Friday, July 29, 2005
Printing Delay
I just talked to the printer, and everything has been printed. The pages have been sent to a bindery where it needs to be folded, stapled, and cut. Apparently it is common for printers to outsource this work.Because of the civic long weekend, the books won't be delivered untill Tuesday. Hopefully there are no further delays as it is cutting it really close to Chicago. I leave on Thursday morning! At least I can market these books as literally hot off the press!
Tuesday, July 26, 2005
Copyright
Originally, Crozonia was published as a b/w comic for two issues in 1999. Dan Merisanu and I never registered Crozonia for copyright. Now that Crozonia is going to be back in the public eye (well kind of), I felt it was important to register it with the copyright office in Canada.
For the comic book creators reading this, any artistic work you create automatically becomes your copyright. I don't have to register with the Copyright Office, but by doing so, I get a certificate that proves the date that I published Crozonia and a couple copies will be sent to the Library and Archives of Canada. Crozonia will also be added to the online Canadian Copyrights Database.
It costs $50 to file an application online here:
Canadian Intellectual Property Office
As far as trademarking the name Crozonia goes, it costs $250 online to do so. I may decide to do that in the near future if I find the brand "Crozonia" is lucrative enough. We'll find out.
For the comic book creators reading this, any artistic work you create automatically becomes your copyright. I don't have to register with the Copyright Office, but by doing so, I get a certificate that proves the date that I published Crozonia and a couple copies will be sent to the Library and Archives of Canada. Crozonia will also be added to the online Canadian Copyrights Database.
It costs $50 to file an application online here:
Canadian Intellectual Property Office
As far as trademarking the name Crozonia goes, it costs $250 online to do so. I may decide to do that in the near future if I find the brand "Crozonia" is lucrative enough. We'll find out.
Wednesday, July 20, 2005
MADE IN CANADA
Luckily, I found out about this before I go to press tonight. Apparently, I need to put MADE IN CANADA or PRINTED IN CANADA somewhere on the book if I want to sell it in the US. While looking for a brokerage to move my product across the border, I came upon some information about markings from http://www.aacb.com/imex/usa.asp:
Marking
All merchandise entering the commerce of the US must be marked with the country of origin of manufacture. It must be marked indelibly, conspicuously and legibly and in English. For upper body ware, such as shirts or jackets, the country of origin label must be in the neck. The marking must be such that the ultimate consumer in the US is able to determine the originating country. There are some exceptions to marking. US Customs can seize merchandise not properly marked.
Monday, July 18, 2005
Bring on the Conventions!
The San Diego Comic-Con International was held this past weekend, and it was torture to see pictures of the exhibition hall on the internet but not being able to attend.When I first pondered which conventions to sell Crozonia at for 2005, I made up my mind that San Diego was too large a convention to make a good impact at. I have been to the Comic-Con three times, and as a fan, it is an amazing and unique experience. The attendance for this show is approx. 80,000! As a small press publisher, I'm sure you get lost in the crowd very easily. I would only have the first issue there to sell, so after some number crunching, it just wasn't worth it. Consider the price of a plane ticket from Toronto to San Diego in July, at least four nights hotel, and a table that costs $800. I hope to build up the awareness of Crozonia by hitting some other note-worthy conventions first before taking on San Diego!
2005 Conventions Schedule so far:
Chicago Wizard World (August 4-7)
This is the second largest convention in North America. Over 50,000 in attendance, but I think I'll have a chance to actually make an impact with my book and display. I have never been to Chicago outside of O'Hare airport, so I figure this will be a fun trip. I have only booked an artist alley table at Chicago, so there should be minimal risk. I am driving down there with the another local Toronto publisher, DMF Comics.
Canadian National Comic Book Expo(August 26-28)
The largest convention in Canada, and the third largest convention in North America with approx 30,000 in attendance. I have exhibited at this show in the past, so there's already a bit of an existing audience for Crozonia in Toronto. This is the show I plan on moving the most units at.
The Word on the Street (September 25)
This is an annual book fair held at Queen's Park in Toronto. It's actually the larger than San Diego, Chicago and Toronto combined with over 200,000 visitors in one day! Since it does not specialise in comic books, it's a good chance to sell to an audience outside of the comic book fandom.
As for a convention schedule in 2006, I hope to exhibit at San Diego for the first time and debut my second issue there! As well as return to the conventions I'm already exhibiting at this year.
2005 Conventions Schedule so far:
Chicago Wizard World (August 4-7)
This is the second largest convention in North America. Over 50,000 in attendance, but I think I'll have a chance to actually make an impact with my book and display. I have never been to Chicago outside of O'Hare airport, so I figure this will be a fun trip. I have only booked an artist alley table at Chicago, so there should be minimal risk. I am driving down there with the another local Toronto publisher, DMF Comics.
