It’s time to get started on (*choke*) the penultimate month of 2020.
If you are planning to offer new merchandise for the holiday-shopping season, get moving now.
Drawing a person with black hair can be tricky. If you’re not careful, you can end up with someone who looks as if a stack of vinyl records melted on their head! This three-minute Clip Studio Paint tutorial shows my method for adding intricate looking (buy easy to do) highlights that will allow color to radiate through — giving you character a textured and nuanced appearance.
The effect, when color is added, can be quite beautiful.
Selling original art is an important part of the business model of an independent cartoonist who works with traditional media (pencils, inks, etc.). But if you use digital lettering, that final art might not feel so final to a prospective art collector. What should you do?
The content you are trying to access is only available to members.
If your outreach is “Support me on Patreon,” you’re delivering a tone-deaf message. We’re going to talk about getting more backers by adjusting your pitch. Plus, we have our first ComicLab nuptials!
Questions asked and topics covered…
Longtime readers of Webcomics.com may remember a certain fiasco called VAT-MOSS. In 2014, the European Union (EU) changed the way Value-Added Tax (VAT) is applied to digital goods. And its rules affected not only member countries, but countries outside of the EU as well. So, if you were selling digital goods (ebooks, music, apps, etc.) to someone who lives in the EU, the business — not the consumer — was responsible for the collection and remittance of the necessary VAT. This, of course, was a reversal from traditional VAT collection, which placed the burden on the consumer (if at all).
The content you are trying to access is only available to members.This week, Dave and Brad talk about the hurdles they’ve experienced as artists. And then, when a prominent arts educator advocates for the use of “Poor Man’s Copyright,” Brad’s head nearly explodes.
Questions asked and topics covered…
This week, our friend Erika Moen joins us to talk about one of the most important topics we’ve ever covered on ComicLab — Mental health.
Coming soon from Erika Moen…
In the early days of webcomics, a preferred method of promotion was the ol’ link exchange. “I’ll link to your comic if you link to mine.” Today’s crowdfunded business model requires a little twist on that old axiom.
Exposing your patrons to someone else’s Patreon campaign isn’t only a good idea, it’s great content!
Here’s what I mean. I found one thing to be unquestionably true for me: The more content I post, the more pledges I get.
This is especially true for exclusive posts (as I discussed in my piece on scarcity).
So, every once in a while, I search Patreon for people who are doing something similar to what I’m doing.
Then I approach the person about a content trade. I’ll post something of theirs exclusively to my patrons. (Something they’ve already offered to their patrons.) And they can post something from my Patreon archive for their patrons.
It’s a win-win.
We both get content that we think our patrons will enjoy. We both get an opportunity to expose our work to the people pledging to the other person.
And, of course, when both of you promote the exchange on your own social-media networks, it’s twice the promotion.
I know the fear. “They’ll like the other person better, and ditch me in favor of them.”
I can tell you from experience, I get a lot of new pledges who are continuing their pledge to the other person. (I know, because I always click that button to see who else they’re supporting.) For me, it has been a “rising tide lifts all boats” situation.
This is a time when creativity seems to be at an all-time high everywhere you look. From carved pumpkins to costumes to haunted houses to the really scary stuff like, well…
One of the smartest things you can do as your webcomic starts to transition from hobby to business is to establish a new bank account for your burgeoning venture. Keeping comics finances separate from your household income has several benefits. Here’s what you need to know…
A DBA is an important part of establish your business as a standalone entity. The acronym stands for “Doing Business As,” and it is a legal document that says, “When you see XYZ on a form, that’s really John Doe doing business under that business’ name.”
Registering a DBA varies from state-to-state. Most of the time, however, it’s a document filed either with your County Clerk or your state government. Your CPA can help you navigate those waters based on where you live.
Sole proprietors (as well as corporations and LLCs) may set up a “DBA” to indicate on forms and legal documents that the activities in question are being handled on behalf of a business — and not necessarily an individual’s concern.
Not all states require the filing of a DBA. But if it is available where you live, it’s an excellent first step in separating your business affairs from your personal ones.
For more information on registering your business with your state government, please use this helpful resource.
Once you’ve established a DBA, open a business bank account under your DBA. Be sure to express to your bank that you’re interested in opening a business account. There are several tools and features that may be available to a business account that the bank doesn’t offer to personal accounts.
Once you’ve opened your business account, keep your comics money — both income and expenses — dedicated to that account. Keep personal money, such as income from your day job and household expenses, to your personal account.
It’s a huge help at tax time, when you need to quickly tally your expenses and incoming revenue for the year. Not only can you total those values quickly, but you can itemize them easily to make deductions manageable.
And later, when you’re ready to take bigger steps (such as forming an LLC), this dedicated bank account will help you establish a solid history for your business — for loans, studio leases, etc.
And if your bank offers the option, you can open a third account — just for savings — to make sure you’re putting away enough money every month to meet your estimated tax payments.
Credit unions and small banks can often be your best bets — for low fees and good customer service. But if you travel frequently — for conventions, for example — you may decide a larger bank (with several ATMs nationwide) might be the better option.
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