This weekend my twitter feed was flooded with fantastical tales and whimsical images from Wonder Con. This can only mean one thing: convention season is here again.
These days conventions are an essential part of my job, but I still remember my first experiences in Artists Alley. The good and the bad– I remember.
So I’d like to share with you three common and COSTLY mistakes to avoid this year.
Sabotage Your Sales in Artists Alley by Spending Too Much on Merchandise:
If you’ve ever attended a convention, you’ll know that Artists Alley is often the most creative part of a show floor. Hundreds of artists gather to exhibit and sell their art. It’s overwhelming– comics, posters, commissions, tee shirts, buttons. Everywhere you look, bright colors, beautiful art and creative ideas.
And so when it is your turn to buy table space in artists alley, you remember all of the different things you’ve seen there and feel pressed to keep up with the Joneses. Sure, you’ve never exhibited at a show before, but aren’t you expected– I mean if you’re serious about it– to have tee shirts? And buttons! And what if your brand new issue #1 sweeps the show floor as the “cannot miss” item of the weekend?
You would hate to run out of comics then, wouldn’t you?
Slow down. Re-evaluate. Ask yourself smart questions before you begin throwing hundreds of dollars into merchandise.
Do people already read your comic or is this a brand new product? Readerships take awhile to build. So until you know that there will be lines of fans waiting for your autograph at a show, go easy on the book orders. They are expensive. And it’s hard to sell a tee shirt of your character to people who have never even heard of your comic.
Don’t put the cart before the horse.
Make sure the kinds of merchandise and the amounts you order make sense. If you’re lucky, you’ll sell out of books, but that’s a good problem to have.
And an easy one to fix the next time.
Sabotage Your Sales in Artists Alley by Forgetting to Engage the Customer:
If you’ve been to an Artists Alley before you’ve seen this scene: a lonely, wet-behind-the-ears artist looking dejected behind her table because no one has bought a single copy of her book all weekend…
…but the guy siting next to her hasn’t even had time to eat his lunch.
The less she sells, the sadder she gets until folks begin walking on the far side of the aisle just to avoid her.
She is waiting for a miracle. But she fails to realize the power is in her hands.
Do not underestimate the value of engaging a customer. Most people walking around Artists Alley are browsing for beautiful art, self-published titles, or hoping to stumble on the next big talent.
So what will make a browser stop at your booth? More often than not, a simple but friendly “hello” will do the trick.
If you’re feeling low, go to the bathroom, count to ten, dry your eyes, take a couple deep yoga breaths and then go get ‘em, Tiger! You don’t have to be the most famous name, the best artist, or the showiest salesman to sell comics in Artists Alley.
You just need to smile, engage, make polite but warm small talk and pitch your comic in a memorable, intriguing way.
Sabotage Your Sales in Artists Alley by Approaching a Convention with Unrealistic Expectations:
Who knows what to expect the first time you show in Artists Alley? Every show will be different, and every person’s show will have different results. I’ve been to conventions where all my friends complained about not selling a thing and I was moving books all weekend long. I’ve also been to shows where the reverse is true.
Don’t go into your first (or second, or third) convention with grossly unrealistic expectations.
Sure, you might find a publisher the first time you exhibit. You might get a movie agent interested in representing you. You might sell 100 copies of your brand new issue #1.
Sure. You might.
But chances are you won’t.
That doesn’t mean the show was a failure. We put too much pressure on ourselves too fast, and expect the entire world to open up to us the first time we make an effort. Life seldom works this way.
Attending conventions is a regular, ongoing part of your life as a comic creator. You don’t have to– and won’t– get it all right the first time. Learn what works, learn what doesn’t, adjust and make changes at the next show. Repeat.
We’ve been doing comic conventions for years and just yesterday my husband stopped me in the hall to say, “You know what we really should get for that show next month…?”
You will always be changing the game plan of what works and what doesn’t. So don’t put too much pressure on yourself to figure it all out now.
…or to sell a hundred comics in a weekend.
These things take time. But if you’re in it for the long haul, fortunately, you’ve got plenty of that.
{ 105 comments… read them below or add one }
Being a first timer at Chicago Comic and Entertainment Expo, I’d say to nab some newbies is to have some very interesting business cards/postcards. That’s what drew me to multiple artists. I even had some sign their business cards and looking back, I can remember those people more clearly and those are the ones I want to learn more about.
Also, having some awesome free stickers or little buttons will draw more people in. Some people don’t have lots of money to spend on prints, especially if they’ve never heard of you before and didn’t budge for it. But, if you have your artwork on something small and free… people might be more likely to come back for a print when they have more money.
Hey I don’t know if this thread is still active, but I just wrapped up my first appearance is Artist’s Alley at Calgary’s Comic Convention (The second biggest in Canada) and made A LOT of mistakes.
One) DO NOT do your printing at the last minute (I was selling art prints, no book as of yet) and I had to settle for low quality laser color copies.
Two) DO NOT leave your art lying horizontally on your table, find some way to prop them up. This is what I did on the last day, and I doubled my sales.
Three) If your a first time artist (like me) try to limit your original artwork, in favor of well known properties to increase sales. If you’re an unknown you can bank a little better on a very well drawn poster of Batman, or something like that.
Four) Try to have a helper, because leaving your table can be a risk of losing sales as well as an obvious theft risk. Next con in Sept. A friend of mine and I are going together to avoid this kind of problem, as well as get to actually see the show!
As you can see, my mistakes were primarily made by poor time management, inadequate research, and poor merchandising (which is a lot more important than you think it is). Fortunately, the one thing that wasn’t messed up was my art itself, which illicited a lot of responses WHEN people came over (because they couldn’t see it from a distance) and I did sell out of my Catwoman/Black cat prints, and sold a few of my piece of a good looking girl in a Calgary Flames Jersey.
In short, I’m glad I went, and I chalk it up to rookie mistakes and easily fixed. I’ll have a better idea after Con number two!
Thanks for the continuing great advice in your column and podcast, however it would be great to have the podcast at more then once every two months, lol!
On the issue of T-shirts: I was writing a mini-series for an independent [and first-time comics publisher] client and he wanted me to rep the book in SDCC at his booth. I’ve been in the comics biz almost 30 years working for everybody under the sun, so I’m not new to much. Lettering, writing, and editing.
This was bout 5 years ago, I’d say, and he mailed to me all kinds of stuff he wanted me to display and/or sell. One box was stuffed with T-shirts of all sizes. I thought that was kinda weird to try to sell T-shirts to an unpublished property in San Diego of all places. Being a newbie, he asked my advice about selling the shirts and posters. I pointed out that he’s vying for the dollars of the customer with much more familiar merchandise in the room. Characters with loooo-oong histories. If he expected to compete on any level, his shirts must be cheaper than those of more familiar books/characters. And even then, it was a long shot. He, of course, like many who seek out my expertise, chose to ignore me and priced the shirts at $20 each. I didn’t sell a single shirt, and I wasn’t surprised. And up until a few days ago, the shirts were still in my garage–5 years later. I finally told him I needed some garage space back, so I shipped off a bunch…at a whopping $104 for shipping one box. Not only did he not make any money on the shirts, it cost him a fortune to have them made and ship. To this day, his book has not been published. After 3 years, I left the book since it was supposed to be a 3-month job for me, but had dragged on due to artist disinterest in deadlines.