Canadian National Comic Book Expo(August 26-28)
The largest convention in Canada, and the third largest convention in North America with approx 30,000 in attendance. I have exhibited at this show in the past, so there's already a bit of an existing audience for Crozonia in Toronto. This is the show I plan on moving the most units at.
The Word on the Street (September 25)
This is an annual book fair held at Queen's Park in Toronto. It's actually the larger than San Diego, Chicago and Toronto combined with over 200,000 visitors in one day! Since it does not specialise in comic books, it's a good chance to sell to an audience outside of the comic book fandom.
As for a convention schedule in 2006, I hope to exhibit at San Diego for the first time and debut my second issue there! As well as return to the conventions I'm already exhibiting at this year.
Thursday, July 14, 2005
Last Call for Revisions
I received the proofs last night from the printer. They were only printed from a colour copier (Which may explain why she could beat the other price). That's okay, I didn't make an issue with it. The importance of the proof was making sure everything printed okay, and that there were no technical errors such as postscript or font issues. I took the proofs home, and now it's time to start circling errors or issues so that the printer can keep an eye out for them when the comic goes to press.
Here are some examples.
Quark Xpress has an option to print tiffs as full resolution or not. In this case, it is EXTREMELY important to get the cover right.
This may just be a color copier issue, but the border is being printed with alot of noise. It should be a pure flat border. The colours were initially C 2%,M 1%,Y 10%, K 0%. This may not be a "good" colour because it requires a screen for the Cyan and Magenta layers. So just to be safe, I changed the colour to C 0%, M 0%, Y 10%, K 0%. This will require me to give the printer a new tiff file for that page.
This problem is the font is too dark. It looked fine on screen, but there's not enough contrast when printed. In this case, I will change the colour to white.
Here are some examples.
Quark Xpress has an option to print tiffs as full resolution or not. In this case, it is EXTREMELY important to get the cover right.
This may just be a color copier issue, but the border is being printed with alot of noise. It should be a pure flat border. The colours were initially C 2%,M 1%,Y 10%, K 0%. This may not be a "good" colour because it requires a screen for the Cyan and Magenta layers. So just to be safe, I changed the colour to C 0%, M 0%, Y 10%, K 0%. This will require me to give the printer a new tiff file for that page.
This problem is the font is too dark. It looked fine on screen, but there's not enough contrast when printed. In this case, I will change the colour to white.
Wednesday, July 13, 2005
Printer Drama!
Wow! Yesterday was a crazy day. Because my visit to Point One was rescheduled by them on Monday, a twist of fate occured. I was ready to submit my files to proof on Tuesday when the lady from H&E called in the morning to check up with me. She didn't seem too thrilled that I had gone with another printer for more than $700 less. But she said she would match any final offer from Point One and and upgraded the interior stock to 80lb paper.
I went back to Point One and asked for a final price, but they couldn't move down. They also informed me that they only accepted certified cheques (COD). That's when H&E called for one last time to make an offer for a total price of $4000. But she had to charge me 2% since I was going to use credit card to get some air miles. That brought the total price up to $4080, just one dollar less that Point One's offer with 70lb stock! I decided to go with H&E, and submitted the files for proofs. While I was there I inquired about business cards. For 500 full colour cards, the price was $75. But when I informed her that I had chosen her over the competition over a mere dollar, she gave me the business cards for free!
In summary, it pays to haggle and hold your cards until the very end. The difference between Monday and Tuesday was:
-Upgrade on the stock of paper from 70lb to 80lb
-Free business cards
-Credit Card payment
-$1 off! That lowers the unit cost after tax by 0.038 cents :)
I went back to Point One and asked for a final price, but they couldn't move down. They also informed me that they only accepted certified cheques (COD). That's when H&E called for one last time to make an offer for a total price of $4000. But she had to charge me 2% since I was going to use credit card to get some air miles. That brought the total price up to $4080, just one dollar less that Point One's offer with 70lb stock! I decided to go with H&E, and submitted the files for proofs. While I was there I inquired about business cards. For 500 full colour cards, the price was $75. But when I informed her that I had chosen her over the competition over a mere dollar, she gave me the business cards for free!
In summary, it pays to haggle and hold your cards until the very end. The difference between Monday and Tuesday was:
-Upgrade on the stock of paper from 70lb to 80lb
-Free business cards
-Credit Card payment
-$1 off! That lowers the unit cost after tax by 0.038 cents :)
Tuesday, July 12, 2005
Web vs. Sheet Fed Printers.
