RCCC Debrief
Hey, friends!
I had an exhausting convention weekend very recently. I overextended a bit, deciding to launch “Enter The Fray” the same week.
When I was finally offered a table at Rose City Comic Con, there were fewer than three weeks until the event. I decided that even though I would have to throw a display together from scratch, I would not pass up the opportunity. It may not have been the best decision, but I gained a lot of practical knowledge that I did not get from going as an attendee for years prior.
Some things I learned that might be helpful if you plan to exhibit:
Graphic novels aren’t an easy sell in Artist Alley. They are heavy, and they represent a time commitment to read. Ideal products can be grasped almost instantaneously. Make the customer’s decision as easy as possible.
Location matters. There are multiple, distinct audiences at any given con. Some are there for comics, some for anime, some for craft items. Your odds of making a sale are effected by whether or not you’re clustered with similar product. While it is not a death sentence, it sucks to be close to the celebrity autograph area.
Have a booth buddy. I was flying solo, and consequently couldn’t attend some panels that might’ve been beneficial. I only got to take a couple strolls around the hall. If you can share a table, that’s great. If you can get a trusted friend to cover you for an hour, that is great also.
Do I plan to get a table next year? I think so. What I had to sell was not a great match to the venue. My experience leads me to believe that my planned 2023 material will be much better geared to resonate with con-goers who aren’t already familiar with my work, which is most of them. If I languish on the wait list and don’t get a table, at least I know what I’m missing, and I don’t feel I need to be dependent on it.
I am so grateful to the people who did stop in to say “hello.” There are people I don’t get to see often enough, and that’s one of the big reasons Rose City is still so important to me.
The Darkest Days of Inter-project Despair
Hey Everybody!
I wanted to pull the curtain back a little bit, and give a quick explanation of what my life is at the moment, and why I haven’t posted very much lately.
My next project, like L&S before it, is a labor of love that I’ve been dying to make for well over a decade. “Enter The Fray” is an urban-fantasy story about deradicalization and found family in a world without absolute good and evil. It represents a personal shift from “write what you know,” to “write the stories you want to read.” It is ambitious and exciting, and will require new skills and a lot of hard work.
Enter The Fray WIP
I’m approaching a bit of a crossroads. Art/comics is not my full-time job; I’m still working about 42hrs/wk in semiconductor manufacturing. I’ve started implementing a mid-term plan to make creative work into a viable career. I’ve been putting a lot of pressure on myself to not only get this next story right, but to make it profitable, which is not the healthiest mental state for creating anything.
I’ve felt separated from my art since about the time I sent L&S to the printers. I’m miserably behind on the artworks for high-tier Kickstarter rewards, and I’ve produced only a handful of drawings besides. I haven’t been idle, but the work I’ve done hasn’t come easy. On top of the logistics of shipping orders and rebuilding my website, I’ve needed to take some down time for the sake of my partner’s mental health. I need to rebuild momentum.
L&S Vampire AU with my meager watercolor skills
I do feel like I’m emerging from the darkest days of the inter-project despair. I have a tiny slice of Enter The Fray that I’ll be finishing this month as proof-of-concept, as well as the goal of having 6/9 Kickstarter artworks completed. I’ll also be building a new portfolio page so I can resume applying to conventions.
Balancing the demands of being a good husband/father, full-time wage worker, and graphic novelist is not easy. I’ve been strained near the breaking point a few times in the last five years, and it’s not guaranteed to let up anytime real soon. If you are struggling to launch or maintain a creative career, let us journey together. I could use more friends and allies.
Love,
–DevinSunde