Create Your Own Niche

Happy New Year! I hope 2007 proved to be a good one for all of you, and I wish that everything will turn out really bright this 2008!

One of the things you can begin doing as you build yourself as a graphic novelist is to identify your niche. In one of my earlier posts, I mentioned how you can gain more mileage in promoting your book by zeroing in on a specific audience. When you create a romance graphic novel, you can direct your marketing efforts towards venues frequented by women. Same goes if your graphic novel is about a special interest, like gardening or the American Civil War.

As you go through your creative life, you'll notice that you focus on specific modes, aspects, hooks, styles, characters, or themes, and you'll discover the kinds of stories you're most comfortable creating. For instance, you might be the kind of creator who tends towards female leads who struggle against a patriarchal society. Or you feel more at home writing about teenage guys who deal with peer pressure and conformity. Or you often play with what-ifs involving "loss of innocence."

This doesn't mean that you aren't flexible. Your tendency towards certain characters or themes has largely to do with how much they have influenced your way of thinking and feeling, whether or not the experiences were your own. In my case, I find myself juggling thoughts on "relationships that could not be," and have noticed that my stories have plot elements that explore that idea. I can still be versatile with my stories despite this, since I can alter a lot of the other elements.

You can test this by looking through works of prose writers. The characters of Haruki Murakami have a similar vibe about them, mostly young sarariman trying to make sense of their mundane lives in bustling modern day Japan, with some weirdness or magical realism thrown in. Nicholas Sparks, on the other hand, seems to often explore the idea of love in absentia, the emptiness that it leaves, and the journey towards wholeness. Anne Rice has always been about eroticism, long before her vampire novels came out (let's not talk about her Jesus novel, though).

With movies directors, the same principle applies. You wouldn't tag Tim Burton with a dizzying CGI-laced action film any more that you'd tag Roland Emmerich with offbeat modernist fantasies.

And then there's you. What do you usually explore in your stories? What are the common elements? Specific personalities? Specific themes? A particular attack or style?

When you've isolated that, make it your "stamp." Let that help you grab your niche.

The advantage of having a niche market is that you become reliable to that market. When you hear the name Neil Gaiman, you know that "legal thriller" isn't the genre that comes to mind. If you're a fan of those stories, you'll most probably go to John Grisham's newest take on the subject. It's a marketing tool that helps solidify your position in the industry, for good or ill, and any new customers that fall under your niche will see you as the reliable source of material they're looking for. Granting, of course, that you've created and released enough material.

The disadvantage of a niche is that it seems very limiting. What if you want to try something else? Well, let's take a look again at John Grisham who, after a string of successful legal thrillers, took a risk with a baseball drama and even a Christmas comedy. The lesson here is: if you're good, you're good. You just need that niche as a stepping stone.

What you must consider, though, is that niches don't come in one size. Plus the fact that a very large niche will also have a lot of players competing for pieces of the pie. That's why it's recommended that when you discover your niche, do some research on works that may be similar to yours. Then determine where you're different, making sure that the difference is significant enough to be distinct.

For instance, the romance novel market is really huge. But there are authors who specialize in modern day cosmopolitan romances, gothic/horror romances, swords and sorcery romances, Civil War romances, and detective romances. This can get broken down further by age group--teenagers, young adult women, middle aged women, etc.

The bottom line is everyone has his or her place in the world. Focus on your place and be known for it, then see how far and wide you can go.

Self-Publish Your Graphic Novel and add Merchandise!

Print On Demand (POD) publishing is a business model that allows authors to publish their own book without going through the headaches inherent in the traditional publishing model. Though there are many versions of POD publishing, my personal favorite allows an author to get a book out with minimal investment. While there are a lot of websites that do POD publishing, I'll focus on one site that holds a lot of potential for comics creators--Cafepress.

When you register with Cafepress, your account is a virtual store where you can sell all sorts of stuff like t-shirts, mugs, mousepads, wall clocks, even pillows and teddy bears. You choose which items you want to include in your store. All these items start of as blank slates--they have no designs. As a store owner, you upload JPEG or PNG graphics to your account and slap them on your chosen products. When you're satisfied with how your product looks, you can bring them online for public viewing.

The prices of these items are the sum of two things: a base price and your markup. The base price goes to Cafepress, and the markup (which is your choice) goes to you. For instance, a custom mousepad is $10.99. You can sell it at $12.99, with the added $2.00 as your profit.

The print on demand system comes in when someone orders your product. If a customer orders one mousepad, Cafepress produces one mousepad. The customer pays for the shipping.

What I like about Cafepress is that they also do books--comics included. You would have to know how to create PDF files, since that's the format that the site accepts for books. Cafepress provides options for standard book sizes and binding, with the traditional comic book size included. The price for your comic book is dependent on the number of pages and the binding (the size of the book is irrelevant). As of now, however, they only print in grayscale with color covers.

The price of a standard 28-page comic book (which includes 4 pages for the cover) with staple binding is $5.26. This does not include your markup. Pretty steep, I know, which is why I strongly recommend Cafepress for graphic novels that have a lot of pages. If you create a perfect-bound 108-page book (covers included), the cost would be $10.24. That's not as bad. You can add $2.00 for you markup, and the retail price would still be competitive.

Again, you don't have to crowd your room with stocks. When a customer orders one copy, Cafepress prints one copy and ships it. You can even order your own copies and ship them to a different address. (Great for reviews!)

But the bonus of having your book on Cafepress is the merchandise, opening up some interesting promotional opportunities. Apart from having your book up, you can customize a journal, some refrigerator magnets, pin buttons, even a trucker cap with your logo or artwork. If you're stumped about a gift idea for a friend or relative's birthday, send them one of your products.

The key, however, in making your efforts work is to get people to visit your Cafepress store. If you have a blog or a website, post preview pages then add a link to your store. Add links as well to your email signature, your web forum profile, or your business card.

There are other POD sites like Lulu, Authorhouse, and iUniverse, but not all of them do comics. But as far as I've checked, I haven't located anything like Cafepress that has merchandise that can support your publishing efforts in one website. Plus, you retain all rights to your work.

As a disclaimer, I'm not being paid to do this. I just think it's a great opportunity for aspiring graphic novelists to explore. Of course, you ought to read through the website's terms so you'll know what you're getting into. While there are a few horror stories when it comes to POD, I'd like to think that if your cover your bases well enough, the rough spots shouldn't be too big a hurdle.

For more information on the pros and cons of POD, check out this article.

Are Graphic Novels Crowded Out?

They say that the market for comic books and graphic novels isn't that large, since the entertainment industry has been dishing out numerous options to the public, all vieing for consumers' hard-earned dollars.

While there may be some truth to this notion, I firmly believe that the market is still large enough.

Thousands of products and services get launched every year, but while there are some of them that tank so deep it hurts, there are those who catch the attention of a sizeable number of people, big enough to translate marketing efforts to profits. For instance, there are dozens of smartphones in the market, with Nokia, Sony-Ericsson, Samsung, Motorola, Palm, and others in a continuous struggle for dominance in their respective niches. But, lo and behold, a company popular for its computer chips decided to join the fun. Asus now has a few smartphones out in the market, and there's little indication that they're failing.