A reader asked me what's the difference between a web printer and sheet fed printer. I posted this question to the Digital Webbing Creator Community about a month ago, and no one had an answer for. But here's a good explanation.
From http://www.austex.com/resources/tips.htm
"Depending on the length of your press run, your print job will be produced on either a web (roll-fed) or sheetfed press. It pays to learn what equipment your printers have on the pressroom floor--and hence what kinds of jobs your printers focus on--since most printers do not have both web and sheetfed capabilities.
As a rule, web presses are best suited for longer runs. Web presses run at much higher speeds, and most have some finishing capabilities folding, gluing, etc.) at the delivery end of the press. Whereas a press sheet comes off a sheetfed press as a large, flat sheet of paper, a web press may deliver a complete, folded signature, ready for binding. This can speed up the entire production process significantly.
Sheetfed presses are best suited for shorter runs and where showcase quality is required. Sheetfed presses can also run heavier paper, and conversely web presses can run newsprint or other thin paper. Some sheetfed presses can turn the sheet over within the press and print both sides in one pass. However, all web presses must perfect (print both sides at once), since it would be nearly impossible to run the roll of paper through the press a second time while achieving close register.
As a general rule, consider a web press when the number of impressions exceeds 25,000. Remember that a brochure that would fit "six-up" on a sheet would count as 1/6 of 25,000 impressions. If you are confused as to which press would be more appropriate, bid out your job to both web and sheetfed printers.
*[Steven Waxman is a printing consultant. He teaches corporations how to save money buying printing, sells printing services, and teaches prepress techniques. Steven has been in the industry for twenty-five years, working as a writer, editor, photographer, graphic designer, art director, production manager, and print buyer.]"
In summing up, you can usually get the best price and best quality for a comic book print run such as mine (3000) from a sheet fed printer. Marvel and DC books are web based for cost purposes - you can tell be feeling how thin the paper is.
From http://www.austex.com/resources/tips.htm
"Depending on the length of your press run, your print job will be produced on either a web (roll-fed) or sheetfed press. It pays to learn what equipment your printers have on the pressroom floor--and hence what kinds of jobs your printers focus on--since most printers do not have both web and sheetfed capabilities.
As a rule, web presses are best suited for longer runs. Web presses run at much higher speeds, and most have some finishing capabilities folding, gluing, etc.) at the delivery end of the press. Whereas a press sheet comes off a sheetfed press as a large, flat sheet of paper, a web press may deliver a complete, folded signature, ready for binding. This can speed up the entire production process significantly.
Sheetfed presses are best suited for shorter runs and where showcase quality is required. Sheetfed presses can also run heavier paper, and conversely web presses can run newsprint or other thin paper. Some sheetfed presses can turn the sheet over within the press and print both sides in one pass. However, all web presses must perfect (print both sides at once), since it would be nearly impossible to run the roll of paper through the press a second time while achieving close register.
As a general rule, consider a web press when the number of impressions exceeds 25,000. Remember that a brochure that would fit "six-up" on a sheet would count as 1/6 of 25,000 impressions. If you are confused as to which press would be more appropriate, bid out your job to both web and sheetfed printers.
*[Steven Waxman is a printing consultant. He teaches corporations how to save money buying printing, sells printing services, and teaches prepress techniques. Steven has been in the industry for twenty-five years, working as a writer, editor, photographer, graphic designer, art director, production manager, and print buyer.]"
In summing up, you can usually get the best price and best quality for a comic book print run such as mine (3000) from a sheet fed printer. Marvel and DC books are web based for cost purposes - you can tell be feeling how thin the paper is.
Proofs
I was supposed to go to the printers on Monday, but that has been rescheduled for today. Which is a good thing because now I've brought a digital camera along. The sales associate will be touring me around the building, so I should be able to get some good pics and some good information about the printing process.
Stay tuned.
Stay tuned.
Monday, July 11, 2005
Printers
Today, I'm submitting my digital files for proofs to PointOne Graphics, a printer in Etobicoke (just west of Toronto). It took a while to find a printer with the best price and the price varied by more than $1500.
Here are the quotes for my case. I recommend that you contact the printer directly if you want prices, but these should give you a rough idea.
