A Week in Writing #597 - Report From the Front: A One Day Con

Hope everyone is staying safe, and, of course, writing.

We're a little late this week, thanks to tabling at the Pasadena Comic Con. While the con was over by 5, I was too brain dead to write this post, by the time we got home.

Having tabled at SDCC, Pasadena Comic Con is a few steps down the ladder from that. You can tell it's run on a shoe string. The room we ended up in reminded me a little of WonderCon, as it seemed to be off the beaten path, but also it was very low light. And our table, though near the entrance, was also a bit off the path of most visitors. But you can't blame everything on placement. However, we did hear that it was slow for many, sales wise, and very slow for us, only two copies of Trevor's The Blade of Miracles. 

The con was a learning expreience though. Here's what I learned:

    The day started before 6 am with loading the truck in the dark. Learned it would be better to do that the day before. Still managed to get most everything in the bed, but no need to wait. I'm also considering a shell for the back that would increase the storage vertically as well.

    Too many issues on display. So far, with Powers Squared and The Blade of Miracles, we have 38 issues and 2 trades, which frankly is overwhelming and requires two display racks. In future, we're going to have just trades and the first issues out, with the others ready to go. We're also thinking about having something to show the story arcs out without it being the issues themselves.

    Offer free things. We have Starbursts, but our table neighbor had stickers, and they weren't even related to his book. However, it got people to stop and take them, start a conversation and he made sales. I'm liking the idea of stickers, but also bookmarks.

    Have a QR code on the table. Again, it worked for our neighbor. People didn't even seem to ask what it was, but accessed it instinctively.

Besides making new friends, it was nice to reconnect with familiar faces, who were at the Con. Former guests on the podcast include Tony Fleecs, Livio Ramondelli, Stephen E. Gordon and Bin Lee. We also reconnected with the first artist we had tried to work with on Powers Squared, who was also tabling a couple of rows over. While we never got off the ground with them, it was nice to reconnect.

While the Con sort of dominated the weekend, other things also moved forward. There were three reviews on Trophy Unlocked, Paul reviewed the Megadeth: Behind the Mask listening party on Friday, Trevor's review of Anvil! The Story of Anvil on Saturday, and Paul's review of Return to Silent Hill. Meanwhile, I completed a review of The House on Telegraph Hill for later consumption.

I also managed to work some more on Blackmail, mostly some edits further back in the story, currently a flashback that gets told. So now, the word count is 80,025, and I still have a few chapters to go.

In the meantime, work continues on new pages for Powers Squared. 

And let's not forget, the podcast. This week's was a very brief preview of issue #11 of Trevor's The Blade of Miracles, which comes out on Wednesday and will be available in digital and print through The Campus Store on our website. You can still watch it for a few days here, listen to it here or wait and watch it on our YouTube channel here Wedensday after 2:30 PST.

This coming week, I need to work again on our newsletter,The Hound Dogs' Howl, and hopefully make more progress on Blackmail.

Well, that about does it for me. Keep writing and I'll see you next week.

A Week in Writing #571 - Report From the Front: San Diego Comic-Con 2025

Hope everyone is staying safe, and, of course, writing.

I know this is a day late but we didn't get home from San Diego Comic-Con until about 10:30 on Sunday night and I was in no shape to be doing much other than eating, unloading and sleeping.

For the first time ever, SRCC Press (Powers Squared and The Book of Miracles) tabled at San Diego Comic-Con. As I believe I mentioned in an earlier post, we didn't know we would be tabling until July 3rd at 6:30 pm, so it gave a little less that three weeks to pull everything together. If we had had more time, we might have ordered different things, like a table runner for SRCC Press and maybe a banner for The Blade of Miracles. But we had to make do with what we had, though we did order some more trades and copies of issues to have on hand.

We went down on Tuesday to set up at the Convention Center. Things went surprisingly easy as far as that went. While Paul and I were officially the exhibitors, we were able to have my wife, and Trevor, help us set up the table.

