✦ Register from June 2nd-July 2nd✦
A hands-on course for graphic novel creators who want their book
to reach readers, gain momentum, and grow a long-term audience.
You won’t just learn how to promote your book.
You’ll leave with your launch actually built.
IMPORTANT NOTE!: Don’t buy through an iOS device! The payment plan isn’t available via iOS.
Buy via a desktop computer, browser, or Android. You can then access the course through an iOS device if you want to.
Have you been thinking…
“I know I should be marketing my book… but I don’t know where to start”
“I don’t have a mailing list / I don’t know where to find my ideal readers”
“I feel behind and overwhelmed!”
Move from “I’m stuck” to “I have a plan and am getting things done!”
Most creators think marketing means being sales-y or constantly online.
It doesn’t mean that at all. The most important thing is to think in systems.
What are the handful of actions that you can take on a regular basis that build relationships with your ideal readers? How can you connect each of your actions to each other in a way that they “snowball”?
By the end of the HTLYGN course, you’ll have:
- A strong author-illustrator website with media kit
- A working newsletter + welcome email
- An effective outreach list + template emails
- A marketing timeline tied to your pub date
- A small group of peers for mutual support*
* Many past students say the peer group was the most valuable part of the course. These are fellow creators who may become part of your core support team over the course of the rest of your career.
What past students actually built:
Revamped Website
Steve Troop’s Melonpool webcomic site before the course; and after the course.
“As a result of this course, I put the webcomic up and have a coherent site to back it up.” — Steve Troop
Launched a Webcomic
Laura Edwards launched her Friendlydale webcomic!
“Launched my website and newsletter! That was a goal of mine for 2025 and this course helped me actually do it.”— Laura Edwards
Newsletters
Awesome Substack newsletters by students Kerilynn Wilson and Shanda McCloskey. (Their newsletters are fun and informative about building a career as an author-illustrator; you should subscribe!)
Events
Two bookstore events that Nadine Takvorian organized to share her book, Armaveni.
“I have some book launch dates scheduled and even cold-emailed an author to be my conversation partner for one of the launch dates.”— Nadine Takvorian
Email Marketing
Leo Quiles’ mailing list signup on his website.
“Added a ‘join my mailing list’ action to my website and started building my list.”— Leo Quiles
Even if you only do the core assignments, you’ll move forward in a meaningful way. By the end of HTLYGN, you’ll have a clear launch strategy, strong marketing materials, and a small group of peers to help you keep going.
The Course Deets
Timeline: July 7th — August 15th
This course is designed to help you make steady, meaningful progress…without feeling overwhelmed.
We’ll move step by step through the core pieces of your launch, with short lessons, clear assignments, and live support along the way.
The course runs over 6 weeks:
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- ➜Short, pre-recorded lessons you can watch on your own time
- ➜Simple, practical assignments each week
- ➜Live Saturday working sessions (2–4 pm ET) to make real-time
progress, ask questions, and get feedback - ➜A small peer group for accountability and support
What we’ll cover each week:
| Week 1: | The big picture + your core materials
✦ We’ll zoom out and look at how book marketing actually works — especially in the kids graphic novel space. ✦ You’ll clarify your audience (hint: it’s not just kids), and create a simple, effective 1-pager you can use for all types of outreach. ✦ Saturday Afternoon Office Hour/Work Session |
|---|---|
| Week 2: | Your website (your home base)
✦ You’ll learn what actually needs to be on your author-illustrator website — and what doesn’t. ✦ By the end of the week, you’ll have a clear, welcoming site with a media kit and book page. ✦Saturday Afternoon Office Hour/Work Session |
| Week 3: | Your mailing list + early audience
✦ We’ll focus on the most important marketing tool you own: your email list. ✦ You’ll set up (or improve) your newsletter, write a welcome email, and start building your first circle of readers and supporters. ✦Saturday Afternoon Office Hour/Work Session |
| Week 4: | Content + showing up online
✦ We’ll talk about what to share, where to share it, and how to make it manageable. ✦ You’ll create a simple content plan you can actually stick to, without feeling like you have to be everywhere all the time. ✦Saturday Afternoon Office Hour/Work Session |
| Week 5: | “Catch up” week
✦Take time to work on any elements of the framework you haven’t completed yet. |
| Lesson 6: | Outreach + your launch plan
✦ We’ll bring everything together, so each piece of the puzzle reinforces the others. ✦ You’ll build your outreach list (schools, libraries, influencers, media), draft emails, and map out a timeline tied to your publication date. |
Built to be manageable
Each week, you’ll have clear instructions on the “minimum viable steps” that move your launch forward.
If that’s all you do, you’re still making real progress. Everything else is there if you want to go deeper, and you’ll have access to all the course materials after the course wraps up, so you can finish things on your own time.
You won’t be doing it alone
One of the most important things I’ve learned over several decades in publishing is that while writing and creating art may be a solo endeavor, everything else about building a career as an author-illustrator requires community. You need friends and mentors who understand what you’re trying to do and who can help you keep going when things get confusing or difficult.
