Get a Successful Online Comic! 10 Ideas That Really Work
on't worry, we'll assume you already know what a webcomic is -- an online version of a comic strip (or a comic book) that you can read online instead of in a bookstore or a newspaper.
We're not going to assume you know how to make money off of them, however.
Why should we?
For ages people have been unable to wrap their heads around the idea of actually making money off art -- something that is considered an idea or a service -- in a world where commodities rule. Oil controls the stock market, food prices squeeze wallets, and while art is "nice", it's not a commodity.
Except, when you're just starting out, it is.
Realizing how your art (precious and unique as it may be) is actually a commodity will allow you to focus on the first impressions your website leaves on visitors. Learning this is a critical component to making your comic popular, and ultimately profitable!
How Many Webcomics Do You Read each Week?
Making money involves supply and demand. On the web, supply is infinite. demand... not so much.
es, art can command high prices. It has to -- why else would someone think that charging over $4000 for abstract splotches on a giant canvas is a good idea, no matter how lovely a shade of teal it is?
The thing is, everyone knows only well-known artists can do that. People will only pay so much unless they either really want it, or they know you're just that damn good that they know other people are willing to pay that much.
So, for at least the first year or so, your comic will be a commodity.
"Commodity" is not a dirty word. It just refers to an item that is only worth as much as other items like it. Most tangible items are commodities; most people are only willing to pay so much a price for a tin of coffee, a fillet of fish, or a drink of alcohol.
Smart readers will realize this isn't true. You're not going to play the same price for Starbucks as you will any other coffee, or the same price for random fish as you might pay for sushi... and we don't even need to talk about the insanity of the wine market!
Do the Research! - Lots of books on Making (and Selling) Comics abound!
No point in avoiding the research... why make mistakes when other people have already made them for you?
Why would anyone pay so much for this stuff?
Because we learn to discriminate based on taste.
It has only a little to do with quality, and much more to do with popularity, especially with what people think is popular.
eople who like Starbucks are willing to pony up the extra cash for coffee that's only marginally better than a much cheaper item. Everybody knows coffee can't possibly be so expensive that they need to charge three bucks a cup.
Yet that's what everybody pays.
People are lazy and only have so much patience (and money!) to spend looking for a high quality item. As a result, we mentally inspect everything we see for shortcuts to determine which items are good. If we are convinced enough, we will pay an additional cost to be assured that we have a high-quality item and to reimburse them for making our lives easier.
Starbucks may not have the best coffee, but they have "good enough" coffee that it is worth the three bucks a cup to have something we already know is a good item. The same principles apply to almost every other category with a "premium" item. Apple computers cost more, but they work so much better than the average Windows machine that it's worth the additional cost. Sushi is made by trained chefs and prepared to only serve the finest cuts. Wine has been treated and aged by professionals...
You get the idea.
So what's your comic going to be?
Be honest. Do you think your comic can become a premium comic right now, or is it just another commodity?
f you were to pluck the average man out of Bangladesh, put him into the typical American big-box supermarket, and offer him the opportunity to purchase instant coffee vs. freshly ground Starbucks coffee, he wouldn't know the difference between Starbucks Coffee and any other coffee. He would only see the price. And if there were no cues to tell him which one should be better -- like packaging, or popularity, or brand recognition -- he would likely end up picking the cheaper one, if any.
(Oh, and you'd have immigration on your butt faster than you could blink. You DID just bring a total stranger in from Bangladesh, after all.)
Likewise, a lot of folk who see your art online will not be purchasing from you unless you give them special clues that they SHOULD be. If you expect to make money off your comic, you have to make it look special enough to deserve it.
Art, like food, starts out as a commodity, and as it becomes better quality and you become better known, people will pay a premium, and the price of the items available are now prices you can control.
Need a Better Tip?
Check out how you can use Project Wonderful to make money from your comic while you're waiting to become famous!
Premium Comics -- Is It Possible Online?
Can Webcomics Make Money?
Books to Make Your Comic Premium!
Still having trouble figuring it all out?
t's fine. Like I said, it'll take time to make your webcomic successful.
In the meantime, it doesn't hurt to get your hands on as much research as possible... And if Last Res0rt isn't a good place to start, I don't know what is!
Like this lens? Let me know!
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