Comics Cultures, Part 4

[LeeNordling]

Before we start, once again, I want to say thanks to Ronald Montgomery for starting up a Comics Pro Prep group on Facebook. I’m not sure where it’s going yet, but it’s getting there. You can check it out at:
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=318045453082&v=info

WEEK 4:

Well, we made it out of the rabbit hole in one piece….

Okay, three pieces, but, unlike the case of Humpty Dumpty, we can put these pieces back together.

Here’s what we’ve done.

In week one, we discussed most of the relevant sequential art publishing industries, at least in broad-strokes as they relate to the fundamental question of ownership. You now have a pretty good idea of what a publisher in each of these arenas is going to require if you approach them with a property for consideration.

In week two, we discussed the potential for different systems of payment, and developed a series of questions for how creators can determine whether offered payment is right for them.

In week three, we switched sides of the desk and discussed why publishers pay what they pay.

As an added bonus, week three also identified three types of situations where publishers can be coerced into paying a creator more than they would pay other creators. We pulled back the curtain to reveal that the Mighty Oz was really a bean counter who would only be willing to pay more only if he could make more.

(Editorial note: we’re only referring to why and how publishers pay. Every businessperson needs to wear a bean-counter hat, or they don’t stay in business and get to keep wearing their “I love sequential art” hat.)

Each of you now has the rudimentary knowledge to start making a commercial viability assessment of your properties, as well as being able to ascertain the arenas in which those assessments apply.

In short, you should be able to know what can sell where, and why.

Not bad for three weeks, but these threads of knowledge are sparse, so we need to strengthen them.

We may not yet know specifics, like how much a page rate should be, or what’s reasonable for royalties in trade book publishing, but we do have enough to know whether we should get them. The rest will require researching on your part, but at least you know the questions to ask, where, before, all you had were mistaken assumptions about who should own what, and what was the best way to be paid. We’ve dashed those preconceptions on the rocks of reality, and given you a foundation on which you can build.

As I wrote, we made real progress.

But let’s see if you can apply what you’ve learned.

“You’re going to make us answer questions again, aren’t you?” you ask, bleakly.

“I am,” I answer, cheerfully.

So, let’s come back to the unaddressed scenario from last week, and surround it with a bunch of different ones.

1) A previously published independent comics creator gets offered a one-shot to pencil Batman for DC Comics. He’s told that his page rate has been set at some number that's lower than he heard Famous Comics Penciller gets.

2) An unknown creator has submitted his a proposal for a miniseries, and gets offered a contract with a low page rate from a direct market independent comics publisher. The creator will own the copyright, but publisher wants to control all film and ancillary right, and is willing to share 50-50 with the creator.

3) A writer/artist has submitted her proposal for a graphic novel to a small trade book publisher, and received a contract offer. The contract offers a $20,000 advance, to be paid at four stages at the beginning, two middles, and at the end of the process, gives a royalty after the advance has been recovered, and assigns the copyright to the creator, but the publisher wants 10% of film and ancillary product net profits.

4) A cartoonist has produced a six-week sample, got a contract offer from a syndicate tying her to a five-year contract with a syndicate’s option to renew for another five years. The split is 50-50 of the net, and the cartoonist isn’t sure how many newspapers in which the strip will launch.

5) An experienced writer (who’s not a brand) is partnering with an experienced artist (who’s also not a brand) on a sequential art children’s picture book. The contract offers $12,000, copyright, doesn’t require a cut in film or ancillary rights, but it will stay in the publisher’s control for as long as the book remains in print…which will include e-book rights.

6) A writer and artist have been offered work on a well-known licensed property, which is going to be released by a major publisher into bookstores. There’s a decent page rate, which is still below Marvel and DC standards, but there are no royalties. The approved pages are to be paid for in batches of thirty.

7) A writer-artist has produced something that he believes is the next big thing, and the trade book publisher likes it enough to publish it, but isn’t so sure of its potential for success. The advance is low, not enough to pay the bills, and the book will take a year to produce during evenings and weekends.

Now, I’m sure each of you has a sense of which deals sound good and which don’t, but I don’t care about that.

“You don’t?” you ask.

“I don’t,” I repeat. “Coming up with whether each of these deals makes sense is a purely personal decision that each creator needs to make for himself or herself.

“What I care about is coming up with a process through which creators can make that purely personal decision, rather than responding with well-worn, tribal indoctrination.”

“Well-worn, tribal indoctrination,” you ponder. “You really like sticking it to people who are interested in direct market comics, don’t you?”

“I don’t, actually,” I reply. “I use language like that to try and get creators to move out of their direct market comics culture comfort zone, and come up with business-related decisions based on business-related situations, business-related decisions that work for them, and not necessarily their internet buddy.”

“Comics culture?” you ponder. “Say, isn’t that the title of this thread series?”

“What a coincidence,” I note.

“Or maybe not,” you reply.

“Maybe not,” I concede.

So, now that we know what I’m striving for…

…what same series of questions, in broad strokes, could each of these creators ask, in order to get answers that would help them make a determination about whether or not the deal is good for them?

“Huh?” you ask, adroitly.

“Well, we’ve discussed the nature of who wants to own what in each sequential art industry, right?”

“Right,” you answer.

“And we’ve already created a list of questions creators can ask themselves about how they need to be paid, right?

“Right,” you repeat yourself.

“So those questions can be folded into these questions, right?”

“Right,” you sigh, not yet having realized that you’re already part of the way home.

“We’ve even discovered the three situations in which a publisher might need you more than you need the publisher.”

“Right!” you say, with much greater enthusiasm.

“So now I’m asking you to take this knowledge and apply it to a series of questions that anybody could ask?”

“The answers to which,” you conclude, “will help each creator in each situation.”

“The answers to which,” I revise, “will help any creator in any situation.”

“Is there such a series of questions?” you ask, hoping Google will be your pal.

“Not yet,” I reply, smiling.

Like the Cheshire Cat.

Take it a few questions at a time, but as we proceed, I’d like to see the list become concise and grow.

Let’s get started.

***

Lee Nordling is the owner and founding partner of The Pack (the-pack.biz), a comics-related content provider for the publishing industry. He is also author of “Your Career In the Comics,” an overview of the newspaper comics syndication profession and industry.

If you wish to contact Lee separately from Comics Pro Prep, please write to him at lee@projectfanboy.

[harryd]

What sort of distribution/market share does this publisher have? Are you getting into Barnes and Nobles, or 2 indepedent book stores in East Hoboken?

Is this publisher reputable? Do they have a history of meeting their contracts, or is there a laundry list of pending law suits?

[ljamal]

How important is creator control? How important is the money? What is the publisher's current and past reputation in regards to creator rights? How will the publisher support to book?

[Rain]

Shew, this just doesn't get any easier.
But anything worth working for won't be, right?




2) An unknown creator has submitted his a proposal for a miniseries, and gets offered a contract with a low page rate from a direct market independent comics publisher. The creator will own the copyright, but publisher wants to control all film and ancillary right, and is willing to share 50-50 with the creator.
[/I]

Are the 50-50 split and copyright ownership a reasonable trade-off for low page rates and loss of ancillary rights?

If it's not a reasonable trade off, where does this project get me? Will it go towards establishing me as a brand, and/or open other publishing doors?

Is my project commercial, and prone to make tons of money in other mediums? Will the publisher "who wants to control" ancillary rights pervert my vision in their presentation to other audiences? If they do, does it matter to me, as I'm still getting a 50-50 split? Or will their "tweaking" and profits from those ancillary rights haunt me to my deathbed?



3) A writer/artist has submitted her proposal for a graphic novel to a small trade book publisher, and received a contract offer. The contract offers a $20,000 advance, to be paid at four stages at the beginning, two middles, and at the end of the process, gives a royalty after the advance has been recovered, and assigns the copyright to the creator, but the publisher wants 10% of film and ancillary product net profits.
[/I]

This isn't a comfortable living wage, so is where it gets me worth the trade-off for having to do additional work to make a living?

Is my project brilliantly executed, or commercial, raising the likelihood that the publisher can recoup their advance, and my royalties will then roll in?

If my product is not commercial or brilliantly executed, will it at least go towards establishing me as a brand, and/or open other publishing doors?

Rain

[LeeNordling]

Hey, Rain.

Does the "50-50" question apply to every situation? I don't think so. Try broadening the question.

"Will the publisher "who wants to control" ancillary rights pervert my vision in their presentation to other audiences?"

Doesn't this presume the creator cares about his vision in other media? I think you need to go to the heart of this before asking about the perversion.

Bill Watterson certainly cared...but Irving Schmaltz might be an anarchist who believes everybody is entitled to pervert anybody's vision.

You need a question that deals with this first.

We are trying to cut to the CORE questions, the most basic ones.

"Is my project commercial, and prone to make tons of money in other mediums?"

Isn't this two questions in one? Commercial in publishing is one thing (with the potential to make tons of money in publishing is one question), and commercially viable in other media is another.

"This isn't a comfortable living wage, so is where it gets me worth the trade-off for having to do additional work to make a living?"

Who says this isn't a living wage? Maybe the book only takes four months to do, and there are two others behind it that will triple the $20,000 for a $60,000 yearly income, and the creator happens to live in West Virginia and pay $500/month in rent, etc.

Again, step back to the core questions; it's these follow-up questions that get us over our heads and make my answers different from yours.

Keep it up, guys.

And let's try starting with the first and biggest questions.

--Lee

PS. Easier? Imagine the Cheshire Cat grin. But look on the bright side; this is saving you decades of figuring it out on your own.

