How do indie comic writers publish consistently? With budgetary constraints, is incorporating quality art a barrier for everyone?

[u/TonyMarsBackup]

I'm curious about the methods of indie authors who release multiple issues per year. A single issue can cost thousands of dollars to illustrate, and rightfully so.

So how do people accomplish this? Can all of the consistent publishers simply afford it, or are there other ways?

I'd especially love to hear from creators who've found sustainable ways to publish without sacrificing the quality of their work or underpaying artists.

[u/jman0708]

I’m working on my first book and I’ve been considering this heavily. It’s a four issue mini series.

If you want to employ professional talent it’s going to cost you time, money, or both.

Time in the sense of learning to illustrate yourself or putting aside money while working your day job. Comic publishing is just a very capital intensive business. You either have money or you don’t. If you want to grow the business to a sustainable point, you need enough runway to grow a readership that allows you to break even.

For me that’s saving up enough till I can produce four issues out of pocket. Then setup the campaign for issue 1. If things go well I’ll keep the momentum going and get the campaign for issue 2 started the moment issue 1 is being fulfilled. If it doesn’t go well I accept the loss and reevaluate if I want to continue or not.

For you it might look different. You need to figure out your story and then budget out what it will take to produce it. Unless you are independently wealthy, you probably can’t go the route of monthly ongoing.

[u/Icon_Charlie → u/jman0708]

This is the right answer. The industry is brutal against indies.

[u/nogimmick2]

I'm in the process of publishing my second indie comic through Kickstarter. The first comic was a learning experience and took four years to produce and publish. I could have saved two years if I would have produced it knowing Kickstarter was the best option for publishing rather than wasting time on pitching one issue to some indie companies.

What worked for me (and what works for a substantial portion of the indie Kickstarter ecosystem):

1. Spend thousands of dollars producing your first comic. Your best value will be talent from countries with lower costs of living.

2. Set up a Kickstarter campaign for that comic. First, learn how to market your comic and educate yourself on Kickstarter.

3. If your campaign succeeds, invest any extra money you earned into your next issue. If you had fun and have an audience, create another issue, repeat.

At the first time, indie creator level, your best bet is to create a single issue or a small miniseries to see if there's an audience for your work and to learn the ropes. Don't shoot for the moon on your first outing. With each comic you produce, you will learn valuable lessons that will serve you for your next issue.

Good luck!

[u/Klemc48]

I do all aspects of my books from writing to art, so my perspective is a little different, but I'm always working on multiple things. So it might seem like things are coming out quickly, but Thing 1 was in the final stages while Thing 2 was being drawn, etc. I don't sacrifice quality, no matter what - the book will be published and in print for likely a long time, better make it last from the start.

As far as cost, I have a separate job (professional musician and teacher) that helps, but when it comes to paying for my supplies, I have it tiered: paper is the most important and where I spend the most money > then inking supplies > then coloring > then pencils/etc. A lot of these last a long time, so I'm not constantly spending money.

Now, if I ever did hire help, I would save up while working on things I can be doing (for example, the script) so it's all ready to go when I'm at that point.