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How to fund your project and promote it – if you’re an introvert

Creatives need funding to kickstart their projects. But some creatives prefer to focus on the arts rather than wear the marketing hat. How do you sell your work if you’re an introvert? Shades of Vengeance tells us where to find that courage and broadcast with our works without drawing too much attention to our personal lives.

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To crowdfund successfully, comic authors need to build an audience and get the word out for support. There are many ways to do this. But if you’re not inclined to network or address a huge audience, preferring to focus on your art, how do you do this?

At MCM Comic Con in May 2019, Shades of Vengeance provided us with some tips at the “Publishing 101” Friday session.

According to co-founder Leo Cosh, authors can make successful engagement through meetups such as London Graphic Novels Network and organise events at local bookshops. “Local bookshops love footfall, so it’s a great idea,” says Cosh.

Ed Jowett, the other half of the duo – and an introvert – however prefers a different approach that involves less people-facing effort for shy authors. According to him, it’s paramount that the audience fall in love with the work rather than the authors themselves.

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Ed Jowett (left) and Leo Cosh tell us how to promote our works using social channels. Image: ©Story Of Books.

Jowett recommended comic authors to podcast their own channels or better yet, write blogs about their creative experience. He said: “Blogging is the best way to highlight your work without stepping into the light yourself.”

Kickstarter is one the best crowdfunding platforms to fund self-publish work. Jowett strongly recommended for self-publish authors to “scroll to the bottom of Kickstarter and check the least successful projects” to set your fundraising expectation realistically.

In order to crowdfund successfully, comic authors need to build an audience and get the word out for support. According to Cosh, authors can make successful engagement through meetups such as London Graphic Novels Network and organise events at local bookshops. “Local bookshops love footfall, so it’s a great idea,” says Cosh.

Jowett and Cosh advised authors to get a professional proof-reader and an editor – someone with an objective view on the work to give a constructive feedback prior to publishing. “The work needs to be seen by someone else because you can’t see what someone else can’t. You’re too close.”

Jowett recommended printing services such as Bookprintinguk.com and Printed.com, although having proofs made before going to press is highly desirable.

About Shades Of Vengeance

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