Then there are social networking sites, and even until now I can't fathom why people still find themselves registering in the new sites when there's already Friendster, Multiply, MySpace, Ringo, etc. I thought that I've had it, content with my Friendster and Multiply accounts, but now I'm semi-obssessed with Facebook. Now, there are networking sites that are interest specific--book lovers, comics enthusiasts, visual artists, pet lovers, and a whole lot more.

Yes, it's crazy, but the point is: people are always on the lookout for something new.

Those who are really familiar with Japanese comics will tell you that manga isn't just about high school, or sorcery, or cool characters in Cosplay-worthy costumes. Manga has been used for the longest time to tell stories about a whole lot of things, from cooking to golf. Early this year, I was given a copy of a graphic novel about Warren Buffett (yes, that Warren Buffett). It told his life story, but focused on how he managed to build himself up from stock brokerage ingenue to one of the richest people in the world. And the graphic novel was created by one Ayano Morio-- a woman.

Comics creators should, now more than ever, exert efforts to quell the stigma surrounding comics. We lament how the general public doesn't take comics seriously, and yet we ironically create stories that reinforce the stigma. If we want to erase the belief that comics are just superhero kids' stuff, why can't we create comics that aren't about superheroes? Why can't we create comics with rich plots, complex characters and mature themes? Why can't we put some effort into bringing out the unique storytelling abilities of comics?

I think the challenge facing a lot of aspiring graphic novelists is impatience. Many prose novelists take a year or two to plan, outline, research, write, and rewrite their novels. Some even write whole chapters only to discard them later on because the stories "weren't working." While it can be argued that it's easier for prose writers since their only physical output are words on paper, as opposed to graphic novelists who write, draw, ink and letter, the rule doesn't change. To make a really great product, we have to invest a lot in its creation.

So why not test yourself this coming 2008? If you want to be a better writer, study good novels and movies. Read how-to books on fiction and screenplay writing. Invest time in putting together a script for a non-superhero story. Find your unique voice. Explore.

If you want to be a better artist, be meticulous about your craft. Go through non-comics anatomy and perspective books. Study composition. Create your personal style. Download a script of a screenplay or a stageplay and do a sequential study of a scene. Try different approaches to storytelling. Explore.

When you've gained a little more confidence, create a short comics story that's not for the superhero market. As I've been mentioning over and over in this blog, the field is still open for fresh stories. And a well-crafted story will find its audience despite the rain of carrots from the entertainment industry.

Wanted: Comics Artist

Beef up your art portfolio. Scriptwriter is seeking graduating students of illustration or fine arts, to bring to life a short story using the comics format. Twelve plates/pages total. Applicants should be comfortable with pen and ink, and have a good instinct for visual storytelling. Looking for styles similar to Jim Scancarelli (Gasoline Alley), Adrian Tomine (Shortcomings), or Tom Batiuk (Funky Winkerbean). Publication guaranteed. Rate is $30 per page.

You must be at least 18 to apply. Send a cover letter, samples and your CV to John Smith through .

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Instead of going through the usual comics want ads for talent, why not try the career/job offices of colleges and universities? The advantage: students of illustration aren't there for the heck of it. Illustration isn't only a hobby, it's a chosen career. They're not going to moonlight this. They're paying dollars to learn about it.

When you tap into this student pool, you know they've already gone through the training. You know they have an acceptable level of discipline, geared towards professionalism. It's important that you start with a small project--it won't demand too much of their time while they're finishing school. And you have to pay them as well.

Tapping into student talent also gives you access to a lot of non-superhero and non-manga styles, a bonus if you're writing under a different genre. When you place a want ad, specify the styles you're looking for, and a list of established artists who use the style.

Try it out: contact the nearest college, university or art school and ask about their policies about posting want ads on campus or through their online bulletin board. Or try to get in touch with the student organization, and see how receptive they are to working on "graphic storytelling or comics" projects.

Another Source of Stories 2

Educational institutions are always looking for innovative ways to impart information to students, and I think you know what I'm getting at.

A graphic novel or a comics series geared towards supplementing classroom instruction is another offbeat way to break in, because you're primary objective isn't only to help teachers, but also to flex some writing muscles to come up with something engaging and entertaining.

The television series "Numb3ers" uses math as a central element in its plots, and it has somehow clicked with an audience. Moreso with that monolith CSI, which has become synonymous to any kind of investigation. "Hey, Martha broke up with her boyfriend but she ain't telling why. Let's do some CSI on it!" It has become a particular favorite among criminology students, as much as "Boston Legal," "Law and Order" and countless other law dramas have satisfied many a law student's appetites.

Following are some subjects/courses where you can possibly spin a story that can use real world information in your storytelling. The breadth of these subjects almost cries out for a comics series, but you can focus on specific topics within these subjects for a one-shot graphic novel.

A. History
B. Psychology
C. Law
D. Medicine
E. Philosophy
F. Genetics
G. Anthopology
H. Archaeology

The clincher here is research--it has to be thorough. And you as a writer would have to be insightful enough to make something of the facts you've researched. The last thing you'd want to do is replicate a textbook. The story is still the star, and your research should only make it shine brighter.

Your research should also include checking out the lesson plans of teachers and professors, so that you don't find yourself drowning in information you might not be able to use. Choose that part of a lesson plan that you as a writer find interesting, then rattle your brain into making it into an engaging story.

Another obstacle is getting a good word in from an authority. It's a good reason to go back to school and catch up with your former teachers. They might even be willing to help you out in locating research material, particularly the obscure ones. Take note, however, that while your prerogative is creating a good story, the teacher's prerogative is information. The finished product has to be legit enough. So you have to find a good middle ground between what you want and what the teacher is looking for.

When you're done with your plot summary, take the teacher out to lunch so you couold go over the material before to pound a script out. If you've done a good job, you can ask your teacher to refer a few colleagues you can cross-check with, as well as add to your customer network.

Your book marketing will benefit a lot from whatever positive feedback you get from the teachers you've worked with. Be sure to acknowledge them in your book, because "consultant" is a great addition to their resume.

Collective Force

My previous post offered a proposal to writers that provides an opportunity to get their work published without having to suffer through getting attention from the top comics companies. I, for one, have submitted stuff to Marvel and DC, but I never heard from them. So I went about things on my own, and it's had its fine share of rewards. With the pillars of the comics industry shaken over the past few years with the entrance of manga and the surge of the reputation of the graphic novel, writers can take this as a heavenly sign that there is life beyond the system. A very tough life, but survivable when prepared.

Jog my memory for a bit, please. Years ago, a few comics writers came up with an imprint that seemed to be the writer-counterpart of Image's power roster of artists. That imprint didn't survive for very long. I'm not sure what happened, but my major uneducated guess is that they were still subjects to the demands of an audience with specific needs for "coolness." It's not that comics fans didn't want well-written and well-conceptualized stories. But, let's face it, coolness is a requisite barometer in the industry--cool action scene, cool dialog, cool costume, cool power, cool story, cool everything.

But if these writers had broken away from the system to produce stories that addressed audiences whose definition of a good story isn't restricted by a thermometer reading, they may have had a better success rate.