Doing that then, freed up Wednesday, so we could wander around the Gaslamp District and see the installation of the installations. I guess I never realized they were ready so close to the start of the Con. Preview Night is a different experience when you're behind a table. As soon as the doors open, there is a mad dash for exclusives. Since we had no exclusives, business was slow, though we did sell one copy of Issue One.

I won't go through each day, but it was safe to say, even though this wasn't a money-maker, we did far better than LA Comic-Con and Wonder Con combined. We were hindered by the short lead time (we didn't make the printed program) and by a neighboring table, which not only partially blocked us from view, but also attracted enough of a crowd that further blocked us. However, some people did find us.

We sold about 8 times as much as we did at WonderCon, which is a nice trajectory to see. We had one customer come by and after hearing my spiel, bought the first five issues, and then she came back later that evening to buy the other 20 issues. That was 25 issues in one day, which is definitely a record for us. Also a record, 17 new names signed up for our mailing list.

On another day, someone bought the run for The Blade of Miracles, which currently has five issues out. Our overall take, which is paltry, was still about 3.5 times what we made at WonderCon.

You can see photos from SDCC 2025 on our website at https://powerssquaredcomicbook.com/events.

Since we were gone on Friday, artist Julia Canon took over as host of the podcast, On the Air With Powers Squared, and one of her guests is me, live from the floor. She also shows how she colors Power Squared. You can watch it at twitch.tv/powerssquared. You can listen to it on our website here or watch it on Wednesday after 2:30 pm here.

And just because we were away, that doesn't mean things came to a stop on Trophy Unlocked. With the new Fantastic Four opening on Friday, we went old school with a review (a second look) at the last version of the story, Fantastic Four (2015).

This was nearly a week without any writing from me. I did manage a little work on Blackmail, so I'm at about 50,160 words, which is good, but I'm far from through with the story.

And, it should go without saying, no new queries from me.

This coming week will involve adding all the names on our sign up sheet, writing the newsletter and getting everything put away.

Well, that about does it for me. Keep writing and I'll see you here next week.

A Week in Writing #519 - Report From the Front - San Diego Comic-Con 2024

Hope everyone is staying safe, and, of course, writing.

Just got back from this year's Comic-Con. While SDCC can be brutal and unforgiving at times, it is still one of my favorite things we do every year. There is so much, too much, to do and see (and buy) at the Con, also called the Show, that it would be impossible to go through everything here, but I will try to share what I learned in the panels related to writing that I attended in hopes that something I learned might be of use.

How to Get News Coverage, this panel is moderated by Rik Offenberger, the editor at First Comics News, and a creator in his own right with the G-Men series of books. The panel is meant to help comic book creators, but much would be attributable to other media as well. 

Rik mentioned there are two types of marketing that a creator needs to do: first, is to the Comic Shops to buy it and secondly, to the Comic Shops to help them sell it.

When doing a press release, many on the panel wanted the press release to be in the body of the email and have links to the images. They don't want you to send them the comic book yourself.

Know the outlet that you're sending the press release to. If they cover comic books of a different genre than yours, don't send it to those outlets.

A press release should be about something that is about to happen, like the release of a book. It is important to send them as part of an EPK, or Electonic Press Kit, which should include, in addition to the Press Release:

• Bios of the creators
• Images
• the Cover
• Synopsis of the Book

Note: If the press release asks a question, it should answer it as well.

Also, Rik made the point of trying TV News to get coverage. TV news has to fill in with stories about puppies, why not a story about you and your work? And if you can get that coverage, it can really help you seem more legit to other outlets as well.

What to Know When Selling an Animated Series, moderated by Siobhan Murphy (manager, The Gotham Group). One thing to note that most of the people on the panel represented channels like Nickelodeon or platforms like Marvel and Disney, which wouldn't really be open to something from the outside, however, they do get pitches.

If you do get the opportunity to make a pitch, again, make it to an outlet that would be interested in your story.