[LeeNordling]

If my product is not commercial or brilliantly executed, will it at least go towards establishing me as a brand, and/or open other publishing doors?

I LOVE this question. It's still a follow-up, but it uses what we've been discussing really well.

--Lee

[LeeNordling]

How important is creator control?

How important is the money?

What is the publisher's current and past reputation in regards to creator rights?

How will the publisher support to book?

Good first question. It allows for all situations, and if "creator control" IS important, then the indie comics route is the only one that has a chance...since all the other publishers will want a final say about content.

However, I think there's a question that should precede this. If the creator doesn't own the project, will they be asking this question? (Yeah, maybe some indie guy will think he can do anything he wants to with Batman, but we're trying to be realistic here.)

Re. the money question, "Very important" as an answer doesn't say whether it's enough money, so maybe we can broaden it. Perhaps: "Why do I need the money?"

"Creator rights" doesn't really apply to every situation, does it? How is it relevant to the DC Comics scenario?

Re. publisher support, that's probably a good question to keep around for toward the end of the process, just to make sure the time and energy isn't wasted, but if a creators goal is to simply get a book out there, this might not be high on the food chain of questions.

Nice work, Jamal.

Let's tighten these up, start ordering them, feel free to take others from other contributors; we're building this bridge together, only without whistling or being supervised by Japanese soldiers.

--Lee

[LeeNordling]

What sort of distribution/market share does this publisher have? Are you getting into Barnes and Nobles, or 2 indepedent book stores in East Hoboken?

Is this publisher reputable? Do they have a history of meeting their contracts, or is there a laundry list of pending law suits?

Well, these are all a decent scatter shot of publisher-related questions.

Not really relevant for the syndicated question is it?

That one's in there to help broaden the first questions, so we can target everything we've been discussing.

Let's try applying the previous three week's work to these questions.

We worked hard to get to the core issues, so why discard them now?

Keep it up, and thanks for being first to dip that big toe in the pool.

--Lee

[Rain]

Sorry for the previous, loaded replies.

1 Is my project commercial?
2 Why do I need the money?
3 Can this project being published bring me additional work/money in the future?
4 Will this publisher handling this project help establish me as a brand?
5 Can this publisher help me pull of brilliant execution of the finished product?
6 Do I care how my project will be adapted and potentially altered in other mediums?

Rain

[LeeNordling]

Sorry for the previous, loaded replies.

1 Is my project commercial?
2 Why do I need the money?
3 Can this project being published bring me additional work/money in the future?
4 Will this publisher handling this project help establish me as a brand?
5 Can this publisher help me pull of brilliant execution of the finished product?
6 Do I care how my project will be adapted and potentially altered in other mediums?

Rain

Thanks, Rain.

There's a nice line a thought from beginning to end here...if not our ultimate beginning to end, but it's a cohesive starting place.

I think there's some smoothing needed, and holes that need filling.

Let's open it up to the group?

Where are the holes?

What could be better refined?

--Lee

[danialworks]

Let's really go for reality.

Can the creator do the work as contracted/specified?

Can the creator meet the deadline?

[LeeNordling]

Let's start lining stuff up where they below, Danial, even if you didn't create the other questions.

If we don't, we have a million questions, not consensus, and I'm going for consensus.

Nice questions here, though, because they speak to doing the work.

But let's put them in first person: Can I meet the deadline?

And it will be interesting to see how this changes if a creator isn't getting paid enough to work on the book full time.

So, let's line 'em all up and examine them.

Thanks.

--Lee

[danialworks]

Is this publisher well-known for the kind of material I intend to produce? Can they make me part of a larger brand with other remarkable creators?

[danialworks]

And I am SO missing a quote there...

[Rain]

Refining the list, with danial's thoughts included...

Is my product commercial?
Why do I need the money?
Can I do the work as contracted/specified?
Can I meet the deadline?
Will this project bring me additional work/money in the future?
Is the publsiher well-known for the kind of material I intend to produce?
Will this publisher handling this project help establish me as a brand?
Can this publisher help me pull of brilliant execution of the finished product?
Can this publisher make me part of a larger brand with other remarkable creators?
Do I care how my product will be adapted and potentially altered in other mediums?

Rain

[LeeNordling]

Anybody think "Do I need to own it?" should be in there?

Look at the last three weeks and apply it to this block.

Anybody remember Ronald's sparkling list that I added some more sparkle to?

--Lee

[danialworks]

Hey Rain... what do you think about "Why do I need the money" being changed to something like "How important is the money project by project?"

[Rain]

Anybody remember Ronald's sparkling list that I added some more sparkle to?

--Lee

Ah, yes. That alters the list:

1 Is my product commercial?

2 Why do I need the money? Which leads to...

3 ...How much do I get paid, and do I need an advance to begin work? If so, how large of one?

4 Do I need a steady cash flow through the life of this project? If so, when and how do I need those payments?

5 Is a larger payout at the end of the project important?

6 Can I do the work as contracted/specified/meet deadlines?

7 Will this project bring me additional work/money in the future?

8 Will this publisher handling this project help establish me as a brand?

9 Is this publisher well-known for the kind of material I intend to produce, and can help me pull off brilliant execution of the finished product?

10 Is ancillary product revenue and other rights to the work important to me? If so, how much in dollar terms?

11 Do I care how my product will be adapted and potentially altered in other mediums?

Rain

[danialworks]

Lee, doesn't "is there a question of ownership?" come before "Do I need to own it?" Also, "What's my fair piece of the ownership pie?"

[LeeNordling]

Lee, doesn't "is there a question of ownership?" come before "Do I need to own it?" Also, "What's my fair piece of the ownership pie?"

How about: "Is the ownership situation acceptable?" It allows for all contingencies and gets quickly to a "yes" or "no."

"What's my fair piece of the ownership pie?" probably doesn't work as well.

But I like the discussion, because it's getting us to parse for simplicity and range.

Thanks.

--Lee

[LeeNordling]

Hey, Rain.

Try stepping back to the core reasons.

For example, instead of "Is my project commercial," try "Is there a reason a publisher should pay me more than they traditionally pay?" This opens up the possibility for all three bonus benefits, not just the one.

More later. Gotta run.

--Lee

PS. More: We've made a good start. What are the fewest number of questions we can ask that cover the range of consideration?

Let's start with:

Is the ownership situation acceptable?

What do I hope to gain by working on this project?

Does the payment for producing this project fulfill my needs?

***

Let's keep these basic...then expand, where necessary, inside these questions.

I don't think we're going to be able to go inside the questions more than one or two levels, but let's get these first level questions asked first...within the context of our seven scenarios.

Oh, I'm not sure my payment question works yet...I'm just using this as a placeholder till we get something that does.

Thanks.

[danialworks]

How about--

"Are my finacial risks and rewards for this project both acceptable?"

[Rain]

Hey Rain... what do you think about "Why do I need the money" being changed to something like "How important is the money project by project?"

I think that question, or a slight variation of, is certainly applicable.

Maybe, "How important is the money for this project, considering the time I'll be expending on it?"

The reason I originally left it at "Why do I need the money?" is the answer will go a long way towards determining if the financial aspect of a deal is acceptable for the given creator -- especially if their answer is, "I need it for a roof over my head."

That creator is probably gonna need more money than one who's answer is, "I need (want) it to purchase those new video games."

Or perhaps I'm over-thinking all this. Either way, the cognitive wheels are churning, which is always a good thing.

Rain

[LeeNordling]

Okay, day two.

Let's take this ONE line at a time and see where that gets us.

I'm reversing my previous order. I thought "goal" should come before all the rest, because every answer to a question should be measured against whether it supports the goal, right?

If anybody thinks there's a better starting place, feel free to chime in.

So...

1. What do I hope to gain by working on this project?

This allows a creator to get specific about profitability, fun, or advancing some number of rungs on his/her career ladder.

Any objections to this as the first question?

2. What's the commercial viability of my project in the marketplace?

I'm propelling this one to near the top, because it's the "thing" in question, and the answer to its potential viability may determine answers to following questions of ownership and payment.

3. Is the ownership situation acceptable?

This one allows for somebody to take a job or not when it's work for hire.

Any objections to this as the third question?

4. How long will it take to produce my part of this project?

This gets bumped up from previous discussions. It strikes me that we need to know how much time and effort still remains to be done on it. If it's finished, for example, payment to pay the rent might not be an issue.

Do you see how we're working from the bigger questions that cover all the bases?

Any objection to this as the fourth question?

5. Why do I need to be paid?

Upon reflection, this variation on Rain's is probably the best, because it allows for numerous answers, ranging from "I don't" to "I need to pay the monthly rent."

Danial's "risks and rewards" question had appealing aspects, but I don't think most people start well with complicated assessments, at least not until the foundation's been laid. (Look at how few of us are actually working on these "simple" questions.) I think some variation on this question might be good for a conclusion that's based on all the answers to these simpler questions.

6. ?

What's next, folks?

We have many more questions that can be developed, and many that can be culled from our first offerings.

Moving forward...I'd like to see you repeat all the questions in sequence. If you suggest moving something, please follow my lead and explain why a question should precede or follow another.

Let's keep it rolling.

Thanks.

--Lee

[danialworks]

Personally, Rain, I don't think you're overthinking. Even if, as a creator, a person finds themselves taking twenty-five bucks a page and no royalties, this isn't a part time job. Even if you're a brilliant biochemist, a lawyer making 2 million a year-- whatever-- writing books, or comics, or articles is a second full time job. Really, its the first full-time job because it never leaves your head completely. For me, "I want those video games" isn't a reason to have the job of writer or artist. It's not a paper route, it's an adult carreer. Actually, I'm one of those it's not a job it's a calling types, but this is Lee's seminar! :)

So I think in some ways we're always going after that roof over our heads.