Kurt Hathaway
khathawayart@gmail.com
Huge new fan of Paperwingpodcast!
Heres my question. Would it be a good idea to sell fanart (usual stuff you see at artist alley) while also selling and promoting your original comic or would that be considered tacky and even unprofessional..
maybe your stuff could get lost in the clutter?
Ok Im posting here because I dont know where else to post this….
Ok here is my story (ill keep it short dont worry!)
This year my new years resolution was to make my own comic, take it to a comic convention, get an artists table and sell it. Me and my friend have had the characters in our heads for years but never made the leap. but this year I decided its happening. so I have been burning the candle at both ends to try and make this happen, I have never drawn a comic before and did not fully grasp how long it would take, and my 9-5 job as an IT Developer really is not helping. Anyway the convention is in november which gives me about 9 weeks to get everything finished and printed. the comic is about 12 pages long + covers and a few sketches in the back. So far Im still drawing page 5…. and the panic is starting to hit me.
So this is my situation.
I know I can finish the comic in the next 2 months (Im slooooooooow takes me maybe 25 hours per page) but I’ll get it done. Problem is I know very little about the rest. This website and the podcasts are an absolute godsend and I want to thank everyone for sharing all this advice. But i could realy use some help. I live in the uk, does anyone know an appropriate printers for 30 runs of a 16 page comic? how much is it likely to cost? how long does this sort of thing take? and what should I expect being an artist at a con? lol it would be so nice to talk to someone about this stuff because at the moment I feel like im going to have a panic attack
and some people reading this will be like ” haha looks like you bit off more than you can chew!” But lifes too short, figured Id step up and take a shot even if all I get out of it is a comic that I can say I made. Of course it would be nice to make my money back too! so please if anyone has any advice for me or just wants to send me an email that would be soooooooo apreciated.
Thanks guys
Stumbled across you guys on Twitter. Wow! Awesome community and great articles. Yep, like most learned these lessons the hard way, a few years ago. This year wasn’t too bad, but I’ll be spending the rest of the year finishing a color edition of the first volume of my GN, “Nowhere Man”, you can check out a black and white version online here:
http://nowheremancomic.com/
Hope to stay connected,
Best.
Jerome
Glad you found us! Every show, and every year you get better and better prepared. Each one Is a learning experience. Good luck moving forward!
This post and all the comments have been GREAT!
I’ve been working on getting a big display for the place I work for their lectures, conventions, job fairs, etc. (it’s a law school, and they host a lot of events), and I was thinking how cool it would be to have a pop-up display for an artist alley booth. Something like this: http://www.aceexhibits.com/8-easyfabric-straight.html?container=2134
Thoughts? My initial thought is it would look really impressive, but it IS pricey.
Unfortunately, in the Netherlands, comic cons in the form you`re describing do not exist, at least not that I know of. We have the “comic-days” but that is purely a place for fans where you can meet (well known) published artists and possibly get a drawing from them. The comic-days are mostly for buying merchandise and trading or collecting comic books. I haven`t been there for a few years so I don`t know if they also give more attention to webcomics or independent artists now, but what I have seen from the program of this year, they don`t.
There are some more little cons in the Netherlands and around Europe that follow the same principle for as far as I know: collecting and getting autographs or drawings from published authors. I think those artists are mostly being invited.
There is also a manga/anime con that I know of but I don`t really know anything about that one.
I have the idea to try to collect some resources about comic cons in Europe. I know of a few european creators that have talked about going to europese cons, so I could try and ask them what they know about them.
One problem could, of course, be language. I could make myself understandable in the UK, Ireland, the Flemish part of Belgium and maybe a little bit in Germany, but in France or Italy, I`d be lost. I can imagine people speaking English at some cons too though, but you`d have to research that before going to one.
Here are the ones that I found, if anyone has any info about some of them, or knows of more cons, let me know! You can also drop me an email: contact [at] pencilsandstories [dot] com
I`ll make a special post for the list on my blog when I have collected more info about these cons.
UK:
-London Super Comic Convention (this one, along with a few others in the UK, is the one that resembles the comics Lora talked about the most, it`s huge and there is an artist alley where you can book a table)
-London Comiccon; MCM Expo (also huge, and there is a special area for comics where creators can meet up, I think you can also book a table there)
-Thought Bubble Comic Con, Leeds Northern England (looks very good too and you can also book a table there)
-Kapow Comic Con, London (a lot of awesome guests, mainly people from Marvel, DC and Dark Horse from what I can see, and they also sell tables for exhibitors)
-International Comics Show, Birmingham (site is still in 2011-was-awesome-mode, I can`t click on anything else for more info)
Belgium:
-Facts, Ghent (from origin a collectors/trading con, now they have more activities but no artist alley kind of thing for as far as I can see)
Germany:
-Comic Action, Essen (site is still advertising for the 2011 event)
-Erlangen International Comic Salon, Erlangen (looks huge, it`s every two years, also in 2012)
Poland:
-International Festival of Comics and Games, Łódź (it`s said to be the largest Comic convention in eastern Europe, I couldn`t find anything else in that region)
Malta:
-Malta Comic Con (not much information about 2012 but they have guests and an artist alley)
Netherlands:
-Stripdagen (every year in another place)
-Stripbeurs, Arnhem
Italy:
-Napoli Comiccon (they offer no English translation of the website but it looks nice)
-Lucca Comics and Games (no English translation, but looks nice too)
France:
-BdCinéGoodies, Paris (no English translation)
Spain:
-Comic convention Barcelona (very little information on their website)
Then there are all the fantasy, game, anime and sci fi cons. There are a lot of those.
Seems that in the UK you`ll find various cons that resemble the big US cons the most. Big plus is that the spoken language will be English (and for me that it`s relatively nearby, yay!)
Now I feel like going to a con!
I don’t quite know how to do this, but I just found this place and felt the need to say thanks.
So, thanks for keeping me from giving up and for all the wonderful advice! I’m just getting back into creating and this has been an immense help.
Hey Eric! Welcome to the Paper Wings Community! this IS a great place to rev up the creative engine and share with other artists. So glad you found us and i hope it leads to great things for you!
I think Sam just might be our unofficial welcome wagon!
I totally concur! Sam is the best, isn’t he?!
Awe shucks yall, just doin my duty. ;o)
HEY LEE Wasn’t WondeCon a blast!!!! and I cant Wait to hear how Denver ComicCon turns out for you Michelle! Give us all the lowdown!
Thanks for this post, you read my mind!
I’ve only ever been to 2 comic conventions. The first one was the 2003 Chicago Comic Con, and the other was Kids Read Comics last year.
