Unconventional Marketing!

What can comics publishers do to reach new readers?

Konner Knudsen, my editor on Heartpiercer at Darkhorse, and overall awesome guy asked an interesting question on Bluesky:

A lot of people chimed in with some great thoughts! Including me. But to really answer the question, I need to go a little in depth, and to spare him having to click through a thread of 20 replies, I thought I would answer here, and share my ideas with all of you fine folks!

Here’s what I wrote in response:

I think a big part of what drives the 16-35 demographic is socializing. Those are the peak years where you're using your newfound freedom as an adult to find everything from sexual partners, to roommates, to coworkers you don't want to strangle.

It's the age of discovering who you are, how you're going to meet the world, and who you’re going to do it with.

Sitting around reading comic books isn't exactly party central. It's solitary by nature - gaming is too, but gaming has been socialized through online multiplayer and streaming to create communities.

And if you look not at comics reading itself, but comics-adjacent things like conventions, cosplay, etc, you'll see a huge community of 16-35 year olds gleefully taking part in it, because they're social activities that communities form around - whether it's a con meetup or a subreddit.

So the biggest thing publishers can do is to foster and build communities where reading comics central to what brings people together. There is so much publishers could do in this arena, if they are willing to invest their time and money smartly.

And here’s where we go in a little more depth.

Here’s five ideas off the top of my head:

1) Connect with popular live-play RPG groups to run a special adventure where they play the characters from the comic you're promoting. Have a giveaway of signed copies for lucky listeners.

2) Host reading groups everywhere you can, from libraries, to colleges, to comic shops. Connect with local people to do the organizing and make it easy for them by providing books, refreshments, and special guests. Host them online, too.

3) Hire pro cosplayers to create costumes based on your characters. Have them talk to their audience about why the character resonates with them.

4) Go where these people are. Not just conventions. Be at Coachella, be at Bonnaroo. Be outside the clerb on saturday night. Advertise at these venues if you can afford it - but at the very least, hand out free comics to whoever will take them. Or sponsor an onsite "chill room" where people can take a break from the noise and read some comics.

5) I do this on CBK in my own little way, but get out there and collaborate with some hot food trucks or vendors at places like Smorgasburg or Night Markets. Create themed dishes, or just hand out free comics with every sandwich.

What all of these have in common is they’re meeting your desired audience where they actually are, and showing how you can fit in to things that they are already doing. They won’t all be slam dunks - but they will all reach the people you want to reach way better than sending out a blanket press release and calling it a day.

The other thing they all have in common is that they will take time, and money - two things which are in very short supply at most publishers. But the point is, when the old ways aren’t working - and they’re not - you can’t just find new ones. You have to create them.

As a solo creator, there’s only so much I can do. I have this mailing list, I can go on social media, but even a modest marketing budget is more than I make as a page rate on a typical book. So I hope some publishers read this, and see some possibilities. Some things they can try, some risks they can take. And I hope at least some of them work, because that would be good for everyone.

While I’ve got you here, please check out the books I’ve got releasing this month -

Out 11/27 is Batman: Brave and the Bold #19
Out 12/3 is the Drive Like Hell TPB
Out 12/18 is Flash Gordon Quarterly #2
Out 12/24 is the Heartpiercer TPB

Hey, you can’t blame a guy for marketing his books… lol

It’s a pretty great way to end the year, and as always, thanks for your continued support!

- Rich