If you’re a fan of comics, you might be wondering how to get into the industry and start making a living writing and illustrating comics. Thanks to the internet, there are now a variety of ways you can make a decent living as a comic book writer, and it wouldn’t be surprising if you can even become a full-time writer and illustrator if you’re able to land a few solid gigs. Whether you have a passion for cartoons or you’re looking to make a career transition, this guide will hopefully provide some insight into how to become a comic book writer so you can live your best life.
Find Your Comic Books
If you want to make a living writing and illustrating comics, you’re going to need to find a way to make money somehow. Fortunately, the internet makes this somewhat easy. You can find various forums and platforms where you can sell and trade comics for money, and if you have a favorite comic book store, you can even go there and ask the owner to start selling your work. The important thing is to find a way to make money to pay your costs and put food on the table. You’re not going to make a living doing this for free, and sometimes, it might even take a while to find your first paying gig. It’s not impossible, but it’s going to be difficult. You might have to consider taking on some part-time jobs to make ends meet while you look for your big break. It’s a good idea to keep your eyes open for forums and blogs that relate to your niche, as well as forums and blogs about writing and illustrating comics in order to stay relevant and fresh in your search.
Decide On A Niche
Now that you have some money coming in, you might be tempted to try and write and draw every comic you possibly can. While it’s not a bad idea to have a variety of stories under your belt, you’re best served by focusing on one particular genre or subject matter. If you’re looking for a way to make a living, it might be a good idea to consider the “mini-comics” market, which focuses on quick and gritty mini-comics that can be read on mobile phones. You could write and draw a crime comedy, a romance, or something in between. If you can pull off a good mini-comic, you can sell it to one of the many mobile comic book stores for a few bucks. Depending on your time zone and cultural relevance, you might even make a decent amount of money. You’ll need to build up a decent following on social media before you can even think about trying to make money off your comic books. Once you do, though, the possibilities are endless.
Get Your Name Out There
One of the first things you’re going to want to do is get your name out there. Like any field, the more people you have with a certain name, the more opportunity you have for success. Even if you have a really cool and original idea for a comic, nobody is going to know about it if you don’t get your name out there. It takes some effort, but if you want to make a living doing this, you’re going to have to devote yourself to this task. You can start by posting on social media regularly and gaining credibility as someone who is contributing to the conversation. When you do land a paying gig, you can even consider doing some paid advertising to bring in more customers. Having a good name will take you far in this business, and in the end, you’ll have the satisfaction of knowing you did your best to provide for your family.
Study The Craft
Writing and drawing comics is a lot of work, and like any other craft, it takes a lot of practice to get good at. You’re not going to write or draw perfectly the first time you sit down to do it, so it’s important to study the craft and figure out what makes for good comics. There are a variety of online tools you can use to analyze your work and pinpoint areas for improvement. You can use sites like critiquesto enter a little critique of your work or go through it line by line and find areas where you can improve. You can also use sites like griffindic to get a numerical score based on how well you performed on a given task. You can use this score to find out how you compare to other writers and whether or not this is a field you should consider pursuing.
Present Engaging Stories
One of the nice things about comics is you don’t necessarily need to write a lot of jokes to have something interesting happen. You might want to consider writing a story with lots of twists and turns that will keep the reader engaged. You can make your story as realistic or unrealistic as you like, but it’s important to remember that this is fiction and it’s supposed to be fun. Regardless of whether or not you think this industry is for you, it’s worth having a look around just to see what’s out there. You might find a story you like and decide to devote your talents to this rather than looking for a way to make a quick buck. The important thing is to have fun with it and try to put your best foot forward.
Comic books can be a fun and rewarding way to express yourself, and if you’re looking for a way to make a living, it might be a smart move to consider this industry. With a little bit of effort and the right opportunity, you could easily become a full-time comic book writer or illustrator and provide for your family. Just make sure you’re ready for the work lifestyle that comes along with this career choice and have fun with it!