We are five successful indie comic book writers, artists, and publishers who want to share our secrets. Ask us anything about self publishing and the process.

[u/Darkrose_Morgan]

This is the crew of the NYCC panel on self-publishing. We are Jimmy Palmiotti (multi-award winning comic book creator & co-founder of Paper Films), Morgan Rosenblum (writer/creator of Treadwater and CEO of Darkrose Studios), Claire Folkman (Philadelphia artist & co-editor/publisher of the award-winning Dirty Diamonds: an all-girl comic anthology), Kelly Phillips (creator of comic series Weird Me & co-editor/publisher of the award-winning Dirty Diamonds: an all-girl comic anthology), and Justin Jordan (Creator of the Luther Strode and Spread comic series, currently writing for DC and Image Comics). Ask us anything!

Morgan Rosenblum: /u/Darkrose_Morgan @treadwater www.treadwater.tv

Justin Jordan: /u/JustinJordan @Justin_Jordan

Jimmy Palmiotti: /u/JIMMYPALMIOTTI @jpalmiotti

Claire Folkman: /u/clairefolkman @clairefolkman

Kelly Phillips: /u/kellypcomics @kellypcomics

[u/SinisterInfant]

What podcasts and industry sites do you check to keep up with the latest news and trends? Are there any people in the industry that you think are must follows on twitter/social media etc?

[u/Chtorrr]

What s something you learned during the publishing process that really surprised you?

[u/Darkrose_Morgan → u/Chtorrr]

You will fail. A lot. But failure is what gives you experience. I failed my first Kickstarter. Had to try it again. So I studdied what worked and what didn't work. Ran it again. Surpassed my goal.

I applied to Diamond Distributors (they are the Gatekeepers to the comic book publishing world) and was rejected the first time. I then asked them why I was rejected, and what was missing from my submission. I listened to them, and adjusted my submission accordingly. I got accepted the second time :)

It's scary to put yourself out there, but it's ok to be scared. So long as you don't let the fear prevent you from trying. Again. And again.

[u/KungFuWombat]

I'm an aspiring comics creator, but I have some hang ups on how best to approach to industry. I have tons of ideas, but they are a dime a dozen. Specifically, at this point, I'm unsure if I should pay out of pocket to produce my own book first, and sort of develop a portfolio, or to find someone I can develop a pitch with and try to sell it. I find both have their advantages and disadvantages, and was hoping to get some perspective.

[u/Darkrose_Morgan → u/KungFuWombat]

Hey dude, Morgan here. I think the first step is to get your ideas out on paper (metaphorically). Start writing them down. As you begin to write, you'll start to see which stories seem more appealing to you than others. It's definitely good to have lots of ideas, but you don't want to spread yourself too thin. Get the basic storylines out for your ideas, and then focus on your favorite (or top two maybe) to begin. It's better to have one really strong well thought out story/IP (Intellectual Property) than a bunch of so/so ones.

[u/TheSexQuest]

Hey All, Im actually just starting to learn about online self publishing. I have graphic novel series I planning having the first installment up in September of next year. Im writing and drawing now but I have to brush up on my digital creative bits, learn how to run my own site and most importantly legally protect myself.

What are some basics things I should keep in mind going forward and could you suggest some programs/formats/wed design-STUFF I may want to have a look at?

[u/[deleted]]

What do you think has been the impact of Print on Demand on the medium of comic books as a whole?

[u/AmishOmerta]

What are your stories of rising in the industry?

[u/Happy_Laugh_Guy]

Thanks for coming here and doing this AmA!

I'm trying to break in like you guys did. I have a small readership and am really hittin it with 40% of my overall time spent on marketing. Justin, thank you so much for Luther Strode. What an amazing series, seriously. I wrote to you a few months back and you totally wrote me back, but I just wanted to tell you again how great Luther Strode came out.

My question(s):

Was there a point for any of you that for sure let you know you had reached that next point in your career or level of notoriety? Were there any specific things you can remember doing, choices you remember making, that you knew empirically were what led to you finally becoming successful and being able to work on your passions full time?

Thanks again!

[u/mslack]

How does Diamond treat books such as yours? Fairly? Unfairly? Have any of you dipped your toes into the waters of self-distribution?