their bother.
Anyhoo, 25 cents for an 8-page mini has been a pretty standard price for a long time now: no one expects to pay less than that. But charge much more than that and customers will feel ripped off -- unless you're printing in full color on glossy stock [by the way, don't], they have a pretty fair idea what it really costs to make these things, and they don't take kindly to profits of 300%, y'know?

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3.06: How do I copyright my sutff?

Well y'know, copyright is, um, not exactly complicated per se, but there are a lot of aspects to it, and different folks will need to know about different aspects. And [again] I'm no expert.
Fortunately, I can offer quick help by linking you to The Copyright Website: everything you need to know in one place! Cool, eh?

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3.2: How do I get my comic distributed?

A number of options present themselves:

  • local comic stores: much more often than not, comic stores are more than willing to support local talent trying to establish itself. There are all sorts of arrangements, from the store letting you sell on consignment to buying your comics at a discount and then selling them at retail [just like they do with "real" comics] to giving you free display space and you get all the money from sales ... depends who you're dealing with. Even stores in other cities nearby will often help out the same way, if it's not too inconvenient for you to get there. Hey: I've even sold comics by mail to stores on the other side of the ocean!
  • record stores and bookstores: big chain stores won't usually go for this, but independently-owned local businesses are often willing to give you the same deal as the comic stores. Doesn't cost you anything to ask.
  • real comic distributors: back in the black'n'white boom of 1986, this was a real option [my small press Dishman was at one time carried by five international distributors!], but now, as the Big Comic Companies buy up the distributors one by one for their exclusive use, this appears to be less of an option for the small presser than it ever was. Still, if you think you have a phenomenally good zine on your hands, or if you just feel lucky, send the distributors a sample copy of your comic and ask. It could happen....
  • give some to your friends: I can't understand some guys who'll buy their buddies a round of drinks but are too tight to give them a free copy of their comic. Do it! It's instant feedback! And if you're onto something, they'll show it around: in small press, good word-of-mouth is worth a lot!

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3.3: How do I get my comic advertised?

Again, give some out. Word-of-mouth. Don't forget.
Send review copies to the reviewzines. And remember the growing number of Web sites that review zines. These things are read by the type of people who are inclined to wanna see your sutff: every review is also a free ad.
Usenet: there are all kinds of newsgroups on the Net that are perfect announcement boards for the release of small press comics: rec.arts.comics.misc and alt.zines are two that leap to mind. Plus if your book is about a particular area of interest, remember that that interest group probably also has a newsgroup or two.
Do you have a Web home page? If so, do I need to tell you to plug your comic on it?
Some reviewzines accept payment for classified or display ads. This remains one of the best places to pay for advertising, because the readership you reach in the reviewzines is a receptive one. Small pressers who advertise in the trades, like The Comics Buyer's Guide or The Comics Journal, often report paying huge sums for ads that bring in next to nothing. Twenty years ago it was a different story, but the market is changing...

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3.4: What about trading?

An awful lot of trading goes on between small press creators: it's a time-honored tradition that facilitates some very useful networking. There are some who just refuse to trade: a conscious decision to hold out for something of tangible value [moolah] for something of tangible value [their work]. There are others who would rather get a trade than money. Takes all kinds, no one is wrong or right. Just be aware that trading is part of the small press subculture, a lot of creators will offer to trade with you... and while no one will put you down if you don't, you'll close yourself off from sections of the network who can only afford trades.

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3.5: How do I get feedback?

Simple: ask for it.
Give copies away. To your friends. Show your family. Ask the staff in the comic stores. Are there any other artists in town? Give them your sutff, ask them what they think.
Best of all: send some freebies to the pros. Who do you really admire? Wanna know what he/she thinks of your work? Send it and ask. You'll be amazed at how often they'll take the time to read your comic and send you an answer. You'll also be amazed at how kind and supportive the vast majority of them are: even if what you're doing isn't to their taste, they're honestly glad that you're out there trying to do your thing, and they'll encourage you as best they can. [Believe it or not, some of those pros envy small pressers: because small pressers can do the comics that they really want to do, the stories that mean something to them. Small pressers don't have to draw Spider-Man again this month, and they don't have to be finished by Friday, they can do whatever they want, whenever they want. They can do what they feel inside. Some pros would love to have that kind of freedom! You've got it: savor it!]

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3.6: Do I need an editor?

Maybe: probably not. In the humble opinion of this page , an editor's job boils down to two major things:

  • to spot errors [e.g., Batman's costume is green] and get them fixed; and
  • to make sure that the comic turns out the way it's supposed to.
In a mainstream publishing firm, a comic is "supposed to":
  • be on time;
  • be reasonably similar in appearance and feel to the previous one so it feels like part of the same series;
  • have enough "action" and "excitement" and not too much "talking" or "thought" [i.e., conform to the requirements of popular entertainment]
A small press comic is "supposed to":
  • make the point or create the experience that the creator intends.
In other words, most of the time no one knows better than the creator just how a small press comic is supposed to turn out. So in that sense, I'd say that small press comics don't usually need editors.
However, if you're prone to spelling errors or drawing the thumb on the wrong side of the hand or whatnot, then getting someone to check your sutff for factual mistakes is a good idea. If they wanna be called your "editor", then fine. If they want to be credited in the comic as "editor", then fine. I mean, what the heck, y'know?

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3.7: My comic is published: now what?

Depends.
If you sent some to a reviewzine and they review your comic, chances are you'll get some orders in the mail. Cool. (Remember to fill 'em.)
Will you get rich and/or famous? Highly unlikely. If that's why you got into this, you made a bi-i-i-ig mistake.
Did you send copies to other creators? Then you'll probably get some mail, some unsolicited zines for trade from other small pressers, and slowly start to become a part of the network.

SO: was it fun? Did you like doing the writing and drawing and printing and mailing and whatnot? Did you like hearing from enthusiastic strangers? Do you feel fulfilled in some way, just because you made something and got it seen?
If so, then you're probably a small presser at heart, and you should get going on your next comic. If not, then, uh, well at least now you know. Maybe being published by someone else, like a Big Company, is what you really want deep down. I can't tell you how to go about getting there cuz I know nothing about it, but I wish you luck!

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John MacLeod
sardine@sentex.net