Needless to say, I’ve never tabled before, and I’m planning on it for the first time this year. All I have right now is an 8 page comic that’s actually 16 pages now with sketches in the back, and a few illustrations that I can sell as prints.
I’m thinking about taking some postcards and stickers as giveaway items.
I don’t have a table cloth or a banner. Are those necessary for the first time, or would it be overkill?
Something that I’m struggling with is that I don’t want to order too much stuff because I don’t want to risk not selling anything, but I know that risk is necessary in order to make any kind of good forward progress. I know I at least need to have something free to give away that has my info on it for getting my name out there, but what about comics? How many is a logical amount to order, especially for an unknown creator?
Thanks for the blog article!
Hey Paul!
Definitely get yourself something cheap that you can give to people be it business cards, post cards, sticker, tin button, etc. Even a simple card with a QR code that directs them to your website and/or info is really effective.
I got a great deal on postcards and business cards at http://www.gotprint.com
And a great deal on buttons at http://wackybuttons.com
As far as table cloths go, I think a lot of conventions provide them, so just check out what the Con does as far as that goes. I do highly recommend a good banner, it can really be the eye-catcher. At WonderCon, I watched one guy literally get caught on my banner and it reeled him like a fish. Gotprint also has great deals on banners, I got a 3×6 foot vertical banner for $36.00, and it’s a good idea to get a good hanging contraption or make one.
As far as the amount of books to get printed, I recommend about 30 copies. It’s such a crapshoot. I didn’t sell out of any of my books, but in the case I did, I setup everything online so that they could order a print copy or get a digital copy, so I could direct them there if I ran out at the Con. It was my contingency plan, but didn’t have to use it.
You are freakin’ talented, Paul! I am excited to see how things go with your first tabling experience!
Amen to what my buddy Lee said. You are wonderfully talented Paul. “Tales of the Red Planet” would go over great at Kids Read Comics and similar shows. Book fairs and the like. I’m going to be a lot more selective in the kind of places I show. Big full on Comic conventions, or as the Con companies are now promoting them, “Popular Arts” conventions, are still geared to the established Comics community. Our stuff gets lost, where a more tailored show would be much more advantageous for us. For instance, a fella came to the table and invited me to con in Irvine CA for a group called Califur, it’s a small group that specifically cater to Anthropomorphic “Furry” creature stories & stuff. Something right up my stories alley. So as the big cons go, I will attend as a fan with my comics in tow as a portfolio to share, and enjoy the popular arts shows. You get much more out of them by attending the panels and networking than you do as a newbie unkonwn exhibitor. And a small, 8 to 16 pager is a hard sell. great as a give away to promote, but even as great as it is, folks wont put down the $3 bucks you’d need to ask for to break even. So after tabling at 2 WonderCons and one APE, this is my lesson learned. Taylor Where you Table, and attend where ever you can!
And as a follow up, if you don’t already, follow @GeekCal on twitter and check out there site http://www.geekcal.com/ to help you find and tailor your show list.
Awesome, thanks for the great advice! And I’ll definitely be checking out that geekcal website.
Thanks Lee! This is great insight. Thanks for the web addresses!
I know the feeling of not wanting to order too much stuff for fear of it not selling, etc. I have gone to a trade show before with high hopes and come back with a $3000 hangover. I have found that Psprint.com and overnightprints.com have great prices on post cards and rockbuttons.com does a great job at a great price on buttons. I am exhibiting at C2E2 to launch my Little Forkers comic and am giving away “mailable” post cards at my booth. I have exhibited at the National Stationery Show (where I got my hangover) and other trade shows, but this will be my first con. I ordered a couple hundred buttons for less than $100 and I believe 2000 post cards from PS print on sale for less than $100. I thought that less than $200 for merchandise that can reach literally thousands was a good deal. I am definitely not a veteran, but I hope this helps.
And thanks to this site for the blog article! You’re Forkin’ Awesome!
Im in the same boat mate, I was told to take a table cloth and I think im going to get some little cards to give to people with my webpage and contact details on. other than that Im going to get a few postcards made. my main problem is most of my big paintings that I could sell are of Marvel and DC characters so… I cant sell them lol.
but Im just going to wing the whole thing, im sure it will be fine lol.
Wish I had time to read all the great feedback here. What a great conversation you started here for us, Lora! Thank you for writing this!
I can attest to All these things. I tabled in Small Press at WonderCon for my first convention, where I premiered EXPIRATION DATE #1. I had some t-shirt/hat merchandise because I bought a few extra along with the ones I purchased for my Kickstarter backers. I sold 2 hats and 2-3 t-shirts, so in the future if I don’t have extra kickstarter funds to buy that kind of stuff, I’m not going to get them.
I can attest to the fact that saying “Hi” and getting some small talk going with a person will almost always lead to the person asking “So, what’s this [Book] all about?” then that will often lead to a sale. And isn’t that What we want!? Get people asking about our Book, so that they will be motivated to buy! My voice was completely hoarse by Sunday, and I was glad because it meant that I was doing what I set out to do!
Then, expectations, I had to keep an extremely open mind, that anything could happen for the better or the worse. Overall, I am thrilled with how the Con went. I sold around 25 books, sold some merchandise, networked with some great artists, gave some copies of the book to a few smaller publishers who want know more about the project.It was just an experience that I can’t wait to happen again…like tomorrow!
If anyone is interested more about Expiration Date, check out our site http://yourtimeisrunningout.com/
Yeah, Lee. It’s amazing how we can feel completely wiped out after a Con yet we just can’t wait for the next one!
They are just so much fun.
So…many…comments… …. And all I keep doing is adding to them, AaAAAHAHAAAA!!!! Sorry!
Ahooooyyyyyyyy Wingerz!!!!
Ok, I have been broken by a convention and how it tore through my ego. It was my fault cuz I was young and foolish. I have two very different experiences and I am glad the good was before the bad. First, I tabled with a best friend as an artist in the alley and I loved it. Visitors are awesome and so encouraging and yes, please reach out to them, they are people too! I even had a few commissions and this was years ago so I wasn’t as good as I have been bless to improve to now. I remember that well and it was uplifting.
Then I went to visit (not exhibit ) at a show with unrealistic expectations, I picked up the jade mask (got jaded) and that hurt. I felt like I was just surrounded by colored paper and I burned myself out of being a fan and drawing for a few years.
Lora, your point about expectation hits home for me so deeply. Here is what I learned; comics are about quality art and stories, not JUST getting paid for it. Without quality art and stories, no real volume of fans will ever follow your tale to its ends. I had to grow an adult love of the art and industry again and I am better for it. Still a little scared, but realistic and focused.
I am also a big proponent of understanding the audience now. Artists Alley is a great way visitors to get just what they want and love so always find ways to please them and they will be back for more. They won’t be able to resist!!
Great stuff everyone! You get me so excited about this stuff all over again!!
A jaded Captain Dutz is unimaginable to me.
