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Post by todd on Mar 9, 2011 12:54:25 GMT
I've learned (from people who know a lot about such things) that if you put something up on the Internet before you publish it anywhere else (such as in print), it counts as being published, which makes it more difficult to publish it in other formats after that.
Tom put "Gunnerkrigg Court" up on the Internet as a webcomic, but he was also able, a few years after it began, to have two books covering its first twenty-two chapters published without, as far as I know, any legal difficulties. How did he solve that problem?
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Post by joephlommin on Mar 9, 2011 13:02:50 GMT
Alot of webcomics do this.
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DC
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Post by DC on Mar 9, 2011 19:27:05 GMT
I think what generally happens that when a webcomic is successful, oftentimes a publisher will approach the comic creator because they see dollar signs. Publishing your comic online and then approaching book publishers wouldn't fly, I don't think.
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Post by Eversist on Mar 9, 2011 20:53:20 GMT
A lot of webcomic artists print off compilations, where they find a independent book printing company (such as Lulu), and then they ship them off themselves.
There are people who self-publish, like Looking for Group/Least I Could Do, which is Blind Ferret Entertainment, so they handle their own rights and stuff.
Then there are people that print with actual publishing houses like Octopus Pie with Villard Books (which is Random House). And Tom, who used Archaia (and still does, as far as I know)... according to their website, you can approach them, rather than visa-versa. Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe that is rarer than doing the compilations?
I'm not really sure what you're talking about, though, OP. I'm trying to do research on it, but I can't find anything.
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DC
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Post by DC on Mar 9, 2011 21:07:49 GMT
Oh, I see. I'm learning about the webcomic publishing industry today. Thanks!
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Post by Mezzaphor on Mar 10, 2011 2:54:24 GMT
Actually, I believe Tom said in an interview how he got published. Basically, someone contacted out of the blue, said they'd seen his comic and wanted to be his agent. Tom said okay, and the agent looked around for different publishers, and ended up setting Tom up with the deal with Archaia.
Prior to this, Tom published the first 7 chapters as a paperback through Lulu.com. He discontinued it (before even hearing from the agent, I believe) because he wasn't happy with the quality of the printing, and the books were expensive but Tom wouldn't make any money off them unless he made the books even more expensive.
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Post by bearinabox on Mar 17, 2011 5:31:00 GMT
I just got the graphic novel *yay*. Comics are much better in book form. I got the hardcover volume 1.
Anyway, I DID notice something that I'm not sure if it's normal or if it's just my copy (if it's just my copy, then I can return it), so please let me know.
on page 287-288, the pages appear to have been flipped, but keep the proper page number. Is this just my copy, or was it a printing issue?
*sadface*
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Post by joephlommin on Mar 17, 2011 10:53:14 GMT
I just got the graphic novel *yay*. Comics are much better in book form. I got the hardcover volume 1. Anyway, I DID notice something that I'm not sure if it's normal or if it's just my copy (if it's just my copy, then I can return it), so please let me know. on page 287-288, the pages appear to have been flipped, but keep the proper page number. Is this just my copy, or was it a printing issue? *sadface* My schools copy has chapters 9 and 10 mixed up. And thats how i learned what happened in chapter nine after I read through spring heeled
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Post by Per on Mar 17, 2011 13:25:56 GMT
Tom put "Gunnerkrigg Court" up on the Internet as a webcomic, but he was also able, a few years after it began, to have two books covering its first twenty-two chapters published without, as far as I know, any legal difficulties. How did he solve that problem? You don't give up any rights by putting something on the internet. I can write a poem, recite that poem on the town square, and still sell the publishing rights to that poem to a publisher if they'll have them.
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Post by bitschufter on Mar 17, 2011 14:24:28 GMT
that if you put something up on the Internet before you publish it anywhere else (such as in print), it counts as being published, which makes it more difficult to publish it in other formats after that. Why would that be a problem as long as you are the one who is holding the copyright? I'm quite sure it is a question of demand rather than anything else. If there is no publisher who wants to print your online comic or novel or what-have-you, it won't happen, no matter how good your work is. If there is a publisher who wants to, it can and will happen, no matter how bad your work is
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Post by Mezzaphor on Mar 18, 2011 1:59:59 GMT
I just got the graphic novel *yay*. Comics are much better in book form. I got the hardcover volume 1. Anyway, I DID notice something that I'm not sure if it's normal or if it's just my copy (if it's just my copy, then I can return it), so please let me know. on page 287-288, the pages appear to have been flipped, but keep the proper page number. Is this just my copy, or was it a printing issue? *sadface* Yes, those two pages got switched in everyone's copy.
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Post by bearinabox on Mar 18, 2011 2:19:06 GMT
Thank you! That's both excellent and less than excellent.
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