It’s been a while since I put together a tutorial post – Hey, how’s it going? Life has been busy and wonderful and hectic and difficult and wonderful all over again.

A lot of times I put together these posts as a way to help people trying to figure this business out and also galvanize core concepts in my head, organizing my thoughts on things I’ve learned. This one is no exception.

Every few months, there’s a ripple of intense social media discussion, let’s be kind and call it discussion, about who deserves credit and how comics are sold-
• Is it a writer-centric industry or an artist-centric industry?
• Who does the most work on a creative team and how should that be acknowledged?
• Whose name should go first on the credits and what does that mean?
• When a property gets optioned, award nominations are announced or best seller lists are compiled, why don’t media outlets include the art team?

It’s a circular argument that involves biases from fans, journalists, sales teams, and retailers. There’s no nuance about how comics are actually made and the collaborative process involved in telling a story where words and pictures work together in such a unique way. It’s frustrating and isn’t going to go away any time soon.

All that said, here’s one thing I hope we can all agree on:
Everyone who works on a project deserves to be credited for their work wherever possible.

If you’re part of a creative team it’s incumbent on you to mention your collaborators, credit them and raise them up if you can, especially if your name is on the cover and you’re one of the “front-facing” people involved in promoting it to the public.

This should be obvious, it should be automatic, but sadly it’s not.

On one of my very first Big Two projects, I had this lesson driven home for me. I received questions from a comic news outlet announcing this spiffy new series I was writing on and I banged out huge, sprawling answers to every question. I spent some serious time on it, excited about this new stage of my career and all the accolades that were surely about to come my way. Feeling all pumped, I sent the interview over to my editor for final approval and he responded with this:

“This all reads well and I can tell you’re really excited, there’s just one problem – You didn’t mention anyone else on the creative team at all.”

Wow~I suuuuuuck.

That was a lightning bolt to my brain. I was so wrapped up in promoting my new thing that I forgot it wasn’t just my thing at all. It was ours. A team effort.

That message was just a little prod from my editor but it rewired my brain.
How have I felt when I bust my butt and no one acknowledges that effort?
How does it feel to be overlooked in the creative process?

Yes, there are “marquee” names put up front to sell a title, but that doesn’t mean the rest of the team vanishes. We’re not talking about hundreds and hundreds of names scrolling past your face at the end of a movie.

WRITER – LINE ARTIST – COLORIST – LETTERER – EDITORIAL – COVER ARTIST

That’s the baseline for a comic. Praising those people for their efforts makes a huge difference. Tagging those people in a tweet or a post is not hard to do.

When I start a new project, I compile the names of everyone involved in a text file so I have the proper spelling of each person’s name and their Twitter and/or Instagram handles at my fingertips. I put that text file in my Google Drive folder so it’s accessible to me everywhere. From then on, tagging our crew in a tweet or other social media post is as simple as cut-and-paste. It only takes a couple minutes at the start and it means a lot to the creative team busting their butts day after day to make something cool.

Everyone deserves to celebrate the arrival of something they worked on.
Everyone wants to feel their contribution matters.

Writers and artists tend to get front line coverage. Promoting and signal boosting a colorist, letterer, or editor subtlety advertises their skills to others and, over the long haul, gives them a lot more opportunities. You have no idea how much this kind of stuff is appreciated until you’ve done the job and seen your efforts ignored.

Logo designers, graphic designers, assistant editors, press people, back matter – Look more closely at the credits on your favorite comic and you’ll realize there’s a small army of people busting away to make these books happen. The more you mention their contributions, the more aware the general public will be about the work involved. It demystifies the creative process in all the right ways.

Treat your creative team the way you want to be treated and you’ll build bonds and friendships that last through epic runs and crazy deadlines. The more you raise your team up and treat them right, the more they’ll be there when you need them.

That’s it.
A whole tutorial post just to remind people to credit and tag their creative team?
Yup.
That sounds pretty simple.
It should be. Now go out there and do it!

If you found this post helpful, feel free to let me know here (or on Twitter), share the post with your friends and consider buying some of my comics or donating to my Patreon to show your support for me writing this instead of writing the next script my hard-working team is supposed to be drawing/coloring/lettering.

I haven’t posted up any tutorial material in quite some time. My work schedule has been absolutely bonkers, so it’s been hard to find time to dedicate to talking about the craft.

