Build an Author Platform to Fund your Indie Comics Dream
Developing my general ideas about a structure that a new creator could use as inspiration for their plan. Everyone has different strengths and weaknesses, but for everyone having a plan is helpful. The main goal is to make your project into a book.
1) Build a reach
2) Gather a mailing list
3) Crowdfund
4) Online Store
5) Ads for the Store
These five steps are rough ideas you should give some thought to when you start building your plan. You can modify your plan as different opportunities arise but give some thought about the end goal from the get-go. This helps you choose different options along the way.
I am very early in my process, developing the look and this Substack is performing in three functions; it tries to help indie creators, it networks with said creators and ultimately might add to my reach when I am funding my book.
Adam Lawson has a good structure built for all the steps in mind.
He has good Author Platform for Gifted Rebels
Facebook page GiftedRebels
TikTok GiftedRebels
Youtube Gifted Rebels
These are ways when you build and have a reach to point people at. When you start, you will not have products to sell, but you can start making connections. Build an Author Platform
Build a reach
Reach is your ability to get and retain attention. The more involved people are the better. This means both getting more eyes to your project and your vision as well as keeping people entertained, creating more rewarding experience, and ultimately helping you fund your project.
Entertaining content is key here, having contacts (network) helps to get your content out there helps.
Repetition is the key, so from the start do test out things that give you happiness. It will make proceedings much easier. Going back to the start talking point, do have an Author Platform you can use to point people at when you go around.
While on stream with How to Draw Comics . NET
Writing In Layouts (With Adam Lawson) | Draw Out Your Comic Book Script
Adam can point to his Substack
And in this case to his Indiegogo Campaign Kids & Monsters
If you get someone’s notice plan out how you give them opportunity to follow you and build a connection through an Author Platform
Gather a mailing list
A way to connect to your readership through a mailing list is the key to both gain attention and keep connected. Who sign-up chooses how interested they ultimately are, but in general they have at least some interests due the fact that they have signed up at all.
The main thing first, it serves everyone best if you provide your mailing list what they signed up for.
Email list is something you control. Using it you control how your funding develops. You can offer deals, get people more involved, create a feel that people are served a premium service and so forth.
Your Author Platform is the best place to gather Emails. While crowdfunding sites offer this, your page is the place where people who are most interested about you and your creation are.
When you build a mailing list you own, you can always learn new ways to advertise through and use any platform that has good foot traffic. If you change from crowdfunding site to another, you do not start from zero.
Crowdfund
There are few ways that make people more inspired than a crowd of people coming and supporting a new creator making their dreams true. Getting funded is hard so you need to have reasonable aims.
Adam Lawson has his Kids & Monster campaign up on Indiegogo
The campaign is funded and doing moderately well. The amount he has as a goal cannot pay all the costs but for this aim it is enough as he has the structure built.
As the campaign goes on, he has done a great amount of networking on youtube shows. Even offering insight about having the aftermarket in the form of Shopify.
Michael Bancroft Teach me How to Shopify + Kids & Monsters w/ Adam Laswon
I am thinking here that even while you are in a direct funding step, doing your crowdfunding, your plan and Author Platform helps you to build long-term support for your books.
Online Store
Your Author Platform is the best place to sell your stuff after your campaign. Always serve your backers first, keep them informed and offer them everything you produce.
Some Merchandising does not hurt ever.
Adam Lawson has shirts on his Gifted Rebels Author Platform
While these are not the books you are creating, having nice things people can wear and ways to support you is good for everyone.
Ads for the Store
And as a final point to round everything to the start. All online advertising works through links. You build an interesting image and have a link from there to go to your Author Platform or directly to Print on Demand service.
Google, Facebook etc. ads work so that you set a price for a “click”. So, the ads will be shown to people who might be interested in your content. How different platforms choose who to show your ads depends on their algorithm. You pay per click and after that you aim to convert as many as possible into sales. So, having a clear and interesting Author Platform is great here. This also means that ads do not really work for the crowdfunding step, as there is an additional hurdle for customers to give you money. When you have a good product to offer, ads can be made to work for you, but that is a different topic.
Now just underlying that it is important to have an Author Platform
Cheers
-Tomi