The Business Plan

[dolari]

1) Gather several webcomic artists.
2) Create a Comico Primer-ish book where four artists get six pages to do whatever they want. The only caveat being it can't be given away for free on their websites.
3) Print comics on demand, or in small batches for sale over the internet, local comic shops and expos.
4) Repeat quarterly, cycling talent and stories.
5) ...?
6) Profit!
7) PRofits from each book are shared among the creators of the book, with 10% going back into the company.
8) In time, the more...er...reliable...artists get a quarterly book of their own, giving up their spots in the primer book to new talent (new talent being already firmly established webcomic artists, with histories of reliable deadline meeting thingies). Thus, we expand our titles.

We have the artists, we have the audience. Think it can be done?

Discuss.

Comments

[mckenzee.livejournal.com]

I'm in. I've been wanting to do some non-Sinister Bedfellows stuff.

[jenndolari.livejournal.com]

Right now we're just in "is it a good idea or not?" phase. And I think it's a good idea. Once I get something more concrete (and heal up) I'll knock on your door. :D

[renahyrota.livejournal.com]

This kind of reminds me of that idea I had where you get all of these people from various webcomics and make a Super Smash Brothers-like video game where you get to play as your favorite characters and smash each other and the profits get shared among everybody. It'd sell like hotcakes, oh, even better if it SMELLED like hotcakes! It would be good because you could get some well-known webcomic authors and some lesser known, so it gives the people with lower exposure more exposure, because everybody will buy it for their favorite stuff, but end up getting more.

[jenndolari.livejournal.com]

Your not the first to think of a webcomic video game. Loren Coven's even sent me some preliminary art for one. :) And I have the prefect engine for it...if it was 1995. :)

http://www.dolari.net/sfjenn

[hurricane-amy.livejournal.com]

Yes I think it will work! I will even submit my work to you!

:)

[jenndolari.livejournal.com]

I didn't know you did comics. We've only known each other 16 years! :D

[stsean.livejournal.com]

It's totally possible, but there's always the pesky problem of capital...

[jenndolari.livejournal.com]

Very true. But we might offset our losses by offering a preorder on our sites...then make a few extras for something like Staple. :)

[emilydm.livejournal.com]

I'd throw my hat in the ring, even though I'm not quite a webcomic artist in my own right. An indefinately ongoing online comic of my own is a bit daunting, six finite pages is more my speed. I'm also good with office and organizational detail work. ::hands you my resume::

[jenndolari.livejournal.com]

:D I will need a working secretary...and one with imagination in a comic book world ROCKS. :) ::kisses::

I'd love to do it

[(Anonymous)]

perhaps some sort of TC spin off or some other comic idea entirely, I may be doing it solo without Chrysi as I can be sure to keep a better deadline that way, (although I will need the grammar and spelling edited :P)

Re: I'd love to do it

[jenndolari.livejournal.com]

Right now, it's just "yea" or "nay" but when (or if) I decide to get to the nitty gritty....

[zaecus.livejournal.com]

Yes, it can be done. I would offer a humble suggestion however.

Pad the profit reinvestment a bit more. I'd say 25% at a minimum. 10% after recovering all costs might seem like quite a bit, but the point at which nearly all businesses fail is the first point of necessary expansion, often because of the lack of capital necessary to expand. In other words, if/when it does take off, you want to make sure you have the money necessary to get it completely off the ground.

Also, you might want to consider setting aside a portion of the profit of each issue for some specific charity. There would be numerous benefits from this for both the charity and you.

[jenndolari.livejournal.com]

I never thought of the charity thing. That wouldbe some serious goodwill publicity, if you'll excuse the pun. 25% may be a bit much, especially if there ISN'T a second episode...but we'll see.

[http://users.livejournal.com/strangelv__/]

With on demand printing, the main risk is losing the time invested in making the product, which in most cases appears to have already been invested or is deemed rewarding enough in its own right.

I would say go for it, but you already knew I'd say that. 8)

There was a lower priced printing service than Lulu that I saw at Staple!, but I can't remember its name. The artist who had about 20 copies printed by this company did admit that Lulu made a more durable product, so it's a tradeoff.


SL

[jenndolari.livejournal.com]

After careful thinking, I think it's a good idea. Lost money will be negligible, especially if we pre-order. And I think an anthology book is a good idea.

The press was Comixpress, I believe.

[shane-houston.livejournal.com]

I would buy it. I'm not very good at keeping up with web-comics and having a print version would help me to see what I've been missing.

As far as the viability of the business plan goes: It may not bring in a ton of money, but being print-on-demand means it won't lose money either and, either way it will help publicize the comics.

In the long term, if the anthology brings in money, I think the web-comics video game suggestion is also worth looking into.

Oh course, I'm probably not the person to ask about questions involving money and business plans. My idea of a business plan is getting a second job, so I can spend more money printing mini-comics with absolutely no commercial appeal.

[jenndolari.livejournal.com]

I'm thinking it's a good idea, too. Especially if we pre-order the books through our sites, and print JUST what we need, plus a few example comics. I think it couldwork out.

I'm not so big on the video game thing, but I DO have the PERFECT game engine for it. :D http://www.dolari.net/sfjenn