This post isn’t a dedicated article, it’s a slightly refined version of an email reply to one of my students who just completed a short ‘zine comic and exhibited at a comic festival. She had questions about where to take her work from there and how to approach publishers. I realized the advice I sent her would be good to post here as well. So, here it is-

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Do research on publishers who are putting out work in the same aesthetic range as what you want to produce. Compare your work to it, not in terms of the exact style, but in terms of polish and presentation. Check to see who the editors are, since they’re typically the people hiring creators. You’ll probably see patterns among particular editors in terms of story/art choices and that means you can start to build a contact list of people worth approaching, either online or in person.

Don’t be afraid to send out your portfolio. Publishers expect creators to give them samples at conventions. Even better if you can drop it off for specific editors rather than into a general submission pile. Be friendly and approachable and make contacts all over the industry with creators and editors, even if they’re not at the exact spot where you want to be. You never know when a conversation at a show can turn into an unexpected opportunity or when a friend will be able to put you in direct contact with the people you want to be working with.

There are a ton of comic publishers out there and, though I know many of the larger ones, there are a lot of new/small ones I’m not as aware of. The field is changing all the time. A quick rule of thumb is that if a publisher has an equal/smaller social media following to you or doesn’t have visible work you recognize, they’re probably not going to be able to advance your career any more than you could just by working away on your own. If a publisher wants to pay you minimum wage (or less) to produce work (the hours you’ll spend per page VS the pay per page they’re offering) then you might as well work away on your own and fully control your work until such a time as a publisher with an actual budget/clout comes along worth working with.

There are more avenues for independent production than ever before. Social media and crowdfunding has completely changed the way creators create. Whether you’re creating on your own and posting online or crafting a book specifically for a publisher, building up a body of work is the key. The more you create and promote your work, the bigger your audience will get and the easier it will be to turn that into opportunities. The internet has completely changed the game – you don’t need to toil away for poor pay and give away all your rights. Build up your own following and then use crowdfunding (Kickstarter, Patreon, etc.) if that’s what it takes to get your work out to a wider audience. Exhibit at zine festivals and cons and see how they do for you.

At first your goal should be on quality, not speed. First get good, then get fast. Until you’re able to consistently create pages that stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the kind of published work you want to be making, you shouldn’t fret over speed. No company is going to pay you to produce for them until you can show that you can make work worth paying for. A publisher needs to know that its investment in you makes sense when they compare your work to other established pros they could hire.

Off the top of my head, with more refinement your work could be a good fit at places like [list of publishers]. Again, I’m sure there are many others out there. Go to [local comic shop that stocks deep on indy titles] and ask them to show you comics in a similar style/aesthetic, then do research on publishers and editors. Once you have a sample you feel stands equal to that published work in terms of quality, reach out online with a polite introduction email and either send them a PDF or point them toward a site where they can easily see what you’re capable of (not just your Instagram or Twitter, a focused/organized series of samples posted online).

The first few paying gigs you get will probably be extremely difficult to track down, but with each one you’ll build up your skills and contacts. It really is a creative journey. As stressful as it can be, enjoy the process and celebrate your accomplishments.

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If you found the above helpful, feel free to let me know here (or on Twitter), share the post with your friends and consider buying some of my comics to show your support.

With my current work schedule it’s been difficult to put together the kind of tutorial articles. Even still, I try to keep up with questions from aspiring creators on my Tumblr page. If you’re not following me there you might have missed some interesting information or helpful advice.

Here’s a second hub (here’s the first one with 50+ questions answered) where I’ll paraphrase the best questions I’ve received about work-for-hire/writing for Marvel and point you toward my answers:

GETTING STARTED

Q: Once you’re a writer for Marvel/DC, how does it work? Are you just waiting to be assigned projects?
A: http://jimzub.tumblr.com/post/171014148175/how-does-it-work-when-you-sign-up-with-dc-as-a

Q: How do you submit an original/creator-owned concept to Marvel/DC?
A: http://jimzub.tumblr.com/post/174630734045/have-you-ever-submitted-an-original-series-idea-to

Q: How do you get started on making comics?
A: http://jimzub.tumblr.com/post/171802782820/what-advice-might-you-bestow-on-a-16-year-old
and
http://jimzub.tumblr.com/post/170252147500/what-would-you-recommend-for-someone-trying-to

Q: How do I sell my story ideas to Marvel/DC?
A: http://jimzub.tumblr.com/post/171014792625/could-someone-sell-dcmarvel-stories-every-now
and
http://jimzub.tumblr.com/post/181742701120/hi-im-a-writer-who-loves-to-write-comic-i-wrote