Question: So, what was the thing that switched off the jadedness? How did that happen?
And how do you self-identify now? I think of myself as a fan who creates too. …a fan of our people, artists, writers, the medium etc… And, it’s my fandom that really helps to drive my creativity.
Does that even make sense?
Hello Chris!!
What a great question! I wish I could nail it down to a set of finite things but it think it was mainly a combination of mentality and activity. Mentally, I had comics on a pedestal and had a value system for them that was skewed and unrealistic. I was very impacted being surrounded one at a convention day by box upon box of books marked for a quarter and 10 cents and became disheartened at the fact that all comics were not special and valuable…then what was of value in and about them. I knew that I was a lover of artists and limited editions. I literally have comics that I have never read because the cover and interior was created by one of my favorite artists (usually Marc Silvestri or Michael Turner) and I see them as pieces of art that will gain value and I have an appreciation of their great condition.
I have been bypassing the story inside all along. This is where it is difficult being an artists and not a writer. I have had to teach myself to engage into the story inside and appreciate how all of the pieces of its tale AND the art work together to create this beautiful piece in front of me. This has been a learning process I still work through today. That physical book still MEANS a great deal to me.
Activity wise, I have been more involved with what makes a comic work for a few years and now I have a new love of what it takes to make one…and let me tell you, I had NO idea how much hard work that was. My goodness! I just recently learned even more when I had to tackle all of the pieces in making my entry with the awesome people over at illopond for the “8 in Spaaace!” book that is getting close to finishing. Lora, I have a whole new respect for what you do twice a week with The Dreamer! I am mainly a penciler and it was a lot of work for me to go from that to all of the pieces.
I also have been lucky enough to get involved with a writer who has included me in the process where I fit best, as a penciler.
Additionally, I am blessed to be surrounded by people who encourage me with honesty, especially my wife who is such and awesome matter-of-fact supporter. To her, she just knows I can make it happen and is waiting for me to get off of my duff and do it. (Love ya Tiff!)
So yes, your statement makes sense because I too am a fan and a creator and am now learning how to enjoy it more for what it is; a way to tell a story creatively and an art form that fans truly fall in love with!
Thank you for asking and for the sake of not having a 17 page response, I will stop there and tell you more in person when I fund our coffee drinking binge!
Yippie Wingerz!!
Thanks for the article. My co-creator and I have been doing conventions for a year now and we started out with all of the products. Books, cups, prints, buttons, magnets and so on. My thoughts were that if we pretended to be a big deal that customers would think we’re a big deal. Expectations were low so we weren’t disappointed. We’ve sold a ton of books but not much else until recently. We put less out now and talk a lot more. We have mini books with the first 10 pages that we pass out free to anyone who shows interest. They usually return for the full book. I’m just now venturing into the commission territory with Lexington being the first outing. We’ll see how that goes.
Oh wow. The “First 10 pages freebie” is a great idea! Usually when I can talk someone to buy my first issue, they come back to buy the rest. I might have to steal this.
Todd, this is a great idea!! I actually still to this day have a mini mini-comic, I think it is titled “Mega-Tokyo” with rough penciled black and white interior and a color cover that fades to black and white and it is one of my favorite little comics!! It is small, 4.5″ x 5″ I think, and the art is very well done so it still makes a lasting impression! This is also a great way of keeping the cost down too.
I gotta use this!!!
Thanks!
Here’s a question that’s maybe more about con etiquette than profitability…
When I boothed my first actual comic convention (as opposed to an anime convention) last year, I was specifically asked to sign prints as I was bagging them. That hadn’t happened before.
Before I’d only bothered signing con sketches and other original art. Prints had a signature on them from the original drawing.
So I’m wondering, how do some of you handle actually signing your individual prints?
I’ve taken to just asking if the customer wants a “fresh” signature on their purchase (basically because, like I said, there’s one already printed on there) but that always seems awkward because people seem to come from two camps—those who assume I’d be signing it anyway, or people who just don’t care either way.
Should I just be going ahead and signing this stuff as part of the transaction?
I always wait until they ask to have it signed. My prints do include my signature, though it is usually quite small and unobtrusive. That way, if I hand-sign it, it doesn’t look out of place to have two signatures. Every once in a while, someone will even ask to have a print personalized, if they’re buying it as a gift for someone. I feel like it’s a tremendous compliment when they ask!
When we do exclusive prints, those are always hand-signed and numbered in advance.
Good advice, Sarrah! Thanks!
This is pretty much my modus operandi at the moment. I like to have those silver sharpies on hand. They do well do cover up the digital signature if need be (i.e. if it’s on a print where I only had one spot to tuck it away in the first place).
Yeah, the first time somebody actually asked to have something signed, I was like, “Woah!” Still a good feeling even when I ask them and they eagerly say yes. =)
My first time out I planed to do three cons in a row and I wanted to make a splash, so I went all out.
Two Banners, T-shirts, buttons, prints, artwork, 150 copies of my ONE comic, cards and so on, plus table fees for three comic conventions.
That’s a whole lot of money …. while it wasnt a total disaster I could have easily done far better with a third as much stuff.
I’m a fast learner, so I did a ton of research and thought hard about what worked for me and sure enough my next three shows went far better with much less stuff.
First time around its so easy to get carried away, maybe its ego, maybe it wanting it too much, its good to dream but it needs to be realistic too.
When I see people who come by the table and say they’re making their first go-round, I know why they’re saying it. I did and do it, too. What I never get is if/when they’re going to stop to look at my stuff, when I smile, engage and greet them each time I see them.
I don’t expect a sale every time. I will pitch if I see someone looks interested enough. I do want traffic to the table, even if you only look and move on.
Even if they only look and move on, you’ve been friendly and hopefully they leave with a flier in hand, too! That’s golden for after the show.
Thanks so much for this article! I’m determined to exhibit at SPX next year and am greatly intimidated by the idea. Reading articles like this, and the comments too, are a big help.
One thing that might be good to bring along, though, is sanitary wipes! It seems all the artists I watch on Twitter come down with colds and other sicknesses right after cons. I’m not sure there’s much you can do about it, but if you shake hands a lot it might be a good idea to have some on hand. Probably be best to be discreet about using them though. Don’t want to offend anyone! Maybe eat some vitamins too.
I’m really looking forward to your other con articles.
I’ve seen people half-mindedly joke about this on Twitter (usually after the fact that they’re sick) and thought it might be something to consider. I ignored it, and upon my return from Mid-Ohio Con I of course came down with a pretty horrible ailment. Pretty sure the same thing happened after my next con as well.
Definitely something to think about, folks!
Ha ha. I’ve never gotten sick from a con. I’d never heard of that actually. Well I have a pretty robust immune system. I seldom get sick anyway…
“Con Crud” I believe is what they call it. haha!
Sometimes it’s just exhaustion, but sometimes I’ve definitely caught a bug and I’m down for a good chunk of the next week. Yipes!
I always bring a big bottle of hand sanitizer and take vitamins daily. I haven’t gotten the “con crud” since I started doing this.
