Broken Frontier

You know what topic doesn’t need to be discussed anymore? How Diamond’s new minimum order threshold is going to bring about the end to small publishing. I’ll admit, I added to it all and it was worth discussing, but let’s move on. If anyone really believes this was “the nail in the coffin,” then we were already lying in the coffin and just didn’t know it.

Anyone who’s packing it in at this point probably just needed the excuse to do so, and it’s just as well. The truth is, as unfortunate as is sounds, the people who will lead the way through this tough time are those who couldn’t stop making comics if they tried, those whose passion supersedes any business logic, because right now the smart economic advice would be to get out of small publishing. But everything works in cycles, and it will be the dead weight that will be lost and those willing to struggle will bloom again.

If I were to offer a business model for those creators and small publishers willing to bear through these tough times, it would be this:

Step 1. Put your heart and soul into creating the best comic you can, one that will resonate with its readers.

Step 2. Get as many people as possible to read this comic.

Notice that I left out any mention of how to make money selling these comics. That’s because there isn’t any perfect answer for how to get a new, independent property to sell. The only thing that’s proven in this industry is that people will buy what they know they like. This includes paying $3.99 instead of $2.99 for a regular sized comic, purchasing the same story in comic, softcover, hardcover, and oversized absolute editions, or buying every cross-marketing accessory associated with a particular character or title. And with the overabundance of material fighting for attention these days, it also means they’re not as interested in “trying out” something new no matter what it’s packaged up to look like or what the introductory “bargain price” is.

What it comes down to is that the number one priority should be to make the content great. And keep on doing it, make plenty, get a lot out there, not just a first issue or a pitch. Don’t make a timetable for when to quit if you don’t reach a certain benchmark.

And as for getting people to read it, there’s no easy answer, but putting it up online for free is a pretty good idea. I’m not preaching digital distribution as the way of the future here. I’m just admitting that right now the Internet is a pretty good tool to reach a large audience for a relatively cheap price (for both the reader and the publisher).

What the exact business model should be at this point almost doesn’t matter. It may be staying on the web and selling ad space, getting donations, and selling t-shirts or artwork. It may be moving into print with the graphic novel. It could be a combination of this and something new. Business plans come out of ventures that are a success, not the other way around.

Another point is that it’s not true that print is dying, just the sales of those little thin staple comics (and how long did we think we could support 368 titles a week?). Graphic novel sales are still increasing despite the poor economy, the financial troubles of book publishers, and the shutting down of major book retailers.

The graphic novel is not going anywhere and it is a strong option for creators. I think the reason why this is often overlooked is because it takes so much time and work to get to a point where you have a publishable graphic novel, and this really isn’t an acceptable excuse.
Sure it would be great to have the instant gratification of selling the first 22 pages of a brand new story that you just came up with, but if you think about it, that’s not realistic.

I keep hearing people say that because of Diamond’s new policy, the next great comic might never have the opportunity to get out there. I don’t buy that. What it means to get “out there” is just different than what it used to mean and creators simply need to adapt. It’s actually much easier and cheaper than it used to be.

People are absolutely starving for great stories and will make the effort to find them. But it’s not up to the readers to bring these comics to fruition; that responsibility rests solely on the creator. They are responsible for getting their story out, they always have been, and it’s no different now.

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Tyler Chin-Tanner started his own publishing company, A Wave Blue World, and writes and draws layouts for Adrenaline, its flagship series.
© 2008 Tyler Chin-Tanner.  All rights reserved.
Email: tyler@awaveblueworld.com
www.awaveblueworld.com