Comixology has launched a new program called "Comixology Submit" that enables creators to submit their work for publication thru the 800-pound gorilla of digital distribution, getting it onto iPads and other tablets. Kind of like Diamond and the Direct Market, it is not open to everything: they will be reviewing every submission for "quality". Comixology will add their "guided view" stuff to the comic, so people can read it panel by panel. Apparently everything accepted thru this will be listed in a separate directory of second-class self-published comics.
As a heretic and pornographer, what I immediately checked was their policies about acceptable content. And I was pleasantly surprised that in addition to ratings for under-9, under-12, under-15, under-17, and under-18, they also have a bucket for "adult" content. Which – in order to comply with Apple's ban on I-know-it-when-I-see-it – can only be viewed thru Comixology.com, not their iPad app. Whatever. At least it's a possible sales channel.
Again to comply with the dictates of The Fruit Company, all prices have to end with ".99". Comixology splits half of what they get for each sale. So for a sale thru the iPad app, Apple gets 30% (their cut), and you and Comixology get 35% each. If it's sold directly thru Comixology.com, you get 50%.
This has been a long time coming. I encourage everyone with self-published comics to submit to this. If you've got an old print comic that's out of print, and you have the rights, scan it in, clean it up and submit. Awesome. I expect to see some amazing work come out of this.
Back in ma' day you had to draw with sharpened pencil sticks on stamped pieces of tree pulp, photocopy it at a copy center, mail it (in a *real world* post office building), then pray to the comic gods that some guy in another city would open your mail, read it and then send you a post office letter back....
when I was young and needed to ink, I didn't ship off to some foreign country for a bucket of mechanical pens, I set a trap for crows and skinned the fatted calf for parchment
Well. Shitsnacks. I still have to re-tone and re-letter the first three issues of Love is in the Blood because the tones look like ass in a PDF. (i.e. moire when resized). Putting them at a higher line density in Manga Studio pretty much fixes that in issues 4 and 5 so I know what I gotta do. From reading the directions, I need to hurry and get #1 done and submitted. Then I'll have time to do the rest while they chew on that first submission. This is what I get for perpetually putting off something I needed to do anyway for CreateSpace.
No wonder Graphicly came out with their free ISBNs with three books deal.
@EricPalicki - Nice! Damn that was quick. Yeah, as Quest said that puts you ahead of others. But I'm sure there's still a long que. It is the internet.
I started submitting Pop! Goes the Icon titles yesterday morning, but I'll need my assistant to take care of the rest toda--OH WAIT I DON'T HAVE AN ASSISTANT.
@JasonAQuest@JasonFranks - Tried it, but couldn't get quite the same look as the 85L dot screen tone in MS. No matter how I did the shading it came out too flat. At that density, printers pretty much treat it as a solid, so even CreateSpace handles it well. The last two issues were toned in MS and they look okay in the CreateSpace proofs. The first three issues though... woof. Hmmm, wonder if I should try again in Manga Studio 5 instead of 4...
MomoCon is this weekend so it will probably be next weekend before I get to even start the re-toning. I'm going to be WAY down in the queue. Not expecting something manga-style to sell much on Comixology anyway.
I might submit some my old self-published work. Cyberzone ran for 8 issues.
I could fix the lettering with a font and do a little clean up. However, it dealt with a strong lesbian theme. Nothing graphic was shown but the lead character and her personal life was part of the focus of the series.
I guess I should read the submission guidelines in detail. See where I fit in.
I have a pretty good comic called Overthrow that I think I might put. Overthrow never went anywhere with Imnage because it was superficially too similar to Halcyon, but it's a good story.
But...only one issue exists. I'd sort of like to see if I can finance, at least in part, the rest of the issues with it, but I am wary.
@JustinJordan - who was the artist on Overthrow? Did you pay them (WFH) or will you have to split profits with them? I'm thinking my old CyberZone issues would get new lettering and color. I'd hire someone to do the color and either give them a percentage of the profits or a flat page rate.
I could also put up Code Blue, but it's kinda like your comic Overthrow... it needs to be finished beyond the first issue. Also, Code Blue *was* an Image book. I own the rights to it 100%, but it might be seen as a dick move to take something they did and then submit / republish it through Comixology. And it also needs to be finished beyond the one existing issue.
The artist was John Amor, and he was work for hire (well, in as much as I paid him - he is part owner of the book, so more an advance than anything) so the profits would be all mine until I recoup what I paid him. But I am more interested in finding a way to finish the book than for me to make money.
The thing is, I could actually finance the whole thing out of pocket. But truth be told, I'm not sure I can bring myself to put ten grand into it. I dunno.