Really, if one kid's lifelong passion is to be a professional wrestler, and one kid's lifelong passion is write or draw comics, it's easier to become a professional wrestler.

And there's that word "realistic" poking it's ugly head into things again.

[danialworks]

I'm not doing the best at wording the questions, so I'm going to just to toss the idea of "Am I comfortable with the artist or writer I'm" into the mix, and see who rewrites it into question #8.

Also, can I learn from this editor/doing this project?

[danialworks]

Well, something went wrong there. That would be artist or writer I'm working with--

[LeeNordling]

Personally, Rain, I don't think you're overthinking. Even if, as a creator, a person finds themselves taking twenty-five bucks a page and no royalties, this isn't a part time job. Even if you're a brilliant biochemist, a lawyer making 2 million a year-- whatever-- writing books, or comics, or articles is a second full time job. Really, its the first full-time job because it never leaves your head completely. For me, "I want those video games" isn't a reason to have the job of writer or artist. It's not a paper route, it's an adult carreer. Actually, I'm one of those it's not a job it's a calling types, but this is Lee's seminar! :)

So I think in some ways we're always going after that roof over our heads.

Really, if one kid's lifelong passion is to be a professional wrestler, and one kid's lifelong passion is write or draw comics, it's easier to become a professional wrestler.

And there's that word "realistic" poking it's ugly head into things again.

I misread a post by Danial, so what follows tracks more closely to what he wrote. For anybody that read the earlier misinterpretation (nope, there were no fireworks; it's just that my opening response didn't make any sense), sorry.

Here's the revised version of my post:

Actually, Danial, I agree that Rain's not over-thinking it. And there are a lot of reasons, though many might be a "roof over our heads" situation.

In my case, some are and some aren't.

I wrote a book a year ago; it's done. The artist did his samples. It's at a pretty interesting publisher, and I think the budget will be lowish. The payment will contribute to the other things that help pay my bills, but I don't need to work on it, except as an editor, then designer...so I've got other things to do to keep the "roof over my head" while it gets drawn.

And I think, in many ways, it's a game-changer project for sequential art in trade book publishing, more accessible than most of what's being produced, format-wise. Sure, I could be wrong, but I think that, as well as other projects we're putting together that are similarly formatted, these will be big.

One editor (who works for a trade book publisher that produces "younger" stuff; I was showing it to him for format, not as a submission) said, "This is EXACTLY the kind of book I would buy for myself if I saw it in a store."

A publisher may not (probably WILL not) be sure of this potential for success, so he's going to pay less. And I'll take less, because I believe there'll be more in royalties.

Now, this is my assessment of one book that we've got. It doesn't follow the sequence of questions we're working on, but it could fit into it.

And "needing to pay the rent" wouldn't be the answer to my payment question. My answer would be "help to pay some of, but not all of, the bills."

This is stuff I do daily without thinking about it, mostly because I'm always juggling the business, personal, professional, and it's interesting to build these series of questions that will help creators come up with their own, balanced, thought-through conclusions.

Anyway, I think we're making progress.

--Lee

PS. I like the use of the term "seminar." Glad that's coming across.

[LeeNordling]

I'm not doing the best at wording the questions, so I'm going to just to toss the idea of "Am I comfortable with the artist or writer I'm" into the mix, and see who rewrites it into question #8.

Also, can I learn from this editor/doing this project?

While I think it's good to come up with relevant questions, this presumes the person doesn't do both, which excludes a bunch of people.

Also, since this is for projects that have been offered deals, the assumption NEEDS to be that creators are in place.

Let's get back to my last request:

List all the questions 1 to, in this case, 6, or 6 and 7, or 6 and 7 and 8, etc.

There are a million great questions, but only so many that will help everybody come to the conclusions that are right for them.

So, we've got:

1. What do I hope to gain by working on this project?

2. What's the commercial viability of my project in the marketplace?

3. Is the ownership situation acceptable?

4. How long will it take to produce my part of this project?

5. Why do I need to be paid?

What's next?

--Lee

[danialworks]

Re: Lee's adjustment

Also, I have a habit of looking forward in the lessons, as well as treating everything as a lifestyle/choice, while Lee just wants us all focused on ONE PROJECT.

Rain, who I don't know, and I have have taken a few steps toward the idea of collaboration-- or as Lee puts it, consensus.

There are a few people here who are published-- where are your two cents, your experience?

And those of you who are total beginners-- you've just seen the Lee is giving a lot of thought to teaching this online seminar. C'mon up to the blackboard with me and Rain-- learn by doing.

Seriously... if comics publishers catch on to this, they are going to remember who was willing to do some WORK.

Anyway, doing laundry... I"ll get back to the list as soon as I can.

But I'm not gonna stand up at the blackboard alone.

[LeeNordling]

Also, I have a habit of looking forward in the lessons, as well as treating everything as a lifestyle/choice, while Lee just wants us all focused on ONE PROJECT.

Actually, I'm hoping for crawling before running, Danial.

I probably have close to a hundred projects at some stage of work, some obviously more active than others, and some waiting patiently in line.

And I could tell you want I'm doing and why on each one of these projects, and each answer will be different.

And yep, lifestyle choice is a huge part of this, and that could easily be wrapped into aspects of this discussion.

For instance: I need to be paid a livable amount so I can work on it during the day and take my significant other out to dinner every other night.

All answers fit that one we worked so hard on, which is why we're continuing to work on creating better broad-strokes questions.

Now, to some of you, you probably think you already know why you're doing this stuff, so this exercise may seem silly.

But here's what I know, from experience: most comics creators have NOT thought through their potential career path; they just want to do what they want to do, and for reasons, which, when spoken out loud, collapse under the weight of reality.

I've asked hundreds of creators "what do you want to do?" and getting a clearly thought-through answer that goes beyond "write Batman" or "get my miniseries published" is just hard.

So, we're creating a list of questions, which, when answered, will help you know EXACTLY what you're doing, and why.

You may not pay for this seminar, but I expect to see some folks bring some skin to the game.

So, as Danial suggests, let's see you step up to the blackboard and get to work.

Or we may never get to 6.

--Lee

[danialworks]

1. What do I hope to gain by working on this project?

2. What's the commercial viability of my project in the market place?

3. Is the ownership situation acceptable?

4. How long will it take to produce my part of the contract?

5. Why do I need to be paid?

6. Will this project increase my audience?

7. Will this project enhance/create my reputation as a reliable worker in my chosen field?

Yes, I expect my additions to be rewritten if accepted. :)

[danialworks]

Reading now, they may both be included in question #1. Yep, this is work.

think, think, think, think, think, think

[danialworks]

Hmmm.

is

6. Who do I need to pay?

too specific to a creator-owned project?

So maybe...


6. Am I confident in this publisher?

[LeeNordling]

Reading now, they may both be included in question #1. Yep, this is work.

think, think, think, think, think, think

Good.

It's nice to discover how some stuff folds into others.

Increasing audience, for example, isn't as primary a consideration as goal, ownership, and payment, though if it BECOMES an individual goal, then it gets wrapped nicely into sub-questions.

--Lee

[LeeNordling]

Yes, six is a puzzle, isn't it?

Let's look at the broad categories of 1-5, discern their broader topics, then see what broader topics remain.

MY GOAL: 1. What do I hope to gain by working on this project?

MY PROJECT POTENTIAL: 2. What's the commercial viability of my project in the market place?

MY OWNERSHIP: 3. Is the ownership situation acceptable?

MY COMMITMENT: 4. How long will it take to produce my part of the contract?

MY MONEY: 5. Why do I need to be paid?

Now, in our scenarios, we've already been offered contracts by publishers. Perhaps we shouldn't have started at the contract for this exercise, but we did. Does this suggest we might one day discuss "finding the right publisher" as a topic? Maybe, though the third little-read article on pitching addresses the broad strokes/fundamentals, if not the specifics, for this.

My point here is that we've already selected the publisher, though what they can do for the project or us might still be under negotiation...but remember, these questions ARE the foundation of what we need in a negotiation.

For a second, skip the questions and go to the broader issues that aren't resolved; not the small fry that fold into these bigger points, the bigger stuff that isn't covered.

We have previous questions that suggest topics we haven't yet covered, and we still have unasked questions.

Let's keep it going.

--Lee

PS. I just read through early posts, and did this: I read the seven scenarios--hmmm...The Seven Scenarios...good title--and looked at each variation and asked, "Do my current questions address each of these?" then asked, "If not, what's the topic, and how can I extend my list to deal with this topic?"

As Danial noted, this is work.

[LeeNordling]

Question: should #5's "Why do I need to be paid?" be "Will I be paid in a manner that meets my financial needs?"

Implicitly, this eliminates the need to match the "why" to the offer a publisher makes.

Do we lose anything with this question?

As we move forward, let's continue to ask the hard, probing questions.

Remember, the list we're creating will help you shape your career.

--Lee

[LeeNordling]

Here's my complete first-tier list, 1-6, with some tweaks.

MY GOAL: 1. What do I hope to gain by working on this project?

MY PROJECT POTENTIAL: 2. What's the commercial viability of my project in the market place?

MY OWNERSHIP: 3. Is the ownership situation acceptable?

MY COMMITMENT: 4. How long will it take to produce my portion of the project?

MY PAY FOR DOING THE JOB: 5. Will I be paid in a manner that meets my financial needs?

