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Adventures in Self Publishing Part 2: Creation and Production
Monday, February 22, 2010 1:30 PM
Disclaimer(s): This is my second time writing this article because the first one disappeared into some dark and heartless void, so I may skip over some points, I apologise. Also, while I have tried to avoid complaining too much, there are areas I mention my problems to try and show others where things can go wrong. Plus, y'know, I'm really pee'd off about losing the first draft.
Previously on Adventures in Self Publishing...
I had completed a script for a 32 page graphic novel, to be completed and distributed in the Spring.
Progression on this project has turned out differently from how I thought it might, although this is not necessarily a bad thing. To look at how things are going, I think it is important to split it into the creative side of things and the business side of things:
The Creative Side!
Having an idea is one thing, following through with it is another.
I wouldn't say translating my ideas from script to page has been a smooth process, in that I have to ?fill in the blanks? more than I thought I would. Often I've found that I've half-baked an idea in the script, intending to flesh it out when drawing. While this has worked, it has meant more work at this stage in developing layouts and ideas in order to get it 'perfect' on the page.
This highlights the importance of development in any project. There is a big gap between an initial idea and a final product which must be filled with every possibility, exhausting every avenue until the ?right? one is found. This is becoming more of an organic process as I continue, but I'm still learning
that the original idea is rarely the best one.
While we're at it, it seems the best way to work is from a printed copy of the script, not from the script on your laptop screen as I originally tried. On the whole it is best to keep the computer (especially the internet) out of the process as much as possible ? I have been using it only for references and inking.
A lot of this is only relevant to comic/graphic novel making, but I'm sure the basic principle applys to any medium ? planning is important. Without it, how can your art be followed through to its best possible conclusion?
Another obvious pitfall to creative types is procrastination, but surprisingly I have not fallen to this as much as I have in the past. The knowledge of a looming deadline, as well as the fact that I am relatively proud of my work so far, keeps me going on. Procrastination is a danger in early stages of a project, when giving up altogether would be easy, but when I'm so far in I have motivation to push through and complete the project.
Basically, it seems productivity encourages more productivity ? push through the start of a project and you'll be determined to do more.
(Incidentally, if anyone is looking for inspiration in the writing side of things, might I recommend this article I stumbled across the other day, offering advice on how to write!)
All in all I am proud with how my little comic is coming along, I'm on track to have it finsihed by the end of March as intended, ready to be sent off to the printers. Whether it will make it TO the printers or not is another matter, bringing us to...
The Business Side!
This is where I thought things might get difficult, this was never going to be my strong point. Turns out I was right!
The initial plan was to create a promotional website for the project a couple of months before it was completed, where people could ?pre-order? the product, along with limited edition colour prints and screenprints of selected pages. This would hypothetically generate publicity and minor funds for the project before it went to print, oiling a soon-to-be-well-oiled machine. What wishful thinking.
In order to provide a ?pre-order? service, I would need prices for the books. And to get prices, I contacted local printers to see how much this would set me back.
After a week, no-one has gotten back to me.
Well, that's a lie. The screenprinter got back to me with quotes for the screenprinted posters, to be used for exhibition and selling purposes. And while they were very friendly and helpful, the quote was higher than I expected, forcing me to rethink this area. Do I really want pretty screenprints? Will I be able to sell them? Can I rethink my designs?
The unreliability of printers for the book has caused some rethinking as well. If I cannot rely on them to reply to an e-mail, can I rely on them to handle my precious baby and get me copies to be shipped on time?
On mentioning this to a friend, they suggested the possibility of increasing my indie street cred and printing/binging copies myself. Why not? I have a printer, I have access to the resources...maybe. This led to me staying up until the wee hours of the morn looking up ?How To Bind? videos on Youtube.
At present I don't know how viable an option this is. Will I be able to produce books to the high quality I demand? Will my schedule allow time for this? Where did he get that clamp gizmo thing?!? In time I will have a course of action for this, hopefully by my next article.
Whatever path I choose to produce the book, it will require funding. As a lowly student, I can barely support myself, never mind fund a small print run. Therefore I need to look elsewhere for money. The possibilities so far:
a) As stated above, pre-orders and donations from my (potential) audience. This is not a healthy source as there is no way of knowing how successful this will be. Maybe once the site is up, but until then? Fuggedaboutit.
b) Institutes supporting local art endeavours. I was informed that Arts Trust Scotland provide funding for projects such as mine ? which would have been fantastic had I not found out about it the day after applications for funding were due in. This is not a disaster though ? there will be other sources to find, I just need to know where to look.
c) Business loans, etc. This would be a risky option at such an amateur level, and I intend to avoid it for now, especially not knowing that the book will sell at all.
At the moment, this is all very work-in-progress, the only thing that can be predicted in the business side is that things will be unpredictable. When the project is ?announced?, there may be more details in this respect...but again, in this game it seems nothing is for sure...
Next time: Promotion and publicity!
As ever, real time updates can be found on my Twitter (although they may be lost between my job, my webcomic, my animation, my life, garble garble garble...)
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A little hint on finding a printing company. If you want to pay for cheap labour. Check out a school that has a printing department. My high school had a graphic arts course where the students did all of the work the school took on for experience. Obviously you will need to have some trust, with it being done by students. But from what my teacher told me, it wasn't really making the school much money, just covering costs of the program.