The end of summer 2021 won’t be the end of the evolution of our industry. Billions of dollars are being invested into digital comics. Creators are pushing for more rights and revenue for their work. Shifting platforms will require every book to cater to their niche audience. Check out all the details and links below.
Education
The Comics Publishing Institute
(Nightlife Publishing)
The Action Labs Comic contract debacle is part of a thread that runs through the history of comics. That's why the first class from the Comics Publishing Institute on September 13th will start an ongoing series teaching creators about contracts.
Distribution
(Comics Beat)
Just two months ago, a new comics crowdfunding platform that offers a complete suite of services for people looking to get their comics projects out into the world, and a lot of people seem to want what Zoop is offering.
Mobile Comics Gets Another Billion Dollar Player
(Forbes)
Kauaikan invests in popular series, using AI technology and big data analysis to promote the expansion of content creation capability, improve the distribution efficiency of content industry, and accelerate the integration of content industry and the Internet.
The Move to Creator Owned Comics Could Be Bad for the Big Two
(Screen Rant)
It's clear that the future of comics lies with creator-owned services. It's just a matter of time before other companies offer lucrative and enticing deals like Tynion and other creators have received at Substack.
Comixology Submit Will Merge into Kindle Direct Publishing
(Comics Beat)
KDP is a proven powerful tool for authors who want to self-publish while still taking advantage of Amazon’s huge reach. As ComiXology is integrated into Amazon’s “experience”, it seems there could be chances for more visibility as well.
Marketing
Everything You Need to Know about Direct Competitor Research
(MailChimp)
If you want to stay ahead of other creators who offer comics similar to yours, you need to pay proper attention to what they’re doing. Digging into some direct competitor research is a useful exercise no matter where you are in your trajectory. You can read more about competitor research for comics in the post What is the Competition for Your Comic?
Legal
How the Black Widow Battle Could Break the Mold
(The Hollywood Reporter)
The Black Widow case could spur more lawsuits from others, but its biggest impact may end up being on the psyche of dealmakers. Everyone is now suddenly realizing that ambiguity in contracts has become less tolerable.
Clarity is key in contracts. Customs and connections are not enforceable.
Motivation
(Writer Unboxed)
Success isn’t linear. Trends come and go. Editors, agents, and publishers come and go. But a career author (and comic book creator) gets this—they know they have to play the long game.
Have fun with your comic.
Gamal
If you have questions about the business or legal aspects of your comic book publishing and you'd like a free consultation, please contact me and we can set something up that fits in with your schedule.
PLEASE NOTE: THIS BLOG POST IS NOT A SUBSTITUTE FOR LEGAL ADVICE. IF YOU HAVE AN ISSUE WITH YOUR COMIC PROPERTY, DISCUSS IT WITH A QUALIFIED CONTRACT ATTORNEY OR CONTACT C3 FOR A FREE CONSULTATION