Handling, money, shaking hands, touching your merch 100 people have come in contact with and to top it off with the exhaustion of con time, it’s a quick way to get sick.
Hand sanitizer is a must-have! I have yet to get genuinely sick from a convention, but it makes for a pretty exhausting weekend, so your immune system can definitely take a hit. Boost it any way you can!
I’ve started to arrange for a couple days off of my other job just after a convention. This recovery time has been a lifesaver, let me tell you!
Thank you for the advice! It’s very helpful.
I planned on getting a table at Megacon’s artist ally in the future, but I never felt prepared to pursue that. I mostly observe what the other artist I see are selling and how they set their tables.
I have one question about sealing art Artist Alley.
How do you determined how much the art work is worth? Is it medium or the size of the art?
Both.
You just have to get a feel for what other artists are charging. I’ve seen artists charge anywhere from $3 to $20 for an 8.5″x11″ print, and $6 on up for anything around 11″x17″. Obviously, traditionally-rendered, original art should run for more than your prints.
I’ve noticed that customers seem to be more willing to spend in increments of $5, rather than get a few ones back (that they can’t really put toward buying much else anyway). Consider pricing your wares (or bundles of them) with that in mind.
I always have some kind of deal set up too, and make sure to advertise it verbally and on my table. Typically a three-for-two of my small prints, and a buy-a-large-get-a-small-for-free. Sure it cuts into your profits a bit when you’re giving away freebies with most every transaction, but if you’re pricing for the quality of your work right to begin with, you’ll likely make enough of those sales to still be well into a profit margin.
Also remember to factor in how much you paid for each print/ item as well.=p
I wondered if I should include that too. I usually print my work at home on glossy photo paper. Thank you.
Thanks for the information. I’m going to keep the buy a large print and get a small one free idea in mind when I do have an artist alley table. It’s a good idea.
Ahoy Michael!
I really dig the idea of the deals for the sets. I am a fan that likes to collect sets of related items. When I get back into conventions, I look to “collected print sets” of related characters or scenes that would cost just a bit less than separate. I have the idea of pre-packaging more popular images so they can see I have come prepared with the set as an option.
Also, check GotPrint.com for deals on bigger prints like 11×17. Overall, they have some really great deals!
Another thing to consider, and I’ll quote it as it was posed to me as a question from an artist alley veteran:
“How much do you sell a [11X17] print for?”
“$10″
“Ok, now how much do you sell TWO of them for?”
A discount on multiple purchases can be an additional buying incentive.
For the record, my 11X17 color prints are $10 a piece, or two for $15.
This.
It’s a pretty enticing deal. $15 worth of prints for $10. Plus they can pay with one bill, or get one sizable bill back that they’ll still feel like they can use at the con.
So true! We should be mindful to let the customer leave feeling like they still have the show ahead of them. Our goals should be that of volume sales, not big bucks per unit.
Awesome stuff Jake and Michael!
We’ve had good luck pricing our 8.5″ x 11″ prints at $10, or 3 for $25. They can also get a small print for $5 if they buy an exclusive print (these are limited edition 11″ x 17″, signed and numbered at $20), or a large print (unlimited editions, 18″ x 24″ at $22). Incidentially, the large prints are a pain to transport and display, so we usually only bring a couple of each design. They get a lot of attention (always a good thing!), but most often people buy something else.
Otherwise, what kind of art are you looking to sell? There are three things I always try to take into account – The time I put into the original artwork, the money spent on the print itself, and any display materials (clearbags.com sells archival quality plastic sleeves and backings that make prints look GORGEOUS!), and the fact that a certain percentage will disappear when you go to pay your sales tax. We also roll the sales tax into the cost of the purchase, to keep the items a flat amount in $5 (or at least, $1!) increments. After all of that, make sure you’re still making enough of a profit on each item to help make up the cost of the table, licensing, gas costs, and anything else you need to take into account for going to the convention.
Very nice article! We just returned home from California and our Artist Alley table in WonderCon. I cannot agree more with the advice given here.
This was our 6th convention, I think. We ended up not doing as well as we hoped we would – in fact, we got pretty lucky to break even this time around. I cannot overemphasize the value of staying positive, even when things are not going the way you’d like them to be! Every convention so far – including our first, financially disastrous one – has still had a positive outcome for us. We’ve gained new readers, some of whom are now big fans. We’ve met amazing people, some of which are now great friends. We’ve received and shared tips which have helped us and hopefully helped others. We’ve made mistakes and learned from them, and we’ve improved our setup, our pitch, and our own confidence levels. We’ve never left a convention without learning at least ten things that’ll help us later!
I suppose my best advice is to view each convention as a learning experience first, and a route to fame and glory… well, last.
I’m not sure if I even broke even at my first con, or if, in an attempt to stay positive, just convinced myself that I hadn’t spent as much as I thought I did on expenses. haha!
Staying positive helps! I may not sell anything with the ease and speed of selling hotcakes, but now I typically make enough profit at a convention to at least pay for that month’s expenses (when you’re splitting an apartment, anyway). Just staying positive keeps you in the game and willing to try again, having learned from your missteps and successes.
Great summations, Lora!
I’ve been incorporating “the pitch” into my conversations with passersby for the last year now, and that always seems to stir up interest way better than simply talking “about” my comic.
I’ve made the mistake of making too many prints of my own characters early on. The overstock is down now, but after two years of conventions, I only started selling some of my OC prints toward the end of last convention season. Haven’t made the jump to merchandise beyond that yet, but I think I’m still a little ways off from that.
I’m glad that idea is yielding real world results for you, Michael!
You nailed it, Michael. We have even more “how to pitch” content comin’ right up!!! Stay tuned! Looking forward to talking to you about it.
Great post! I’ve been really enjoying the comments, too. You all have such great tips. My comic is too young yet for con alley presence, but I *have* learned that it’s a great idea to always have on hand flyers/cards with your web address and a sample of your art. Great for putting on the freebie table, or distributing to the local comic book stores afterwards. I figure that when it’s time for me to get my own table, I’d like to hand out these flyers/cards/bookmarks to anybody who seems interested, whether or not they buy anything.
And to reprise the friendly conversation tack, I’ve heard a lot (and feel strongly) that by selling YOU as a person/creator to your audience, people are much more disposed to support your work. I’ve been to a lot of writing conferences, and with authors I’ve never heard of, guess which authors I’m more inclined to look up afterwards: the ones who were helpful, friendly, interesting people, or the ones who were antisocial, arrogant, or antagonistic? Even if you’re not interested in their work, per se, the nice ones are people you just WANT to see succeed.
Excellent point, Brittany! I’ve heard from a number of seasoned convention exhibitors that it’s important to market YOURSELF, not just your product(s). Your products will sell if you seem like somebody who, as a person (a creative one at that), is worth investing in.
Yeah, and you can also offer to help a friend run their booth for a weekend in exchange for putting your promo stuff on their table.
