Identify Yourself

While I may not be an authority, I do have some experience in book publishing, marketing, public relations, graphic design, and writing. I've had a few comics projects out there, and while none of them are extremely popular, they've found their specific audiences.

And I think that's what comics creators at this point in time need--specific audiences. And, as much as possible, creators need to present themselves not as comic book creators, but as genre creators. Because, as much as we don't want to admit it, "comic book creators" are most probably identified as folks who ply spandex stories. (Historically, just how many comic book writers who have made the jump to fiction novels can boast tremendous success?)

To many, words are just words, but semantics can be a powerful thing. Let's look at these two statements:

"I created a science fiction comic book."

"I created a science fiction story in a graphic novel format."

In the former statement, the creator would be tagged "comic book creator." In the latter, the creator becomes a "science fiction storyteller" who uses the graphic novel format.

Big difference, that.

If you like to make comics, follow your genre and not your medium. You can even say that you create science fiction stories using the comics format. In this sense, you're not putting emphasis on "comics," the word that relegates the medium to kids' fare. Instead, you're identifying yourself as a creator of science fiction stories.

At least, down the line, the "comics creator" label won't be difficult to shed when you decide to write prose. To your audience, you're a storyteller, not a comic book guy.

After all, storytelling still rules, even in comics.

Built To L:ast: Characters

The real challenge of the graphic novelist is to create something that's "built to last." What does that mean?

Because putting together a graphic novel takes a lot of work, you wouldn't want your masterpiece to sit on the shelves for six months to a year then disappear into oblivion. To make your efforts worth it, your graphic novel has to possess the qualities that merit its longevity. Graphic novels like Persepolis, Jimmy Corrigan, Stuck Rubber Baby, and Ghost World have survived long after their original publication date, and are currently part of some kind of academic curriculum.

When you look through the lot of web and independent comics, most of them are either superhero or manga. But manga and superhero comics are already being dominated by large publishing companies. The only chance these comics have to possess some kind of longevity is to go under the corporate wing.

This is not to say, of course, that you shouldn't do manga or superheroes. What it does say is that you have to prepare yourself for a major uphill climb, if not major disappointment. Still, if you just want to get a comic book out with no expectations of fame and fortune, then do so. It's all part of the process.

If you want something that's potentially built to last, you need to focus on two elements: your lead character and that character's journey. While theme, dialogue, art style, production quality, and all the other good stuff do demand attention, who your lead character is and how the journey turns out are what directly connects to the reader.

Psychologically, a reader needs representation in the story. That's how readers "get into" the story. That's why romance novels have women as protagonists and spy thrillers have men as protagonists. Lead characters are the portals through which readers allow themselves to be immersed in the tale.

Or, a reader needs their fantasy feathers stroked. An action thriller featuring Lara Croft would sit very well with men because of the sex element. Likewise, an action thriller featuring a ridiculously handsome, hunky AND senstive man who's in touch with his feminine side may pull at women's heartstrings.

The journey of the character is likewise important because readers want to know how the character's going to turn out. When you're telling a story to a friend about your mother climbing Mount Everest, your friend would most likely ask, "So is she okay?" The key word here is transformation, the result. And if the result isn't powerful enough to justify the journey, then you may end up with a dud.

Why am I telling you this?

When you're starting out, you need a "claim to fame," or at least something that will help get you attention. A cool and flashy art style can help, but if your story sucks you may just end up being a creator known for art and nothing else. Notice that a lot of the more respected graphic novels do not use the superhero comics style or the manga style in their artwork (unless you're Tezuka).

So focus on what really counts at the end of the day. Story. Character. The transformative journey. Get that nailed, and you'll have a better chance.

Why Magazines?

Now some of you may have raised eyebrows over my last blog post. Making graphic novels for women may not sit well with comics creators who, by observation, are mostly male. But I hope you've taken the time to think about the idea.

Based on Amazon's subscription bestseller list, women's magazines top the chart. These are actual dollar expenditures from people who are willing to shell out money.

Plus, women read more than men. In a study conducted this year by the Associated Press, "the typical woman reads nine books in a year, compared with only five for men. Women read more than men in all categories except for history and biography." (Read the full story about reading habits through this link.)

So there's your target market right there.

And what's the bonus in finding a great story in the pages in women's magazines? Well, when you've finished your graphic novel and your female friends like it, you already have potential venues for press releases--the same magazines from where you got your ideas. The same magazines with the high sales rates. The same magazines that women spend money to buy.

