Some Words On A Sunday -A NOT Sunday Comics Rant

 

It is rather interesting that Independent (for the 1000th time Dark Horse, Image, etc are NOT Independents but mainstream companies) comic publishers say that they sell far more books at real life events than they do online.

Not surprising. My online prices were at the absolute minimum from 2010 until last year when giving books away had still not attracted readers. For that matter neither had favourable blog reviews. The only way I made money was at Small Press events and I chose those because the table price was £10.00 not a comic event table at £150-200+

At a comic event people can look through the preview issues and then decide whether they want to buy which is understandable. I made more sales and money at the Cafe Kino small press event and one other -Bus Stop zine event?- than I did via the online store.

Even sharing a table with Paul Ashley Brown was no hurdle to selling even though I did criticise his fashion sense and haircut.

Unfortunately, the very year the old Bristol International Comic Expo was under new management it died a sudden death...due to the new even organisers.  So Bristol has not had a comic based event in 10 (?) years now. This means that selling options are..non-existent.

If you do publish independently then try getting a table at the smaller events -what can you lose? This applies where ever you live although the UK seems to have very local and clique events that rarely allow anyone from "outside" in. The only other option is stage your own one day event if you can find a location.