Q: How do you pitch a mini-series instead of an ongoing series?
A: http://jimzub.tumblr.com/post/171014351725/hi-i-love-your-articles-about-writing-comics

Q: How do people from foreign countries submit their work to Marvel/DC?
A: http://jimzub.tumblr.com/post/170347209290/is-it-possible-for-people-from-other-countries-to

Q: What does a story pitch look like for Marvel/DC?
A: http://jimzub.tumblr.com/post/180987887075/hi-jim-what-is-the-format-in-writing-a-outline

Q: How do you complete a draft and revise it?
A: http://jimzub.tumblr.com/post/182031443640/drafts-how-the-heck-do-they-work-ive-written-a

Q: How do I send a message to a Marvel editor?
A: http://jimzub.tumblr.com/post/181586131315/how-do-i-send-message-or-a-letter-to-different

Q: Is it okay to pitch several publishers the same project at the same time?
A: http://jimzub.tumblr.com/post/180104877485/for-an-unestablished-writer-trying-to-get-a

Q: How do you negotiate your contract with an editor?
A: http://jimzub.tumblr.com/post/180104439995/how-do-you-deal-your-contrats-with-an-editor-do

Q: How do you balance the amount of words with the art when scripting?
A: http://jimzub.tumblr.com/post/180033905375/hello-jim-something-i-noted-about-your-story-arc

IDEAS AND WORKING WITH THE CREATIVE TEAM

Q: Do you write full script or “Marvel Style”?
A: http://jimzub.tumblr.com/post/177271910860/kinda-weird-question-but-do-you-prefer-witting

Q: How do you plan out your work on a monthly comic series and stay organized?
A: http://jimzub.tumblr.com/post/179053801325/can-you-describe-your-organisation-planning-when

Q: How much of the story do you share with the artists you work with?
A: http://jimzub.tumblr.com/post/172393188630/how-much-of-your-storyidea-you-should-share-with

Q: How much visual reference do you send to the artist?
A: http://jimzub.tumblr.com/post/172041387835/hello-first-off-as-a-high-school-senior-or-the

Q: How much input does the artist get on the story you’re working on?
A: http://jimzub.tumblr.com/post/171633205440/dear-mr-zub-in-your-personal-experience-how

Q: Now that you’re a regular Marvel writer, do you still have to “pitch” your future stories? Are there any restrictions?
A: http://jimzub.tumblr.com/post/182110075785/hey-jim-i-read-in-one-of-your-earlier-answers

Q: How do you do research and prepare for writing work-for-hire characters?
A: http://jimzub.tumblr.com/post/179077715195/hello-big-fan-of-your-work-especially-of-no
and
http://www.patreon.com/posts/19735863

Q: Do you ever have story ideas rejected by your editor? If so, what do you do?
A: http://jimzub.tumblr.com/post/178449870800/did-you-ever-have-some-ideas-or-stories-that

Q: When you write the comic script, do you have a clear vision of how it looks in your head?
A: http://jimzub.tumblr.com/post/178140750730/hey-jim-when-writing-comic-scripts-is-it-often

Q: How far ahead do you plan your stories?
A: http://jimzub.tumblr.com/post/177738360380/how-far-aheadout-do-you-normally-right-for-you
and
http://jimzub.tumblr.com/post/180985686655/hi-jim-ive-always-wondered-how-far-ahead-a

Q: How do writers at Marvel/DC decide when a character will age?
A: http://jimzub.tumblr.com/post/177341299470/i-always-wondered-when-writers-decide-that-its

Q: How does it work when a character’s costume changes? Who decides on that?
A: http://jimzub.tumblr.com/post/180310299165/who-decides-when-costume-changes-for-characters

Q: Do you decide the sexuality of characters you write for Marvel/DC?
A: http://jimzub.tumblr.com/post/179826062195/is-it-the-writers-decision-to-make-a-certain

Q: How do you feel about killing characters at Marvel/DC?
A: http://jimzub.tumblr.com/post/175333563050/how-do-you-feel-about-the-use-of-violence-and-more

Q: How does it work when you create a new character for Marvel/DC?
A: http://jimzub.tumblr.com/post/173562110750/i-really-love-snowguards-design-and-wanted-to-ask
and
http://jimzub.tumblr.com/post/170616607860/some-writers-have-created-new-characters-for