And because women read more, they'll most probably find your press release in their favorite mag.

Story Hooks That Can Sell

Story ideas are everywhere. You can 1) go over the news; 2) recall a special event in your life; 3) recall a special event in a friend's life; 4) go through history books, etc. Then you ask a lot of "what if" questions. Chances are, you'll find a story hook that'll interest you enough to expand into a full plot.

However, not all story ideas will sell. Even the best-laid plans for Hollywood movies don't translate to record-breaking, not even modest, returns. So why invest all that time and energy on a story that's not going to fly?

Of course, many aspiring creators have their dream projects. And there may be a chance that these projects can get them somewhere. But this post assumes that you're stuck and would really need a nice kick in the brain for a story idea that can get people interested.

According to Amazon, the following magazines top their subscription sales list, in no particular order:

A) O, The Oprah Magazine, Good Housekeeping, Marie Claire, Redbook, Real Simple, FamilyFun, Glamour

B) Sports Illustrated, Men's Health, Esquire

C) Seventeen, CosmoGIRL!

D) Sports Illustrated Kids

E) SmartMoney, Bon Appetit, Wired, Popular Mechanics, Popular Science, Vanity Fair

Notice anything? Seven of the nineteen topsellers are magazines specifically for mature women (three of which are in the top five), and their main thrust is empowering women. Only three magazines are specific to men. Two are for the teen girl set, one is for kids, and the rest have subjects of general interest. And, surprisingly, the topselling kids' magazine is sports-themed--not cartoons, not toys, not video games.

So why am I telling you this?

It appears that more women read more magazines about empowering women. And the companies that produce these magazines know by experience what topics women are interested in. So if you're looking for a story hook that can possibly sell, check out the topselling women's magazines for ideas. There's a lot of material out there, and there is a higher chance that you'll have a market who'll be willing to check your story out.

Let's face it. There aren't a lot of graphic novels out there for women. Why not start the trend?

Use Patience Towards Your First Comics Anthology

After holding a seminar on making comics a few years ago, a guy approached me and told me of his comic book idea. He wanted to make an epic series that involved politics, terrorism, and high-octane action. I remember him saying that his series would be very relevant.

Based on his appearance, he looked like someone who was in the middle of a college degree. I asked him if he had started his story, and he answered, "No."

This seems to be the problem with some aspiring comics creators. All ideas, no action. Their minds are brimming with concepts, but no script, not even an outline to show for it.

There isn't anything wrong with wanting to create a major epic, that monumental masterpiece that would carve itself a niche in the annals of comics history. But as Heather Sellers explains in her insightful book Chapter After Chapter, aspiring writers cease to start the engines because they get overwhelmed by the thought of what their creation should be. And we're all familiar with the line, "This comic book of mine is gonna be kick-ass!" They're already thinking ahead of themselves, so that by the time they sit down to write they've already prevented the writing juices from flowing. Their subconscious is saying, "Your idea is kick-ass, but can you actually write and draw kick-ass comics?"

If you haven't made a comic book in your life, start small. Give yourself a month to do an eight- to twelve-page one-shot story. The kind that begins and ends. After that comics piece is done, do another one the following month. Try different approaches with each work. Find the style you're comfortable with. Fix whatever you feel needs fixing. Get feedback.

By the end of six months, you would have made six stories. After a year, twelve stories. Not bad if you think about it. By this time, you would have already set your groove. But never be complacent because there's always room for improvement. You can post your stories on the web and ask strangers to go over your work. Since your stories are short, readers will be more comfortable reading through them.

After that first year, up the ante. Research more, try more techniques, and nail those tricks you're comfortable with. Do six one-shot stories on the second year, one every two months, with each story having 16 to 24 pages. On the third year, do four stories of 24 to 36 pages. This whole period will help you test and develop your endurance, as well as solidify your writing and drawing style.

Just imagine: after three years you would have 22 comics stories of varying lengths. Based on the feedback you get, you can choose ten of the best, fix whatever you feel needs some improvement, and publish your first comics anthology.

On your fourth year, gun for your first four-issue limited series. Or better yet, your first 100-page graphic novel.

People are People

During the dawn of the film industry, a film was a film was a film. There were no horror films, no romantic comedies, and no action flicks. Because of the novelty of film during its inception, people would watch whatever was being shown. It was the fascination toward the medium that lent to the success of film in the early years.

