sunday self-publishing
By David Hitchcock

David Hitchcock has self-published two critically acclaimed historical fiction one shots; the graphic novel Spirit of the Highwayman and the tabloid Whitechapel Freak. This article was written at Gary's request following a short exchange of correspondence with David Hitchcock during June 2002.

Self-publishing is a funny beast, it can be immensely satisfying, rewarding and even ever-so-slightly profitable. At the same time it can be hard work, time consuming and take you for every penny you've got!! I class myself as a 'Sunday Self Publisher' similar to the Sunday driver i.e. 'don't do it very often'. This is mainly due to lack of spare time and having to do a proper day job to get by.

I started Black Boar Press in the early 90s; I was doing photocopied comics (as you do). I then left it for a year or so, then came across the original art again, decided it needed a better repro and figured now was the time to add a few extra pages and form my first graphic novel, this of course was Spirit of the Highwayman. At the time I had a dual purpose for producing it, as I was hoping to use it as a stepping-stone to greater things. I also handed the book out to various publishers too. A few years after that I decided to do it again with another project. Whitechapel Freak came about by accident, as another publisher asked me to do a short Ripper tale for his anthology comic, I did a few pages, and nothing ever happened with it. I liked the pages I'd done so I decided to build a story around the pictures, turn it into a tale about a travelling freak show (I wanted to do something new with the Ripper mythos and this seemed to fit the bill) also I didn't want to tread on anyone's toes. Thankfully it was accepted by Ripperologists and comic readers alike. Then I decided to produce it as a 'penny dreadful' which seemed to go down a treat. I believe that sometimes 'the norm' format for comics should be broken - in favour of something that could make your product stand out. The theme just cried out for a tabloid newspaper format. Luckily I work at a newspaper, so it wasn't too difficult to bring to fruition.

After Whitechapel Freak had been in circulation for a few months I began receiving favourable emails from the US as well as here in England. In fact Diamond Previews were instrumental in pushing WF to the comics reading public. A very important thing to remember when soliciting in Previews is to support the insertion with an advert if at all possible - as the 'postage stamp' size write-up could well be missed by the majority of Previews browsers! I didn't have a supporting ad with Highwayman, and I sold 200 copies, with WF I sold 1,600 - they were both different types of product, but I think advertising is a must, also to advertise in the right area too. Advertising in comic publications is generally expensive, but it does need to be done, the more you get your name around, the more it will stick! I felt that I was wasting my time for years, but suddenly I realised I was being taken seriously - as a creator.

The subject matter of WF attracted a few orders for freelance illustration jobs at various newspapers (who happened to be producing spooky-Victoriana one-off publications at the time). This got me thinking about sending copies of WF out to tourist attractions, the London Dungeon were very keen, selling out of their initial order within a week! The old phrase 'getting blood out of a stone' is especially apparent here though. I was hoping to tailor Whitechapel Freak to their requirements, change the masthead etc, and some content--they could then have it in the gift shop as a perennial seller---along with the furry spiders and severed hands! With this idea of course I was hoping to sell them a bulk order, which initially seemed imminent. One thing I have learned as I've done this self-publishing thing is to not rely on others, as business decisions can sometimes remain in limbo if you don't keep badgering them.

At this point it is worth mentioning that a website of some sort is also crucial to your ultimate plan. I have had so much support from various comics websites such as Ninth Art, Sequential Tart and many more. I've slowly managed to get a good relationship with Another World, Ace Comics, Travelling Man, Gosh, Comic Showcase and a few others who will actually sell my stuff (as I'm sure you may know by now, getting your work into comic shops is generally a no-go) my apologies if I've not mentioned everyone in this paragraph. It is very important to create a chain of retailers who are willing to promote your products, because it all builds up a reputation. Many professionals have been behind my work at some time or another too, which is extremely helpful and gratifying. I'm not too sure whether this has been useful to you, if you are thinking of self-publishing but I'll leave you with the immortal line - just believe in your work, do you best, and try and produce it diligently. Give yourself a timescale and try and keep to it - you have to be self-disciplined enough, and sometimes stubborn enough - to carry it to the end, be it bitter or sweet!

I'm grateful to Gary for supporting my attempts, and allowing me to submit this article to the website.

This article © 2002 David Hitchcock. All rights reserved.

Gary Spencer Millidge responds:
David's experiences of self-publishing are as unique and fascinating as most other self-publisher's, which is why it's difficult to ever give any hard and fast advice to novices. Every potential self-publisher should be creating something unique within their own special set of circumstances, with their own particular aims and problems to solve and consequently their own bespoke solutions.
It's especially interesting to note the difference in order numbers between his two books, which David suggests was largely due to advertising in Previews (for sure responsible for some additional sales), but also the positive word-of-mouth from his previous project, the subject matter (Jack the Ripper much better known in the US than the Highwayman) and price point (a $10.95 graphic novel will inevitably be less of an impulse buy than a $2.00 tabloid) all must have contributed in part to higher sales. But advertising certainly helps, if not with immediate sales then certainly over time by increasing awareness of you and your work.
David's ingenious marketing is also to be commended - getting outlets like the London Dungeon to sell his comics helps not only David, but also can transform the awareness and perception of the general public to comics as a whole.
David also comments on the enormous impact that the Internet has made on the comics industry over the past few years, which can't be argued with. Positive reviews on the sites David mentions can result in immediate sales, either from direct orders from your own website, or from comics retailers. It's certainly a marketing tool that cannot be ignored.

All text and images (c) copyright Gary Spencer Millidge/Abiogenesis Press All rights reserved.