REGISTRATION IS CLOSED!
✦ Will return 2026 ✦
You Made a Book, Now What?
You’re making a great book. You have a publication or launch date.
But how do you get the word out about it? How do you get people to support you and, most importantly, BUY it?
Getting your story into the world shouldn’t feel like a mysterious black box—or a second full-time job.
By the end of the course, you’ll have a complete, step-by-step marketing plan customized to your book and your personality. You’ll also have a network of peers who’ll help you maintain momentum. And you’ll be well on your way to getting your book out into the world!
Whether your book hits shelves in a couple months… or you’re 1 to 2 years out, this class is for you if you want to:
Set Milestones
Plan a concrete timeline to effectively launch your book
Avoid Burnout
When you have lots of things to do and not a lot of time
Be Resourceful
Identify what works even when you have very little money
Stay Authentic
Promote yourself and your book (even if you’re an introvert)
Course Content
Timeline: Oct. 7th – Nov. 20th
This course includes six live lessons (Tuesdays at 1pm); office hours (Mondays, time vary); and special guest speakers. Everything will be recorded, so you can watch (or rewatch) the replay anytime.
Objectives:
- ➜Build an audience without relying on social media alone
- ➜Reach teachers, librarians, and parents (the ultimate decision-makers)
- ➜Grow your newsletter list and know what to say
- ➜Get online reviews and word-of-mouth recommendations
- ➜Make the most of your personal strengths, schedule, and budget
Syllabus:
| Lesson 1: Week of Oct 7th | The Quest: Understanding the Big Picture
✦ Trad vs self vs crowdfunding – do they need different marketing strategies? ✦ How to reach readers when you have to get past “gatekeepers” ✦ Understanding the difference between “discovery” vs “relationship” platforms ✦ Why email beats algorithms ✦ Are ads worth it? |
|---|---|
| Lesson 2: Week of Oct 14th | The Campfire: Your Homebase
✦ How can your website welcome different types of visitors and grow your list? ✦ What are the essential webpages you need ✦ How to create a “lead magnet” ✦ How to tie your “outposts” (ie, social media, interviews, Amazon page, etc) into your “homebase” |
| Lesson 3: week of Oct 21st | The Bard: Telling the Story of Your Story
✦ Deciding which formats and channels fit you ✦ How to recycle your work! ✦ Fundamentals of good copywriting ✦ Brand consistency without fuss ✦ Content planning that works for your schedule and personality |
| Lesson 4: week of Oct 28 | The Fellowship: Building Your Community (and Super Fans!)
✦ How (and why) to start growing your mailing list ✦ How to run a review push ✦ What is a “street team” and how to set one up ✦ Simple ideas to encourage preorders ✦ How to approach live events and appearances (at festivals, cons, bookstores, etc) ✦ How to set up effective school and library visits |
| Lesson 5: week of Nov 4th | The Gate & Gatekeepers: How to Get in Front of Other People’s Audiences
✦ How to research like a publicist ✦ Media kit essentials ✦ Are press releases dead? ✦ How to pitch podcasters, bloggers, reviewers, and other influencers ✦ What are “blurbs,” and how and when to request them ✦ My #1 recommended promo activity ✦ How to get in front of the most influential educator audiences |
| Lesson 6: week of Nov 11th | The Map: Putting Together Your Plan
✦ How to overcome overwhelm (ie, create a simple plan you’ll actually follow) ✦ Working backward from your pub date ✦ What’s most important about launch events, and how to plan them ✦ Understanding outcome vs process goals ✦ Planning a realistic schedule based on your personal energy ✦ Smart, low-budget ways to outsource |
| Week 7: week of Nov 20th |
Celebration!
By the end, you’ll have: ✦ A focused Launch Plan (2–3 core tactics with dates and metrics) ✦ A website or landing page with a mailing list signup ✦ A mailing list email welcome ✦ A press-ready media kit ✦ An outreach tracker ✦ A Minimum Viable Week routine to keep momentum without burning out |
Testimonials
“I find there are a lot of classes out there that are pitched towards beginners - which is wonderful - but after that, having a [Business-oriented] class like this that goes much deeper is amazing.”
—Sarah S.
"Anyone who wants to get their work out there and feels stuck, or just can't figure out what to do next, Janna can help.”
—Josh S.