LOL, Sarah Searle is doing this for me in a few weeks, actually!
I am also more inclined to support non-buttheads.
Yep, my vote for Non-Buttheads to second Chris’!
On this note, I feel very attached to the fact that I, as an artist/creator, truly can have power and impact over my product. The way I look at it, until I am better know, a convention is the only way I can be face to face with a person interested in my product. There is a great amount of astounding competitive talent out there, attitude is worthless. I plan on leaving an impression so strong that I empower my product just as much as my goal.
I have only started being an artist selling my original artwork at cons along with some fan art as well so here is some stuff I have learned already. But I will try not to repeat what was already suggested.
Customer Service:
Like any other business I feel you always need to do this. Stop any conversations, sketching, eating and look at and greet whomever that comes to the table. Maybe comment on their cosplay if you know/like the character or welcome them to the con. Or if you know they came up to the table before give them a great welcome back. I know this is sometimes hard if they totally change cosplays or if their face is hidden XD. But everyone hates bad customer service at restaurants/businesses so don’t repeat it.
See what works or what doesn’t:
Sometimes you just have to test the waters if something sells or not. Since sometimes one thing may sell alot at one con but not at all at another one. Or maybe change your items around to see if they sell better. If you keep hearing “Oh ,I didn’t see that the first time around.” Then it’s time to change that item or rise it up higher to eye level so everyone can see it better.
Network with other artists:
I know it’s hard to move when watching your table but you can still talk to neighboring tables when there isn’t high traffic. They can give you great advice or ideas for making more products cheaply. I know at my last con I was given get sites for products I was thinking of making and I give away sites that I just adore when ordering buttons. Plus you may hear some great stories and become friends . And they maybe more likely to help you for a bit if you have to go away from your table.
When you’re in the artist alley/dealer room you’re trapped:
Yes, if you an artist don’t plan on doing much at the con expect for sitting at your table all day. If you have a table buddy then maybe go to a couple of panels if you really want too. But sometimes your table buddy may get questions about how you made the artwork and they won’t know. If you don’t table buddy then your trapped at your table. Most of the time if your alone you can ask your neighboring artists if they can watch your table so nothing is stolen or you will be back in a moment if you have to go t to the bathroom or get food.
Bring your own food if you can:
Some cons don’t allow this but if you can then bring your own food. You will save a lot of money and you can enjoy what you’re eating and not something you dislike but you need it since you are starving. Also if you’re a picky eater, have any food allergies, need gluten free or anything else then definitely bring your food.
Look around for Displays:
You don’t need the most expensive displays ever for cons. Really look around for deals, craigs list, ebay sales for some great and cheap displays. I found some awesome displays that hold my prints at a hardware store that was closing down for only a couple of dollars each. Or again ask your neighbors where they got their displays.
Sorry for the very long post since I know I am still new at this so I am sure I will learn as cons come and go. But the last simple one to learn is to always have fun ^^.
Thanks, Jennifer!
Great insights!
This is a really silly tip, but I think it counts for something because it can affect the quality of your sales/presentation.
If you are cold, get something warm to drink.
True story: Recently at Image Expo (which turned out to be a great, uplifting show), I found the second day had me freezing my tailfeathers at my table. I don’t know if the air conditioning was on too high or if it was the weather outside (Oakland in February, a likely suspect) but I was absolutely chilled to the bone at my table. This had me hunched over and rubbing my hands under my legs which is a rather awkward pose for a salesperson to take. My husband said hunching over like that made me look sick (and who wants to approach a table hosted by a sick person?) So I decided to take off briefly and find some hot tea. The tea made all the difference in the world, warming me up and boosting my spirits. And con attendees are much more likely to approach an enthusiastic, cheerful artist and a half frozen one.
Keep up your morale. Keep warm. It can make all the difference.
This is great, Jules! I run cold. So I don’t care if it is the middle of August, I bring a hoodie or something else I can throw on. Being miserable at a show is the worst!
Also, I dress professional but comfortable. The last thing you want is to be pulling down that skirt that is too short, or be chafing from that cute blouse that cuts into your arms all weekend long.
i’ve always found it’s a lot of fun to play the carnie barker angle. people seem to get a kick out of it, and always respond to a smile with a smile. it also never hurts to have a gimmick around to draw attention. i myself have an old posey strait jacket i bust out on some convention days.
inviting friendly chatty folk to hang out behind your table also helps a lot, in my experience. and lowering your prices on the last day of the con (since people are usually broke by then).
just being outgoing in general helps a ton. i’ve never really made out like a bandit, but i always did break even for travel/hotel/entrance expenses.
Hey Icarus, let me beg to differ with you on the Barker point. This weekend at WonderCon, our table was situated perpendicularly across from a loud barking table. Our section was towards the end of the small press section and by Satrday, all but two of the exibitors requested to move. It was a slow section, but the barking didn’t help at all. People would start down the isle, hear the barking and take another root. If people avoid your table they won’t be buying from you or others tableing around you. This will not make you popular with your fellow artists. Pure and simple, people hate to be barked at. Please don’t.
well, there’s loud and then there’s using it appropriately. one doesn’t have to be loud to be a carnie barker.
plus, using this effectively requires being able to pick out who will and will not respond to it. which i believe is something you have to be a little intuitive towards. i’ve seen people attempt to bark at senior citizens …which never works out.
Three good things that are great to remember! I wish you’d posted these months ago — I’ve been wrestling with these exact issues for months! Finally decided to limit merchandise to buttons -> bookmarks -> posters -> books. No prints, no t-shirts, no hats, no jewelry or decks of cards. There will be other years for those! Also constantly reminding myself that I am unknown & will probably make no sales. Must approach “selling” at this convention as “learning HOW to sell WELL!”
One thing I’m really glad I did was take a year to scope the local scene. I promised myself (with one exception – DCC) that I would not attend a convention without visiting as a guest first.
It’s amazing what you can learn about booth design by just finding a corner in an artist’s alley and watching traffic flow.
- Who is selling? Who isn’t? How come?
- What are good materials to use for a booth? (Be wary of thin PVC not properly secured: it can pop itself to pieces!)
- What’s a good set-up? What might fit my own style?
- How are things priced? What types of offerings are there?
Not only that, but convention “vibes” can be completely different. I went to “THE” Anime convention in town and came away going “UGH! Anime people!”. Then I went to a newer, second-year Anime convention and came out thinking, “WOW! Anime people!!”
Definitely helped me plan out my convention season for the year AFTER this one!
Robin, I am so excited for you to hit the scene this year. I don’t know you SUPER-well yet, but from what I know so far it sure seems like just the right time.
Yeah, I think the advice applies to you but I also have high hopes for you – especially for the long haul.
I can’t wait to hear Lora’s insights about this comment.
Question: What DID you learn during those artists alley observations you made? That’s some good advice.
Thank you for sharing this.
Thanks Chris! I have high hopes too. Just trying to keep my feet on the ground! And I’d still like to treat you to lunch when you’re in Denver for DCC, if you have the opportunity!
