You may have seen my announcement on my site and Facebook about my latest book being dropped from DCD. This is bad news, as it represents a solid third of my sales. While my business model allows me to print a new book from the profit of the last book, this is not a crisis for me. However, it does call in to question my future as a publisher.
DCD has encouraged me to solicit future projects (perhaps when the economy is better). However, without profit from the current book (likely if I can't sell it) to pay for the next, it's not encouraging to toil on a project for 18 months just "for me" (I'm not in this for the money, but I can't be losing thousands of dollars either).
So, what does this mean? The future is unclear. If I stay viable, I will proceed with "Baby Makes Three." I was gearing up to finish the OGN I started in 2005—I hate unfinished business!
If I don't sell enough copies of "Trust/Truth", I will likely just do a mini here or there, and work on pitch proposals. It seems like so many of the self publishers that were influencial in getting me started (Carla Speed McNeil, Randy Reynaldo, Paige Braddock) have scaled back dramatically or are on the verge of giving up. Feels like the end of self publishing!
9 comments:
Mr. Fish, I hope you continue. No doubt the economy - and the increased level of preorders from the Diamond Monopoly - are at work in this. While a third of your prior orders came from local comic shops, perhaps when those who ordered/bought from their LCS realize they can't, your Amazon and direct orders will increase! I hope so. patrick
Mr. Fish, I agree with Patrick. Most businesses have had to scale back in this economic time. I hope that you do not lose heart as you are an incredible talent. Perhaps now is a time to promote yourself more, if the comics won't sell themselves on the shelves maybe work to have your fans promoting you. I intend to buy a copy of Trust/Truth for myself and for a friend who i think would like your work. I will keep my hopes up that you sell well, since I have JUST enough space on my shelf for and Baby Makes Three!
this can't go on. The comics industry is shooting herself in the head doing this. Let's hope some alternatives to Diamond will come up somewhere on the road.
Let's see it on the bright side: if you suceed at selling your books outside of Diamond's, only by doing it yourself, you're gonna get more money from it!
You have so much more to give again. So keep working, pile up some work if it's gonna take a little longer beetween 2 books from now on, so that whe easy times will come, you're gonna give us a bi-monthly dose of Fishart! :p
Hugs!
I wasn't trying to be Debbie Downer! Jury is still out whether or not this book will be ok. It's just I'm not as gung-ho. Lots of businesses are going under, and I am very proud of my accomplishments! :-) Definitely appreciate the support and encouragement though.
You have my solidaity and support! Don't lose heart, my marvelous friend! A hug and all wishes for better times!
Tim, you made me draw comics again. You owe me. You will continue to draw comics.
OMG, how easy was that!
Tim, you might be able to swing a pre-order model. Spike does this with Templar, AZ (serialized on the web, then bundled into books). She picks a print run and then takes pre-orders until she's paid for the run, and only then does she order the books. It works for her, and it seems like a great model.
Just a thought.
I join in with everyone else saying that the comics industry is too narrow and self published work like yours can sometimes be the only light in the darkness.
Please keep creating your own works, I keep my fingers crossed for someday owning the complete Arche-Lady Collection Volumes 1 & 2 :-D
What about the web comic route? (I realize you've done that before.)
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