ATTN: Comic Creators - How to sell comics in a Bad Economy, Super Human Resources from APE Entertainment Options

[James Sime]

While CNN reports on the stock market crashes, while FOX talks about the deteriorating economy, while the paper is full of stories of retailers and restaurants closings, while Newsarama and CBR run yet another story on the ever-increasing price of comics and the world-wide tightening of comic retailer belts...

How does a indy comic creator like yourself make your new book sell in the already-crowded direct market? How do you catch those cynical retailers' eyes and make them gamble on your little-engine-that-could book? How do you stand out from the crowd among hundreds of pages of other books all competing for the same few retail dollars? What can a tiny unknown indy creator like yourself do to make sure we retailers even see this shit and actually order it when those due-next-Tuesday (12/02) online retailer pre-orders are due?!

This, my friends, this is how you do it:


I got this in the mail today. 7 days before my orders are placed. These guys really nailed the world's best timing with this one (I can't tell you how many times I've gotten these kind of things too late for initial orders, huge waste of money!). The package was addressed to my shop, with a big fat "ATTN: James Sime" on the front of it. That's nice, I like to know they give a crap who is going to be spending his hard earned American dollars on their book. And although I won't use this poster, other retailers probably will, and I definitely appreciate the money and effort that went into the package.

All around perfect timing & perfect packaging.


Whoa! This preview book is full color? On glossy paper? Gorgeous!

But to be honest, it doesn't need to be quite so slick. What's most important here is this first-page pitch (which I think is really great in this case, by the way) and the fact that I'm getting to read this thing before those orders are due. I only know a few of these creators by name (GUN FU's Joey Mason on colors, anybody? Cool.) but it doesn't matter... I'm getting to read this thing right here, right now. And you'd better believe that SUPER HUMAN RESOURCES from APE Entertainment is going to be fresh in my head 7 days from now when I place my orders.


It's a fun book! And check out those hot Joey Mason colors!


I cut off the Joe Kelly quote on the back cover (even though it was a good one) because I wanted to highlight the smartest portion of this entire package... the please contact us to read the entire series part. You mean it's all done?! It's going to come out regularly once it hits (kinda rare in the world of indy comics)?! Seriously. I can actually read the whole thing right now?!

It also doesn't hurt that they're reminding me to order their book in the December 2008 Previews (that's my funnybook retailer order form). And hey, aren't those orders due next week? I said it before and I'll say it again... perfect timing!

Nicely done guys. Really nicely done.

(standing ovation)

This post has been edited by James Sime: Nov 25 2008, 09:18 PM

[junbobkim]

Good job, Ape! Thanks, James for sharing this with us.

[Geeky White Guy]

Wow. That is beautiful. Nice going Super Human Resources!! Good luck to them. If this is any indication...it looks like they've really got their shit together.

Good Art + Good Story + Good Business Smarts = Best chance for a successful book.

[Wood]

Very cool to see, I thought the guys had a lot of energy on the recent Indy Spotlight episode, too.

[Gargoyle]

What a great way to get retailers on side, very smart indeed.

[kenm223]

Thanks James. You really made my day. I appreciate the kind words. I actually feel a strange, warm sensation in the dark, cold place I call my heart.

A little backstory for anyone interested. Or drunk:

All in all, the whole mailer cost me a little under a grand. A 10 page preview printed from Ka-Blam, 5 postcards, a poster and a color letter. To about 280 indie friendly stores. Will it work? No idea. Was it smart financially? Probably not. (Do. Not. Tell. My. Wife.)

But my only goal--not to make a ton of money or to get a Hollywood option-- is to get our comic in as many comic stores as possible. Simple as that. And this message gives me hope that it actually might work.

James, would you mind if I posted this link on CBIA? It would be a great help to us, coming from a retailer POV. And a helpful topic of conversation. I won't do it without your permission, of course.

Thanks again. And have a great turkey day.

Wait. Almost forgot to whore myself, what with all the euphoric endorphins flowing. Don't forget to ask your favorite, awesome-ist LCS, like say, Isotope, to order Super Human Resources in the Dec Previews from Ape Entertainment.

ken

This post has been edited by kenm223: Nov 26 2008, 01:53 AM

[James Sime]

James, would you mind if I posted this link on CBIA? It would be a great help to us, coming from a retailer POV. And a helpful topic of conversation. I won't do it without your permission, of course.

Feel free, Ken.

It's a nice looking book. I'll be featuring this preview on the Isotope's "shelf of the future" until #1 comes out (and then it'll be going into my personal collection). With Marvel, DC, and Image all dropping the first-look programs recently, I think it's a great opportunity for indy creators to get their books noticed at my shop (and probably a bunch of others that also display the first-looks loud and proud), my customers have all had a few years getting trained to check that shelf each week and would love to see more first-looks. And that "shelf of the future" definitely sells comics!

Feel free to mail your preview copies to:

Isotope
326 Fell St
San Francisco, CA
94102

[kenm223]

Will do. The future shelf is a great idea. Thanks again for the kind words,
ken

[Ultimate Thor]

Just seeing pictures of that preview copy has me interested. I really really like the look of the art. It's now on my radar!

[Sime]

I'll be ordering this. I can't not support a book that has a package like that and it looks bloody cool. Great work on the what looks like a cool book and great work James for the thread as I hadn't gotten round to listening to the CGS episode (hard not to get behind with the output they have) so I might have missed this.

Edit: Just looked at the site for it. Man, I am excited to read this. It looks like the sort of fun I need to break up the pissing and moaning I like to do post event.

This post has been edited by Sime: Nov 26 2008, 08:26 AM

[JamFool]

This book looks great!

I'm still gutted though that I'm going to have to throw away my 'Inhuman Resources' pitch I'd been working on for months. Oh well, back to the drawing board.

It is great to see a comic trying so hard to get into customers hands. Good luck. I shall certainly be hunting it out.

[kfreeman]

Trust me, guys. This is funny, funny stuff. I'm tickled that Ken and Co. have put this together.

[csyeung]

APE is a great bunch of guys. I've met Brent and Dave before and they really got a good model going for indy comics.

[UnderNoMoon]

This is the first book that I have ever made the effort to mention to my LCS to make sure I got a copy.

I forget where I first heard of it, but after the Indy Spotlight I knew I wanted to read it.

Looking forward to it.

[Wraithmaker]

Hey James, I'm still in the infant stages of my book, but would you carry my self published book if I do some of those things? I don't know if I could do posters and all that stuff, but at least a Preview copy or two.

Working at a comic shop, I think I have an advantage 'cuz the bosses said they'd carry my book.