The commercial environment for the graphic novel has never been more open to possibilities, and writers can dive right into it while there aren't a lot of players. If you're a writer who wants to do, say, Harlequin-type romances in a comics format, you'll be better off writing a full length novel instead of banging the doors of Marvel or DC. The good news, however, is that there may be other writers who are like you.

Form a small group with your fellow writers and pursue your vision as a collective, with a primary objective being getting stuff published no matter what. Produce anthologies revolving around specific themes, and treat your finished product as a book. Packaged as a book, marketed as a book. In fact, you can even intersperse your comics stories with short prose, using a 70-30 page ratio in favor of comics. The best examples I can think of are the hard-bound horror anthologies published by Dark Horse.

If your group makes a horror anthology, sell it to horror fans. Try to get a good word in from the Horror Writers Association. Ditto for romance anthologies--I'd like to think that the Romance Writers of America would be open to looking through it, and there may be romance fans who'd like a few stories complemented by imagery.

The advantages of creating a collective are:

1) Sharing of resources. Some members may know more people. Some members may have a little more money. Some members may have more industry knowledge. Some members may have more solid writing experience. The sum is indeed stronger than the individual parts.
2) Sharing of workload. Because the collective is a team, tasks can be delegated.
3) Sharing of feedback. Because you're all writers, you can critique each other's works and help each other grow.
4) All-for-one promotion. During interviews, members can promote the collective's name, and even the works of other members. The members' websites are linked to each other, and the collective's website links to all members. If the members are from different states, promotional efforts can be simultaneously executed over a larger geographic area. If members are from the same state, promo efforts can be fast-tracked, with each member assigned to specific counties.
5) Impression of legitimacy. A solid group gives the impression that the members are serious about fulfilling their goals.
6) Future profitable activities. Conduct regular workshops. Produce how-to books. Not as individuals, though, but as a collective of talent. Everyone pitches in, and everyone gets a share of the profits.

The most difficult thing to manage in a collective of this sort is ego. The next is creative differences. Money and distribution of workload can also get in the the way. So the collective has to make sure it gets those issues out of the way before even going full throttle. Try one project first, and see how the members work together. When the project is done, do a post-production meeting to identify problems and possible future problems. In the end, it is the passion for the goal that should trump all difficulties.

Oh, and one more thing. When you come up with a name for your group, avoid--AVOID--those that seem to sound "cool." You're all grown-ups working outside the system, so while you have to go interesting, stimulating, or witty, you also have to go professional.

Writers: Take Control!

I've heard one too many concerns from writers who want to get into comics, only to realize that comics publishers aren't too hot about taking in new writing talent compared to those who can work magic with a pencil. It's a sad state where we find many comics "writers" who don't have much of a writing background, virtually bastardizing the craft. Comics may be a visual medium but, as far as I'm concerned, great art can't save a terribly-written story.

So I'm going to pitch an idea to any enterprising writer who wants to take matters into their own hands. It's going to take some coordination work, but I believe that the end product will justify all the effort.

The finished project can either be a self-published effort or coursed through a literary agent who can represent graphic novels. If I had to do this project, I'd do the latter.

Working Title
Naked America: A graphic anthology

Description
An anthology of ten graphic (comics) stories or vignettes of 12 to 28 pages each. Each feature is a slice-of-life featuring one lead character of no particular demographic, placed in a quirky or weird situation that touches on social--not political--issues America is currently facing. These stories are humorous but insightful, frank but poignant, and never forces the issue.

Sample stories are as follows:

1) A 50-ish Nebraska woman decides to go back to her first love--teaching elementary school. On the first day of class, she discovers that her students are goblins, ghouls, and gremlins, who change back to human form when they leave the classroom.

2) A 35 year-old man, down on his luck and contemplating suicide, decides to get lost in the Colorado wilderness. Deep in the forest, he indeed gets lost, but discovers a crater containing a meteorite made of pure gold. It is huge...and very heavy.

3) A struggling 20-something actor in New York gets a high-paying stint in off-off-off-off-off Broadway. The stage play is a dramatic love story between a man and a zombie. On opening night, the actor discovers that the audience is composed of high-class undead.

These are akin to Twilight Zone stories, and for the most part there isn't much difference. The point, however, of the anthology is to present social issues in a non-abrasive manner. The key is telling highly entertaining and quirky stories, with the thesis of issues only evident to those who look hard enough. (See Selling Points for more information)

Physical Specifications
200-page paperback (content only), 6" x 9", 80lb book paper (interior) and 160lb matte board (cover), full color cover, one color interior

Potential Audience
Naked America's primary target is anyone who's into American pop culture and the social sciences. University students and young professionals are included, with a balance of male and female between 20 and 28 years old. Because of this, the language can be a bit off-color as per the needs and treatment of a story. There can be a spillover to older audiences, possibly capping at 35 years old. Those who read Wired, Slate, The New Yorker, Vanity Fair, and GQ are also potential audiences.

Selling Points
1) Naked America is innovative and in-tune with the times, telling stories in an entertaining but insightful way, without dumbing itself down.
2) The commercial success of graphic novels with contemporary themes has yet to be fully exploited. Works like Jimmy Corrigan, Ghost World and Persepolis have paved the way for similar material, though Naked America won't use "depressing" as part of its editorial policy.
3) There aren't a lot of graphic novels that provide a multi-faceted view of social America. This anthology presents ten.
4) Naked America can be sold to professors of the social sciences to reinforce their teaching. This is a built-in audience.
5) The success of this first anthology can pave the way for more Naked America anthologies, thus starting a lucrative publishing franchise.

Benefits to Comics Writers
1) A writer is only required one story of 12 to 28 pages. It won't eat up a lot of time, and provides an opportunity to flex writing and craft muscles because of the editorial requirements.
2) Naked America provides a venue for solid insight and an opportunity to showcase one's unique voice, very much an advantage in the fiction writing world.
3) When marketed successfully, Naked America is an aspiring comics writer's business card. Even though royalties/profits will be divided over so many creators, the potential boost in reputation is priceless.

How To Set It Up
If you're a writer of an enterprising sort, ask your fellow writers to join in on this project, with you serving as the editor. "Editor" meaning the guy who's going to do most of the work.

Because your story will just be between 12 to 28 pages, your initial investment will be relatively low. The stories will all be in black and white, so a fee of about $20 per page to an artist who's also looking to break in can be acceptable. (Better than asking for art services for free.) Convince your writers to pool some money together to pay the artists. Oh, and make sure that at least one of the artists knows how to prepare artwork for prepress in case not one of you writers do. Pay extra for the service.

Once the scripts are done, pass them around your fellow writers for some nice and healthy critique and edits. You're all in this together, so you've gotta make sure everyone puts their best foot forward, with zero ego.

The entire process from script to finished pages can take anywhere between two to four months, depending on how fast the writing and art stages go. The good part is that artists don't have to worry much about going full "Marvel" style, since the anthology isn't for the superhero audience. Ixnay on the hyper-indie styles, though, since this can alienate some of your potential audience.

Once you have a few completed stories submitted, you can opt to contact some literary agents who represent graphic novels. If you haven't done this in your life, do some research on how to go about communicating and dealing with agents. They would need information about the project, a few samples of completed work, and perhaps even some input on sales potential.