“[Janna] gave us a roadmap to follow, plus invaluable feedback and resources we never would have found on our own."
—Kira M.
“Anybody starting out in graphic novels could save a lot of time, energy and angst by [working with Janna] instead of thrashing around on the internet looking for answers or consensus on how to proceed.”
—Amy L.
About Your Teacher
Janna Morishima
I’ve been working in publishing for 20+ years and have worn many, many hats! Way back in the early 2000s, I was a co-founding editor of Scholastic’s Graphix imprint, and worked with creators like Raina Telgemeier and Jeff Smith. I then worked as Kids Group Director for Diamond Book Distributors, advising publishers like Marvel, Dark Horse, and Oni Press about the kids market. While at Diamond I helped launch Françoise Mouly’s Toon Books imprint. After Diamond, I launched and managed a literacy initiative for the NYC Department of Education called “NYC Reads 365.”
I'm the founder of Kids Comics Unite and run my own literary agency, Janna Co. Over my career I’ve worked with all types of authors and illustrators, from debut to bestselling to self-published.
My favorite thing to do is coach writers and artists to reach their full potential. And also to make all aspects of marketing, publishing, and business less “scary” and more doable for creative people.
About the Guest Speakers
Ilise Benun
Ilise Benun is the founder of Marketing-Mentor.com, the go-to online resource for creative professionals. She is also a national speaker and author of 7 books, including "The Creative Professional's Guide to Money," and teaches online courses via Domestika.org and CreativeLive. Since 2008, she has hosted the Marketing Mentor Podcast and her newest project is her role as “Business Coach” for the Savannah College of Art & Design. Follow her @ilisebenun and get her Quick Tips at www.marketing-mentortips.com.
Ilise will be talking to us about how generosity, curiosity, and empathy are your best marketing tools.
Sam Kusek
Sam Kusek is Senior Outreach Lead for Comics at Kickstarter. His responsibilities include connecting with creators who are looking to bring exceptional projects to life on our platform, as well as providing guidance and support to ensure their campaigns thrive. Before Kickstarter, Sam served as the Special Projects Manager at BOOM! Studios, where he played a pivotal role in developing and managing Kickstarter campaigns. Prior to that, Sam was a Manga Reviewer at Pop Culture Shock’s Manga Recon, an Assistant Editor for Archaia, the events coordinator for comics retailer Comicazi, and an Operations Manager for James Tynion IV’s Tiny Onion Studios.
Janna and Patrick Lugo from KCU’s Crowdfunding Lab will be talking to Sam about Kickstarter best practices, and how to integrate crowdfunding with either traditional or self-published book launches.
Melissa Taylor
Melissa Taylor is the founder of award-winning children’s book review site Imagination Soup. She also writes for various clients such as Random House, Adobe Education, eBay, ALEX Toys, Imagine Toys, Scholastic Parent and Child, Babble, Sylvan Learning, Parenting Magazine, and others about education topics and children’s books. She’s the mom of two girls and a former award-winning bilingual teacher with an M.A. in Education. Currently, she consults with children’s authors and illustrators to improve their school visits with presentation tips and educational activities customized to their books, and also offers publicity, marketing, and author branding support.
Melissa will be talking to us on how to create memorable school visits and leverage them to help your book succeed.
Linette Kim
Linette Kim is the senior manager of school and library marketing and children’s publicity at Chronicle Books. Kim previously was senior marketing manager at Astra Books for Young Readers and has worked at Bloomsbury Children’s Books and Harlequin/HarperCollins.
Linette will be talking to us about how to tap the school and library market effectively, and how to coordinate with your publisher’s marketing and PR departments.
How to Launch
Your Graphic Novel
with Janna Morishima
7 weeks
Oct 7, 2025 – Nov 20, 2025
$900 OR
2 payments
of $450
-
- ✦ Six weeks of live sessions
- ✦ Video replays of all lessons that remain accessible after the course ends
- ✦ Hands-on assignments you can complete in under 2-6 hours per week
- ✦ Curated small peer group to connect with fellow creators for accountability, mutual support, and brainstorming
- ✦ Office hours with me, where you can ask me questions about your specific situation
- ✦ Templates and checklists for individual tactics
- ✦ Expert guest speakers (on topics like Amazon strategy, PR, school/library outreach)
- ✦ Final “Showcase Week” to celebrate your progress
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.
