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Advice for New Writers
So I’ve been chatting with a new comic writer on Instagram. He’s excited, really starting to get involved in the medium, seems to know how to hire the right people. But then he started asking me questions that raised some red flags for me.
What’s your monthly income?
What kind of sales could you expect from issue 1 sales versus issue 2?
How is a monthly production going?
To which I feel the need to tell every new writer: YOU’RE NOT MARVEL OR DC!
I am begging all writers coming into this business, please do not expect to do ANYTHING like the big 2. Do not worry about a monthly schedule. Don’t worry about profit margins just yet. Focus on building up an audience of 10, and then 20, and then 50. All while building relationships with fellow creators and artists. Do not think about money you make just yet…because you won’t. Unless you’re a marketing genius, the first few books will be cost-heavy and profit-light.
Writing comics is a marathon, and it’s all uphill for the first couple years. It’s hard. It sucks.
Keep going.