A few years ago, a lot of cartoonists moved away from their own websites and started putting all their energy into social media. It seemed like the smart move — after all, that’s where the people were. But now, after watching their posts get buried by algorithms and their audience growth hit a wall, more and more creators are heading back to something they can actually control: their own site.

The good news? Running your own site gives you complete freedom. The bad news? If you want people to find it — especially through Google — you’ve got to think about SEO. And that’s tricky when your content is mostly made of images. Don’t worry, though — there are some solid, doable ways to get search engines to notice your comic without turning it into a blog

There are several strong strategies a webcartoonist can use to significantly improve SEO…

With both Brad and Dave nominated for awards this year, the guys spiral into a surprisingly deep conversation about awards, marketing, ego, and whether creators should plaster “award nominee” stickers all over their books.

Later, they tackle a listener question about using 3D models, digital sets, and reference material in comics production — leading to a fascinating behind-the-scenes look at how both creators actually build comics pages in tools like Clip Studio Paint and Photoshop. Along the way, they discuss why imperfections matter in cartooning, how typography affects visual storytelling, and why “cheating” is often just another word for “working smarter.”

Today’s Show

• Should you put an award nomination on a book cover?
• UPDATE: Hugo Award voter packet “WSFS Membership”
•  Using sets and other pre-made background materials
•  UPDATE: Patreon Quips is now available on desktop

Offering an original illustration inside a book — as part of an Artist Edition — is a tremendous way to drive sales and/or Kickstarter pledges. But… have you ever tried to draw a decent drawing on a book’s inside cover (or an inside page)? It’s not easy. And — depending on the coating you used on your cover/pages — the ink doesn’t always take to the surface very well. There’s got to be a better way…

If you’ve ever stressed out about losing readers — or not growing fast enough — you need to understand this concept!

I created a study guide for my Arts Entrepreneurship class, and I thought it might be helpful to post it here, too. It talks about the simple math behind correctly determining the best price for your merchandise.