If one agent doesn't bite, try another and another. Or, better yet, if one of your writers knows someone from a publishing company, you can take the short cut. In my book, the less you spend on printing and distribution, the better. Some experts, like self-publishing guru Dan Poynter, will tell you that a good deal of promotional activities will have to be done by authors, so let others worry about distribution and collection while you sell the book.

What do you think of the idea? Any takers?

An Offbeat Way to Promote

For the past year, I've been hanging out almost every night in a small restaurant at the heart of a commercial district. There, I'd do some writing, doodling, and reading, just to get my senses settled after a hard day of work. It's come to the point that the waiters know the "usual," and I know them by name.

Do you have a favorite hang-out? A restaurant? A café? A place where a lot of people visit to hang out and talk? Have you reached a point where you've developed a semi-personal bond with this establishment? A place that's NOT a comics shop?

Why not ask for help via a quid pro quo?

When you're almost done with your graphic novel, try to set up an informal meeting with the manager or owner. The proposition is simple--you will create a short comics story that's set in that very hang-out. You will create a flyer that will be distributed to customers, and the flyer will direct them to a website featuring your short comics story. And, in that website, you provide a preview to the graphic novel you're actually finishing.

OR, if it's not too inconvenient for you--can you adjust a portion of your graphic novel that will feature the establishment as the location of one of your key scenes. Movies have been doing this for years, so it's not an impossibility for graphic novels.

If the shop manager is generous enough, he might even be willing to foot the bill in printing the short comics story to be given out for free in the shop. You can even ask if it's okay to sell your graphic novel there. When this happens, you've opened up a retailing possibility that's beyond the normal reach of the direct market.

Should success come to you with this little endeavor, you can try your luck with other establishments and see if they bite. Do you hang out in a bowling alley? Why not do a short comics story about bowling? Or a story about raising kids, to be placed in a day care center or a kiddie gym? You can even include a couple of "instructional" articles in your comics stories so there's information along with entertainment.

Go offbeat. The direct market is too limiting for the aspiring graphic novelist.

Another Chance For "Superheroes"

The television series "Heroes" succeeded not because it featured superpowered people. It made a major dent because it featured ordinary people who happened to have superhuman powers. It's a grand what-if involving disparate personalities, backgrounds and ethnicities, mostly tackling the question "what would these people do."

As we've seen in a previous post, the superhero comics market is small, but there's no reason why you can't create a graphic novel involving superpowered people, which is something like what manga has achieved, though in a different fashion. Still, the focus on human drama and pathos is what drives these stories forward, with some slam-bang action thrown in for some healthy dose of kinetic energy.

Because the characters have "costumes" you can normally buy in a department store and don't run around toting a codename, potential readers shift their focus to the heart of the story. This isn't a story involving capes and a big logo on a chestplate. This is about Joe who's wrestling with an extreme case of insecurity--his mind-reading powers pick up the thoughts of his parents, schoolmates, and the girl he wants to be with.

How about mousy medical student Sandra who discovers she's as strong as five powerlifters? Will she trade her quiet non-descript life for possible fame and fortune, or fulfill the dreams of her conservative and religious parents in Nebraska?

And that's where you hook a potential reader--a character who goes through what many people go through, only exaggerated or complicated by the inclusion of some kind of power. When Joe, who's become rather socially inept because of his insecurity, discovers that some of his classmates plan a dastardly deed against the school principal, what is he going to do? Or, to be more like recent headlines, picks up the thoughts of a reclusive classmate and uncovers homicidal thoughts involving a couple of guns and a dormitory?

Sandra, on the other hand, accidentally breaks the bones and kills her boyfriend. Her hometown is stunned by the incident, but no one believes Sandra to be capable of doing such harm. Will Sandra turn herself in? If she does, how can she explain how the accident occurred without her revealing her unusual strength?

Human drama. Human conflict. Throw a superpower in to add interest, but never make it a highlight. In stories like these, having superpowers can affect a character's decisions, but using them is rarely one of the options unless pressed against a wall.

Exercise: Write a short premise of a graphic novel involving a person with a superhuman ability. Make it two to three short paragraphs similar to a back-cover book description. However, you cannot use the word "superpower" or "superhuman" or any word that could suggest some kind of superheroism. This premise can also be used for your press releases.

To The Few Who Walk In

To the few semi-regulars who visit this blog (that's about three of you), I hope you wouldn't mind posting a comment about why you find yourselves coming back. Whether you find some value in my ramblings or whether you drop by to find a reason to laugh, doesn't matter. Any kind of comment, insight, even criticism is welcome. What I've been blogging about isn't 100% foolproof, and I've never claimed them to be foolproof, but I would like to think they make some itty-bitty sense.

Even if what I've written has managed to get you thinking from a different perspective is more than enough reward for me. After all, we all need to be zapped out of our zones from time to time.

Now's your chance to give me a zap, too. Oh, and if you think my ramblings is worth sharing, it would really be nice if you get a friend or two to join this madness.

I wish you all a blessed holiday season!

Another Source of Stories..With Built-In Backup

This is going to be a short one, I assure you.

Endorsements can help your book get some level of publicity, just enough to kick off a notch of interest from people. No, I'm not talking about getting a good word in from a highly-popular comics star, but that can help, too.

In a couple of previous posts, I sort of raised the flag in favor of graphic novels for and about women. But that's not the only avenue you can explore.

You can also create a story around a social cause. A cause you, as a creator, firmly believe in.

This is an opportunity for you, as an artist, to look within yourself and see what you are most concerned about as a freethinking and responsible citizen.

Is it discrimination? Animal rights? The environment? Poverty? Abortion? Child abuse? Homosexual rights? Religious tolerance? There's more out there to choose from, but you have to exercise honesty and genuine compassion when zeroing in on that social issue that gets you reeling.

Once you have completed your graphic novel, send copies to local or state chapters of organizations involved in that cause, and ask if your book is something they could support. They don't have to spend anything--an endorsement is enough. A review in their publication would be better. And if they're willing to give at least a one-sentence seal of approval, it's enough to add meat to your press releases. They might even ask you to be a speaker in one of their regular gatherings.

A few notes:

1) The social issue has to be something you believe in and support. This would ensure that your passion will take you through the writing and art stage. Also, choosing an issue you support as opposed to something that's merely 'hot and controversial' will help boost your credibility, and not make you look like you're an opportunistic milkman.

2) Your story has to present both sides of the issue, good and bad, pros and cons, with your thesis shining through by the story's conclusion. Thus, a lot of your time needs to be spent on research--reading, observation, even interviews. But remember that you're still out there to entertain and exercise your art and craft as a storyteller. You don't want to be perceived as hawking propaganda.

3) The tricky part is to make the social issue integral to the story, and not the story itself, unless that's what you want. Again, remember that you are first and foremost a storyteller. While you must inform, you must also intrigue and entertain.

4) Once you've chosen a social issue, check far and wide to make sure there are formal and sizeable organizations who rally about that issue. If there aren't, try and find another issue to talk about. The objective, after all, is finding the numbers who can back you up. This doesn't mean that your cause of choice isn't worth your time and effort. You're still starting out and trying to get your name out there. You can go back to your original choice once you've gotten your feet wet with your first book.