Q: If you create a new character for Marvel/DC, can you restrict how they’re used?
A: http://jimzub.tumblr.com/post/170616792730/if-somebody-had-a-new-character-for-green-arrow-or

Q: Can an editor demand changes be made to a script you write? What happens if you walk away from a project?
A: http://jimzub.tumblr.com/post/172506598685/can-the-editor-or-somebody-else-to-demand-changes
and
http://jimzub.tumblr.com/post/172519996930/if-you-walk-away-from-a-project-cause-your-story

Q: Can an editor force a writer to work on something they don’t like?
A: http://jimzub.tumblr.com/post/172503058590/can-a-writer-at-marvel-be-assigned-to-write-a

Q: Do you write descriptions for covers for the monthly series you’re working on?
A: http://jimzub.tumblr.com/post/172502729670/do-you-write-covers-i-mean-do-you-send-your

Q: Do you have to get permission to use characters that guest star in your series?
A: http://jimzub.tumblr.com/post/172272797750/ive-been-wondering-one-thing-imagine-that-in

Q: What changes when you become a Marvel/DC exclusive writer?
A: http://jimzub.tumblr.com/post/171610697495/what-changes-with-exclusivity-for-marveldc-when

Q: How do you negotiate deadlines with your editor/publisher?
A: http://jimzub.tumblr.com/post/168004723515/hi-jim-i-was-wondering-how-would-you-recommend

Q: What’s more difficult – writing character dynamics or the plot?
A: http://jimzub.tumblr.com/post/179789110165/what-is-the-most-difficult-in-a-superheroes-team

Q: How has writing for commercial properties changed the way you write?
A: http://jimzub.tumblr.com/post/182031733905/how-has-writing-for-major-publishers-like-marvel

OTHER QUESTIONS ABOUT WORKING IN COMICS

Q: How did you get your start working in comics?
A: http://jimzub.tumblr.com/post/170150550480/howd-you-start-getting-into-comics-also-can-i

Q: How much money do you make writing superheroes? Are you rich?
A: http://jimzub.tumblr.com/post/179554433995/im-thinking-about-writing-comics-but-i-wanna-make
and
http://jimzub.tumblr.com/post/170347326155/how-much-an-average-writer-get-from-dc-if-you

Q: Do your creator-owned series make money?
A: http://jimzub.tumblr.com/post/168622777220/hi-jim-do-your-image-series-make-money-and-if

Q: What were your catalysts for pursuing storytelling as a career?
A: http://jimzub.tumblr.com/post/179552657580/what-would-you-say-were-catalysts-for-you-pursuing

Q: Do you think that blocking fans on social media is bad for business?
A: http://jimzub.tumblr.com/post/174851191045/i-notice-that-a-lot-of-marvel-writers-block-fans

Q: How do you get motivated to write or draw?
A: http://jimzub.tumblr.com/post/179832948785/what-advice-would-you-give-to-an-aspiring-comic

Q: How do you stick with a project once the initial creative burst of ideas has worn off?
A: http://jimzub.tumblr.com/post/174369774375/i-have-a-lot-of-creative-interests-and-as-a

Q: How long does it take to write a comic script?
A: http://jimzub.tumblr.com/post/174369602755/jim-about-how-many-hours-a-day-do-you-work-on

Q: How do smaller publishers stay afloat with such low sales numbers?
A: http://jimzub.tumblr.com/post/173733012330/mr-zub-since-you-are-very-knowledgable-about-the

Q: Would you be interested in personally mentoring a new young writer?
A: http://jimzub.tumblr.com/post/173065934835/would-you-ever-be-interested-in-tutoring-a-young

Q: What do you think of Marvel/DC’s publishing model?
A: http://jimzub.tumblr.com/post/181552419900/hey-mr-zub-i-love-your-run-on-the-chanpions

Q: What’s the best way to support my favorite comics?
A: http://jimzub.tumblr.com/post/179519021580/what-is-the-best-way-to-support-the-writers-and

Q: Is working in comics worth it?
A: http://jimzub.tumblr.com/post/171126913210/hey-jim-a-loaded-question-but-i-just-want-to

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If you found the above Q&A links helpful, feel free to let me know here (or on Twitter), share the post with your friends and consider buying some of my comics to show your support for me answering all these questions instead of doing paying work.