Their advice:

• Know your stuff
• The shorter the pitch, the better. Your window will be about 30 minutes, so you want your pitch to be 15 minutes because you want to be conversational.
• Don't flesh it out too much with not everything filled in
• Practice makes perfect
• If you get notes, don't freak out about them
  
• Why now? Why you?

Once you've made your pitch, the person you gave it to will then have to pitch it internally.

Pitches most likely will be over Zoom.

And remember, you're never done pitching yourself.

The final panel was Pitching Your Comic to Publishers. This was a panel made up of a combination of editors and lawyers and was more of a getting your foot in the door with a new project, not necessarily one like Powers Squared that has been around for quite a while.

What Creatives think trade publishers want in a pitch:    

• Story
• Art
• Creative Team

What Publishers Want in a pitch:

• Story
• Art
• Creative Team
• Target Audience
• Marketability
• How it Fits in with Publisher's brand
• Will you be a Good Partner?
• Cost and Revenue Analysis

Thankfully, they don't expect you to provide everything they're looking for.

The project should must have the same number of pages in each issue and be PG-13.

In Writing Your Pitch, be sure to include:

• Title
• Contact Info
• Story Hook
• Project length (parameters)
• Genre, intended Age Group
• TELL the story
• Character Bios
• Artist Attached
• Thank you

Thinks to remember about a pitch:

• Should be Inviting
• Written in the Active voice
• Have Clarity
• Be brief
• Exciting
• Check grammar and spelling
• No Marketing needed

All Cliffhangers need to be addressed in the pitch. They're supposed to be cliffhangers to the reader, but not to the publisher.

For Art with your Pitch:

• Professional Art Only
• One Splash Page
• Character Designs
• Five pages of sequential Art (consecutive pages)
• Clear Storytelling
• Contact Information

Be sure to follow the Publisher's Submission Guidelines. Follow them like the letter of the law. Be sure to follow their technical specs as well.

The panel then discussed what a partnership will look like:

• Do you know how to be a project manager?
• Are you a good communicator?
• Do you hustle?
• Do you strategize well?

As an Indie Creator:

• You will be required to submit "Final Files"
• If the Publisher has to rework your files, that costs the publisher time and money they didn't budget for
• They won't want to work with you again

4 Point Criteria system for Approvals:

• Is the STORY well told?
• Is the ART good?
• Do the Creators have a large fanbase already and do they HUSTLE
• Is the Concept Marketable?

You need to have at least three of those four.

Most importantly, know what's in the CONTRACT:

• What rights are you giving up?
• What do you get paid? And when?

Pitching to more than one publisher at a time is OKAY and acceptable practice. If you wait to hear back from someone, you may never hear back.

10 Reasons Your Project May Be Rejected (and there may be more):

• The project is of a genre the publisher doesn't have a track record with
• The project is for an audience the publisher doesn't have a track record with
• The project may deal with topics the publisher wants to avoid
• The project is of a length that makes it unlikely to be solvent
• It's in a format the publisher doesn't do
• The company has a project in development that is similar to yours
• The publishing slate is full
• The project has production issues which make it onerous to work with
• The publisher doesn't think they can execute the marketing the book will require
• Doesn't fit in the publisher's overall vision for its line

How any or all of that helps you with your projects.

While we were away, X-Men month continued on Trophy Unlocked. Starting with Tuesday, it was Paul's Second Look - Deadpool 2 (All Three Cuts), on Thursday it was my review of Dark Phoenix, followed on Saturday by Trevor's review of The New Mutants.

And finally, while we were gone, the show went on with Julia Canon and Jen Moreno co-hosting an episode called  Artist Takeover!! Chill Art & Yap Stream While the Bois Are Away. It will soon be available listening on our website and on Wednesday can be viewed on our YouTube channel, if you missed the live Twitch broadcast.

Well, that about does it for me. Keep writing and I'll see you next week.

A Week in Writing #466 - Report From the Front - SDCC 2023

Hope everyone is staying safe, and, of course, writing.

As promised last week, this week's blog is about San Diego Comic-Con 2023 and the panels I attended.

