Alternate methods of plugging comics

[StoneGold]

Marvel seems to be going on an all-out offensive to plug Civil War. It's gotten prominent space in some newspapers, there's the Civil War countdown clock so people on MySpace can get pegged as nerds, and now there's the Civil War movie trailer.

http://www.marvel.com/video/Civil_War_Opening_Shot_WV.mov

Which it seems like even an indie comic creator could do. Look at the credits, the whole thing was done in-house. Hell, the narration was done by John Dokes, their marketing guy. So the question is, are they missing any easy marketing ideas? And can this stuff work for any other publisher but one of the big ones?

[Ed Cunard]

Absolutely. Really, any self-publisher or small publisher needs to look at publishing as a business as much as a distribution model, particularly if the goal is to make money and increase readership. The prominent newspaper one is harder--Marvel and DC are big business, and are taken more seriously in that regard than Ed Cunard's Calvacade of Gay Cowboys Eating Pudding, or whatever, and most of the alternative comics stuff that gets mainstream press comes from established comics publishers (Fantagraphics, Drawn & Quarterly), or imprints from book publishers (Random House's Pantheon line, the new First Second imprint from Roaring Press/Holtzbrink Publishers).

That said, though, any self-publisher really looking to "make it" needs to realize that marketing and promotion is an important tool in getting work to an audience. If the product is good (or even if it isn't), no one will know unless they've been convinced to pick it up.

And just plugging away at message boards with PLEASE READ MY COMIC PLEASE posts isn't a serious marketing attempt.

[Ayo]

And just plugging away at message boards with PLEASE READ MY COMIC PLEASE posts isn't a serious marketing attempt.

True story.

People, you've got to anticipate spending hundreds and hundreds of dollars (at the very least) on just getting the word out on your projects.

[StoneGold]

Yeah, but not everyone can afford to get vocal talent like John Dokes to do their video...