5) You can talk about more than one issue in your story, but it is imperative to have one main issue, that which is integral to the story. Having too many issues of equal weight will eventually cancel each other out, and it will be more difficult to find one organization to support it.

6) Your stories can be of the superhero genre, too, though arguably it would a stretch to incorporate a social cause. Some causes that can work with the superhero genre are:

a) Soldiers Who Are Minors
b) The Disabled
c) Media Ethics
d) Age Discrimination
e) Death Penalty
f) Drug Abuse
g) Immigration

For a list of social causes, here's the Yahoo! directory.

Cover Matters

Before I start, here's something you can do. When you've pinpointed that special something your graphic novel has to offer, as well as a possible potential audience, head for the bookstore and dive into the fiction books section.

Find books that more or less match your graphic novel, and pick out the covers you like, but ignoring those books that have big-name authors. Relative unknowns or debuting novelists are your targets. Read the description on the back cover, then return those books that don't appeal to you that much.

The remaining books you have can serve as your template for the kind of cover your graphic novel will have.

For the aspiring graphic novelist who's contemplating on a cover design, there's one overall principle to designing an effective cover:

A book cover is a promise.

And that's the most fundamental idea to keep in mind when you design your graphic novel cover. This is why we pick up books. We see the cover and the images, or colors, or titles appeal to us in ways more than other covers. These appealing covers make us curious, giving us enough reason to pick them off the shelf. Saying, "It spoke to me," applies strongly here.

We look at the back cover, and read what the book is about. The description offers a premise, more often with a simple description of the lead character. These descriptions contain a form of magic--the words tickle and entice, intrigue and mystify. They're telling you subliminally, "Have we got the story you want to read! Buy me! Buy me!"

Front cover and back cover work together to form the book's promise.

Book designers go over the book contents and talk to editors, searching for that one aspect of the story that will appeal to an intended audience. Romance novels succeed by displaying images fulfilling a women's deep fantasies, while horror novels love to use dark colors with generous servings of red or silver. Sometimes a cover will feature a mysterious object, or the facade of an ancient structure, or a landscape, all suggesting certain moods. Other covers make heavy use of a special typeface, the titles covering up most of the front cover, meant to stand out from a bookstore shelf.

Of course, the results of the above exercise shouldn't constrain you in exercising creative freedom. But do note that your cover is like the face of a person, and the expression of on that face tells the world what lies in the heart and soul.

Going to superheroes as an example. There was a time when comics readers complained about that trend of painted covers, featuring a character (more often female) in some superheroic or pseudo-erotic pose. While these images looked good they defeat the purpose of the cover. While the character is indeed in the book, the book itself is not painted. And a simple pose gives little hint to what's going to happen in the story. This strategy may have worked for fans, since they'd pick up a book no matter how the cover is rendered, but in principle it fails to attract newer readers who only have so much money to spend.

Some of the better graphic novel covers I've seen are Blankets, Maus, and 30 Days of Night. Each have their way of presenting their contents, and they make a promise that the stories keep. So when you're contemplating a cover, make several options. Because the so-called cool covers are pointless if they don't serve their purpose.

Finding Your Potential Audience 2

Before we proceed, two things...

First, the survey you send out as outlined in the previous post is meant for those who don't normally buy comics. This is important, because you'd want to find out if there are people outside of the comics buying set who might be interested in your story. Again, send out as many as you possibly can.

If you want to be more specific, here's an alternative. Check you main character. Since your main character is the one through whom your reader experiences your story, this character would be your template for possible survey respondents. If your story is about a woman in her 30s, send email to women between 26 and 40, with a few men thrown in there of around the same age range. If your story is about a young male superhero, go for the 14 to 24 male group, with some females included to widen the field.

Secondly, and this is a lengthy one, let's look at some figures:

Let's assume that you're situated in California.

According to the US Census Bureau, California has a population of 33.8 million as of the year 2000. For the same year, the population count of those from 20 to 34 years old is about 7.6 million. A lot of people. We've isolated the 20 to 34 year old bracket because we're assuming that it would be this age range who might be interested in your graphic novel offering. (Something a bit on the mature side, maybe a PG-rating).

It's safe to assume that by this time, the population numbers have gone up a bit.

Now, as of October 2007, the highest selling comic book issue through Diamond is New Avengers #35, with orders of over 111,000. Only. Normally, this doesn't translate to actual retail store sales. How much of these have gone to California? We don't know, but it's a safe bet that it's far, far less.

If the USA has a population of 303 million, California would have 11.15% of the US population. A loose assumption would be that the number of New Avengers #35 issues that reach California would be a little over 12,300 copies. Only. And that's already California, and note again that not all copies will reach the hands of buyers. What more a smaller state?

Why am I telling you this? For superhero books, the market is small, and the market is crowded.

For the aspiring superhero graphic novelist who wants to release a comic book, he needs to look beyond the superhero market and look for secondary markets. Markets that might be interested in what the creator has to offer but wouldn't normally pick up a comic book.

Hence the exercise of the previous post.

To tabulate the results of your survey, you would need a spreadsheet program like Microsoft Excel of OpenOffice Calc. If you don't know how to use these programs, pen and paper would do well, though the results would take longer to reach.

Focus on those who answered YES to the first question. Isolate their ages and their gender. Find a trend. What are the common ages? The common gender? If the results aren't clear cut, try and send out more email requests until you get a "data trend" or results that seem to point at a specific market.

When you're done with that, check the answers to the fourth question, and set aside those who answered more negatively. Focus on those who have more positive answers and see if the trend has changed. Again, this is why you ned a lot of respondents to your questionnaire. You'll have an easier time finding a trend.

The results of question number five will tell you if the respondents comprising your isolated results have the financial capacity to buy books on a semi-regular basis. The more books they've bought, the better the chances that they'll have room for your book.

Here comes the nice part. Check again the results of your isolated group for the first question. See what they liked about your story. Is there something common about their statements? Is there a general sentiment about what they liked? Bingo! Now you have information that can help you put together a press release with your story's unique selling point.

How about the results of questions six and seven? Find out the common websites they visit, or those sites you can assume would have high traffic. They can be venues where you can send a press release or post information about your book.

And the establishments? Well, since your potential market goes to those places, you think you can get some copies of your books in there? Or maybe free previews with an email address where readers can write you?

But before you send out press releases and visit commercial establishments, the last thing you should do is verify the information you've discovered. How? Find other people who match your isolated potential market. Get in touch with as many as you can and make a friendly request for them to read your story. You can include in your email some of the responses you've received from your original survey to possibly get them interested.

If you get at least 50% positive responses from this "verification stage," you may just have found your other market, as well as some leads on how to get your book to them.

Finding Your Potential Audience

Here's something you can do. Post the first few pages--10 to 12 would suffice--on your website, then send a nice email to your friends and relatives, preferably people of different ages, and a good mix of male and female. The more people you write, the better (go as high as humanly possible). Oh, and make sure you know their ages.