There are many reasons to go to SDCC and everyone has their own. Part of my reason for going is the Con itself and the atmosphere. This is a world I would deeply love to be more a part of. While Comic-Con is brutal with long days and short nights, it is over far too early for me. When Sunday comes, it is hard not to feel sad.

I enjoy panels like Cartoon Voices, which is pure entertainment and fun. I would recommend it to anyone who goes to the Con. Even if you don't know all the players, you should have a good time. I also attended the Mega64 20th Anniversary panel, which was interrupted by, what turned out to be, a false fire alarm.

And it was cool to meet some other creators as well. I made a point to find Russell Nohelty and ended up buying several of his books, though mostly the non-fiction ones. I also made a point of going to the White Ash Comics booth and meeting the creators, Charlie Stickley and Conor Farrell behind The Game, a comic I supported on Kickstarter. It took me until Sunday to say "Hi" to Don Nguyen in Artist's Alley.

One of my favorite times at this year's Comic-Con was about an hour we spent in the Professional Lounge talking with John Barber of Pan-Universal Galactic Worldwide on Thursday about what he was up to. It's times like that that make me feel like I belong in the community.

The other reason I go to Comic-Con is to attend panels that I hope will help with Powers Squared as well as our podcast.

The first one I attended was How to Get Press Coverage, run by Rik Offenberger from First Comics News. Now, believe it or not, I have gotten news coverage from this panel in the past, I may still again. The panelists included Ed Catto (Pop Culture Squad), Tim Chizmar (Fangoria), Michael Kingston (Headlock Comics), Alexander Raymond (Monstar Public Relations), Rob Salkowitz (Forbes), Francis Sky (First Comics News), J.C. Vaughn (Gemstone Publishing) and Josh Waldrop (Ultima Digital Media).

I'm not here to tell you how to write a good press release, but that's essential for most coverage. Their advice is to make it be about something that's going to happen soon, like in a month, and to include the What's it about; When is it coming out; and Where can it be bought. You should also include artwork if not a link to the book for them to review.

One of the suggestions is to make an event for yourself, like at a local library or comic book store.

There are news sites that are looking for stories about comic books and you should be nimble enough to take advantage when opportunity knocks, as when a news story takes place that either has something to do with your book or is referenced in it.

They also suggested talking to people that you support on Kickstarter.

Have an Electronic Press Kit (EPK) ready to go. Not that they suggested it but I think it might be good to have one that is general about your book and have ones that are about particular issues. You can send out links to a Dropbox to the EPK.

Ask others how they promote their work. They suggested that if you do, you'll find out what others do and don't.

One thing they mentioned is that it's okay to follow up on press releases. One of the panelists used the statistic that sales are usually made after seven attempts but most sales people give up after three.

The next panel I attended was The Pitching Hour, featuring Alison Haislip (Attack of the Show); Megan Bradner (Marvel TV); Kevin Avery (The Great North); Nyambi Nyambe (The Good Fight); Dan Fernandez (DC Comics); Eric Reid (WME); and Mark Bernardin (Picard).

If you've been reading this blog, you know that we're interested in trying to turn Powers Squared into an animated series, so this seemed like one of interest.

The panel apart from Reid from WME wasn't made up of people who buy pitches but rather people who have pitched.

A pitch should include things like: Why do you want to write this story?, a short summary of the story; Where the characters are going to be in a year or two.

They recommended that you: Find people who will believe in you; Don't follow trends; Stick to your vision; Never listen to Execs who turn you down.

They said that executives want to say "Yes" but it is easier for them to say "no" because it's less work for them. Yes, requires work from them.

Think about your story like an independent film.

They said you should have a document to leave behind; a pdf that you send to the person(s) you pitched to. It should include what your story is about. (Star Wars was used as an example here. It's about a boy who wants to leave the farm, doesn't know who he is but finds his destiny.)

The document should be about 15-20 pages and will become the show's Bible. Should include: Why me to tell the story? Why this is when the story should be told?, Where the Story came from; the characters; story including the Pilot and even seasons 1, 2 and 3.