Project Reference: Booklet, 32pp + Cover, 6.625 x 10.25, Cover 4/4 Process on 8pt Gloss C2S, Text: 4/4 Process on 70lb GLOSS text, Fold, Stitch, Trim, Carton
Quantity 2500 2000 3000
Signature - Interior Spreads 24pp x 1 Signatures $1491.00 $1400.00 $1583.00
Signature - Interior Spreads 8pp x 1 Signatures $804.00 $770.00 $838.00
Signature - Cover Spreads 4pp x 1 Signatures $682.00 $636.00 $728.00
Folding $248.00 $236.00 $261.00
Cutting $25.00 $25.00 $25.00
Saddle Stitching $176.00 $171.00 $182.00
Proofs $449.00 $449.00 $449.00
Plain Cartons $13.00 $10.00 $15.00
Unit Prices: $1.56 $1.85 $1.36
Total Before Taxes: $3888.00 $3697.00 $4081.00
All prices in Canadian Dollars .
What does this all mean to the uninitiated?
First the paperstock. I'm using a really thin 8pt Gloss C2S cardstock, the type you find for some night club flyers. The interiors are on 70lb gloss paper, so it's much thicker than what you would find on a typical Marvel book. The reason why I'm going with these premium papers is because I want the book to feel special. There should be some wieght when holding the book, and it shouldn't be flimsy. Also the underwater scenes in my book are fairly ink heavy, so I wanted a paper that you won't be able to see through the other side. Nothing ruins artwork more than the poorly chosen paper that it's printed on.
The book is 32 pages interior. So two signatures are needed to match that page count. A signature is essentially one large piece of paper where you print a number of pages on both sides. That paper is folded in a manner and cut so that you end up with sequential pages. It's alot more cost effective than to print each page on a side of paper.
Proofs are necessary because they are the last measure to spot errors such as common spelling and gramatical errors, colour variations, and technical issues such as corrupt fonts or postscript files. Also, what a proof will show you is how the overprint and knockout of inks is working out. Something a postscript laser printer won't show you. It is expensive though, $449 for 36 pages (including covers and interior covers). I'm going to see if I can get that price reduced. Anything to help bring the unit cost down would be good.
Stay tuned.
Here are the quotes for my case. I recommend that you contact the printer directly if you want prices, but these should give you a rough idea.
Project Reference: Booklet, 32pp + Cover, 6.625 x 10.25, Cover 4/4 Process on 8pt Gloss C2S, Text: 4/4 Process on 70lb GLOSS text, Fold, Stitch, Trim, Carton
Quantity 2500 2000 3000
Signature - Interior Spreads 24pp x 1 Signatures $1491.00 $1400.00 $1583.00
Signature - Interior Spreads 8pp x 1 Signatures $804.00 $770.00 $838.00
Signature - Cover Spreads 4pp x 1 Signatures $682.00 $636.00 $728.00
Folding $248.00 $236.00 $261.00
Cutting $25.00 $25.00 $25.00
Saddle Stitching $176.00 $171.00 $182.00
Proofs $449.00 $449.00 $449.00
Plain Cartons $13.00 $10.00 $15.00
Unit Prices: $1.56 $1.85 $1.36
Total Before Taxes: $3888.00 $3697.00 $4081.00
All prices in Canadian Dollars .
What does this all mean to the uninitiated?
First the paperstock. I'm using a really thin 8pt Gloss C2S cardstock, the type you find for some night club flyers. The interiors are on 70lb gloss paper, so it's much thicker than what you would find on a typical Marvel book. The reason why I'm going with these premium papers is because I want the book to feel special. There should be some wieght when holding the book, and it shouldn't be flimsy. Also the underwater scenes in my book are fairly ink heavy, so I wanted a paper that you won't be able to see through the other side. Nothing ruins artwork more than the poorly chosen paper that it's printed on.
The book is 32 pages interior. So two signatures are needed to match that page count. A signature is essentially one large piece of paper where you print a number of pages on both sides. That paper is folded in a manner and cut so that you end up with sequential pages. It's alot more cost effective than to print each page on a side of paper.
Proofs are necessary because they are the last measure to spot errors such as common spelling and gramatical errors, colour variations, and technical issues such as corrupt fonts or postscript files. Also, what a proof will show you is how the overprint and knockout of inks is working out. Something a postscript laser printer won't show you. It is expensive though, $449 for 36 pages (including covers and interior covers). I'm going to see if I can get that price reduced. Anything to help bring the unit cost down would be good.
Stay tuned.
Friday, July 08, 2005
Distribution
The truth of the matter is that Crozonia is a vanity project. If I do make any profit, I don't expect to make enough to quit my day job: a cgi artist for an upcoming Disney feature film; or my night job: a freelance package illustrator for the 2006 Matchbox toy line.