I’ve mentioned before that I generally don’t do one-on-one critique because I don’t have time. That’s still true, but occasionally there are exceptions. I did a presentation for Seneca’s Illustration program about comics and one of the students followed up to send me their 8-page comic story project. They wanted critique that dug into where they could improve to make it professional quality and didn’t want me to hold back, so I didn’t. Here’s the feedback I gave. Some of it is specific to their story, but it also contains overall advice I would give a lot of new comic creators, so I thought I’d post it here as well:

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ART:
The panel to panel storytelling is relatively clear. The lettering doesn’t feel like it fits well in many panels (which I’ll get to later), but the general storytelling makes sense and I can tell what’s happening in sequence. For many first time comic creators, that’s a problem, so it’s a good start. I’m not personally a fan of panel gutter sizes changing drastically from page to page, but that’s an aesthetic choice.

The artwork is not professional publishing quality. The backgrounds look rushed and incomplete and the perspective is inconsistent. It’s the quickest way for me to tell that the work is not yet at a pro level.

The characters work from certain angles and look rushed in others. It’s obvious you drew some panels more detailed and scaled them down, which looks odd beside thicker lines and less detail in some of the larger panels. It’s a common problem with digital drawing/coloring when you’re not consistent with sizing and scaling. Zoom in on a professional published page from an artist whose work you respect and see how much detail they put in and when they leave elements out.

The colors are quite saturated without any rhyme or reason and there’s no consistent sense of light and shadow. The powerful hues when magic is being used has some mood, which is better than completely generic colors, but the rest of the time every character is lit as if it’s neutral-flat-middle of the day without any light direction or local color creating mood or volume.

LETTERING:
The lettering is not professional. There’s general flow and I can follow the balloons in order, which is good, but generic digital ovals are not how professional balloons actually look and instantly mark the pages as amateur. Same goes for big changes in font size because you’re trying to cram more words into a space where they don’t fit. Your pages should be roughed out with the lettering already in mind, not drawn fully and then lettering getting crammed in over top. Avoid having lettering cover characters, especially heads, as much as possible. It happens in pro pages, but is avoided wherever possible.

The uppercase/crossbar letter “I” should never be used in the middle of words for comic lettering. That and other comic lettering tips to look out for can be found here:
http://www.blambot.com/articles_tips.shtml

You have spelling mistakes in your text! Again, instantly comes across as unprofessional and sloppy.

STORY:
The story is clearly a small part of something much bigger and that leaves this feeling really unsatisfying as an 8-pager. There’s a much larger back story and a world but we barely get any of it explained to us. Also, because this story is primarily told in flashback, there’s no immediate drama. There’s no sense of danger or stakes because it’s a tale being told about past events. We don’t get a sense of character personality or any feeling of why they do what they do. Huge elements of this fictional world are glossed over so two characters can tell us someone else’s story.

For a short story like this, you almost always want smaller scope and more focus. A simple idea clearly told. The more world-building and back story you have to impart, the harder it is to deliver that effectively with such a small page count.

Also, what is the story about? I don’t mean in terms of events that take place, I mean in terms of what you want the reader to feel when they’re done reading it – A theme, a core idea. In your story a pair of characters tell us about another character who kicks ass, dies, and then comes back more powerful than before. We just met these people and have no connection to any of them. Why should we care? What is this story trying to say other than “cool magic is neat” or “this character is kind of scary now”?

Story is more than just events that take place. Characters are more than just physical traits.

Okay – You read all that critique and you probably feel like crap. Here’s what’s most important: at this early stage of your creative development, it’s really important that you started and finished a project. That is crucial! The only way you can improve is by finishing work, learning from it, and then making more. Keep going and keep growing.

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That’s a quick critique. I wouldn’t say that it’s kind, but it’s not meant to be insulting either. Thankfully, the student took it in the spirit I intended it and I hope their next comic story is stronger for it.

It’s tax time so I’m seeing a lot of stressful messages on social media from freelancer friends. No one gets into freelance art-writing-animation to crunch numbers, but managing that income is part of the job. You need to make money and also understand how to properly work with it throughout the year.

Everyone’s situation is different, but here are some broad tax suggestions to help you out in the future:

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Separate taxes from your income immediately.

Start a separate bank account just for tax money. When you deposit money earned or receive automatic deposits from freelance work, make it a habit to move over at least 30% of that income to the tax account and DON’T TOUCH IT. It’s not your money (yet). Leave it alone if at all possible.

You probably won’t need to pay out that full 30% amount, but having it separate will mean you’re not in a bad spot when tax time comes around, whether that’s a bulk single payment or paying via installments.