Ask them for thirty minutes of their time to read your work, stressing that you're doing this for your personal growth as a writer, then email you back. They don't have to do it right away, but you would appreciate it if they could spare some time over a weekend. In their return email, have them briefly and very honestly answer the following questions:

1) Is the story the kind that interests you? Yes or no.

2) If your answer to the first question is "yes," please specify that part of the story that interested you. If your answer to the first question is "no," please enumerate two or three stories that you've read and really liked.

3) Do you know someone who might be interested in a kind of story like this, like a friend or relative, preferably someone I haven't met yet? Yes or no.

4) Did it matter that the story was told in comics form? Yes or no, and why.

5) How many fiction books have you bought in the past six months?

6) Please name five commercial establishments--restaurants, stores, bars, etc.--that you frequently go to. Also, please name three special interest websites that you frequently visit.

7) In a newspaper or news website with lots of different sections, what sections do you more often read? Politics? Arts and Culture? Finance and Business? Entertainment? Fashion and Lifestyle? Sports? Motoring? The advice columns? The opinion pages? Something else? Please specify three.

This is a simple piece of market research. The results can give you an idea of the market segment who might be interested in your work. Do note a few things:

a. The people you know would most probably give you thirty minutes of their time. Plus, you'll most likely get serious answers when you tell your friends and relatives that you're doing this for "your personal growth as a writer," as opposed to "I wanna sell this!"

b. You're not going to ask them to read your comics, but your story. Arguably, the word "story" carries more weight than "comics," so there's less chance that there'll be the dreaded bias against the medium.

c. You'll be asking them if they know someone, a "referral," who might be interested in your story. Send a follow up email and ask if it's alright to ask if you could contact the referral. Once you have the contact information, send a new email with the same message and questions, except #3. You don't want to bother any more people.

d. Depending on the answers you get for #4, you'll more or less know if the person is open to reading comics as an alternative storytelling medium.

e. The answer for #5 can tell you if they're the kind of people who buy fiction books on a regular basis. The more books they buy means that they're the type who can go out of their way to get a book.

f. The answers for #6 will give you insights on the lifestyle and purchasing power of your respondents. This information is valuable because it can help you find other people who might be interested in checking out your work.

g. The answers for #7 gives a rundown of topics that your respondents are interested in.

What happens next? Tabulate. Isolate those who answered positively in the first five questions, and try to pin down what's common among them. Are they mostly male or female? Are they mostly single or coupled? Are they mostly teenagers, young adults, or mature adults? Do most of them frequent a specific set of establishments? Do most of them frequent a specific set of websites? This is why the more people you get answers from, the easier it gets to isolate a distinct "potential target market."

By the way, don't forget to thank everyone you send emails to, even if they tell you that they can't help you. After all, we need to be professional about these things.

Do you have an idea what to do with the information you've culled together? We'll go into that in my next post.

The Moral Question (and Answerr)

What is the moral question of your graphic novel story? What are you, as the writer, trying to answer?

Life is filled with questions. We wonder why the American Dream seems to be tainted. We wonder why our parents sometimes don't treat us like adults. We wonder why a number of celebrities do foolish things. And we wonder, with much perturbation, why a nineteen year-old would decide to gun down innocent civilians in an Omaha mall.

We ask questions to understand, and thereafter compare it with our views. Morality is about knowing the difference between what's good and what's evil. However, on a cultural, social, theological, and political level, my view of good can be another person's view of evil.

And herein lies the power of a well-written story. It has the potential, when written well, to present a compelling point of view. That nothing is black and white, and sometimes even the most evil acts are motivated by a person's desire to do the opposite.

Stories traditionally existed to educate. That's what the fables and the bard's tales were there for. While there are those who have written stories primarily to entertain, the best stories are the ones that endured. And these stories provided lessons to learn, points to ponder upon and issues to talk about, whether they be laugh-out-loud comedies or the most searing dramas.

It's a "what would you do" proposition, one strong enough to challenge a reader's sense of morals and values. Stories do this by placing a pawn, the lead character, to go through the hassle. By the story's climax, the writer makes a decision that the character acts out, and that decision has to be a convincing one. Not exactly the right one, but a convincing one. It's telling a reader, this is what this character would do. Do you, reader, feel it's justified? Would you do the same thing?

The moral question doesn't have to be life-threatening. Even the case of falling in love with your best friend's wife is a strong moral issue, because many people struggle with it everyday. A kid's moral issue could be about running away from home and abandoning school. Moral questions don't have to be dramatic, either--sitcoms have moral questions thrown in, too.

Now what if you want to do a straightforward action-adventure graphic novel and not bother with moral issues? That's fine. No bones about that. It's really about what your objective as a storyteller is. But do remember that stories involve human beings (or creatures with human attributes), and by definition alone they have to act human. That means they have their own worries, anxieties, and fears. If they don't, then you might be accused of casting cardboard instead of flesh and blood.

Make Your Character A Brand

In the previous post, I gave a few tips on how to humanize your characters in order to establish a link between your story and a reader. In this post, we go back to a more solid marketing concept, which is branding.

The website Marketing MO defines a brand as "the entire experience your prospects and customers have with your company. It’s what you stand for, a promise you make, and the personality you convey."

Put simply, a brand tells everyone, "This is who I am and this is why I'm not like that other guy." While Disney and Nickelodeon both have cartoons, Disney has successfully aligned itself with "family entertainment," while Nickleodeon has always presented itself as "fun for kids." Brands tout messages that target segments of people of a certain age bracket, financial status, lifestyle, even values and ideologies. Logos, taglines, websites, promo gimmicks, advertising--all these are meant to reinforce a brand.

In the field of career development, experts have stressed the need for people to identify their own personal brand as a way to gain an edge in a competitive job marketplace. As what Robin Fisher Roffer explained in her book, Make a Name For Yourself, people can possibly have successful careers when they distinguish themselves from others who do similar work, affirm their true identity, highlight their talents, and establish their reputation in business.

Another way of looking at a brand is representation. Mac computers represent the creative, artistic and innovative, while PC manufacturers have for the longest time focused on business productivity and efficiency at a competitive cost. Axe is the deodorant for men in their 20s, while Old Spice appeals to the older set.

Now let's look at superheroes.

Why has the X-Men been so successful? Because they've hammered into comics fans who they are and what they specifically stand for, an anti-bigotry ideology that no other superhero team has been able to lay claim to, a tenet that readers can strongly relate to. Why has the JLA been so successful, because they've solidified the idea that they have the mightiest and most iconic superhero guns ever.

Superman is about "truth, justice and the American way," a very patriotic tagline. While Captain America may also represent that, he is first and foremost a soldier with a military way of thinking and method of engagement. Very unlike Superman, that.

So if you have a superhero, define who they are and, more importantly, what sets them apart from similar superheroes. Lock a unique history, way of thinking, method of operation, manner of speech, ideology, combat strategy, specialty (like Psylocke's classic "focused totality of telepathic powers"), quirk, maybe even a unique battle cry or expression, as well as a symbolic costume. Seal that part of the character that your reader can relate to. You can even pattern his personality after a few people you know.

