Self-Publishing your Comic Book

Self-publishing takes a lot of time and effort if you really want to make a name for yourself.  Steven Forbes says that when you’re self-publishing you may not reach to the level of DC and Marvel comics. You need to research on how other comics are doing, such as how many chapters other artists are releasing each week, what genres they are in, which audience they are directed to etc. Come up with a name that is memorable for your company, and save money for a lawyer. Hiring a lawyer will save you time and catch on things you miss regarding copyright or trademarks. “A trademark ™ is something that protects the intellectual property of your concept, name, and logo. A copyright © protects the intellectual properties of your story, script, and visual representation.” [1] Another form of copyright is the poorman’s copyright. It does not necessarily work because of the many loopholes, so it is better to save the money and get a copyright.

Advertise yourself and put your ideas on shirts, pins, stickers, etc. on websites like ThreadBird. Lull Mengesha shows how to self publish a book in his video in three simple steps: get a copyright, an ISBN number or barcode, and a print on demand publisher. [2] An example of a print on demand publisher is Kablam. A comic artist will have to use one of the various template provided by the website and make sure their work is within the boundaries. They can then send the files to Kablam and order as many copies as they want after they check that the first copy came out well. Kablam also has another site called IndyPlanet where comic artists can share and sell their comics. Some artists sell their comics digitally as well on sites such as CreateSpace, Lulu, or ones specifically made for comics like DigitalManga. 

Sources:

[1] Forbes, Steven. (2009, February 24). Week 24 – Self-Publishing. Retrieved from http://forums.projectfanboy.com/archive/index.php/t-2578.html

[2] Mengasha, Lull. (2010, February 20). Self Publishing a Book Explained in One Minute. [Youtube]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LL6KiC7i0Mk&feature=BFa&list=WLA61C50F1B715E315