MY LONG-TERM PAY: 6. Are royalties and licensing fees the icing on the cake or the cake?

Can anybody think of a question that doesn't fold into one of these?

The question of whether this helps a creator "brand" him/herself fits well under 1.

The question of whether a publisher will support the book fits under 2.

Ancillary rights fits under 3.

I believe these broad-based questions are the first tier of questions.

Go back to the original post, examine The Seven Scenarios, and ask yourself this question: Is there any relevant condition that doesn't fall under these one of these six questions?

--Lee

PS. I had hoped we'd identify our top-tier questions, then get to at least the next tier, so that the answers to the first would lead to a more specific series of questions for creators to consider.

As it is, I think these six help a creator order and compare his or her personal and professional priorities, if not in as great a depth as I'd hoped.

Have a great weekend.

[LeeNordling]

A question: has developing these business-related questions been worthwhile?

My experience has been that most creators don't really have a structure for making an assessment; they mostly build on what they've personally experienced and been told by other direct market creators.

Do these six questions give any of you a better, broader perspective on what you should want and need in a contractual relationship?

I look forward to reading your answers.

Thanks.

--Lee

[WilliamStormeSmith]

They give a nice little checklist of how to properly think it through. I tend to be directionless with the business end of being a writer. So it's great to see a series of questions that point me in the right direction.

It also narrows my vision so I don't over think wondering what did I miss.

My main goal is to steer each individual creation into the best possible situation, and a bad deal or being underpaid can kill even the strongest man's motivation.

Wish I could have answered the questions, sorry you had to stand at the blackboard alone this week danial and rain. But I'll tell you this Lee. It helps and just to give my personal example to please be disregarded at the readers leisure.

1. We all forget the little things from time to time. I forget little pieces of presentations I've given hundreds of times.

2. Lee's advice and teaching works.

[danialworks]

I'm good. I learned from the process... and a solid lesson. The business end of writing/the media folds together the same way good writing does, or even someone's personal life--

The big questions make the subsquents far more clear, and those subsequent questions add detail to the big questions.

And the writer or whoever is more informed, even empowered for this clarity.

So the business end of things isn't the ugly monster in the room to be terrified of-- it's the ugly monster in the room you can train and learn from and be more successful for owning.

And I still think more of you shoulda gotten up at da chalkboard. :)

[arseneau77]

First off, my apologies for not jumping into the conversation until it was winding down...kind of late to the party on this one. I've read the entire thread, though, and have been working my way back through previous weeks, to catch up on the lessons that were given out prior to my being turned onto this awesome resource.

To answer Lee's most recent question, I personally find the six questions extremely helpful. Sure, most of it is fairly straightforward and could probably be figured out using a bit of common sense, but I like having a concise checklist that's applicable to multiple scenarios and situations. Seems like it would make it easy to quickly compare two or more potential situations by running both/each through the series of questions and checking the results against each other.

Seems like it would eliminate a lot (or at least some) of the "this deal just feels right" or "this deal just feels wrong" kind of scenario. Sure, gut reaction is important, but I like to know why something feels right or wrong, and I feel like a list like this that's widely applicable to different situations can help wit that.

[LeeNordling]

Thanks, guys, and I look forward to reading other thoughts on this topic.

Arseneau, when I looked at the final six questions, I thought, "Wow. All week just to get to these simple questions." Then I realized that nothing in getting to these was easy for any of us...

...so maybe common sense isn't so common? You can quote me on that one, folks.

Arseneau, I agree applying the questions to some examples would be good. Feel free to apply this set of questions to The Seven Scenarios, just to see if the bases are covered. Everybody else is free to try that, too, because if core issues aren't somehow covered in the answers from the six questions, then we either need to change the questions or add more questions.

--Lee

[arseneau77]

Okay, here's my shot at the first 3. I planned to do them all but I think it'll be better to break it up a little into sections.

1) A previously published independent comics creator gets offered a one-shot to pencil Batman for DC Comics. He’s told that his page rate has been set at some number that's lower than he heard Famous Comics Penciller gets.

GOAL: Well, if this creator is ‘previously published independent’, then I suppose it depends on whether or not that creator is one whose goal is to work for the mainstream. If it is, then this would probably be an opportunity where the experience would outweigh a lower page rate than expected (we’re also talking about him/her comparing their rate to ‘Famous Comics Penciller’, which should mean that it’s not surprising to them to get a lower rate than the established pro.

PROJECT POTENTIAL: Well, it’s Batman. Not a huge risk there.

OWNERSHIP: Zero. Should be expected and, if not, this creator has larger fundamental misunderstandings than wondering why their page rate is less than an established pro.

COMMITMENT: We don’t know how long the book is, what the deadlines are, or how this penciller works so only they can answer this one.

PAY FOR DOING THE JOB: Again, without knowing the specific circumstances of the creator involved, the pay questions are tough to answer. Will it pay their bills while they do the work? Do they need it to?

LONG TERM PAY: I’m guessing probably none, since this would be a zero=ownership page-rate deal?

2) An unknown creator has submitted his a proposal for a miniseries, and gets offered a contract with a low page rate from a direct market independent comics publisher. The creator will own the copyright, but publisher wants to control all film and ancillary right, and is willing to share 50-50 with the creator.

GOAL: Well, if by ‘unknown’, we mean ‘unpublished’, then this might be okay. I’m a little fuzzy on the copyright situation in this scenario, but my understanding (please correct me if I’m wrong) is that, by owning the copyright, the creator can then take the character/series to a different publisher down the line if they so choose. The problem I see with this is that, if the publisher controls all ancillary rights, then this could get sticky if the creator, say for example, takes the miniseries to Company B down the line, they publish it, it all of a sudden becomes popular because Company B put more behind it marketing or distribution-wise and now there’s interest from Hollywood. BUT...Company A still owns all of those ancillary rights, correct? So, the creator still gets 50% of the money from those deals, but Company B, gets nothing, which would lead me to believe that Company B probably wouldn’t have wanted to take the book/series in the first place, knowing that all ancillary rights are off the table.

PROJECT POTENTIAL: In this case, only the publisher could really know that.

OWNERSHIP: Creator-owned property, but Company A owns ancillary rights (which, at least to me, makes it seems like it’s not really creator-owned).

COMMITMENT: Can’t say in this case.

PAY: Low, but it the long-term benefit of having the series out with Company A and them controlling ancillary worth it to this creator at this point in their career?


3) A writer/artist has submitted her proposal for a graphic novel to a small trade book publisher, and received a contract offer. The contract offers a $20,000 advance, to be paid at four stages at the beginning, two middles, and at the end of the process, gives a royalty after the advance has been recovered, and assigns the copyright to the creator, but the publisher wants 10% of film and ancillary product net profits.

GOAL: For a writer/artist approach the trade book market, this is probably in line with her goals.

PROJECT POTENTIAL: Obviously the publisher sees some potential there if they offer an advance like that. As Lee’s said a couple of times, trade publishers don’t generally deal with works they don’t think will sell at least 20-30,000 copies, so they at least believe there’s that level of potential in the project.

OWNERSHIP: Now, my reading of this is that the creator still owns the property (well, the copyright anyway), but Lee’s said several times that that usually doesn’t happen in the trade market so I’m a little confused here. Maybe my understanding of copyright/ownership is skewed? I’m assuming the publisher would want to control the IP in this case.

COMMITMENT: Hard to say, but with the advance and the pay structure, if her goal is to be a professional writer/artist and she can reasonably complete the work within a time frame in which the money she’s being paid is covering all of her living expenses, then she should be golden in this case.

PAY FOR DOING THE JOB: It provides an advance that can help to cover some of her living expense while working on the book.

LONG TERM PAY: Royalties (after the advance recoup of course) and she only gives the company 10% of ancillary revenues. Not bad for her if the book takes off and becomes a film or something.

[LeeNordling]

Thanks, Glenn.

I think you showed the flexibility of the questions; they all seem to allow for a broad-based discussion of pros and cons.

Without creating too much of a segue, we spent some time last week discussing project potential. There are actually two assessments to consider: the publisher AND the creator.

The creator might think he's developed a potential golden goose, and the publisher might think it's a (publishable) turkey.

Since creators often disagree--even if they're polite enough not to say so--with publishers about property potential, I think we need to allow for possible disagreement here.

Another topic for clarification: even if the creator owns the copyright, the contract may (and probably will) stipulate that the publisher controls the publishing rights for as long as the book remains in print. THIS was a sticking point (publicly discussed) between Moore and DC Comics with "V For Vendetta," because DC kept it in print and continued to control rights because of it. Having the copyright and controlling the rights aren't necessarily the same thing. If a copyright holder assigns rights to others, like toys, movies, publishing, etc., the copyright holder may not have a say about anything, unless that say is covered in the contract.

To clarify another question, I don't recall saying that creators DON'T tend to have the copyright in trade book publishing, because they do tend to have the copyright...if they created the property. Where they didn't, it's more of a licensing thing.

It's more mixed in the direct market. In educational publishing, the publisher tends to own the material. In comic strips, it depends when and where the feature launched. I covered these variables in week one of this particular discussion. It makes a decent reference, but just in very broad strokes.

Here was my overview for an original graphic novel for trade book publisher: If you're self-employed as the creator, it's yours; if you're the writer, maybe you did and didn't make your artist a co-owner, and maybe you did or didn't buy him/her out for the work.

Thanks for this, Glenn. I look forward to reading the other breakdowns.