When you've completed your character's identity, ensure that the character delivers that identity consistently and strongly in your story, but short of being campy (unless that's what you want). Make him stand out in his unique way. Remember that for the longest time, readers couldn't relate to Cyclops of the X-Men, perhaps because they didn't know what Scott Summers was really all about. He wasn't the innocent "gentle giant" that was Colossus, or the majestic Storm with the "goddess complex."

Even if your story doesn't involve superheroes, branding your lead characters can help delineate one from the other, offering opportunities for various subplots and interesting dialog.

The scene is teeming with characters. Make sure yours stand out.

Character Development: Making Readers Care

Remember the time when New Superhero was given a personality flaw and some fanboys would suddenly rave, "Wow, great character development!"

Those in the know will tell you that character development is a process, a series of changes that a character goes through for better or worse, brought about by factors in the character's environment and interpreted by his values, experiences and morals.

Characters in a story have a "beginning status" at the start, and an "ending status" by the story's conclusion. One of the writer's responsibilities is to introduce events and situations that seek to alter or reinforce a character's beginning status. When the story ends, the resulting status becomes a thematic point of the whole process.

So if you decide to give a character claustrophobia, or a drinking problem, or an apathetic relationship with his supporting character wife, don't do so just to make him interesting. Make these qualities affect a major decision. Make them threaten his achieving ultimate success. Make them institute some change in the character's status.

When you begin to humanize a character, you initialize the link between the reader and your story. And maximizing character development can not only give your story a deeper level of complexity, but also a reason for your reader to care. When you get your readers to care, you give them a reason to stick around.

Character development is tricky, because you have to know your characters inside and out. How they think. How they view their situation. How they view the world around them. What makes them tick. What drives them forward. What holds them back. A well-rounded character acts like a normal human being who may not always be predictable, but will always have a reason for their actions.

For instance, a superhero who has a chronic case of claustrophobia would not likely rush into a cave to face a bad guy. If he does so, he may not be able to function well, thus threatening his team's victory. A superhero who has a major drinking problem might secretly be attending Alcoholics Anonymous, thus threatening his crimefighting career. A character with an apathetic relationship with his wife might be fooling around on the side with a woman who's a pawn of the main villain. In short, give your characters a reason to suffer, genuinely suffer. It's harsh I know, but why should a reader care if the good guy has it all easy?

To put matters another way, say you're a basketball fan and you idolize one particular player. You're excited everytime he's called into the court, and howl with delight when he makes a kick-ass dunk. To you, he's the god of basketball.

Then your friend tells you one day that your idol is going through a difficult divorce. The question is: would you actually Google it? Would you search for news about it? It's a divorce, not a basketball game, so why would some basketball fans want to know the nitty gritty of the settlement proceedings? Why would they talk about it?

One reason could be that fans want to know how the divorce might affect the player's game. They've begun to care about the player's performance. They want to see their hero emerge unscathed.

Here's an exercise. Write a personal letter, one that you don't intend to send to anyone, but write it as if you're the main character of your story. Pretend that the character is halfway through your story, and write down what he thinks and feels about the situation so far, the other characters, his objective, and the threats at hand. More importantly, write down why he thinks and feels the way he does.

When you're done with the letter, set it aside for a week, then take it out and read it. Does the letter convince you? Does it sound sincere? If this letter were written by someone else, would you care to know what happens next? Cross check the letter with your script and see if what the letter contains is consistent with how you presented the character in your story. You may be able to get fresh insights by doing so.

Conjuring Money: Wizard Rebrand

By now you've heard of Wizard magazine's latest marketing move, that is, repositioning itself from being a comics magazine to "The #1 Men's Pop Culture Magazine." Already, the blogosphere is aflame with comments dissing Wizard's move, but then Paul Sebert of Comics Nexus offers his theory for the rebranding, and I quote:

"A magazine can sell a million copies a month and still go down in flames if isn't supported by ad revenue, and well let's face it. The market for comic based advertising stinks. Print advertisers clearly don't "get" comic books."

I agree with Paul, 100%.

From a comics fan's point of view, Wizard's move was plain dumb and sexist. From a business point of view, however, it can potentially keep them afloat. And as business goes, customer loyalty can only do so much when there's the threat of closure.

Brand repositioning is a marketing strategy that's meant to 1) capture an untapped or unexploited market segment, and 2) access potentially higher revenue streams. The old Wizard effectively addressed the needs of comics fans, but they might have realized that the revenue streams that comics fans generate isn't substantial enough for long-term growth and survival. Since its inception, Wizard has gone into other hobbies and interests--video games, cards, film, even a special manga section--but their identity hasn't changed. They still called themselves a comics magazine, and so advertisers viewed them as such.

Then there is the ambiguity of the market base. For an advertiser to place an ad in a publication, it must be sure that the target market of the publication meets the target market of the product they're selling. That's why some ads in Flex won't work in, say, Exercise for Men Only. Though both are bodybuilding magazines, their audiences have different lifestyles, and thus prefer different sets of products.

Thing is, the comics fanbase is a varied bunch, whose age range, purchasing power, and lifestyle are varied. A company wouldn't dare place an ad in a publication with a murky market profile.

So Wizard needed to isolate a specific segment of its readers, sacrificing everyone else, in order to satisfy the requirements of an advertiser. And apparently they chose to go not for the kids, but the "men." Men who are into pop culture, men who may be viewed as still "kids at heart," and most importantly, men are willing to allot part of their paychecks to fulfill fantasies of adventure. So Wizard can bring in the SUVs, the sports gear, the ridiculously huge televisions, and whatever relevant products are out there.

Now comes the tricky part. When a publication repositions itself, it should adjust its content to cater to what the intended target market wants to see more of. Wizard needs to prove to its advertisers that it indeed is a magazine for men, and not teenage fanboys. This may involve changing the format, adding features, revamping other features, and scrapping irrelevant ones. It has to. Because if a young man wants to be seen and treated like a grown up, he should act, talk, and dress up, and think like one.

My Credentials?

Jaqrabbit graciously posted a comment on this blog's very first post, asking me about my credentials. (Thanks, jaqrabbit, for taking the time.)

The truth is I hesitate to reveal my identity and credentials because I deem my experience as still "disputable." I have created comics, but I don't have a huge body of work, and I'm not a popular creator. I have design experience, writing experience, marketing and PR experience, self-publishing experience and teaching experience, but I would never consider myself an expert in any of these fields. I just know enough to get me through over 15 years of corporate and freelance life.

So all I offer in this blog are insight, a few stories, suggestions and recommendations, coming from someone who isn't in the thick of the comics industry. Whoever has stumbled upon this blog is welcome to comment on what I post, and maybe some sort of dialogue can take place. But what I really hope to impart is encouragement. That comics creators try something, ask questions and seek answers, explore a strange road or two, make a few mistakes, and learn from those experiences. To be good at something, you have to go through a bit of the bad.

Many dream of landing a gig with the top comics companies, but in my opinion these companies don't run the industry, the same way that Microsoft doesn't run the OS business. The comics giants may have multimedia influence because of their stockpile of iconic characters and connections, but the comics industry as a whole won't suffer if they turn and fold. Creative people--not companies--make good comics.

I only have one graphic novel out there, one that 99% of comics enthusiasts have never heard of because it caters to a specific market. It's published by a small book publisher, not a comics company, and my bookstore sales approaches 10,000 copies.

