How do I Juggle Multiple Ongoing Comics as a DIY Self-Publisher?

It ain't easy managing scant budgets, rubber-banding deadlines, and the real life factors of part-time creators.

Let’s see. Right now, I have the following comics series/collections in various stages of development:

• Last Ride of the 4 Horsemen: Tribulation 3

  • Status: line art complete; 2 pages of colors remain; I still need to letter all 20 pages

  • Kickstarter Launch Date: September 7

Last Ride of the 4 Horsemen: Tribulation 3 Deluxe Cover - Art by Oscar Pinto

• Halloween at the Vicious Circus (96-page collection)

  • Status: Only awaiting 2 new covers

  • Kickstarter Launch Date: October 5

• Gothic Horror Team-Up 2: Dracula + Moby Dick

  • Status: 10 pages of line art complete; 2 alternate covers complete

  • Kickstarter Launch Date:: November 2

• A Very Vicious Circus Christmas (96-page collection)

  • Status: Only awaiting 2 new covers

  • Kickstarter Launch Date: November 30

• Unannounced cyberpunk epic with Oscar Pinto & Vito Potenza

  • Status: Script complete; 7 fully rendered pages of art delivered

  • ETA: January, 2026

• Unannounced NSFW fantasy epic with Rando Dixon

  • Status: Script 45% done; character designs in-progress

  • ETA: January 2027

• Vicious Circus: Big House, Big Top

  • Status: Indefinite hiatus

• Unannounced NSFW superhero opus

  • Status: Script complete; no art team assigned

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So, that’s…a lot…but it’s what I have in the oven. Just extrapolating from that list, I have monthly (yes, monthly) releases for Flatline Comics planned through May of 2027. Now, that definitely won’t hold firm. There will be interruptions, delays, changes of mind, changes in artists, etc., that will derail or adjust these plans, but that’s how far in advance I plan.

Here’s how I do it, strictly from my own chair and placing accountability squarely on my own shoulders:

1. Plan publication dates. Obvious, but essential. Have a blueprint for how you want the publication schedule to look. Keep it realistic. Keep it fun. Keep it low-risk.

2. Manage budget daily. Don’t be afraid of the financial numbers. Look at your capital, upcoming expenses, projected project outlays, loan bills, etc., routinely. This habit ensures you make smart, informed decisions and experience less stress around money.

3. Plan long-term goals for successful projects. Once a good comic is in production and recouping some of its production budget via crowdfunding, make plans to collect it down the road. A trade paperback including a complete story arc. An omnibus including all trade paperbacks. Remember the most basic rule of publishing: keep publishing your content in as many different forms as possible in perpetuity.

4. Write in advance. If you are the primary writer for your content, stay ahead of your art teams to the greatest extent possible. Use your publication grid to dictate your writing itinerary and stick to it. Your schedule, a promise to your readers, is only as good as your stick-to-itiveness.

5. Communicate with art partners. I recently wrote an entire post about the need to occasionally change artists when work on a comic is delayed, halted, or not up to standards. Some of those issues can be headed off with the simple rite of consistent and productive communication with your art teams. And not just about deadlines or assignments. Be excited. Keep the morale high. Make it fun and motivating for them to work with you. It pays off in a better end product.

6. Shelve stagnant or problematic projects. This one’s difficult. Know when to put a comic project down, for now or for good. If it’s just not working. If you can’t find the right art team. If it’s not as good as your other work. If it’s a persistent pain in the ass, put it down for a while. Later, decide, with a clear head and fresh perspective, if it should be put down for good.

Them’s the basics of the daily management of a DIY self-publishing outfit. When you’re the nerve center. Don’t let yourself down, and you won’t let your readers down.

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Thanks for making comics with me —

• Kevin