Working on your craft can be challenging, but also immensely fulfilling. Getting better at storytelling and drawing and all the other aspects of comics creation takes tons of effort and time, so why are you willing to invest so much energy into it?
Most likely, because it feels deeply satisfying.
For most people, though, there’s something else that is equally fulfilling: the moment when a reader has a strong response to your work. It can literally bring tears to your eyes when a kid shows, in some visceral way, how much your story meant to them.
But there’s a gap between the work of “crafting an impactful story” and “encountering a reader who was impacted by it.”
Once you’ve made your story (or even as you’re in the process of making it), you have to take action so that people will find out about it and read it.
This “action” is called “marketing” or “promotion”… and I’m willing to bet that those two words do not fill your heart with enthusiasm and joy!!!
However, I’m afraid that promoting your work is essential to get from point A of “crafting an impactful story” to point B of “encountering a reader who was impacted by it.” Even if you’re working with a traditional publisher that has a marketing department, the lion’s share of promotion — or at least, the most effective promotion — falls on you.
In my experience, most creators tend to feel more dread than joy at the prospect of “getting out there and promoting.” But if you don’t figure out some ways to put your work out into the world and connect with readers, your book is very likely to die on the vine. The market is flooded with books. There is just way too much competition to expect readers to discover your work purely on its merits.
But don’t despair!!
I am INCREDIBLY EXCITED to announce that I’ll be teaching a new course in the fall called How to Launch Your Graphic Novel. I’m launching the course with a free masterclass where I’ll explain ALL the fundamentals you need to know about how to get your work out into the world and build an audience.
Here are some of the things I’ll be covering:
- What is the timeline for launching a book
- How can you avoid burnout
- What if you have don’t have much of a budget
- What if you’re an introvert
I promise, you can still find ways to connect with readers and spread the word about your book even if you have only a little bit of time, not much money to spend, and you hate public speaking or don’t use social media.
If you want to learn more, please sign up for the free masterclass on Saturday, September 27th!
