Creative tips- Value for money

People often talk about “value for money”. We just posted a creative tips video on this, so it’s something we thought we’d explore here, using the help of some fantastic creative folk to open up the discussion!

Read to the end for an update on issue 6!

“Well, in terms of commissions that’s definitely in the “value for money” category, but there are many other options, I prefer to use “value for investment.” I think your product itself is your commodity, so there’s intrinsic value there already. There are many ways to give people their ‘money’s worth’. I think first and foremost, we’ve got to offer our best work and make is something that they can not get anywhere else. Offering our best work is the most valuable thing we can give.” Mark Stokes (zombieboycomics.com )

I think Mark has made a good point about what you define as value. People often confuse this, thinking that the cheapest route is the best. At the heart of it, with the comic there are two things people are mainly looking for (we could go into more but let’s keep it simple)- the story and the art that conveys that story.

We have sometimes had people say “Why should I pay __ for a digital comic?” Except the thing is when you buy a comic from us you’re not just getting that issue. It also helps pay for the voice actors behind the comic trailers, maintaining this website (thanks Visualise!) and so forth.

If you want more detail on why backing the comic is important, this video goes into a bit more detail.

https://youtu.be/S6QRkqTXE4E

“The quality that reflects the value of what I paid for. E.g. I pay 50 pounds for a game I expect it to be decent at min. Something that is going to make me think that was a worthwhile experience. And then you get games like Gollum which is an insult at that price. I think a pound is being generous and I’ve played good new games at that price point” Vagarous, OLL Gaming

This is something I have tried to keep in mind when looking at the comics, sponsorship etc. For example, with the sponsorship package we didn’t want to do just an ad- You get an ad in the comic, social media posts, video shoutouts and so forth. For me, this value for money approach was as a result of me trying to promote my own work, so I wanted to offer that.

When it comes to the comic this can be a bit more complicated. The digital comics we offer at a cheaper price point for the simple fact it doesn’t involve print or having to physically post them out. That being said, we do have to balance this out with the commitment to our artists. In addition to giving a share from crowdfund payments, we also give artists a share from each sale, so it’s important we charge enough so that it’s worth their while (and with the amount of work that goes into each issue they deserve it!

“Me work and output is value of money only if the costumer/commissioner enjoys the final result, I think. And commisioners should keep an eye out for creation samples from and info of the artist to see if they’re legit, to see what visions they’re comfortable with and if they’d be up for the order, I suppose.” Joe Draco Petterson (https://www.deviantart.com/joeltheswedishdragon )

Commissions are another aspect where value for money can be subjective. As someone who has been on both sides of this, I want to give tips both to people looking for commissions and to artists who want to get commissions.

Commissioners

Please don’t contact people saying their art is “too expensive” or “I would get art from you but…” There are different options available to you if you want to go down a more affordable route, such as the Deviantart point system- make sure you do your research and check what the artist offers for the points before you contact them.

If you are looking to produce a comic, think about what you want to do before you contact artists. If it’s a cartoon strip style short form webcomic, then work out the characters and write out a few scenarios (Jon Esparza is a great example)

For longer form comics, map out the story you want to tell (in a previous creative tips video I talked about the ‘TV Guide’ exercise where you write out story ideas like you’d see in an episode listing). If you do this, it should give you an idea of what you are committing to and whether or not you want to take the next step.

If you are one of those fab people who can write and do art then get to work and see what you come up with. For people like me (who can’t draw but love art) then you need to find artists and find ways to work with them.

With the comic, we offer a share of the crowdfund money we make ( Ko-Fi, Patreon, Paypal, Deviantart subscription/core folders etc) as well as comic sales.

In addition to this, we also offer cameos in issues (two slots still available for issue 7, click pic below for more info!)

 

Speaking of value for money- the cameo is not only a way to give more funds to our artists but also a great present for someone you know who is a comic fan (be immortalised in a comic!) or something for yourself if you love Reynard City!

However, artists will often have commission rates and if you are going that route you should respect them. If you are looking to fund a comic then it may be better to fund one short strip, a promo pic or a couple of pages as a concept, especially if you are looking to crowdfund a full series.

Communication is also important- try to give artists the info they need to do the picture without overwhelming them (something I’ve had to work on!)

If you want something for a specific date then try and get the commission done as far ahead of time as possible. Most importantly don’t bug artists- be reasonable and let them work.

Artists

While writing this #ComicsBrokeMe came out on Twitter, a trend about how artists have struggled while writing comics.

In your case, value for money is about you as an artist and what you offer. A commission rate page is important not just in terms of what you charge but also clarifying what you are and aren’t comfortable with working on.

Remember- you are not an “aspiring” artist. If you are working on this and people enjoy your work, you are an artist. While polls can be useful, be wary of using them all the time, especially when it comes to rising prices. If you need to rise prices give people notice and an explanation but don’t be overly apologetic.

There is also responsibility on the artist end too. Keep in mind your own workload and don’t take on more than what you can handle. If you can, get in there first with updates to reassure people that you are working on their project. If there is a delay please let people know as soon as possible (you don’t need to give details but it’s better than not replying).

In short, value for money is about balance- you want to get the best quality but equally it should not mean people having to sacrifice in terms of their own wellbeing to get it to you. To find out more about our process check out this video below!

Issue 6 update and preview

OK I promised an update- happy to say issue 6 is progressing well. We have two of the three stories completed (thanks Emily Bandicoot and BlueIke) with only a couple of pages to go on Elie Renard Delisle-Lafortune’s main story Happy Ever After. As you’ve all been so patient, here are a few sneak previews!

I can also confirm I got some more issue 7 pages by BlueIke and we are working on an issue 6 teaser trailer with some new voice actors!

If you want to catch up with the story you can get full value for money by getting our 5 issue digital boxset from our Ko-Fi shop with print copies available (also from Bookbugs and Dragontales, Canary Comics, Osborne Studios and Beccles Books)

A super shoutout to everyone who contributed to this week’s blog and to everyone who makes this project possible, please check out our special thanks playlist for more info!