Selling original sketches from my sketchbooks, sketchcards, and fan club thoughts
on March 12th, 2009So I’ve been wondering… if I were to make available some original sketches right from my sketchbooks, would there be any takers? I’d also love input on the interest in some Legend of Bill sketch cards. I have a set of very nice Strathmore blank bristol trading card sketch cards here, and been thinking about drawing some characters and offering them for sale. Also considering requests/commissions on sketches and these sketch cards. Again, curious about the interest!
I’ve also been thinking about the www.assetbar.com ”Fan Flow” (Fan Club) model that PVP, Achewood and Starslip (among others) are using now… I can set the minimum cost per month to .99 cents, which is exactly what I’d set it at, and offering lots of extras, such as closer looks at the process of the strip’s production, some video content, such as my actually drawing the strip, as well as personal messages in video, photos, specials on original art for sale, and something I don’t often show in the blog, some of my nude drawings of my cartoony fantasy characters not necessarily seen in the strip, even some Dark Queen nude sketches among them, and offering some special store items. At 99 cents a month, would you be interested in supporting LOB, and interested in such content? Just thinking about it for now, but would love your input.
This is a way to help maintain LOB, and potentially even increase the number of strips I do per week at some point, if I can monetize in some ways. Of course, doing Legend of Bill isn’t about money, but a cartoonist trying to grow their webcomic is dependent on the strip’s fanbase to help, (one of the reasons I love webcomics and webcomic fans, we’re very supportive of each other), and this is a low-cost way to generate some income for the strip, and allow me to offer more, while supporting myself and the strip for growth. Basically, we’re in this together in our respective ways!
I’d love your opinions, thoughts, and support! What say you?
David!
The offerings from PVP have no interest for me.
I buy original artwork. I think I’ve put out $100 for that sort of thing in the last 6 months.
Don’t tell me how to frame and display it though. I sent a picture of a framed piece to the artist to show I had it posted in a place of honor with my other pieces and all she could do was complain about the artwork touching the glass and the lack of archival matting material etc.
tudza, that’s hilarious. i’ve spent over $200 in the last year on original art from webcomic creators. i am not interested in extra monthly features for a subscription, even for .99/month. the whole point that it’s free is what draws us in and ultimately makes us want to buy t-shirts and original art. charging for content is a skinflint-y type of behavior and i don’t care that some webcomic creators i personally love have done it or tried it OR if you do it, dave. but it misses the point, for sure. how would you sell the sketches – ebay auctions? i am pleased to see you taking up your readers’ suggestions, even if you have been syndicated. that’s another thing that differentiates readers’ willingness to support – the accessibility of the creator and his lack of snarkiness. maybe i should just speak for myself though. when anders loves maria art when up at a sale price, everybody rushed to buy. same with JRo’s art sale a while back, which i feel lucky to have gotten in on. but if you establish a price that you’re cool with and that people are willing to pay, you could sell original art all year long – and why not? you’re sketching anyway.
This is GREAT feedback already, guys, thank you. Keep it coming! Look forward to what YOU have to say. Perhaps the way to go is to just set up an extension of my Cafepress store, (that isn’t Cafepress), and sell original sketches, art and the sketchcards, etc. there, like some of my pals do such as at Wapsi Square and The Devil’s Panties. I will say that I wouldn’t suddenlly charge for things on a FanFlow that I’m already doing right here in the blog. I don’t like that idea at all. Hm … a larger store with options is sounding good (thought about that, too). And hey, who’d like to see a Legend of Bill book collection? I get that question in e-mails a LOT! Thanks, team! Keep it comin’! This is great!
And tudza and spastic – that IS funny… I’ve bene buying webcomic book collections lately, the latest being from two of my favorites (and fellow TallTaleFeatures.com alumni) – SuperFogeys and Pinkerton! I’ve got a thing for book collections!
I’d be interested in buying sketchcards David expecially if the Dark Queen is available..I also think it’s great idea to offer a monthly membership for those who want extras..I’m on board for that too if you do go ahead with it..
dorothy made me buy the comic after this, as it was only sold in two parts. if this isn’t the best thing online, i don’t know what is!
http://catandgirl.com/?p=404
what did you buy, tudza?
david, dorothy just asks people to pay her through paypal, then she sends off her amazing art, never to be seen again – crazy! when i bought a comic from jeffrey rowland, i also just paid through paypal – he didn’t have topatoco set up all fancy at that point. so yes, a simple store on your website, directing people to paypal, is a good idea. cafepress is evil, because we know how little they pay you and their prices are still loco. i know why people use it, of course, but if cafepress doesn’t sell your designs, it’s not a good indicator of whether people will buy them if they didn’t have to smoke the rock first to get them. able & baker has a store and that guy has got to be a one-man operation, though he totally rocks my socks. i bought a shirt from him and i’m pretty sure he shipped it from his house. same with PBF, i think. john allison sends me his posters directly too…you can tell, bc he slips in stickers or random odds & ends.
Excellent, team! Thank you for your comments. I’ve decided the best route to go is via expanding my store offerings, and offering paypal as a means of payment for such things, as well as a donate button, which a few of you have so kindly offered into. This allows me to do somehting I’ve wanted to do – offer some more ads around the web to bring more to LOB, which I will implement soon. Thank you! Keep the comments comin’ – I read every single one, even if it sometimes takes me forever to respond!