Webcomic Promotion: The Local Angle
by Joey Manley
Chances are that there are more people who live within a hundred mile radius of you than there are who read your webcomic. There are a few exceptions. If you live in Dead Horse, Alaska, for example, this may not be true. If you live in Dead Horse (and I’ve never been there, but my dad worked there once, and sent back pictures) I can’t help you here. Good luck to you, though. Brrr.
What was I saying? Oh yeah. The local angle.
Newspapers and local tv news reporters love “human interest” stories; they love stories with an arts angle; and they love stories with a business angle. The local webcartoonist is the perfect storm for them. You just need to find out how to contact the person in charge of editorial for the Arts section of the paper, or the Local Business section (if you have any traction at all in your comics business especially) and pop them a polite but excited email. Or give them a call! Somebody will take your call at one of the tv stations or another. That’s why they have telephones there. So people will call them. Don’t be afraid. You can do this. The worst thing that can happen is that they don’t do a story about you — and guess what? That’s already happening, guaranteed, if you don’t call.
If you’re in college, even better. You probably know somebody who writes for the college paper. And if your comic isn’t appearing within said paper yet — why not?
If you live in a big city like New York, you may have to take another approach. The New York Times isn’t particularly interested in you, more than it’s interested in the other twenty thousand webcartoonists in the city; in cities of that size, you’re better off hitting the neighborhood rags, like the Bay Ridge Courier or Chelsea Now.
What? You’re still here? What are you waiting for? Have at it. Go!
October 14th, 2009 at 11:58 am
This is where I fail. I have my comic in several stores around the country but none in my hometown. And my contact with the local press has been zero. Comic books are popular in the news now thanks to all the recent movies based on them, right? I need to get on it.
October 17th, 2009 at 1:02 pm
Libraries are also great ways to promote work. Librarians are always looking for people who will do programs, or even tutorials, for the public (for free of course). Let them know that you’re a local artist who has a webcomic and maybe they’ll ask if you can talk about your process, and show your work. The interested masses may attend and *bam!* you have some followers! But you have to be willing to do this sort of promotion for free. All it takes is your time. Plus, you can add it to your artist resume!
October 20th, 2009 at 1:47 am
I’m not trying to say this idea holds no merit. I’m sure it does. But my experience with my local weekly (The Independent out of Durham, NC if you must know) when they did a feature article about me & my comics & music (this is a three pager, not a single review) was it generated no substantial boost in visitors to my site. While some of my friends congratulated me & were surprised by it, I think the average person doesn’t jump from the medium of paper to the internet. Or maybe that’s just with my paper.
One thing that is local & very important & under used is the local arts council. They generally can help you get grants to do your work. I got a significant amount of money to finance a DVD of my comic Lost Kisses. A thousand bucks can go a long way in the mini-comic industry. Plus I like to think the “Sponsored in part by the NC Art Council” on the back makes people go, “Oh, wow, this must be good.”