--Lee

[arseneau77]

To clarify another question, I don't recall saying that creators DON'T tend to have the copyright in trade book publishing, because they do tend to have the copyright.



Sorry about that, Lee. Maybe I imagined it, or maybe I was remembering you saying that in reference to educational books. Either way, my mistake...don't mind me.

[LeeNordling]

Sorry about that, Lee. Maybe I imagined it, or maybe I was remembering you saying that in reference to educational books. Either way, my mistake...don't mind me.

Not a biggie; I might have misspoken (mis-written?), and I'm happy to clarify it. As the first post indicates, there were lots of variables, so many that it could confuse anybody...which is why we're spending so much time discussing each and every one of them.

--Lee

[arseneau77]

Okay, here’s my stab at Part 2:

4) A cartoonist has produced a six-week sample, got a contract offer from a syndicate tying her to a five-year contract with a syndicate’s option to renew for another five years. The split is 50-50 of the net, and the cartoonist isn’t sure how many newspapers in which the strip will launch.

I don’t really feel that I’m in a position to answer this one, since I know so little about the cartoonist market and what constitutes ‘standard’ goals and practices in this part of the sandbox. Is a 5-year contract normal? Is a 50-50 net profit split standard? I just don’t know so I respectfully decline to comment on this one.

5) An experienced writer (who’s not a brand) is partnering with an experienced artist (who’s also not a brand) on a sequential art children’s picture book. The contract offers $12,000, copyright, doesn’t require a cut in film or ancillary rights, but it will stay in the publisher’s control for as long as the book remains in print…which will include e-book rights.

GOAL: Hmm...Depending on who the publisher is and what having a book put out by them can do for the careers of said creators, having them keeping control of the publishing rights indefinitely might not be a bad thing. Since we’ve established that neither of these creators is a ‘brand’, then I’d tend to lean towards this being an okay scenario. With a children’s book, I tend to think that the brand of publisher doesn’t matter as much as their distribution power. As long as they can get it into the bookstores, the average customer (I don’t think) is going to care if it’s put out by Company A, B, or C.

PROJECT POTENTIAL: Obviously the publisher feels that there’s some potential here, but maybe not as much as the company above who offered a larger advance (though this might not be the case...it might be that this publisher simply doesn’t have the means to offer the advance the previous publisher did and might not be indicative of their assessment of the project’s potential).

OWNERSHIP: When the publisher keeps control of the publishing rights and the creators keep ancillary rights, who actually can be said to own the product? (this is an actual question, not a rhetorical one)

COMMITMENT/PAY: Hard to say, in this case. The advance is probably not going to cover living expense for 2 people for more than a couple of months, but that might not be the goal of these creators. If they’re not yet ‘brands’, they may not be working on writing/art full time so the advance money might be more of a cushion than a necessity to living.

6) A writer and artist have been offered work on a well-known licensed property, which is going to be released by a major publisher into bookstores. There’s a decent page rate, which is still below Marvel and DC standards, but there are no royalties. The approved pages are to be paid for in batches of thirty.

GOAL: Depends on the career level of the writer and artist in question, I’d tend to think. If just building themselves as a brand, I’d tend to think that having work on a licensed property with major distribution is worth it, and goes towards establishing their ‘brand-ness’. If these are established pros, then the lower page rate and no royalties will probably be a deal-breaker, but there could be other factors at play that makes it still worth their while (for example, maybe the publisher is buddies with Famous Writer X and Mr. X agrees to write one of the stories as a favour, so said artist feels having his name next to X’s is worth a lower page rate, etc)

PROJECT POTENTIAL: Since this is an established property, the potential is already inherent. This could be another factor that would make an artist/writer taking a lower rate worthwhile to them. Just the fact that a certain degree of sales/exposure is pretty much assured simply because of the property in question could be the factor that swings the deal one way or the other.

OWNERSHIP: None. Straight work-for-hire.

COMMITMENT/PAY: Well, since the pages are being paid in batches of 30, then the creators really only need to look at that as their standard ‘unit’ of workload. How quickly can they complete 30 pages and is the rate they are getting enough to make that worthwhile? In other words, can they pay their bills during the length of time it takes them to produce said 30 pages? Do they need to, or do they have another source of income? In this case, the writer could (in theory) produce 30 pages of script considerably faster than the artist can produce 30 pages of finished art, so for the writer there may be a period of ‘backlog’, where they’ve got, say, 90 pages of script done, but are waiting for the artist to produce the first 30 so they can get paid. This could be a bad thing if the writer is only working on this project but, as I suspect most writers would, this writer probably has several other projects on the go and can essentially move on to something else while waiting for the artwork to be complete. It depends on the writer’s individual circumstances whether this is an acceptable scenario or not.



7) A writer-artist has produced something that he believes is the next big thing, and the trade book publisher likes it enough to publish it, but isn’t so sure of its potential for success. The advance is low, not enough to pay the bills, and the book will take a year to produce during evenings and weekends.

GOAL: In this scenario, it all comes down to a consideration of what having this book out will do for the creator in the future. Obviously, this is far from an ‘immediate payoff’ situation so the creator is investing in their own future. Whether that’s worth it or not to them depends on individual factors that can really only be answered by that creator.

PROJECT POTENTIAL: The creator thinks the project has huge potential, the publisher doesn’t see it quite the same way. I can see this being fodder for some ‘head-butting’ between the two parties, but it doesn’t need to be. The creator has a couple of options, as I see it: 1) Concede to the experience and market knowledge of the publisher and simply put out the best book you can, hoping that the publisher underestimated the potential and it ends up selling better than they’d expected 2) Try to interest a different publisher who sees more potential in the project. Really, to my mind, whether the publisher thinks the book will sell a million copies or not, it will only sell as many as it sells. It’s an educated guess both on the part of the creator and the publisher and, since the publisher makes a business of, you know...publishing, I’d tend to put more stock in their assessment of the potential of my book than my own. But maybe that’s just me...

OWNERSHIP: Doesn’t specify in the scenario, but I’m guessing the creator keeps ownership, maybe the publisher keeps indefinite publishing rights?

COMMITMENT: A year of evenings and weekends. Is it worth the time? How badly do you want the book out? The answer will vary based on the individual.

PAY FOR DOING THE JOB: We see that there’s a ‘low’ advance so, essentially, the pay for doing the work itself will eventually be nothing. What I mean is, six months into the process of spending evenings and weekends at it, the creator is not seeing any income from the work they’re putting in. Again, it’s an investment into future potential, so is it worth it? I’d say yes, but others could (and will, I’m sure) say no. It depends on the individual.

LONG TERM PAY: Hard to say. The publisher sees low potential in the book, so there might never be enough sales to make back the advance. It could happen that the creator has essentially given up a year of evenings and weekends for zero monetary reward. But, they have a book out, with their name on it, in the trade market. Is that worth more than money? Depending on your career level and goals, it might be or it might not be. Personally, I’d say it’s absolutely worth it; in five years I might say different.

[danialworks]

Hmmm.

Gonna keep things simple.

Marvel or DC offers me a two year contract to write a monthly 22 page book starring a character I don't like. 100 bucks a page and plot money. Potential for an advance on a trade reprint is good, and the royalties on that/those trade books is a definite. This I take for the challenge, the experience of collabortive work, and frankly, because it's solid money.

An independent publisher officers 40 bucks a page on my eight issue mini-series, to be published in the direct market, as a lead up to our real goal-- the trade paperback, complete with advance and royalties. I take this one because this is the way my mind works regarding my creator-owned projects at this time.

On the other hand, another publisher decides one of my mini-series/graphic novels is best served as a manga style book published in two parts. I'm not happy about the black and white, the page rate and/or advance is fair, but kinda low, but the marketing is gonna be full-court. This I take for the experience, that marketing full-court press, and the potential for a wider audience.

Finally, a big publisher agrees that I have the next big thing, but isn't offering the full-court press on the marketing. Despite a big advance, I'm likely to pass, as keeping a few hundred copies in print rolls over the publisher's right to keep the book in print, preventing me from taking the original book or any sequels to another publisher if the first volume doesn't meet too-high expectations.

[danialworks]

Man, did you see the size of those Gremlins?

[LeeNordling]

A quick thought, Glenn.

If you go back to the first thread in this series, you know that a comic strip creator is making his/her money on the back end. You also know this will be a relationship that could last a decade. Don't you have questions about that, like "Can I do the strip in my spare time, or will this be a full-time job?" That question is applicable to all comics creators, not just cartoonists.

As previously noted, "controlling rights" and owning copyright are separate, once the creators have assigned rights by signing the contract.

With the sequential art picture book, you've made a determination about whether the creator should take it--for yourself, presumably--at the Goal stage, but haven't really ascertained the goal the creators in this scenario might have.

In this case, it might be (and is, because this is a very real situation) that these creators are working to MAKE themselves a brand. For this reason, some financial sacrifice might be worthwhile.

My point here, and with the other responses, is that these questions need answers, and probably not yet determinations.

The determination comes at the end, once all the answers are calculated in pro and con categories.

And...all six questions must be asked in all circumstances, just because it's the cumulative answers to these questions that need to be viewed as a whole.

For example:

In this case, I'm the writer, and I brought in an artist partner.

MY GOAL: 1. What do I hope to gain by working on this project? My partner and I wish to establish ourselves as brands in this publishing category.

FOLLOW-UP: Are there any personal professional goals?

Artist wants to become a full-time book illustrator.

Writer wants this to become the first of many books, with this partner, as well as other artists.

FOLLOW-UP: Is this achievable?
We have the experience and talent to produce a top-tier project in this category, so we simply need the right project. (Notice, the project potential is not assumed...here.)

