Frequently Asked Comics-Pro Questions 28 May 1998

This collection is a summary of the many questions we see regularly on the comics-pro mailing list. If you are new to the list, you might want to try these answers on for size, see if they answer any of your questions. Where possible, I've included the names of the original respondants.

Keep in mind that these are all opinions, not Gospel. We have folks at all levels of the industry here, and no answer necessarily fits all. If you have more questions, or disagree with the answer here, or have more to add, that's a sign that you have a good topic to bring up to the list.

Mike Meyer, admin Comics-pro list.

Breaking In	How can I get work as a comics writer? How can I get work as a comics artist? How do you submit a script to a comics company? How do I keep a publisher from stealing my ideas? Are there any online resources for people who want to write comics? Are there any online resources for people who want to draw comics?
Collaboration	How can I find an artist to illustrate my scripts? How should the proceeds be split between the artist and the writer?
Coloring	How do you color a comic book page? What are the most commonly used software applications for computer coloring? What are gold standard, silver standard and bronze standard?
Desktop Publishing	What kind of computer should I use? What software is needed for comics pubishing? What image and disk formats are used in professional publishing? What resolution should I use for scanning my interior pages? Why do my logos and text come out so much fuzzier than they do on the big companies' covers?
Distribution	How do I get my comic book carried in comic stores? Who are the comic book distributors? How do I get Diamond Distribution to carry my book? Who makes the decision to carry or not carry a book at diamond? How do I get a "Spotlight On" listing? How much does it cost? Do I have to buy an ad? Do ads in Previews increase sales on your book? How do I get my book "Certified Cool?" If my book gets "Certified Cool," will it stay certified? Why don't I ever get reorders for my books? Shop owners say that their reorders aren't being filled. I'm told that I have to sell a certain number of books, or Diamond will drop me. What should I do? How do I get my book distributed outside of comic book shops?
Drawing	What kind of illustration boards do you use? What kind of pens do you use? What size should my original art be?
Legal	Should I copyright my stories? Should I trademark my title? What should be in a contract?
Lettering	How do you computer letter a comic page? Where are good places to get fonts? How do you make your own computer fonts?
Materials	What type of ink do you use? What kind of bristol board works best for comics? What kind of eraser do you use?
Marketing	What price should I charge for my book? Won't charging a lower price increase my sales? What marketing techniques are effective for selling comics? Are there any sources of information about the comic book market?
Publishing	What exactly does a publisher do? Should I find a publisher or self-publish? If I do decide to sign with a publisher, what can I expect? How much money does it cost to publish a comic? What should I pay artists and writers? How many issues can I expect to sell of my comic?
Promotion	Why doesn't Wizard cover small press? How do I get stores to order my comic? Where should I advertise my books?
Printing	Who is the cheapest printer? What should I send my printer? How long will my print job take? How do I avoid printing mistakes? What is a pagination guide? What is a blue line? What's a 'short run'? What are color separations and why do they cost so much? How many books should I print? My printer messed up my job -- help me find a new one. How do I get my books from the printer to the stores?
Shipping	What is the best way to ship books? What is the best way to mail one or two comics?
World Wide Web	Should I put up a Web page for my work? What does it cost to maintain a Web page? How much money can I make from a Web page? Where are good sites for promoting comics-related pages?
Miscellany

This compilation ©1998 Mike Meyer.

Individual answers are copyright the original authors. Every effort has been made to secure permission for excerpts used here, and content used without permission will be cheerfully removed upon request.

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