WHAT I LEARNED:
- Materials: Test out your booth set-up prior to the convention. Don’t create a facade that is going to be unstable. One lady had a PVC set-up rattle itself apart because it was not secure. Pipe was flying in every direction and they couldn’t put it back together properly. Another had string weighted down with products to the point where their side columns were collapsing. Aim for sturdy, light and do a test-run at home!
- Engagement: A lot of artists do commissions at cons, which is great, but some do so at the expense of engaging with people. When you’re hunched over a sketchbook, unaware of people passing by, a lot of times people hesitate to bother you. These become missed opportunities. Same goes for getting overly distracted by friends. Great to have people at your booth, but never stop paying attention.
- Catch the eye from every angle. Many booth displays are arranged so that you can only see product if you are facing it head-on, but most alley configurations mean that people only see you from the side. Set up merchandise so that people can see you in both x and y planes. I saw one booth arrangement that had a square rack with prints displayed on the inside, front, and outside sides. Right next to it was an open Prints portfolio. Many, many times I would see people walk from the right or left. Their eyes would hit the inside side. Interested, their gaze would flow down and immediately find the portfolio. They’d stop, flip through, and buy a print. I saw one gal sell a print every ten minutes with this method.
- Create a store-front, but not a cave. The added bonus of having not only vertical elements, but horizontal elements up top, is that it creates the feeling of a store-front. The impression is more official, the display is more visible, and you have more space to work with. However, some people would go a little too far, covering every surface with so much material that you could barely see the artist behind it. They had to make extra effort to connect with people as a result.
- Put things in hands. If you’ve gotten people to stop, put something in their hand. A flier, a product, whatever they seem interested in. Studies have found that people are more likely to buy products when they have had tactile contact. If I flip through a book, I am more likely to have the contents catch my eye.
- Dress up a bit. It doesn’t hurt to look nice. Cosplay, depending on the crowd, can also be a conversation starter. Once you start a conversation, a relationship begins forming with a person that may become a dedicated fan later on.
- Balance between clutter and content. A barren table is terrible, but so is a mess. Keep the booth surface and sides visually appealing and easy to understand.
This is all very valuable! Thanks for sharing with the Wingerz!
Wow, these are good, really good. Absolutely true, and I can vouch that, in the 8 or so years my studio and I have been making convention appearances, we’ve made each of these mistakes at some point or another, some more recently than others.
T-shirts, uggh, friggin’ t-shirts, man… I STILL have a box of t-shirts in my closet that we practically can’t GIVE away at shows. Our first foray into merch and it was a colossal failure.
One thing I’d suggest, if you’re attending shows with colleagues or even if you do it alone, is to have an immediate, post-con evaluation about what worked, what didn’t and what should be improved for next time. The fellows and I do this directly following leaving the show almost every convention we attend. We go find some grub (as critical thinking and unpleasant truths are best served with a side of seasoned fries)and do a run down. The questions always start: What was successful? What wasn’t successful? What do we change/add for next show?
Making this sort of breakdown a routine won’t really keep you from making mistakes, but it will make your learning curve incredibly tight. I do recommend doing the wrap-up immediately following the show as details will still be fresh in your mind.
Other random self-sabotaging I have seen:
Disorganization: while throwing your prints down haphazardly on the table for customers to sift through is oh-so avant-garde, it also speaks to a lack of interest in appearing like you have any idea what what you’re doing.
Lack of professional product/ unprofessional product priced as pro work: I wouldn’t ever recommend hand drawn ashcans on notebook paper bound with house staples or thread in the first place(true story, saw it once), but if you simply cannot do anything else, at least don’t charge the same as folks who paid for pro color printing and binding. It’s ok if you cannot field as much variety in product provided what you do have is as high quality as you can make it.
Insulting your own work: Some artists are their own worst critic. While that’s all fine and dandy at home, where it drives you to make better work, at the convention you need to leave this attitude at the door. If a customer compliments the work, you say “thank you”, regardless of how well you think you personally executed it. Inappropriate responses include: “That? Uggh, I hate that piece.” “That? I really messed that one up.” What you don’t realize is that, under the guise of being honest or polite, you’re actually being very rude to the customer. They’re telling you how much value THEY have for your work. Telling them you don’t value it is like telling them you don’t think they know what they’re talking about, or worse, telling them you don’t believe they should bother spending money on it. Either way, your sales will reflect. You should always put forward your best work. Treat it like you actually believe it’s your best. Go to bat for it.
Don’t be pushy: If you shout across an aisle to attract the attention of someone clearly looking at other people’s work, you’re a dick. Pardon my frankness. Nobody wants to have to look at your work just so you’ll stop pestering them (or being obnoxiously loud), but I’ve seen several artists take just this stance.
I love the post-con wrap up idea! I have two friends offering to help keep me sane for my first big convention. I definitely want to grab their perspectives when they’re fresh!! Thank you for the suggestion!
@Robin,
It’s a good plan, as is taking notes on other folks setups/displays and sales pitches. You can’t always apply it to your work, but if you know what works for others, you’re one step closer to knowing what works for you.
Jake, do you have your own blog? If not, the world needs you to do one. If you do, please tell me where so I can subscribe.
I do have a blog, though it is primarily art stuff. That said, I will occasionally ramble over there. There and Twitter. Oh my, do I ramble on Twitter. Hey, here’s a link to my blog for convenience sake: http://jakeekiss.blogspot.com/
Exellant info Jake! 100% in agreement. Lee and I plan on getting together hopefully this weekend. The experiance is already getting hazy. I should have taken notes during the show.
OMG, the “Don’t be pushy” advice is golden. This is one of my biggest pet peeves at cons. It’s so annoying and unprofessional!
When people do that to me (when I’m finally out from behind my table to check out the alley) I go out of my way to ignore them.
I remember one show where I had already made he rounds on Saturday and bought some comics from the writer of a book. The next day when I went by the table the artist was behind the table and just blurted out “I’M THE COMIC ARTIST! CHECK OUT MAH BOOK!” It’s like whoopty-doo, I make comics too, and I just walked away. Wish I could have returned those books. Still haven’t read them.
Oh oh oh! That reminds me of a different rule! If you’re in artist alley and someone else with an exhibitor badge comes to your table, DO NOT HARD SELL THEM. EVER! You’re both there to earn money, not necessarily spend it. Sell to the fans. Other artists will ask if they want to see/buy more.
But yeah, would you believe that the pushy rule and the professionalism rule were the same example? I literally had a guy chase me down to try to get me to buy his cheaply made ashcan for $5! It was ridiculous.
“Lack of professional product/ unprofessional product priced as pro work: I wouldn’t ever recommend hand drawn ashcans on notebook paper bound with house staples or thread in the first place(true story, saw it once)”
LOLWHUT? I can’t say I’ve seen straight up notebook paper used, but I have seen some turrrible ash-cans in my time. You really don’t have to work hard to have a really nice black and white ash can. I’ve done it in the past for my Hard Graft samples. What helps is strong, clear artwork, clear letters, and clean graphic design. If you can’t hack this for your first con, you’re probably not ready to work a con yet.