MY PROJECT POTENTIAL: 2. What's the commercial viability of my project in the market place? My partner and I are taking a new approach to the category, but there's proven past success with similarly presented material. The editorial concept is a new approach to familiar material, but not familiar to the younger reader. The artist is a master in another arena, so his work will astound, be fresh and new.

FOLLOW-UP: Does the publisher have success in this category?

Since the publisher has several past Caldecott Award winners, and a solid presence in bookstores, there's no reason this can't be a huge success, if the execution comes up to its potential.

FOLLOW-UP: Does the publisher believe that this is going to be a best-selling Caldecott Award winner? No, not yet. The editor is optimistic about the project and the team, loves the story, and was willing to take a chance on the expressed vision for how this was unique. There's hope for a big upside, but the editor's enthusiasm for the project isn't yet company-wide.

MY OWNERSHIP: 3. Is the ownership situation acceptable? Yes, we own the book, all ancillary rights, and we're okay with the publisher holding onto publishing rights, because that will mean it stays in print.

FOLLOW-UP: Does "stays in print" include electronic rights, where they could offer those forever, and never lose the publishing rights? Yes, but they've got to meet certain sales levels of the electronic version to qualify as still being in print.

MY COMMITMENT: 4. How long will it take to produce my portion of the project?

The script was done before the contract was offered. The artist will be working on it for the next year; I'll be working with him on the layouts and storytelling.

MY PAY FOR DOING THE JOB: 5. Will I be paid in a manner that meets my financial needs?

For me, yes. The pay for a 32-page sequential art picture book is very good, by comics page-rate standards. And I have time to work on other things, while the artist is working.

For the artist, the pay doesn't pay the bills, and other work will need to be done around this one. But there was a conscious decision made that the time spent was to open up a new career as an illustrator.

MY LONG-TERM PAY: 6. Are royalties and licensing fees the icing on the cake or the cake? The royalties are the cake, and the advance and licensing fees are the icing. We hope this book will become a perennial seller.

Now, there are six answers, some of them with follow-up questions that helped to get to the heart of the matter.

Again, we don't make an assessment until all six are answered.

Now, in The Seven Scenarios, you can't know possible answers, but if you make them up or apply them to projects you have, then you'll see how the follow-up questions fall into place.

What I showed you was a mostly true project assessment.

Now, let's see folks apply them, as Glenn has, to themselves.

And if you don't like one of the Seven Scenarios, introduce your own, as long as you make it as sparsely succinct as one of the Seven.

Try it.

And have fun; let's continue to take these six questions out for a ride.

--Lee

PS. Okay, it wasn't such a quick thought, after all.

[LeeNordling]

Hmmm.

Gonna keep things simple.

Marvel or DC offers me a two year contract to write a monthly 22 page book starring a character I don't like. 100 bucks a page and plot money. Potential for an advance on a trade reprint is good, and the royalties on that/those trade books is a definite. This I take for the challenge, the experience of collabortive work, and frankly, because it's solid money.

An independent publisher officers 40 bucks a page on my eight issue mini-series, to be published in the direct market, as a lead up to our real goal-- the trade paperback, complete with advance and royalties. I take this one because this is the way my mind works regarding my creator-owned projects at this time.

On the other hand, another publisher decides one of my mini-series/graphic novels is best served as a manga style book published in two parts. I'm not happy about the black and white, the page rate and/or advance is fair, but kinda low, but the marketing is gonna be full-court. This I take for the experience, that marketing full-court press, and the potential for a wider audience.

Finally, a big publisher agrees that I have the next big thing, but isn't offering the full-court press on the marketing. Despite a big advance, I'm likely to pass, as keeping a few hundred copies in print rolls over the publisher's right to keep the book in print, preventing me from taking the original book or any sequels to another publisher if the first volume doesn't meet too-high expectations.
You've got an assessment, but we don't yet know if the answers to the questions actually LED to that assessment.

Try actually applying the questions to this, and break down the answers, as I demonstrated.

I wrote that entry while you posted this one, and the first thing I thought when reading yours, as it applies to this exercise, was: walk before running. Use the questions in a structured manner, create the follow-ups.

In addition to determining whether the questions work, it helps to make questions a foundation for a well-balanced assessment.

Once you (and others) are comfortable with the formality, the informality will follow and not lose any of the necessary aspects of consideration.

--Lee

[arseneau77]

With the sequential art picture book, you've made a determination about whether the creator should take it--for yourself, presumably--at the Goal stage, but haven't really ascertained the goal the creators in this scenario might have.


No offense, Lee, but I don't see how I made that determination at all in my goal statement. I said "I’d tend to lean towards this being an okay scenario".



In this case, it might be (and is, because this is a very real situation) that these creators are working to MAKE themselves a brand. For this reason, some financial sacrifice might be worthwhile.



In fact, the above is exactly the determination I came to at the end of this assessment when I said "...but [money] might not be the goal of these creators. If they’re not yet ‘brands’, they may not be working on writing/art full time so the advance money might be more of a cushion than a necessity to living". In other words, trying to build themselves as a brand and accepting a lower financial benefit to make that happen.

Not trying to be a hard-ass, and maybe what I meant and what I actually wrote don't jive, but I don't see how what I said and what you responded with are that different.

[LeeNordling]

No offense, Lee, but I don't see how I made that determination at all in my goal statement. I said "I’d tend to lean towards this being an okay scenario".
I'm just responding to what I read, Glenn, and I wanted to clarify, in my example, that answering questions come first, assessments about the overall acceptability of the project come last. If that isn't what you meant, then I misread it or you weren't clear, and it doesn't matter which (to me), because the important thing is that folks reading this are learning to use the questions as part of their process for making determinations.


In fact, the above is exactly the determination I came to at the end of this assessment when I said "...but [money] might not be the goal of these creators. If they’re not yet ‘brands’, they may not be working on writing/art full time so the advance money might be more of a cushion than a necessity to living". In other words, trying to build themselves as a brand and accepting a lower financial benefit to make that happen.

Not trying to be a hard-ass, and maybe what I meant and what I actually wrote don't jive, but I don't see how what I said and what you responded with are that different.
I used my breakdown of the children's sequential art picture book to highlight how questions could be addressed more directly, not in other words. I realized I probably needed to show an example of that, because I saw that we hadn't yet shown how addressing the broad questions led to other questions, which needed to then be answered.

Learning to really separate the facets was what I was striving to show.

That's all.

No offense was intended.

--Lee

[arseneau77]

No offense was intended.

--Lee

None at all taken.

I was just concerned that I wasn't being clear for my own sake (and that of others reading). Looking back, I could have saved some of what I inserted as I went for the end, where it might have been more clear as an assessment of the overall scenario.

In any case, what I was trying to get at in most of these scenarios (and apologies to those reading if I wasn't clear enough) is that, in my opinion and at least for me personally, building oneself as a brand can oftentimes outweigh any immediate short-term financial considerations.

Again, that's 100% my own take on what's important to me, but that's what I was trying to illustrate throughout the examples.

[LeeNordling]

None at all taken.

I was just concerned that I wasn't being clear for my own sake (and that of others reading). Looking back, I could have saved some of what I inserted as I went for the end, where it might have been more clear as an assessment of the overall scenario.

In any case, what I was trying to get at in most of these scenarios (and apologies to those reading if I wasn't clear enough) is that, in my opinion and at least for me personally, building oneself as a brand can oftentimes outweigh any immediate short-term financial considerations.

Again, that's 100% my own take on what's important to me, but that's what I was trying to illustrate throughout the examples.

Personally, I think that a professional writer show be willing to weigh much toward what it takes to become a brand, so I'm with you in this respect.

Now, since some artist considering a book, may split goals, sometimes to build a brand on his/her own work, but to make a living on the stuff that gets offered by comics companies, I think it's best (for anybody, myself included) to clearly identify the goal behind each project consideration.

Build a brand
Make a living
Get a foot in the door at DC
Have fun

Any of these are valid.

I contributed to the Digital Webbing anthology PURELY for fun. That got me going.

But the more I thought about the story I wrote, the more I realized that it fit nicely into a bigger project I'd been considering, one that I think could be a best-seller.

So my goal changed.

--Lee

[danialworks]

How neccesary is it to be a brand? What makes someone a brand? Geoff Johns sells books at DC and Marvel, both in comics and trades, but would that automatically mean he'd sell a creator-owned project for Dark Horse or Top Cow? Or an original graphic novel for Random House?

I once put Stephen King's book On Writing back on the B&N shelf because it clearly refers to writers who can only get published in paperback as losers, failures. And that's just wrong. And yes, I do understand why a hardcover publication is considered the goal.

I'm back on my tree stump, I know-- but make a career out of this-- that's where success starts.

'K.

Back to regular scheduled classroom activities.

[arseneau77]

I'm back on my tree stump, I know-- but make a career out of this-- that's where success starts.



Isn't that exactly the purpose of establish yourself as a brand -- to make a career out of it?

[LeeNordling]

Branding is pretty simple.

If your name helps sell so much as ONE extra book, that's the result of branding.

If it doesn't then you're not branded, at least not in that industry or category.

If your name helps sell one issue of a Dark Horse comic, that's a brand, albeit a weak one.

So Glenn is right in suggesting that branding is linked to building a career, because when people buy something because you created it, you are either building, expanding, or undercutting your brand.

This is why actors choose their films carefully, not that this makes for a better brand, but they're very conscience of how that role will affect their "brand"/future sales.

