By Anja Racke
So you want to publish a comic? How exactly do you do that? Well, there are actually tons of ways to do that! Between self-publishing, traditional publishing, and indie publishing, there are many possible ways to bring your comic to readers. But how do you choose which method is right for you? This guide will attempt to
explains the ins and outs and the pros and cons of several different types of publishing to help you find the route that will work best for your story and your goals.
We will go over:
Digital Publishing
Indie/Small Press Publishing
Traditional Publishing
Direct Market Comics Publishing
Self-Publishing
Hybrid Publishing
Digital Publishing
Digital publishing is when you distribute your published works digitally via the Internet. In comics terms, digital publishing essentially means creating a webcomic or eComic. This is one of the most accessible kinds of publishing since anyone with a computer can do it.
Pros:
Digital publishing is very accessible and easy to do.
There are many webcomic host sites you can use to publish your webcomic for free.
Webcomics are growing in popularity, making it easy to reach a lot of readers.
It’s a great way to break into the industry and get publishing experience.
Cons:
Webcomics typically don't make much money.
There are a lot of webcomics out there which means a lot of competition.
You probably won't have a publishing and editorial team to support you.
You have to do most of the promotion for your webcomic yourself.
Indie Publishing and Small Presses
Indie or small press publishers are smaller publishers that are usually made up of a very small publishing team and may only release a few books a year. Even though these publishers are smaller and less popular, publishing with them does have special advantages.
Pros:
Indie publishers are usually more willing to take on niche or experimental stories.
The indie publishing community is very close-knit and supportive.
You will get to participate in special small press comics expos.
Because the publishing teams are smaller, you have the chance to get to know your publisher really well.
Cons:
You get as high an advance from a small press as you would from a larger publisher.
Your comic may not be widely available at comic shops and bookstores.
You will have to do most of the promotion of your comic yourself.
Traditional Publishing
Traditional publishers are those larger publishers whose names you probably recognize: Macmillan, Penguin Random House, Scholastic, etc. These publishers mainly publish traditional novels, but many of them have imprints that publish graphic novels.
Pros:
These publishers are very well-known and well-renowned.
They can put more money into promoting your work than smaller publishers.
You will have a full editorial and marketing team to support your work.
These larger publishers can typically offer you higher advances, which means more money.
Your graphic novel will be widely available in most bookstores.
Cons:
Traditional publishers do not accept cold submissions and you will need a literary agent.
Your literary agent will take 15% of your advance.
Traditional publishing may be great for publishing a standalone graphic novel, but they typically don't publish serialized comics.
You may have less creative freedom when traditional publishing, as the publisher gets final say in most major decisions, including things like cover design and title of your book.
Direct Market Comics Publishing
The direct market refers to comics that come out monthly as single-issue paperbacks and are sold directly to comics shops. The direct market comics publishers specialize specifically in serialized comics. These publishers include Marvel, DC, Dark Horse, and Image.
Pros:
These publishers specialize specifically in comics.
This is one of the best publishing options if you want to create a long-term series.
Your comics will be widely available in comics shops and possibly even bookstores.
Direct market comics publishing is very collaborative, so if you maybe want to illustrate a comic but not color it or vice versa, you can do that with these publishers.
Cons:
Not all direct market comics publishers accept cold submissions and it can be very hard to break into this part of the comics industry.
These publishers tend to prefer certain genres like superhero and science fiction, so they may be hesitant to publish less popular genres.
Because new comics issues come out monthly, they have very tight turnaround times for work.
Note: There are quite a lot of differences between the different direct market comics publishers, so if you want to go this route, do your research! Image Comics operates very differently than Marvel or DC, so make sure you know what you're getting yourself into before submitting to them.
Self-Publishing
When you self-publish, you are your own publisher. You are in charge of the entire publishing process, which can be very difficult, but also very gratifying.
Pros:
You get total creative freedom!
You will make HIGH royalties from book sales.
It is a more accessible form of publishing since you don’t need to go through a literary agent or acquisitions editor.
You will learn a lot about the publishing process by doing it yourself.
Self-publishing is great for publishing more niche or experimental works that other publishers aren't willing to take a risk on.
Cons:
Self-publishing is a huge investment. You will need to pay a lot of money to get your comic published before you make any profit.
You must be good at keeping track of your finances.
You will need to hire freelance editors to help edit your work. (Some people think they can skip this step, but don't. Having an editor check your work is super important.)
Many bookstores don't sell self-published works. Oftentimes you have to contact your local bookstores and ask them if they will buy your book/comic.
You will need to promote your comic yourself.
A lot of readers unfortunately have a misconception that self-published works are inherently lower quality than traditionally published works, so some people won't buy self-published works at all.
Note: Some people think of self-publishing as a backup plan for if they can't get traditionally published. This is a bad mentality to have. Self-publishing is HARD, so only do it if you are really serious about it, not just as a backup plan.
Hybrid Publishing
Hybrid publishing isn't actually it's own form of publishing. Hybrid publishing just means doing a combination of different forms of publishing. So maybe you decide to digitally publish a webcomic, traditionally publish a graphic novel, AND work on a direct market comic. As a hybrid creator, you can get the best of all forms of publishing! Personally, hybrid publishing is my favorite publishing option because you can choose which form of publishing best suits each of your projects. I highly recommend considering this publishing pathway!
So now you know some different ways you could bring your comics to life! Feel free to contact Level Ground Comics if you have any more questions, and good luck on your comics publishing journey!
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