…I should do a tutorial on this. That sounds like a thing to do.
“Insulting your own work: Some artists are their own worst critic. While that’s all fine and dandy at home, where it drives you to make better work, at the convention you need to leave this attitude at the door”
Actually, you shouldn’t just do this at cons. I can’t tell you how many webcomics I’ve seen that start off with “OMG, you guys, I’m so sorry my artwork is not so great in the beginning, but stick around! It sucks less later!” Let me be the judge of whether or not your artwork is weak. I might think your artwork is just fine. Either way, if you put out artwork that you’re not totally confident in, you’ve got two choices:
1. Shut up and let the audience judge for themselves.
2. Don’t sell/display that product. You should believe in your artwork. Why are you selling products you don’t believe in?
“Don’t be pushy: If you shout across an aisle to attract the attention of someone clearly looking at other people’s work, you’re a dick. ”
This. I’ve actually done this by mistake one time (as I wasn’t really observing the situation and my natural voice volume is fairly loud) and holy crap does this ever not win you any friends. However, you don’t want to go to the opposite extreme and avoid making eye contact or engaging anyone at all. There is a happy medium of being outgoing and engaging without being a shrill harpy. Try to find it (note: takes trial and error).
Oh yeah, and the guy who had the notebook ashcan CHASED me to try to sell it to me for $5. Oh yeah, it was that sad. And the art, let’s not even talk about his art. It was painful. Just painful. He actually is the example for two of my sabotage rules.
Agreed on everything else. You’re picking up what I’m putting down. As Neil Gaiman once said to a friend of mine, “I’m feeling you… on brain waves.”
“I’m feeling you… on brain waves.”
That might be the nicest thing anyone’s said to me in a long time.
I do what I can
Awesome advice, Lora – Especially on the points of Inflated expectations and deflating enthusiasm. I’ve even been dealing with this in my personal projects lately. Fortunately I’ve found solid people with a voice of reason help me balance my enthusiastic with my realistic. I find that by raising my expectations of “If I am flexible and enjoy the process, I’ll gain and grow more from this…” – then I am better able to lower my expectations of “people will see my work and instantly think I’m a genius.”
I think this is why my partnerships with Lora and Joel (frequent collaborator on my comic).
They are both very creative and enthusiastic but they are MUCH stronger in the practical than I am. So they really help to keep me grounded.
How about a 4th one? – Selling at a convention or exhibition before your art or comic is ready.
Starting out artists are usually too quick to slap up the first things they make on the internet, open a store, etc, etc, etsy, etc, comic convention, etc. AND their art or product is really not good enough.
Take a few more years of practicing and refining your art and/or comic before trying to sell something.
Yep.
If your not ready to sell than how do you promote?
What about new web comics with a small (but growing) readership? I was going to wait another year before exhibiting but now im being told that cons are great for promoting a new comic.
I have non comic related stuff I can sell, but I guess Im curious if anyone has taken the pure promotion approach before and how to do so effectively?
My personal stance is that every show you do will help grow your readership. So why wait? I went to my first comic con (that I exhibited at) before my comic launched.
I sold 10 page teaser comics, told folks that the first 18 pages would be on the web the following month, and showed up on Newsarama in their reviewer’s “top picks” from the convention that year!
Split a table with a friend, but I think if you’re serious about making your comic take off, conventions are a huge way for that to happen. Even if you’re just handing out promo material and that’s it. But it sounds like you have other things that advertise YOU that you can lead with, and throw in a free postcard for your comic with every thing you sell.
I took a pure promotions approach to showcasing Valkyrie at Wondercon last year. I forget exactly what I had, but I think I had bookmarks and ash-can books. I think. I had absolutely zero stuff to sell regarding Valkyrie, but I wanted to drum up interest in my comic anyway. Now when I work shows in the bay area, I do get people who say “Oh, yeah, I saw this at Wondercon.”
There is nothing wrong with booking a table strictly to promote a comic and if you’re looking to share a table *wink wink* I’m sure you won’t have a hard time finding a table mate.
Your responses makes me feel a lot more comfortable about getting myself out there! Thanks for another great article Lora!
Oh and Jules, I’d be glad to share a table with another webcomicker *cough* APE *cough*
This is really great advice too. I’m in a position where I’m working on a big project but the artwork is nowhere near ready for cons (read: barely even thumbnails).
My Twitter feed during con season can be painful at times when everyone is talking about where they are going, where their table will be and what they’ll have available. I am DYING to be ready for one, but I know I’m not. If anything, I could put together a free mini-comic to hand out to start building an audience, but trying to sell something at this point would be ridiculous.
Don’t underestimate yourself, or sell yourself short. You’re a force to be reckoned with, Michelle!
Thanks Lora!
When you were selling the first 10 pages were they full color and professionally printed? I might be able to pull together a mini-comic in time for Denver Comic Con but should I be giving it away or selling it super cheap? Either way, I do think I’ll try to get postcards with a “Stay tuned!” and my web address.
And for those that haven’t heard about it, this is the very first Denver Comic Con – the tables might be sold out at this point but you should come if you’re anywhere near Denver! I’ll be there.
Sorry, I intended to leave the web address for info:
http://www.denvercomiccon.com
Great advice! I have yet to go to a con, but I keep going back and forth about some of the things that you mentioned.
I was thinking that it would be useful to have postcards (if you’re selling books) with a custom URL to get to your book if you sell out. That way, you’re not quite “losing” the sale as much.
Brian, personally, I think you’re right on. Lora and I will be talking more about ways to merge/ leverage technology on the Convention Scene in the next couple of weeks. I look forward to hearing your thoughts.
I’ve seen spikes of hits from my websites on the weekends of and after cons just from passing out promo materials. Never under estimate the power of just handing out a post card or a bookmark with your site’s information on it.
Additional fun thing: when I did my business cards for Valkyrie Squadron last year, I made it a point to get five different designs of the business card each with a different character from my comic. Spread around my table, they look like trading cards more than business cards, so people have more fun picking the card that appeals to them the best. If you’re wondering what company prints multiple designs on one order, I go through http://www.moo.com who does up to 50 different designs on one order. That’s overkill, but you’ve got the option.
If you’re going to pass out promo materials, make them fun! Make them worth keeping to a potential reader.
This is exactly the link I needed for Anime Boston next month. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
You won’t be disappointed. Also, the paper quality on their cards is really nice. It’s a nice, stiff, smooth cardstock that almost feels like plastic. Best business cards I’ve ever gotten.
I just got an order from Moo, and they’re great!
I use Moo Cards. They look fantastic. Besides My contact info I ask that people follow my blog. My site does get more traffic during a con weekend.
Great link, Jules! I’ve always got various kinds of cards up for grabs, and currently I’m in need of a brand new batch of business cards. This should help immensely!