I don't know if that's significant enough, but I feel I'm one of the few who's fortunate.

Fundamental Rules In Promoting Your Comics

Say you've put together a formula for lemonade that would revolutionize the lemonade industry, and you're sure it'll hit big time. Surely you've got to promote your new discovery. Who will you approach first to take a swig of it?

A potential customer, of course.

It baffles me sometimes how comics creators would put together a comic and then start promoting it by telling other comics creators about it. It's like giving samples of your lemonade to other lemonade stands.

To promote your creation effectively via other comics creators, you need to personally approach a few and ask them for if your work is good enough for them to support. You need to isolate a special group of people who could vouch for you, as opposed to sending a blanket email to everyone in a mailing list and hoping that someone would bite.

What's more, sending a blanket email is tantamount to subjecting your work to general scrutiny, and there's a good chance that you'll receive either critique after critique from other creators you don't know from Adam, plus perhaps a consoling pat on the back, or no response at all, unless that's what you want.

The next avenue you need to take is to isolate that specific group of readers who might be interested in the subject of your work. If your superhero graphic novel is for kids, go ahead and send a press release to kids' publications or websites. Got one for the sports fanatics? Find your way into sports magazines and blogs.

What I did in the past was to prepare packages (or "press kits") that contained a short article about the book, information on where the book can be bought, and images of the cover and a few pages. The article mentioned who the book was written for (target market) and why the book is worth their time, or at least a tidbit that might stimulate audience interest. I also included a copy of the book.

When the packages were done, I researched the names of newspaper editors, particularly the lifestyle and entertainment sections. Then I physically delivered the labeled press kits to the newspaper offices.

What happened next? Over the next couple of weeks, my press release appeared in three newspapers, and one of them even had a review. Though sales weren't that high because only three stores had my book in stock (a distribution issue), I'd say my effort was worth it.

The aspiring comic creator can do the same, but digitally. Scour the web for sites that you believe might take interest in the subject matter of your book and hit the editors with a nice, formal email, expressing interest in sending a press release. See what happens. If you don't get responses, try other sites. Try blogs. Or post your press release in interest-specific message boards (if the terms of use allow such things). While you're at it, make an inquiry with printed magazines and community newspapers.

At this point, the aspiring comic creator would do well to try non-comics related venues for promotion. The medium has been getting increased popularity over the past few years. It's time to bank on it.

How To Write Comics: Addendum

In my previous post, I recommmended that beginning comic book writers check out screenplay writing books in order to get a feel of the different storytelling elements and the complexities involved in stringing a good and tight story together. After all, motion pictures (television or movies) are similar to comics in as far as the image+text connection goes.

However, comics writers should note that screenwriters operate on the premise that the finished product will involve motion, while comics involve static images. I have encountered a few scripts wherein the writer hasn't quite grasped the concept of stasis, thus rendering particular panels "undrawable."

To write comics stories, particularly full scripts (as opposed to plot breakdowns), writers need to visualize stories as a series of photographs, with each photograph capturing a moment of the story. As a rule of thumb, every character in a comics panel should be executing one specific pose, if not one specific action. To specify that "Character catches the granade and throws it back at the bad guys" in one panel is fundamentally undrawable, though the artist can draw the character twice in one large panel. This is one convention in comics storytelling that can break the one sction rule.

With that said, writers need to know and take advantage of the unique storytelling properties of comics, as well as avoid those properties unique to film.

Now the question is: plot breakdown or full script? I'm partial to the full script, because one of the most important parts of the process is editing, through the help of a good editor. With a full script, an able editor can spot typos, lapses in grammar and spelling, even storytelling hitches, that writers may not be able to see offhand. So as early as the script stage, the story can be meticulously fleshed out and refined.

How To Write Comics

When you go to a bookstore, you'll find tons of books about writing novels and screenplays, and their approaches vary from the casual to the academic. There are books that focus solely on plot, on character development, even on dialogue. There are even books that claim to help you write a full-length novel in thirty days.

But there are hardly any books out there about writing a comics story.

I think we can all agree that iffy writing and storycrafting cannot save gorgeous art. This is what I felt when I read Avengers Forever and Batman: Hongkong. But then that's just me. On the other hand, I really admire the writing in House of M, as well as in Supreme Power, even in Runaways, if you're curious about what kind of writing I go for.

Conversely, brilliant writing can almost always save crappy art.

If you want to up your arsenal when it comes to writing comics stories, the closest reference you can get is to pick up a writing book, particularly for screenplays. Because compared to fiction novels, movies are closer to comics as they use words and images to tell a story. Movie making requires storyboarding, which is similar to the panel-to-panel storytelling of comics.

Beginning graphic novelists would benefit from knowing the basics of plot, structure, character development, theme, and other storytelling elements, and how they all interconnect to make your story one solid living thing. You may not be writing a screenplay, but you'll discover much that you can translate to a comics story.

On my end, I found myself investing in fiction writing books first, not books on screenplays. The first book I bought about writing was The Novelist's Bootcamp by Todd Stone, which takes you through a bootcamp-like process when conceptualizing in putting together a story. It's not the best book on the subject, but it's a great kick in the pants. One of the better books I got was Plot and Structure by James Scott Bell. This book gives the lowdown on developing a plot and the laying out the three-act structure, with lots of writing exercises to experiment with. I'm still waiting on a couple of screenwriting books for delivery.

As they say, sometimes you have to look beyond your field to get better at it.

Have You Considered An Agent?

One day, I did something for kicks. I looked through an online database of literary agents and searched for those who represented graphic novels. I was pleasantly surprised that there were quite a few of them in there.

So I chose one and, with zero expectations, made a call.

The agency was based in New York, and the receptionist put me through to the agent himself. He spoke in a low, apathetic voice and had that "get down to business I've got lots to do" tone.

I told him that I found his contact info through a website and that his profile indicated that he was willing to represent graphic novels. He said that, indeed, he was. So I asked him how I should go about submitting a query when his online profile didn't give submission specs for graphic novels.

He said that he could receive low resolution jpegs, but it would be better if I uploaded my stuff to a website so he could conveniently go over what I have to offer. I thanked him for his time before closing the call. Our conversation may have lasted less than a minute, but at least I was able to dip my toes into the prospect.

The good news is that you can attempt at getting an agent, granting of course that your work is good enough. There's a lot more to be discussed about dealing with agents, but the point is that this is another avenue comics creators can take.

There are plusses and minuses to getting an agent, but any publishing avenue will have plusses and minuses. But the biggest plus to me is the possibility of seeing my work in bookstores, on Amazon, in library catalogs--with no major expense on my part. The biggest minus, however, is that the book publishing world is a whole new creature altogether, and its innards can be a frustrating mess to the uninitiated.

In this case, you owe it to yourself to do research.

You can start with an introduction on eBookCrossroads and a few articles on Publishing Central. Maybe you'd want to consult a book on the subject.

Then go to AgentQuery, an online database of literary agents. On the left side of the home page, choose "graphic novels" from the dropdown menu labeled "Select a Fiction Genre" and click the "Quick Search" button. You'll find over 40 agencies in the results.