Be seamless. The pitch should sound like you. Have confidence. Not everyone is good at both the pitch and the leave behind document.

You need a rep to get a pitch and need a script to get a rep. One recommendation was that the WGA has fellowships when you have a script. [On Hold during the strike].

I know financing is important to everyone, including myself, so I attended Kickstarting Comics in 2023 and Beyond, hosted by Orina Leckert (Kickstarter’s head of publishing). The panel included Tom Akel (Rocketship Entertainment CEO & Publisher); Robert Napton (Legendary SVP of publishing); Dinesh Shamdashani (Bad Idea CEO); and Der-shing Helmer (Vault Comics managing editor).

One of the things they stressed was a Prelaunch Page for your Kickstarter.

One concept they discussed was that more deluxe product/pricing can allow you to make more money from fewer backers.

As far as a Kickstarter video goes, Orina pointed out that you'll lose viewers after a minute, so keep the videos short (less than a minute), but a video is not required.

Promotional tactics for your Kickstarter include Ad Spends (Facebook and social media); public relations, which should be free; and to look at what your contemporaries have done.

Variant covers should mean more promotion.

Stretch goals can cost you more money, but are also compelling to backers to help you raise more money so you need to find a balance.

They also pointed to the creator resources that are available on the Kickstarter website.

Having just finished our 200th episode of On the Air with Powers Squared, I thought perhaps there were things to learn at Podcasting 101, which took place at the downtown library, slightly more than a hop and skip from the Convention Center. Hosted by Jonathan Eigen (Sagas and Sass), the panel also featured Tara Lynne (Geek Saga Entertainment), as well as two others not on the original description of the panel, Amin Javadi (House Manwoody) and Varun Gupta (Demon Slayer Podcast).

Promising at first, they had a list of topics, most of which are the basics of podcasting and I'll relate them to our own, since I'm unfamiliar with any of the panel's shows.

1) Choosing a topic: What is your podcast about? In the case of OAPS, our primary topic is comic books, Powers Squared, but also other books and creators.

2) Finding Host/Co-Hosts: That seemed easy for us. My son Paul and I co-host the show, though Trevor does appear from time to time. We've had a few shows where the artists behind the comic book have run the show without us. This happened on this past Friday night, when Julia Canon, Rachel Wells and Jen Moreno did their own show with Paul and I in San Diego. Watch it here when it goes up on YouTube on Wednesday.

3) Planning Episodes: Do you script them or do you wing them? For us it depends on the show and if we have a guest or not.

4) Recording Equipment: Self-explanatory. The one thing they recommended was a good headset. Though you will need a mike (they recommended a snowball if you're just starting out.) We have a mike, two lights and a green screen but we're also doing video at the same time.

5) How Often Do You Record: They seem to recommend once a week. OAPS goes live at 6pm every Friday night.

6) Editing Your Podcast: The rule of thumb for every hour of content it takes three hours to edit. Paul does some editing on the audio but the video goes up as is, with some exception.

7) Distributing: They listed Google Podcasts, iTunes, and Spotify, though as they noted other platforms will pick them up as well. OAPS starts on Podbean and then goes out to 10 other platforms, including the ones they named, as well as on our website: https://powerssquaredcomicbook.com/oaps

8) Promoting Your Podcast; and 9) Monetizing You Podcast: They were running out of time and decided to put these two last topics together, basically skipping over 8) in favor of 9). Of course, I was most interested in 8), the reason I sat through this panel in the first place. So, I'm coming away with nada on this. We're always looking for how to get the word out.

The last work-related panel I attended was Small Press Publishing 101. Again, this one took place outside the convention center at the Omni Hotel. I was going in part because Gamal Hennessey was going to be on the panel. I backed his original Kickstarter and we've had Gamal on the show. From Gamal's introduction, he only found out he was doing the panel because he searched his name in the online program. He was hoping to talk to the host at the panel to find out what he was supposed to talk about, but as it turns out Gamal was the only one to show.

