So! You finally got your indie comic together. You’ve finished your script, the artwork is done, the lettering is on point, the cover is stellar and you’ve got the boring stuff done like obtaining the ISBN code done.
Congratulations!
Now, I hate to be the bearer of bad news. But your work has only begun. You have to put on a different ‘hat’. You have to put on your marketing hat to get your story out there. Especially if this is your first publication.
Your chances of getting picked up by a publisher on your 1st venture is low, especially since you’re not established yet. Don’t worry! This isn’t the end of the world! This just means that you’ll have to build your own following.
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I’m not here to fool you. Marketing is hard. There’s a lot of people out there trying to get attention. Especially in online spaces.
Marketing is a lot more than going on social media and saying “Hey! I got a new book out! Please come and buy it!” If you want to build a following, you have to earn people’s trust. You have to have something to offer.
Luckily, there’s many different ways you can do this! Let’s talk about how you can get started.
Free Content
Start by offering free content. If you have a 3 or 4 issue graphic novel ready, offer to give the 1st issue to people for free in exchange for their email! People can check out your work with no hassle and see if they like it. You can easily reach out to people in indie comic facebook groups. This is a really easy way to network and engage with your fans!
Reviews
Ask to get you book reviewed! There are many critics out there that are willing to read your book and offer their honest thoughts and opinion to their audiences. Some indie comic reviewers that I came across include:
Wednesday Night Reviews
Brian of Earth-16
The Pullbox
This is a really fast and easy way to gain more traction when it comes to building your audience.
You can also make appearances on podcasts! A lot of podcasters love having guests on their show. You can easily promote your work to their audience. Some awesome podcasts I’ve been on include
Pop Van Zants - Comic Related Madness
Critical Blast
Blogging
You should really do everything you can to give yourself exposure. It’s worthwhile to start a substack (or another type of blog) to connect with new followers. I myself have been on substack for a little over a month now. I’ve been posting reviews on comics, TV shows and movies as well as offering advice for indie comic creators. So far, I’ve gotten a couple of new subscribers.
It’s not perfect, but it’s a solid way to connect with those who are as passionate about comics as you are! And that’s worthwhile! Not just as a marketer but as a guy who loves having genuine conversations with people who love comics.
Youtube
Don’t limit yourself to substack or making blog posts. There’s a lot of other things you can do. You can even make a youtube channel! Making videos about your passion for comics and great storytelling is a fantastic way to boost your credibility and connect with others!
Social Media
In my experience, marketing on social media is hard. Like I mentioned before, it’s not enough to make a post and say “Hey! Come look at my book!” You have to do more. You have to invoke emotion. Ask yourself this before making a post. Why should anyone pick up your book? What makes your story and characters compelling? What value does your book have for others? Most people are very busy and work hard for their money. You’ll have to put in effort to convince others to pick up your material.
Also, keep in mind how social media is operating. For instance, there’s been talk that instagram boosts reels as oppose to posts. Which means you’ll get more exposure if you post a video as oppose to a picture on instagram. Keeping these algorithms in mind will help you save a lot of time and effort.
And a really fast and easy way to gain exposure is to make posts in indie comic groups on facebook. Many people will help. But you got to be committed to helping others too! Nobody likes a person who’s in it all for themselves.
Kickstarter
And lastly, you can think of crowdfunding websites as places where you can market you material. Again, when you make a kickstarter launch, it’s not enought to say ‘HEY! I got a great story! Come check it out!’ You have to try harder than that. I recommend including the 1st 5 pages of your story for your book and include 2 cover variants in your kickstarter campaign so that people can get a sense of what they’re getting into.
It also doesn’t hurt to have kick-ass rewards! Instead of just having print or digital rewards, consider having rewards that include bundles such as posters and stickers. I have this cool reward in my kickstarter campaign where backers get to be injected into the narrative. If they choose the ‘Tweaked as F@#$!’ reward, they’ll get to be featured as a superhuman character of their choice in future issues of Echoes of the Triumphant!
Conclusion
There’s probably even more ways to market that I haven’t considered. You can make posts on reddit. You can share other people’s work in exchange for them to share yours. Your marketing skills are limited by your imagination and hard work!
Make no mistake, marketing is not easy. I can promise you this. If you can connect with people who are as passionate about comics as you are, then the experience will be worthwhile!
Showcase yourself! Showcase your work! Be Awesome!
You’ll have more and more success the more fun you have!
That’s all of my thoughts. What do you think? Is there anything you’d do differently?
Leave a comment below and let us all know what you think!