@Jimmie_Robinson As long as you pick the appropriate age rating (by their standards, I'd guess 15+), I don't see why Comixology should give you any trouble over CyberZone. Dale Lazarov is submitting his not-under-contract stories (and eventually mine with him) which are outright queer porn. Comixology even has provisions allowing for so-called "hate speech" (which has to be classified as adults-only).
As for Code Blue previously getting one issue out thru Image ... obviously you know them better than I do, but I'd be really surprised if anyone there got their nose out of joint over you self-republishing it. That's what Jeff Smith has done with Bone, and I know there have been others. That's the whole point of 100% ownership. Just tell Valentino you're thinking of doing it, and let him say "no, let us do it" if he wants.
The nice thing about Comixology Submit is that it's a middle ground between the wild wild west nature of self-publishing comics on the web and publishing them through an established company -- to put it mildly, there's a quality-control process, which will separate the wheat from the chuff. Unfortunately, that's going to leave a lot of folks butt-hurt. But it might be a sobering reality check. Like every rejection letter I've ever received from both publishers and distributors.
Hey Eric Palicki and anyone else who has already uploaded something in the Comixology Submit program. When the upload finished, did you get a 'upload successful' message or a change in the status of the book listing in your account or a confirmation email or anything that indicated the book went through ok? My book, 'Teregrin' seemed to have uploaded fine, but I couldn't prove it and tech scares and confuses me! I just didn't want to wait a month or more to figure out that they didn't get it before trying again. Much thanks.
@pjperez - I agree, this is actually a good opportunity for new talent (and even old ones like me). I've said this before. In fact, I predicted that something like this could be a game changer in the year-end survey on The Comics Beat. Comixology spent time branding itself as the go-to distribution hub on the Internet, now that it has the grounding it is taking it to the next level.
Currently, print and digital walk hand-in-hand and work together. The line "day & date" has been burned in our heads, but when online-only work starts to compete with print on the same successful platform, then who knows what will happen. But I like that more avenues for creators are open.
@Ed_Quinby - you're saying you some uploaded work and didn't get *any* confirmation at all? It does seem odd that a person uploaded doesn't at least get a notice that the upload is in the approval process.
EDIT:
Well, now I see Eric's comment. I guess they do contact you after uploading.
Truth be told I've had such times, as well. Bomb Queen (hate it or leave it) didn't get six sequels for nothing. And to keep on topic I should note that many of those five-figure checks came from Comixology.
A snake can eat big and then sleep on a rock in the sun for a month, but in this biz you gotta be more like a shark and always keep moving. In the world of freelance, money come... money go.
@Justin : it sure is nice to have 10 grand in your pocket, I imagine. How's it feel?
I swear that wasn't an attempt at humblebrag. It feels good. I don't expect it to continue, hence my reluctantance to actually spend it, but comics have been really good to me. I'm lucky as fuck.
Comments
Comixology has launched a new program called "Comixology Submit" that enables creators to submit their work for publication thru the 800-pound gorilla of digital distribution, getting it onto iPads and other tablets. Kind of like Diamond and the Direct Market, it is not open to everything: they will be reviewing every submission for "quality". Comixology will add their "guided view" stuff to the comic, so people can read it panel by panel. Apparently everything accepted thru this will be listed in a separate directory of second-class self-published comics.
As a heretic and pornographer, what I immediately checked was their policies about acceptable content. And I was pleasantly surprised that in addition to ratings for under-9, under-12, under-15, under-17, and under-18, they also have a bucket for "adult" content. Which – in order to comply with Apple's ban on I-know-it-when-I-see-it – can only be viewed thru Comixology.com, not their iPad app. Whatever. At least it's a possible sales channel.
Again to comply with the dictates of The Fruit Company, all prices have to end with ".99". Comixology splits half of what they get for each sale. So for a sale thru the iPad app, Apple gets 30% (their cut), and you and Comixology get 35% each. If it's sold directly thru Comixology.com, you get 50%.
cripes
But...only one issue exists. I'd sort of like to see if I can finance, at least in part, the rest of the issues with it, but I am wary.
The thing is, I could actually finance the whole thing out of pocket. But truth be told, I'm not sure I can bring myself to put ten grand into it. I dunno.
As for Code Blue previously getting one issue out thru Image ... obviously you know them better than I do, but I'd be really surprised if anyone there got their nose out of joint over you self-republishing it. That's what Jeff Smith has done with Bone, and I know there have been others. That's the whole point of 100% ownership. Just tell Valentino you're thinking of doing it, and let him say "no, let us do it" if he wants.
I did receive a "Thanks for submitting" email.