He is more than capable of talking about this topic. He broke making a comic book down to three major steps:

1) Pre-production: What is Your Story about? Figuring out who the Ideal Reader of your book is and how to reach them. This involves having an idea and finding an audience to read it. This includes the demographics of your reader (sex, gender, race, etc.); Their psychographics, or how they see the world; the genre of the book; Generations or age category of your reader; and format of the book: print or digital.

[Editor's Note: we did what he doesn't recommend doing, and started making a comic book without knowing who the audience would be for it. Don't do it that way.]

Where is the money going to come from, as in who is going to pay to produce the book? Gamal pointed out a lot of that has to do with your relationship to the IP. If you're the owner, then you must figure out if it comes out of your pocket or some form of crowdfunding. If you're doing something freelance, then someone should be paying you.

Who is going to do the parts you cannot do, as in if you're a writer, who is going to do the art and vice-versa? And art is usually more than one person. Gamal listed out: Artist, Inker, colorist, letterer, and production designer.

You also should have an accountant and an attorney, at least according to Gamal.

The final ingredient in your production team is the editor who can change the grand vision of the book to fit with who is going to read your book.

2) Production: The actual putting together the book from writing to art.

3) Distribution: Digital or print or both. You can self-distribute or you can try to get your book into stores using one of three distributors: Diamond, Lunar or Simon & Schuster. If you get say Diamond to distribute your book, they do it on consignment. After publishing the title in the Preview publication, Diamond will then tell you to send them so many books. Ideally, they would go from your printer to the Diamond warehouse. He warned against using a Chinese printer, which is a fairly popular choice, due to the extra time it takes and the added steps involved, including shipping. You might remember a year or so ago when there were ships waiting to be unloaded.

Digital takes less to get going, as you already should have your finished project formatted.

He recommended that you buy his book The Business of Independent Comic Book Publishing in a digital format so it would be easier to search for topics. He also has an online community of comic book creators called Comics Connection, which he also recommended as there have been changes in the industry not covered in his book.

In response to a question asked in the audience about licensing, Gamal broke down the questions that you should be asked:

What is the property?

Where are they going to sell it?

How long are they going to sell it?

How much are they going to charge for it?

You should ask for a 20% minimum guarantee upfront with a quarterly royalty report and an audit provision. If they are under reporting/paying then they should have to pay a penalty and for the auditor.

You also want to know if the license is exclusive or non-exclusive. An exclusive license should be more expensive than an non-exclusive one.

As far as your business, he recommended an LLC or Limited Liability Company. That way if there are any monetary issues, they are attached to your company not you personally. With a partnership, they are attached to the business and to you personally as well.

Well, that about does it for me. Keep writing and I'll see you next week.

A Week in Writing #449 - Report from the Front: WonderCon 2023

Hope everyone is staying safe, and, of course, writing.

Well, it's that time of year again, the start of comic book conventions. I know that while every city or town of any size, it seems, has a convention of some sort, we tend to stick to the big two, WonderCon and Comic-Con, mostly because they're local. I wish I could attend more but there is only so much time and money to go around.

This past weekend was WonderCon 2023 in Anaheim. My sons and co-collaborators on Powers Squared attended on Saturday. The drive down took about an hour and then it took another hour to park the car. So, there was at least one panel I missed. However, I did attend one panel that I believe speaks to my situation and might speak to yours as well, should you be a part-time creator like myself.

The panel was called Balancing Your Day Job and Your Passion Project: A Survial Guide, hosted by Mallory Shoemaker and Jordon Dene Ellis. If you were really interested in Mallory and Jordon, then this was probably the panel for you. A lot of the time was spent talking about their own experiences, which while not universal ones are similar to most part-time creators. Too many ideas, too many projects and not enough time. Neither, I take, are making a living off their projects as both are happily fully employed at Adobe.

The take away from the panel were five tips:

1) Done is Better than Perfect

2) Don't monetize everything

3) Take Breaks. You need them.

