Scott Sava, creator of The Dreamland Chronicles (which I reviewed not too long ago) got a fairly lengthy interview in The Tennessean. The article points out one of the advantages of online publishing over print:
After putting the first three issues in stores, Sava realized his target audience wasn’t prone to visit a comic shop. The story’s melodramatic tones, budding romance between an elf and a college student, dance teaching rock-giant and collection of fantasy creatures appeal to adolescent girls and pre-pubescent boys.
“The fan base isn’t the kind of people who walk into comic book stores,” Sava said. “That’s your 13- to 35-year-old men or fanboys.”
The Web site allows Sava to interact with his fans.
Elsewhere, Josh Smeaton of Haunted talks with The Daily Loaf about Haunted (reviewed here as well). Here’s Smeaton on self-publishing:
CL: What kind of determination does it take to self-publish?
JS: It’s a lot of work. You have to find and research printers. Educate yourself so you give accurate info to get a proper quote. Then follow through the process of approval, printing and delivery. You need to find out what different distributions options are available to you and which you want to go with. Then promote it. Interviews, mailers, ads, message boards whatever works. You also have to pay for all your costs and deal with all the issues that pop up along the way. So along with determination you need to be optimistic, stubborn and masochistic.
CL: Did you consider pitching the story to a publisher before going the self-publishing route?
JS: Yeah but only half-heartedly. I’m not opposed to having a publisher but I was drawn to the idea of doing it on my own. There are a number of self-publishers that I admire and I wanted to be a part of that world.
(h/t Robot 6.)
Scott Salva has to be a modern day American Roald Dahl in how he has created these worlds for children and teens to enjoy and lose themselves in. The Dreamland Chronicles really is a poster child for the modern web and how it can really deliver.
I’m self publishing but only in very small volumes and for the couple of cons I’ll be attending in the UK this year. So far its been a big challenge to get everything together to send to the printers before the con deadline but I was smart enough to do the maths to get the price I need to break even at least.