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Keep track of your business expenses.

Tracking business-related expenses can be a pain, but it’s crucial to saving money: You want to record your business-related equipment purchases, software, reference material, meals, travel – all of it. If you’re not tracking business expenses you’re paying way more than you should in taxes.

Super simple math:
If you make $10,000 in freelance income, but spent $2500 in equipment, travel, and reference in order to make that money, you don’t get taxed on $10,000, you get taxed on $7500.

A 30% tax rate on $10,000 = $3000
A 30% tax rate on $7500 = $2250 (You just saved $750!)

See that? It’s worth it.

One easy way to track those expenses? Get a separate credit card and only use it for business stuff. That way each month you have a simple list of business-related expenses already tallied up and good to go.

In addition, keep paper receipts somewhere easy to access. Have a pen handy so when you put them away you can quickly write down any extra details not on the receipt (who you had dinner with, what the ref is for, etc.).

Do the same with digital receipts. Set up an email folder/tag just for expenses and file those away for later: software purchases, digital ref material, business travel bookings you’re not being reimbursed for, etc.

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Reference material can also be the stuff you love.

If you work as a freelance creator, it’s your passion and hobby, but that doesn’t mean those things you buy aren’t business expenses.

• Comic freelancers write off comic purchases.
• Independent game designers write off game purchases.
• Freelance animators write off animated movies and art books.

Fill in the blank for a dozen other creative fields. It’s not cheating, it’s part of your job: reference and research is how you keep current and improve your work.

There is a limit, of course. You can write down a loss if you spent more than you made while getting your business up and rolling, but the tax man won’t accept that year after year without growth. You can’t claim to be a freelancer to tax shelter your actually hobby.

When Skullkickers (my first creator-owned series at Image) started, I spent more on art/promotion than I made so I wrote off expenses that added up to more than my freelance income, but it was only for two years.

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Income is income.

Paypal is income.
Patreon is income.

Both sites are required to hand over records to tax offices if requested. I know it can feel like ‘free’ digital money, but don’t look at it that way as it can really bite you later.

Same goes for Ebay auctions you run, Etsy crafts you sell, and items/commissions you make money from using Square or any other digital currency transfer.

Don’t think that just because it’s digital it doesn’t count. We live in a digital world. It all counts.

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Know where your money is coming from.

Keep track of your freelance income. Seeing where your money is coming from (specific clients, projects, conventions) makes it way easier to plan and budget for the future. Over longer periods you’ll see patterns as your career develops.

Also, if you’re being paid in foreign currency, keep track of the conversion amount for your records. You need to know how much the money you deposited turned into with conversion to your local currency. Write it down as soon as you get that bank receipt or digital confirmation so your records are accurate. At the time of this article, I get approximately $1.26 in Canadian dollars for every US dollar I deposit. That’s 26% more money I use to pay my taxes, but also 26% more income I have to accurately keep track of.

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Oh God, the Tax Man is coming!

If you get an audit request from the IRS (US) or CRA (Canada), they won’t throw you in jail. It also doesn’t mean they assume you’re a crook. In most cases they just mail you a letter asking for receipts that match a category total you claimed. That’s it.

As long as you claimed the things you have receipts for, you are A-OK. Don’t stress it. Photocopy/scan those receipts for your records and send them to the tax office. They’ll confirm and you should be fine.

If there are severe discrepancies, they may choose to do a full audit. Oh $%&#, a full audit? Yeah, that’s a pain, but you did it to yourself if you claimed stuff you don’t have records for.

Again, no one is going to jail. They’re just going to ask for ALL your records for specific years to confirm your totals claimed. They will recalculate your taxes based on any missing information and will charge you back taxes (along with a penalty). I’ve seen people go through it. It sucks, but you will survive. Expect that you’ll get frequent audit requests moving forward for several years until they know your numbers are all properly logged.

I’ve been contacted about my taxes multiple times. It’s not a big deal. The Canadian Revenue Service was quite confused by a large amount of freelance income where I wasn’t charging my clients HST (tax) on it until I proved that was all from US-based/US dollar income (which don’t require an HST charge), then I was fine.

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An accountant is worth it.

Even with good record keeping, I’d recommend getting an accountant if you make substantial freelance income. They know extra options to write off things and ways to legally balance the numbers better than you do. That’s their job. Just make sure you keep good records and you’ll save them time, hassle, and hours spent trying to figure out what all your numbers mean.

