Two years of living Graphic Novelly – 6

Welcome to the world of self-publishing.

Before moving on to my next novel, which is by the way, in first written draft and soon to be storyboarded (happy days – I can draw compulsively again), I wish to speak a little to my quest for publication. In trying to publish the Oracles of the Dead, at first by submitting to publishers and then to looking in to self-publishing, I had another learning curve.

It is very, very hard to get a publisher interested in you. It is like there is secret key but no one is telling what the key is. Many books purport to show you insider secrets in publishing and give how to lectures on writing your submission. In the end, the message seems to be that in order to get published you have to be published. Rather circular isn’t it.

There has been a sea change in publishing given the impact that e-books have had on paper copy book sales and the impact of internet use on current and potential readers. Some of the advantages for graphic novelists is that the cost of printing full colour books is no longer an issue (no pun intended). Electronic versions of graphic novels are likely to be more colourful and have more beautiful artwork given that they did not have to be translated into printer ink. For publishers, making money on a book is difficult at the best of times and in today’s publishing world small presses are folding. A number of presses that might have looked at graphic novels in the past seem to be shrinking, while the number of graphic novelists is growing.

In the world of graphic novel publication, the popular wisdom is that you need to self-publish first. If you follow that route, there is a lot to learn. Fortunately, the self-help section of the world is ready for you. There are a number of books that do offer good advice and walk you through the process. You need to get an ISBN code, decide on whether to print or have the book strictly downloadable. Whether you print or e-publish, it will cost you. There are also a lot of predators out there offering quick solutions to self-publishing and you need to be cautious about selecting this option.

A couple of the best books on self-publishing that I have come across so far are these:

-The complete guide to self-publishing comics : how to create and sell comic books, manga, and webcomics.

By Love, Comfort and Withers, Adam

-Self publishing in Canada: a complete guide to designing, printing and selling your book.

By Anderson, Suzanne,

One of the beauties of publishing in Canada is that the ISBN codes are free.

So, a word to the wise in this enterprise: Expect to keep on learning and learning!