One of the most important aspects of this course, therefore, is helping you build connections with fellow creators.
Throughout the course, you’ll be supported by:
- Live working sessions where you can ask questions and get feedback
- A small peer group (3–5 creators) for accountability and encouragement
- A shared student directory so you can easily connect with others
Many past students say the peer group alone was one of the most valuable parts of the experience.
Who I am
(and what I see behind the scenes)
Janna Morishima
Literary Agent
I am a literary agent with decades of experience in the graphic novel industry. I see a lot of what actually works (and what doesn’t). For example:
- What publishers expect authors to do (but don’t necessarily tell them)
- Why many book launches underperform
- What separates authors who get re-signed for more books vs. not
I’m passionate about helping creators get outside their comfort zone and share their stories with readers who’ll love them.
Marketing is not rocket science; it’s actually not difficult to understand at all. If you can connect with people, you can help your book. But we all have different ways of connecting; the key is to find what works for YOU and focus on that, while ignoring all the other “you must do XYZ!!” noise that’s out there.
This course is best for you if you:
- Have a project that will be published in the next year or two
- Are willing to dedicate a few hours a week implementing
- Want a long-term career, not just a one-off launch
Graphic novels being launched by past students
Miles & Jones: The Anaconda Attack by César Lador; Armaveni by Nadine Takvorian; The Faint of Heart by Kerilynn Wilson; The Riceball Fairy by Michelle Lin; WildCats by Crystal Velasquez and Eva Cabrera; Welcome to the Forest: the Lake Trip by Katie Risor; Three Bee Honey by Desi & Jon St. Amant; Hell on Wheels by Cheyenne Smith
How to Launch
Your Graphic Novel
with Janna Morishima
July 7, 2026 – August 15, 2026
6 Weeks
$900
You have the option to split the course cost into two payments. If you pay in two installments, any discount, including the early bird discount, will be credited to the first installment.
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- ✦ 6-week cohort-based course with short video lessons + live working sessions
- ✦ Step-by-step assignments designed to fit into a busy creative schedule (2–6 hrs/week)
- ✦ Small peer group for accountability, support, and creative encouragement
- ✦ Live co-working + office hour sessions to help you make progress each week
- ✦ Lesson replays + transcripts with ongoing access after the course ends
- ✦ Templates, checklists, spreadsheets, and outreach tools you can reuse for future launches
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IMPORTANT NOTE!: Don’t buy through an iOS device! The payment plan isn’t available via iOS.Buy via a desktop computer, browser, or Android. You can then access the course through an iOS device if you want to.
FAQ
One of the biggest reasons I teach this course is for creators who feel exactly this way.
HTLYGN is designed around steady, manageable progress, not trying to do everything at once. The lessons are also broken into short, focused videos (usually 7–20 minutes each), so you can fit them into your schedule more easily and revisit exactly what you need later.
Each week includes a “minimum viable” assignment that we’ll work on together. If you just do this one thing, you’ll move your launch forward in a meaningful way and leave the course with valuable marketing assets in place.
One of the biggest mindset shifts we work on is reframing marketing as relationship-building, storytelling, and helping people discover work they’ll genuinely connect with. (After all, don’t you love it when a friend recommends a book you adore?)
The course is especially focused on practical, sustainable marketing approaches that feel more natural for creators:
- building a website that clearly communicates who you are
- connecting with readers and gatekeepers over time
- creating outreach systems you can reuse
You do not need to be loud, extroverted, or constantly online for this course to help you.
You absolutely do not need to be an extrovert to build a successful creative career. In fact, many successful graphic novel creators are deeply introverted, shy, or neurodivergent.
HTLYGN is designed to help you build systems and structures that work with your personality instead of against it.
Not at all. While many students are traditionally published (or preparing for traditional publication), the course is also very helpful for self-published creators, webcomics, and crowdfunding.
The core principles — building your platform, connecting with readers, developing outreach systems, and creating sustainable marketing habits — apply across many different publishing paths.
Yes. While many examples will come from the US publishing industry (especially around schools, libraries, and conventions), the core strategies in the course are much broader than that.
Things like building a strong website, growing a newsletter, developing outreach systems, connecting with influencers, and building long-term creative relationships are useful anywhere. And if you’re a creator from outside the US, your perspective will enrich the discussions for everyone.
Finances are a real consideration, especially for those of us in creative fields. One thing I encourage people to think about is whether the course could help you build foundational systems that will support your creative career over the long term. If this is the case, it could be worth the investment.
We do offer a 30% discount for students, financial hardship, and international parity. If you’d like to get the discount code, email hello@kidscomicsunite.com.
This course is probably a good fit if you have a graphic novel (or visual storytelling project) you’re actively developing. Ideally you have a publication/launch date set.
The key is that you’re ready to start taking small, consistent steps toward connecting your work with readers. And of course, that you’re open to implementing what you learn, even imperfectly.
You don’t need a huge following, previous publishing experience, or a polished online presence. Many students join specifically because they don’t have those things yet, and want guidance building them. If you want to build a long-term creative career, this course will help you start putting the pieces in place.