Not everybody will care about this, but it's important that they at least know what the result of not caring will be.

Addressing the other question, being a brand in one arena doesn't necessarily mean that brand will be as strong in another arena.

And some, like Joss Whedon and Stephen King entered comics as pretty strong brands (because their work in other arenas reached to this one).

It's pretty important for creators to know their PERCEIVED value in a field, all ego aside ('cause that becomes a different issue).

--Lee

[danialworks]

Isn't that exactly the purpose of establish yourself as a brand -- to make a career out of it?

As a driving force, sure. I guess.

Five years from now, you've written two graphic novels, one long run of a marvel book, and a couple of mini-series. One of your original works is optioned by a indy film company of repute if not size.

Only your imeadiate readership really knows your name.

Are you happy with that success?

[danialworks]

OK, if it sells one extra book, I am now on Arseneau's side of things, and will stop being grumpy. :)

Branding IS the goal.

[arseneau77]

As a driving force, sure. I guess.

Five years from now, you've written two graphic novels, one long run of a marvel book, and a couple of mini-series. One of your original works is optioned by a indy film company of repute if not size.

Only your imeadiate readership really knows your name.

Are you happy with that success?

Why wouldn't you be happy with that success? I guess maybe I don't see what you're getting at here. Having your work turned into a film is going to affect your brand, one way or the other. At a minimum, it's going to increase your 'brand awareness', because during promotion of said film, the fact that it was originally a graphic novel/miniseries/one shot/whatever is going to come out, people that might not have known your name are going to see it, and a few of those might now check out your work.

How is that possibly a bad thing?

EDIT to add: Even if the film is crap, it's still brand awareness for you, the creator, and I don't think a bad film adaptation necessarily negatively impacts your personal brand.

[danialworks]

Why wouldn't you be happy with that success? I guess maybe I don't see what you're getting at here. Having your work turned into a film is going to affect your brand, one way or the other. At a minimum, it's going to increase your 'brand awareness', because during promotion of said film, the fact that it was originally a graphic novel/miniseries/one shot/whatever is going to come out, people that might not have known your name are going to see it, and a few of those might now check out your work.

How is that possibly a bad thing?

EDIT to add: Even if the film is crap, it's still brand awareness for you, the creator, and I don't think a bad film adaptation necessarily negatively impacts your personal brand.

Some people become so driven they forget their goals... I think that's how I was seeing "branding" as being different than "successful," and Lee qualified that while I was typing earlier.

Lee also talks about doing the work.

If you don't mind my saying so, Glenn, I think you're doing a really good job of showing those not participating at the black board both how to do the work AND a lot about focus.

[arseneau77]

Some people become so driven they forget their goals... I think that's how I was seeing "branding" as being different than "successful,"


I see where you're going with that, I just personally think that it's more of a shifting of focus and priorities as more opportunities present themselves and other opportunities become less feasible and/or advisable in a given situation.




If you don't mind my saying so, Glenn, I think you're doing a really good job of showing those not participating at the black board both how to do the work AND a lot about focus.

Thanks! Glad I could help!

[LeeNordling]

So, folks, within the context of this discussion, please somebody follow my lead and put forth a REAL situation (or a situation you imagine would pertain to you so you can figure it out), address the six questions with six direct answers, and add in any of the relevant sub-questions that occur to you, then answer those.

Do this, and we can help you sort out your situation.

Free consulting here!

--Lee

[harryd]

So, folks, within the context of this discussion, please somebody follow my lead and put forth a REAL situation (or a situation you imagine would pertain to you so you can figure it out), address the six questions with six direct answers, and add in any of the relevant sub-questions that occur to you, then answer those.

Do this, and we can help you sort out your situation.

Free consulting here!

--Lee

Well, as much as I'd like to take a crack at it, not having any published comics/graphic novels, I don't really have any situations to use. I could do one on what I expect from trying to pitch a project (and I have recently been trying to pitch one), but a lot of the questions relating to a publisher would be somewhat hypothetical, since there isn't one yet.

[LeeNordling]

Well, as much as I'd like to take a crack at it, not having any published comics/graphic novels, I don't really have any situations to use. I could do one on what I expect from trying to pitch a project (and I have recently been trying to pitch one), but a lot of the questions relating to a publisher would be somewhat hypothetical, since there isn't one yet.

Be hypothetical.

Better now than later, right?

--Lee

[harryd]

Be hypothetical.

Better now than later, right?

--Lee

Sure, the project I've been trying to pitch is one where I'm the writer, and I have hired an artist to work on it.

MY GOAL: 1. What do I hope to gain by working on this project?

Well, aside from a desire to produce work that I would like to read, and wearing a hat that says I Love Sequential Art, the other goal would be to build a brand. Currently, I have few writing credits, and no credibility where comics/graphic novels are concerned.

MY PROJECT POTENTIAL: 2. What's the commercial viability of my project in the market place?

Realistically, not that great. Very few independent comics seem to do well commercially, without a big name attached. They seem to range around Breaking Even to Making Beer Money in terms of sales, though there are occasional success stories.

MY OWNERSHIP: 3. Is the ownership situation acceptable?

Well, right now I own the rights to the story, but that's basically what I'm trying to sell. Probably a more accurate question would be, "What rights/ownership am I willing to part with in order to get a publishing deal?"

Looking at it from that perspective, it's a bit of a trickier question, because it really depends on what the specific deal is. I expect to be selling the print rights, and possibly some ancillary rights. I probably would not be good with selling overall ownership of the intellectual property, at least not for what I expect most publishers to be offering. I would probably not be cool with a publisher putting out further issues of my story that I was not involved with.

MY COMMITMENT: 4. How long will it take to produce my portion of the project?

I have 2/5ths of the scripts written, and overall I expect to be able to complete the rest in a few months, which should be well ahead of the art production. I have the story outlined and I know where I want to go with it, but if no one is going to want to publish it, then I don't want to throw myself into doing the whole thing.

MY PAY FOR DOING THE JOB: 5. Will I be paid in a manner that meets my financial needs?

This is the ugly part. Even if it is picked up, unless it is fairly well received, I will probably lose money on art production costs. I'd be happy to break even, and in the process get some experience and credibility.

MY LONG-TERM PAY: 6. Are royalties and licensing fees the icing on the cake or the cake?

A little bit of a chicken and egg here, but in this case I would say if building a brand & making something I enjoy are the goals, then the royalties and licensing fees are the icing on the cake. Of course, it does depend why you are building a brand... if the goal is to build a fan base and eventually become a big name writer, in order to make money from royalties and licensing fees... then in the end they are the cake. If you are building yourself as a brand in order to be able to have an easier time connecting with artists and publishers, in order to tell stories the way you want, then it's the icing.

It's really a bit of both for me. As much as I like my "I Love Sequential Art" hat, I don't really want to finance stories that no one will want to read. I do work a full time day job, and I'm fine with only occasionally putting together a, hopefully, well done comic. I'm fine with not being the next Kirkman, but I would like to get out stories that some people read and enjoy.

[LeeNordling]

Sure, the project I've been trying to pitch is one where I'm the writer, and I have hired an artist to work on it.

MY GOAL: 1. What do I hope to gain by working on this project?

Well, aside from a desire to produce work that I would like to read, and wearing a hat that says I Love Sequential Art, the other goal would be to build a brand. Currently, I have few writing credits, and no credibility where comics/graphic novels are concerned.

Let's not wander around the goal, even though other aspects may be important.

If it's to build a brand, and your next project potential isn't great, the overall assessment is pretty dead in the water right there.

If it's build a brand, then you need to work on a commercial project that can ONLY help get you to that first rung.

If your goal is to get experience, go through the process in order to understand it all better, then the commercial considerations won't matter.

Now, this doesn't mean you need to change your goal...but if your goal for THIS project is to build a brand for yourself in one of the marketplaces, and your project potential is what you say it is, then you'll know why I might, at the end, suggest you dump this for working on another project.

Yep, I know you don't want to do this...and I suspect you might really have another goal in mind, or one that's more true than to build a brand.

See how these questions and the answers support or undercut one another?


MY PROJECT POTENTIAL: 2. What's the commercial viability of my project in the market place?

Realistically, not that great. Very few independent comics seem to do well commercially, without a big name attached. They seem to range around Breaking Even to Making Beer Money in terms of sales, though there are occasional success stories.

If you have a different goal, this might be fine.

I wouldn't tie success in indie comics JUST to "big names," though.

You've been with us for a while now, so you know the THREE reasons projects can succeed.

Brand/big names is one.

High-concept commercial is another.

Being the next Neil Gaiman is the next.

Since the first of these can't be achieved without previous success, if you want commercial success/to build a brand, why would working on anything less than the other two possibilities be a consideration?

Again, see how the questions and answers help us get to a cold, calculated conclusion?


MY OWNERSHIP: 3. Is the ownership situation acceptable?

Well, right now I own the rights to the story, but that's basically what I'm trying to sell. Probably a more accurate question would be, "What rights/ownership am I willing to part with in order to get a publishing deal?"

Looking at it from that perspective, it's a bit of a trickier question, because it really depends on what the specific deal is. I expect to be selling the print rights, and possibly some ancillary rights. I probably would not be good with selling overall ownership of the intellectual property, at least not for what I expect most publishers to be offering. I would probably not be cool with a publisher putting out further issues of my story that I was not involved with.

Well, if you go to The Seven Scenarios, you'll see that you probably won't be expected to give up ownership, so you're playing in a pretty decent sandbox for this.


MY COMMITMENT: 4. How long will it take to produce my portion of the project?

