Post History

Source: https://writers.stackexchange.com/q/44757
License name: CC BY-SA 3.0
License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

Source: https://writers.stackexchange.com/q/44757
License name: CC BY-SA 3.0
License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

## Situation:

- 5 year comic book series (by my spouse; I do marketing, website, etc)
- 4 issues a year (in theory...it's been slower)
- Issues are available as e-comic only
- Every 4 issues is collected into a book
- Books are available as e-books _and_ as trade paperbacks
- Traditional (small) publisher (in UK, we are in US) but one who does no marketing

The 3rd issue is coming out in a couple weeks. The 4th issue and first book will be out this summer.

The goal is to make money. Yeah yeah, it's to get this lovely work out to the public, etc, etc...but the reality is it's going to take a lot just to break even. We pay nothing for publication of course but we paid the artists, and that's a lot. If we can break even, my spouse can continue writing without killing our family budget.

**Where do we put our marketing emphasis?**

Both the e-comic issues and the books will be listed on the website, on social media, and mentioned on promotional bookmarks and other materials. But what is the best focus for selling more and encouraging new readers?

We don't have any numbers yet for the e-comic and the first book isn't out yet. We make more royalties from book sales, but the exact amounts are unknown. About $7-10 per paper book we sell direct to consumer (like at conventions, book signings), probably $5 for books sold in stores. A couple dollars for e-books. E-comics we get $0.50/issue.

# How do we best focus our marketing efforts?

Original score: 6