There are no grand illusions, only moderat hope. Let's look at the realities of the comic book industry in North America:
- As far as newstand distribution goes, only the largest companies such as Marvel and DC get to play. In exchange for a smaller profit margin and huge volume of distribution, retailers are allowed to return unsold covers, usually by tearing the covers off and mailing them back for a refund. There's no way smaller publishers can afford that.
- Direct market distribution is much smaller, with I'm guessing only 2-3 thousand accounts. These include specialty comic book shops and individual dealers that sell at comic book conventions. Diamond Distributors, Inc. is currently the only major distributor in the direct market. If you look at the estimated orders for the top 300 comic books in May at ICV2.com2, you'll see that many of the independent books from Image and Avatar hover around the 3000 to 5000 mark. Why so low? Take a look at the Diamond monthly catalogue. It's the size of a small phone book! The first half are simply solicitations for comic books for that month alone! It's easy getting lost in the crowd. And the worst part is you only get one chance to solicit. There are simply too many titles and too many publishers for too little comic book buyers. To stand out, you really do need a unique product. More on that later.
If my book is "wildly" successfull, I can expect those kind of sales through Diamond. If I were to profit one dollar off every book, well..., you can do the math. Nothing to leave your day job for. The reality is, I'm an unknown. So retailers don't know what to expect from me. When they order my book, and can't sell it, they can't return it unlike newstand distribution. They eat the costs. Therefore realistically, I can expect an order of around 500 copies if I were to solicit now.
And that's why I'm not soliciting now. I don't need to play the distribution game just yet. Especially when the earnings would be a measley couple of hundred bucks. Instead I plan on printing a couple of thousand copies for the time being and selling them at conventions and book fairs. Spread the word and build my name. Then when I feel it's time to distribute, I'll have probably a thousand books ready in the storage room. It's a vanity project, to communicate my stories and display my artwork pure and simple.
Does it sound like a good idea? Let me know. I'm sending the digital file on Monday to get proofs. Stay tuned.
Jim
There are no grand illusions, only moderat hope. Let's look at the realities of the comic book industry in North America:
- As far as newstand distribution goes, only the largest companies such as Marvel and DC get to play. In exchange for a smaller profit margin and huge volume of distribution, retailers are allowed to return unsold covers, usually by tearing the covers off and mailing them back for a refund. There's no way smaller publishers can afford that.
- Direct market distribution is much smaller, with I'm guessing only 2-3 thousand accounts. These include specialty comic book shops and individual dealers that sell at comic book conventions. Diamond Distributors, Inc. is currently the only major distributor in the direct market. If you look at the estimated orders for the top 300 comic books in May at ICV2.com2, you'll see that many of the independent books from Image and Avatar hover around the 3000 to 5000 mark. Why so low? Take a look at the Diamond monthly catalogue. It's the size of a small phone book! The first half are simply solicitations for comic books for that month alone! It's easy getting lost in the crowd. And the worst part is you only get one chance to solicit. There are simply too many titles and too many publishers for too little comic book buyers. To stand out, you really do need a unique product. More on that later.
If my book is "wildly" successfull, I can expect those kind of sales through Diamond. If I were to profit one dollar off every book, well..., you can do the math. Nothing to leave your day job for. The reality is, I'm an unknown. So retailers don't know what to expect from me. When they order my book, and can't sell it, they can't return it unlike newstand distribution. They eat the costs. Therefore realistically, I can expect an order of around 500 copies if I were to solicit now.
And that's why I'm not soliciting now. I don't need to play the distribution game just yet. Especially when the earnings would be a measley couple of hundred bucks. Instead I plan on printing a couple of thousand copies for the time being and selling them at conventions and book fairs. Spread the word and build my name. Then when I feel it's time to distribute, I'll have probably a thousand books ready in the storage room. It's a vanity project, to communicate my stories and display my artwork pure and simple.
Does it sound like a good idea? Let me know. I'm sending the digital file on Monday to get proofs. Stay tuned.
Jim
Welcome!
First off, an introduction.
My name is Jim Su, and the reason why I'm creating this blog is to chronicle the business venture that is Crozonia, an underwater comic book created by myself and Dan Merisanu.
I will be publishing Crozonia in a matter of weeks, and I'll go through the step-by-step process and misadventures along the way. Hopefully, this blog can serve as a resource for aspiring comic book publishers as well as bring a little extra attention and sell a book or two.
My name is Jim Su, and the reason why I'm creating this blog is to chronicle the business venture that is Crozonia, an underwater comic book created by myself and Dan Merisanu.
I will be publishing Crozonia in a matter of weeks, and I'll go through the step-by-step process and misadventures along the way. Hopefully, this blog can serve as a resource for aspiring comic book publishers as well as bring a little extra attention and sell a book or two.
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