Now, however, movies run the gamut of subjects, concepts, plots and twists. And, unless you're a serious movie critic, you wouldn't watch every single movie out there even if you had the time and money. There are just some offerings that don't tickle your palate, and even some you'd rather be caught dead watching.

When you create your comic book, knowing exactly who your readers will be and acting on that knowledge can spell the difference between success and failure. Time was when an aspiring comic book creator would put together a standard issue superhero story and try to get into the Diamond catalog. Unfortunately, while that strategy is still sound, it could ultimately be a waste of money the creator relied solely on that kind of marketing.

Let's take a look at two movies: The Bourne Identity and Casino Royale. Both movies rely on action and thrills to get the male audience into the cineplexes. But understand that these two movies are different, in that they address two different age groups. Because of the tone and treatment of these films, the male audience for Bourne is slightly younger than that of Casino.

Same goes for Thirteen Going on Thirty and Something's Gotta Give. The former stars Jennifer Gardner, while the latter stars Diane Keaton. By casting alone, you can tell that the "target market" for these two films are different, despite both films being romantic comedies.

So why am I telling you this?

Presently, comics are no longer boxed in the superhero genre, one completely dominated by Marvel and DC. More and more graphic novels covering various topics are making it into the marketplace, backed by large publishing firms that a decade ago would never touch comics even if their stock prices depended on it.

As a comics creator, it is highly recommended that you veer from the superhero genre, unless you're very, very sure that you've created the next best thing in superhero comics. Marvel and DC have cornered that market successfully, and with their foray into video games, film and other media forms, the genre is practically their own playground.

But if you must make that superhero comic book, do ask yourself who you want to tell the story to. Is it kids? Teens? The mature set? Women? Comic book fans? Note that a comic book fan who adores Superman wouldn't automatically pick up Spiderman. The People element comes into play here because your target audience will help you define your marketing strategies:

PRODUCT: Your story and art should appeal to your chosen audience.
PRICE: The price you set for your comic book should be reasonable to your chosen audience.
PLACE: The venues where your comic book will be sold should be where your chosen audience goes.
PROMOTION: The way you advertise your comic book should be in a tone that can pique the interest of your chosen audience.

This makes up the core of your comic book creation efforts. In future blog entries, we'll get into more detail as well as throw in some tips and hints.

The Lowdown

Any kind of product, which includes comics, needs to be subjected to marketing. Now for some of you, marketing is an alien concept. But do realize that every soul on this planet is doing some kind of marketing every single day.

On a human level, marketing is simply convincing someone to do something. There's the kid who convinces his mom to get that hot new video game. There's the high school jock who convinces his coach to place him in the front line of a crucial basketball game. There's the young woman who convinces her boss to promote her to managerial position. On this human level, people use their interpersonal skills towards an end, and this is the heart of marketing.

That's why they call marketing both science and art. The science part involves research, systems and processes, while the art side involves human discretion and interaction.

So why am I telling you this?

Marketing has four major elements, each one being important in bringing your comic book dream project to success. These elements are summarized as the "Four P's."

PRODUCT - The comic book.
PLACE - Where and how the comic book will be sold.
PRICE - How much would you charge for the comic book.
PROMOTION - How to tell everyone that your comic book is worth buying.

Other texts can tell you that there is a fifth P-- PEOPLE. This concerns knowing what the general public, as well as comic book buyers, might be looking for in a comic book. The fancy term is Consumer Behavior. However, all four Ps involve PEOPLE, so this element isn't exactly exclusive.

Again, why am I telling you this?

At this day and age, it's not enough to just churn out a comic book. Comic book creators need to be equipped with enough knowledge about Marketing to get some kind of attention in an already crowded marketplace. If you intend to pitch your idea to a publisher, you'd still have to do some kind of Marketing, in that you have to convince the publisher that your work is worth investing in. More on that in another post.

In my next post, I'll be talking about PEOPLE. Because, after all, you're not just creating a comic book. You're creating a comic book that people might want to buy.

Welcome to The Comics Creator!

This blog will provide the aspiring comic book creator with hints, tips, and strategies for creating, producing, and marketing comics. The field is wide, so emphasis will be placed on the graphic novel, since it is the "it" form of comics today.

Comments and personal insights are welcome.