I’m thinking of putting out a collection of my cartoons, along with essays (some of which have never appeared online), dating back over the last eight years or so. But I need your input.
Of the various types of books I do or want to do, there’s one that has become basically impossible to do through a publisher: a collection of cartoons. Cartoonists have more fans than ever, many of whom would buy a cartoon collection if they knew about it, but the book marketplace no longer supports the genre—so publishers don’t want them.
There are several reasons for this. Bookstores have stuck the humor section in dark, dusty corners by the men’s room where serendipitous purchases are unlikely to occur. Book critics, those who haven’t gotten laid off, don’t review cartoon collections anymore. When cartoon collections do get published by the big houses, they wind up a single copy, spine out, in some invisible part of the store, for three to six months, before getting returned. And the cartoonist winds up with zero royalties.
The only way to go is to self-publish, distributing through your website and in person at conventions and other events. But that requires substantial cash outlay for design, layout, printing and distribution.
So here’s the question y’all: If I were to launch a Kickstarter or Indieagogo campaign, could I raise at least $20,000 (of which roughly half would go to direct expenses)? Please post below (a) whether you’d be interested in a book collection and (b) how much, if anything, you’d be willing to contribute. (There would be premiums for various levels, such as books for lower amounts, original art for higher amounts, etc.)
People often tell me they want a collection of cartoons, but then they don’t sell very well, so I need to take your temperature before I start anything.
9 Comments.
$25 for an autographed copy when they come out.
One would like to hope that, like a letter to Congress, one response represents 1000 like-minded nonrespondents. But one never knows.
So anyway, I’ll probably do this. But the best way to make a splash on Kickstarter is to start out strong, so I’ll announce this in advance with the hope that everybody chimes in with their pledge of support on the first day or two, which will hopefully cajole the good people at Kickstarter to add my project to their front page, which makes a world of difference.
I’ll keep y’all posted.
YES!
a) YES!
b) I could probably throw in about $400
BUTT I wouldn’t start this fundraiser until like February. The Christmas season taps everyone dry between flying (internationally in some cases), and the yearly boundless consumerism orgy. For many American’s (and other residence of industrialized nations) the debt from this yearly dark sacrifice to capitalism won’t be paid off until February. I’ll be able to slip you the pledged $400 before then, but if it gets close and you need a push over the finish line, I (and likely many others) probably won’t be able to push you over the finish line before mid to late February.
Time of year will matter like crazy for the potential success of this proposal. Do it when people have money to give, and not when they don’t.
Also yes, I know the “but” I was looking for is spelled “but” and not “butt”, but a giant capital “BUTT” in the the correct position of a post helps attract more key attention to where it needs to be. It is like the textual equivalent of having scantly clad women advertise your products.
As a failed ebay cartoon bidder, I say YES.
It’s not clear if ‘someone’ is right about waiting until after the Christmas spending season. I have no idea. Maybe Christmas would be a good bandwagon, maybe the wagon has already left the building. Good luck.
I first saw your cartoons during your brief New York Times window, and am still following you. I wish I were able to contribute. And I wish you were still able to get published in the MSM.
A). ABSOLUTELY YES! I wouldn’t miss one of your books–whether it’s all essays, a combination of essays and cartoons, or all cartoons with some commentary…
B). For a standard trade paperback, $20-30 would seem about right. If a signed hardcover is a mid-level option–maybe with a sketch–then I’d consider $40-60 to be reasonable. (Tom Tomorrow did that with TopatoCo not too long ago.) An original art option is out of my budget, sadly.
Hope that helps.
Yes! I’d put in 50 dollars.