Oh yeah, and here’s the other kick, whatever you pay the accountant for doing your numbers is also a business write-off! If they save you a decent amount (and they probably will) it actually does pay for itself.

I don’t want to go into specifics because tax law and write-offs vary wildly from country to country, sometimes even state to state. A good accountant will know exactly what will work best in your region: expenses, home office write-offs, travel, retraining, all of it.

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Start now.

For new freelancers, you’re trying to avoid the Tax Whirlpool, that awful situation where you use current income to pay last year’s higher-than-expected tax bill, which drains your account so you don’t put aside the tax money you should now…Rinse and repeat.

For current freelancers who may be struggling with this stuff, use the frustration of dealing with this year’s tax burden as the impetus to break those bad habits. Start tracking expenses today. Start putting aside the tax amount as best you can moving forward now. Some is always better than none.

You got into this business because you want to create, but it is a business. The more care you take setting up your tax/expense tracking, the less stress you’ll deal with and the more time you’ll have to concentrate on what matters: the work.

If you found this post helpful, feel free to let me know here (or on Twitter), share the post with your friends and consider buying some of my comics or donating to my Patreon to show your support for me writing this instead of doing paying work I can pay taxes on.

Received a message from a gent in his 40’s asking me for some fiscal numbers to help him decide if he should cash in his 401k (US retirement fund) to become a full-time writer for 3 years so he doesn’t regret not having fully committed himself to it before he gets too old.

Part of me just wants to type “NO” and send it, but that would be crass and awkward.

Everyone is different.
Everyone’s risk/reward threshold is different.
Everyone’s creative needs are different too.
If I had to sum up some advice in this situation, I’d say:
“Hope for the best, but plan for the worst.”

Dude, it’s exciting to imagine it all works out and you have a solid full-time writing income at the end of that 3-year journey, but plan for the exact opposite:
You just blew your retirement fund and have no career to show for it.
How does the future look?

Is fearing future financial disaster the motivation you need to create stories you claim you’ve wanted to do for the past 30 years? I don’t know you, but I’m not buying that.

The romanticised ideal of the inspired artist sacrificing everything as they cast themselves off a cliff waiting for destiny to kick in and save them is Hollywood-esque Survivor’s Fallacy Bullshit™.

Look at the corpses on the rocks below. Chances are that’s you.

On the one hand, I’m sort of thankful this guy is asking me, someone who still teaches at a college full-time while I write 3+ comics per month because I don’t want to financially hook myself when it comes to creative endeavours. When it comes to crazy comic dream sacrifice plays, I’m about as pragmatic as you can get. If I was a superhero, my name would probably be Schedule Guy. Asking me if you should expose your financial underbelly for the Arts is not going to go far.

Dude, I’m writing the Avengers and I still haven’t quit my day job.
Cash in your 401k? Fuck, no.

“If only I had time-“
Make time. Set an alarm and wake up an hour early or spend an hour each night before bed. Write.
Make it 2 hours on Saturdays. That’s 8 hours per week.

“If only I could dedicate myself-“
You can and it doesn’t have to be with the shadow of financial ruin looming over you.

“I’ve always wanted to-“
Cool. Do it. Make a thing. Finish it.
Learn from it. Do it again. Keep doing it.

You can’t control how people react to the work or where it ends up taking you, but you can control your ability to do it or not. That’s the baseline.

“Fully committing” to a creative pursuit means doing it despite other distractions in your life, not futilely trying to create a fantasy where you’re insulated from real world concerns while your future stability disintegrates.

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(-Built this post from a Twitter thread because it seems like the kind of thing I’ll want to point to at a later date and because Storify is going bye-bye in the near future-)

Let’s talk about comic covers.

A strong and evocative cover with a well-designed logo grabs attention and builds anticipation for the story inside. It’s your eye-catcher, sales pitch, and branding all wrapped up in one illustration. When it comes to creating your comic, the cover image may be your only chance to entice a retailer or reader to invest in you. It’s a crucial part of the whole package.

Sounds great, but with so many other comics on the shelves and colorful artwork vying for customer attention, how can you stand out in such a crowded field?

I’ve seen a lot of great looking artwork gracing the front cover of independent books, but many of them aren’t effective as cover imagery. Too many lack focus, clarity, or a visual hook and they don’t compel a new reader to pick it up and start browsing.