I have 2/5ths of the scripts written, and overall I expect to be able to complete the rest in a few months, which should be well ahead of the art production. I have the story outlined and I know where I want to go with it, but if no one is going to want to publish it, then I don't want to throw myself into doing the whole thing.

With two issues done, you probably won't have to consider this, unless the payment for the other 3/5 doesn't meet your needs.


MY PAY FOR DOING THE JOB: 5. Will I be paid in a manner that meets my financial needs?

This is the ugly part. Even if it is picked up, unless it is fairly well received, I will probably lose money on art production costs. I'd be happy to break even, and in the process get some experience and credibility.

With making money not the big consideration, it looks like you're willing to invest in your career. Good for you.

But is this the project to do this with, considering the sacrifices you're making?


MY LONG-TERM PAY: 6. Are royalties and licensing fees the icing on the cake or the cake?

A little bit of a chicken and egg here, but in this case I would say if building a brand & making something I enjoy are the goals, then the royalties and licensing fees are the icing on the cake. Of course, it does depend why you are building a brand... if the goal is to build a fan base and eventually become a big name writer, in order to make money from royalties and licensing fees... then in the end they are the cake. If you are building yourself as a brand in order to be able to have an easier time connecting with artists and publishers, in order to tell stories the way you want, then it's the icing.

It's really a bit of both for me. As much as I like my "I Love Sequential Art" hat, I don't really want to finance stories that no one will want to read. I do work a full time day job, and I'm fine with only occasionally putting together a, hopefully, well done comic. I'm fine with not being the next Kirkman, but I would like to get out stories that some people read and enjoy.

You sort of ducked out on the last question.

The question means are you counting on the payment or the royalties.

Your biggest concern seemed to be getting your investment back, so royalties are the icing. That's fine, and probably a realistic assessment.

So, it comes down to you making an investment in a property that might not be commercial enough to help you build your brand.

I suspect, since you're sticking with this, that your goal might simply to be to make a comic, to get the experience, to see if your story can come to life the way you think it can...

...or...

...you believe the story is more commercial than you've said, and you're being modest.

I think your answers need work, but hopefully my feedback is helping you to focus.

At the end of the day, when the book is done, the best thing to say is: "I accomplished my goal."

And if the goal wasn't fame or fortune, then that's okay, too.

Your goal might simply be the accomplishment of having somebody else publish your work, to give it credibility.

The trick is nailing this stuff well enough ahead of time so that you don't suddenly have an empty feeling when you hold the printed book in your hands and wonder what it was all about.

Anyway, I hope this has helped you, as well as others to see how effective addressing these questions can be.

Thanks, Harry.

--Lee

PS. Upon reflection in the light of day, it's possible that you considered "Getting your name out there on a book, any direct market indie" the first step toward building a brand, even if the book doesn't sell, and I can see that. Here's the point, for you and others, there could have been many steps in questions, as in the project I discussed. Be direct with your answers, and be prepared to go deep with the followup questions, which will help you get to the real throbbing heart of stuff. In short, the more direct you are with answers, the easier it will be to get to those unvarnished perspectives, and the more you'll know your own heart and mind.

[LeeNordling]

A question: would a week's worth of these assessments be helpful?

If creators put together their current or projected plans for setting up projects in any number of markets, asked and answered the questions, and learned to go deep, with me critiquing each exercise for everybody to read and consider, would that be worth the time spent?

You've already seen my model for how to address questions, and seen Brave Harry's critique, so what do you think?

--Lee

[harryd]

Let's not wander around the goal, even though other aspects may be important.

If it's to build a brand, and your next project potential isn't great, the overall assessment is pretty dead in the water right there.

If it's build a brand, then you need to work on a commercial project that can ONLY help get you to that first rung.

If your goal is to get experience, go through the process in order to understand it all better, then the commercial considerations won't matter.

Now, this doesn't mean you need to change your goal...but if your goal for THIS project is to build a brand for yourself in one of the marketplaces, and your project potential is what you say it is, then you'll know why I might, at the end, suggest you dump this for working on another project.

Yep, I know you don't want to do this...and I suspect you might really have another goal in mind, or one that's more true than to build a brand.

See how these questions and the answers support or undercut one another?


True, I guess the overall goal for this project could really be something more like: Getting some experience, and producing a story that I can be proud to be assosciated with.




If you have a different goal, this might be fine.

I wouldn't tie success in indie comics JUST to "big names," though.

You've been with us for a while now, so you know the THREE reasons projects can succeed.

Brand/big names is one.

High-concept commercial is another.

Being the next Neil Gaiman is the next.

Since the first of these can't be achieved without previous success, if you want commercial success/to build a brand, why would working on anything less than the other two possibilities be a consideration?

Again, see how the questions and answers help us get to a cold, calculated conclusion?


Fair enough. If the overall goal is changed to the above, then it's hopefully commercially viable enough. If it's not well done or novel enough to warrant publication, then sure, it probably should be scrapped, or at least reworked to be better. I'm hoping it's good enough to at least approach breaking even on production costs from my end, which is probably enough sales for the publisher to be making a profit.

I'm not a big name, and I'm pretty sure I'm not the next Gaiman, which leaves a Commercial High-Concept. Does my project fit into this category? Honestly, I don't really know. I think the story would entertain me, and I'm hoping that by extension others would also enjoy it. But, I'm not about to put together a story about teenage vampire angst just to try to appeal to the Twilight crowd.



Well, if you go to The Seven Scenarios, you'll see that you probably won't be expected to give up ownership, so you're playing in a pretty decent sandbox for this.

With two issues done, you probably won't have to consider this, unless the payment for the other 3/5 doesn't meet your needs.

With making money not the big consideration, it looks like you're willing to invest in your career. Good for you.

But is this the project to do this with, considering the sacrifices you're making?


Maybe not, but it's better than my first/prior attempt to put something together. Now THAT was unrealistic in both scope, and flawed in execution. But, past aside, I guess it goes back to commercial viability. I'm hoping, perhaps foolishly, that publishers' self interest will be some sort of guide on this front. If they don't think that it will sell, then okay, maybe I'll need to go back and see if I have something that I want to do, that is also worth publishing.



You sort of ducked out on the last question.

The question means are you counting on the payment or the royalties.

Your biggest concern seemed to be getting your investment back, so royalties are the icing. That's fine, and probably a realistic assessment.

So, it comes down to you making an investment in a property that might not be commercial enough to help you build your brand.

I suspect, since you're sticking with this, that your goal might simply to be to make a comic, to get the experience, to see if your story can come to life the way you think it can...

...or...

...you believe the story is more commercial than you've said, and you're being modest.

I think your answers need work, but hopefully my feedback is helping you to focus.

At the end of the day, when the book is done, the best thing to say is: "I accomplished my goal."

And if the goal wasn't fame or fortune, then that's okay, too.

Your goal might simply be the accomplishment of having somebody else publish your work, to give it credibility.


That may be a more accurate description. In the end, the royalties would be icing. I don't need them to live off of, though it would be nice to be able to, but I'm also not confident enough in my own ability to discern quality, or commercial viability, to take the financial investment of just self-publishing. I guess I really want to do something that's good enough for publishers to want to put it out, which may go back to the original question of a goal.




The trick is nailing this stuff well enough ahead of time so that you don't suddenly have an empty feeling when you hold the printed book in your hands and wonder what it was all about.

Anyway, I hope this has helped you, as well as others to see how effective addressing these questions can be.

Thanks, Harry.

--Lee



You're welcome. Thank you for taking the time to do this column.

- Harry

[LeeNordling]

I'm not a big name, and I'm pretty sure I'm not the next Gaiman, which leaves a Commercial High-Concept. Does my project fit into this category? Honestly, I don't really know. I think the story would entertain me, and I'm hoping that by extension others would also enjoy it. But, I'm not about to put together a story about teenage vampire angst just to try to appeal to the Twilight crowd.

I thought about leaving this thought alone, and decided I couldn't.

There's a fascinating gut-check that creators have to the concept of commerciality, as though it ONLY means jumping on the current conceptual gravy train, when that is JUST NOT THE CASE.

We can dance around this term a lot, but all it really means is that there is an editorial reason a project is perceived as being POTENTIALLY salable to enough people to warrant financially backing it.

THAT'S at the heart of "commercial," not whether the creator is willing to become a hack and produce something he/she doesn't really care about.

Asking somebody to be "commercial" doesn't NECESSARILY mean changing what they do, though sometimes, HONESTLY, it does.

I remember hearing a mid-list author recount a decision she was faced with. Her last book had been successful, and her agent was telling her that she was on the verge of becoming a "best-selling" author, but to get there she was going to have to tailor her project decisions accordingly. The author opted to continue doing what she was doing, and was comfortable with that.

But, to be clear, she was being asked to only focus on those projects that would appeal to that larger readership.

So, to be be commercial, folks can do it by accident or on purpose. Some couldn't do it on purpose if they tried, as their choices of material are too personal.

But selecting from all the ideas you have for stories is different than selling out.

For those who CAN do it, it's about making market decisions; it's about ascertaining the best use of time and resources.

This is another one of those myths about being "commercial" that folks need to consider seriously.

Why?

Because to say, "I'm not going to sell out and do what everybody else is doing to be successful" is a great excuse for not having to make the hard, professional decisions.

It's perfectly okay to follow trends.

It's perfectly okay to cull your editorial choices to increase chances for salability.

It's perfectly okay to do only what's most personal to you at any given time, whether you or anybody else thinks it's commercial or not.

As long as you know what you're doing and why.

--Lee