Will There Be New Outlets for Self-Published Comics in 2024?
Change and progress appear to be on the horizon.
2024 is off to a strange start, on both creative and personal levels. I received some unexpected and concerning medical news in January (I am and will be okay), and I decided to start the publishing year with a completely new type of product, our Lords of the Pit Volume One: The Hell Drummer 5E-compatible source book. The book has been a nice success, with a funded Kickstarter and terrific feedback following its launch. Right now, we are in the midst of the final three days of the Kickstarter to fund the complete second volume of my tale of the Steampunk Apocalypse: Last Ride of the 4 Horsemen: Conquest.
The Kickstarter has been steady as she goes and is nearly double the initial funding goal, with the added bonus of recognition from Kickstarter as a “Project We Love”, citing Last Ride of the 4 Horsemen as a “brilliant example of creativity. Gotta love that. At this point, I’ve already submitted the page files to our printer and approved the proofs. As soon as the campaign ends on Sunday evening, I’ll push a couple of buttons and make the book order. Another lightning-fast fulfillment!
Huge thanks to each and every one of you who supported this project in any way at all. It doesn’t exist without you. Bottom line. The first issue of the final arc is halfway complete, in terms of art. Here’s a sneak peek:
I project the new issue to be available by May at latest, and I’m excited for you to see it! When it’s said and done, this saga will comprise nearly 300 pages. Did I mention being excited? The current Kickstarter is easily the best opportunity to score the entire story to date. Go get it!
A number of times, I’ve certainly broached the difficult topic of distribution for self-publishers, and the financial and logistical risks that make direct market distribution (e.g., to comic shops) via a third-party distributor (e.g., Diamond or Lunar) a no-go proposition for most of us making our own comics. In my opinion, all of those issues remain status quo and, therefore, warrant no change in our approach in those arenas.
However, on February 1, comics and gaming retailer news outlet ICv2.com announced an initiative to host a site (ICv2 Direct) that will be a platform enabling publishers to sell wholesale directly to retailers. Let me preface any further discussion of this opportunity with the acknowledgement that fellow self-publishers and I have discussed the potential of this very model off and on for years, but we just didn’t have the time or the infrastructure or, honestly, the funding to make it a reality.
But, now, an industry insider like ICv2 is offering up exactly what we always wanted to put into place and is making it accessible to self-publishers like us. Without requiring us to ship our product to them. Without shipping it to retailers themselves. Without otherwise forcing us to work through a third party that treats our product like detritus compared to the big, corporate publishers.
Retailers will have access to our catalog via ICv2Direct.com, and we will fulfill all orders ourselves, putting the responsibility of timely, safe delivery of product on us instead of disgruntled warehouse workers with no personal stake in it. This is a game-changer.
After communicating with ICv2 staff, they will first begin onboarding gaming retailers and wholesalers before moving on to their comics counterparts in early summer. Fortunately for us, we just published our first gaming supplement (Lords of the Pit Volume One: The Hell Drummer), so we are flagged as a gaming vendor and will be included in the first round of onboarding very soon.
So, yes, there are other outlets for getting self-published comics in 2024, and it appears some others may be on the horizon. Change is needed and happening!
More as we learn more ourselves!
Have a great weekend!
Kevin