When you start putting together ideas for a cover, pull back and think carefully about the first impression you want to make.

• What is the genre?
• What is the mood?
• Who/what is most important?

In short, what do you want to communicate right off the bat about this story and what’s the clearest way of showing that?

No matter how complex or in-depth the story inside is or how many characters are in the cast, you need to simplify. The cover for a brand-new project you’re trying to sell is not the place to have a crazy montage of characters or a jumble of imagery all at once. A postage stamp collection of visuals isn’t direct and doesn’t stand out from a distance, which is what you need when people aren’t already aware of the creators, the characters, or the story.

Let me give you some examples from my creator-owned series:

Glitterbomb is a Hollywood horror story, but I wanted to emphasize the “horror” aspect for our first cover.

What did we want to communicate?
Otherworldly, possession/transformation, foreboding

That’s exactly what Djibril Morisette-Phan, my wonderful collaborator on the series, delivered.

Here’s another crucial element – the cover is an iconic composition that can be identified from 6-10 feet away.

When designing a cover and trade dress, print it out the same size it will be as a book, go to your local comic shop and put it on a shelf full of other comics, then take 5-6 steps back…

• Is it visible?
• Does it stand out?
• If someone was looking for it, would they find it?
• Could it grab the attention of a new customer?

Glitterbomb #1 communicates the mood of our series and grabs attention. Farrah, our main character, stares right at the reader, compelling you to stare back. It’s arresting and full of atmosphere, eye-catching and memorable.

Almost every cover for Glitterbomb communicates similar ideas. Some lean on the Hollywood elements but all of them have a sense of horror/foreboding. They prepare readers for the journey:

Artwork by Marguerite Sauvage, Vivian Ng, Djibril Morisette-Phan, and Trevor Jameus.

Also note that even with these thumbnails before you make them full size, you can easily identify the subject and the logo stands out. The core shapes that make up the design and the colors aren’t muddy or indistinct. Clarity is crucial.

The third cover for The Fame Game our second Glitterbomb mini-series (shown here publicly for the first time) is one of my favorites so far:

The California sunlight should be warm and inviting, but it contrasts with the creepy supernatural eyes and expression to turn that sunlight into something harsh. It’s a great mix of our horror & Hollywood themes.

Compare those Glitterbomb covers to some of the best ones from Skullkickers, my action-fantasy sword & sorcery series, also published by Image:

Artwork by Chris Stevens, Edwin Huang and Espen Grundetjern, and Chris Stevens with Saejin Oh.

What do they communicate?
Violent but whimsical, fantasy, comradery, adventure.

What you see on that cover is what you get within the pages. Our best covers exemplified those core ideas while teasing events happening inside. Simple and direct, but also telling the reader if this book might be for them.

A great cover for a new property is more than a montage of characters we don’t yet know or care about. It’s more than a character looking cool without any context.

I think the most effective cover on a creator-owned book I’ve worked on has been Wayward #1, by Steven Cummings with colors by Ross A. Campbell:

Supernatural. Teen. Ready to kick ass.

That powerful image coupled with our elevator pitch that Wayward is like “Buffy in Japan” did wonders for our series launch. It branded us and brought in readers in a big way. I can’t even count the number of people who have stopped to browse and buy Wayward Vol. 1 thanks to that killer cover.

“Oh wow, what is that?”
“Who is she?”
“Kitties!”

It’s been powerful mojo for us. It breaks the ice and invites inspection.

Our best covers have created a similar feeling of teenage supernatural adventure taking place in Japan:

Artwork by Alina Urusov, Takeshi Miyazawa, Phillip Tan, and Jorge Molina

Here are some other creator-owned comic covers that showcase clarity and concept. Each one brands the series and prepares the reader with subject and mood. Each one is inviting and visible from across a room:

Artwork by Skottie Young and Jean-Francois Beaulieu, Gabriel Rodriguez, Stjepan Stejic, and Fiona Staples

I don’t think there’s only one way to do covers. You can have storytelling-centric covers, design-based covers, abstract high concept covers, or anything else you want, but in each case you need to grab attention and deliver a sense of what readers can expect inside.

The cover is an airlock that separates our real world from the world within those pages. It communicates a feeling and prepares the audience. Do it well and you can bring in complete strangers who might otherwise have passed you by.

If you found this post interesting, feel free to let me know here (or on Twitter), share the post with your friends and consider buying some of my comics, donating to my Patreon, or buying comics from me in person if you see me at a convention.