4) Pick and Choose your projects

5) A Day Job Doesn't = Failure

These are all good things to keep in mind, though I wouldn't mind monetizing something I'm working on.

The fun part of cons, at least for me, is learning new things and meeting friends who are also there. We did manage to walk pretty much the entire floor and ran into several people that we've known from past cons, including Don Nguyen, Stephen Silver, Steven E. Gordon, and Patrick Ballesteros. We didn't talk to Patrick, he's always very busy, but he did, later in the day, email us and agree to be on our podcast in April, so there's something to look forward to.

Now, it's back to the real world and remembering #5 from above, not feeling like a failure.

Because of WonderCon, no new reviews from me this week. My film day is Saturday and after walking around, accumulating nearly 10 miles worth of steps, no one was in the state that could take watching a movie. We'll get them next week.

That doesn't mean Trophy Unlocked closed up shop. The Saturday Morning Review was Trevor's review of The Aristocats (1970).

I know the official name of this blog is 1000 Words a Day (Easily to complete the url), it is rare that I hit that feat. It is more of a goal. When I'm writing a review that seems to be fairly easy to hit, but with fiction it can be a bit harder. However, earlier this week, working on the oft-overlooked Skylar, I hit the mark and went a little beyond as well one night. It was a matter of having time and starting early, something that didn't happen for most of the rest of the week. I did however, tackle some of the things I've been alluding to in this blog about the story, so there is more work to do.

I started having some second thoughts about Past Present, not so much the story but some of the situations in the story that might need to be updated to keep up with technology, which has changed since I first wrote it. The same about Broken People, but for that one, I'm waiting to see if I get a bite before going ahead and making any updates. That said, or written in this case, I didn't send out a query for Past Present, though I did for Broken People. I also DNRd a couple of queries from January that would seem to have expired without feedback from an agent.

Our podcast this past week, was our March 2023 Team Meeting. Artist Julia Canon and letterer (and co-creator) Trevor Hankins joined Paul and me to discuss the state of things and where we want things to go. We're talking Kickstarter but that will be much later in the year. If you're curious about the state of the book, you can listen here or watch it on Wednesday here.

Well, I think that about does it for me. Keep writing and I'll see you next week.

A Week in Writing #414 - Report from the Front: SDCC 2022

 

Hope everyone is staying safe, and, of course, writing.

Sorry this is a day late but it takes a day or so to absorb and process everything. San Diego Comic-Con is over-stimulation for everyone. As someone told me it's like multiple conventions going on at once with comic books, film, television, gaming, books, collecting and other things in between all being covered somewhere, and, all at once. There is really no way to do everything as plans are often eschewed or ruined by events.

There is a lot of walking involved, so it's not for tenderfoots. For the four days and preview night we were there, I must have walked 86,429 steps per my Fitbit, an average of 17,285 per day while the previous week I averaged about 9,317. Your mileage may vary of course but combine that with a lack of sleep and it can be a tiring experience. 

People go to the convention for a spectrum of purposes, from geeking-out fandom on one end to trying to learn and share about their craft on the other. We fall in somewhere in between in my family and, sometimes attend very different panels and events. My intentions are to mix the two but the results, sadly are mixed.

I attended what I thought were professional panels about How to Get Press Coverage. Enamel pens, Help I'm Lost in a Sea of Content, and How to be a One-person Comic Book Company. I had intended to also attend one on Kickstarters but, for reasons I'll get into, I did not.

Blame Ozzy Osbourne for my missing the latter panel. Apparently, he is releasing a new album Patient #9 and got Todd McFarlane to do the artwork. The two of them were to do a noon time and 1:10 pm signing of a poster (no size indicated) at Stern Pinball's booth (?). I thought I was safe to attend the first and make the Kickstarter panel. 

Did I mention that you not only had to win a lottery to gain admittance but you also had to arrive at the Convention Center before the doors open (6:30 to 9) and stand in line to claim a wristband (both times had the same color). But, no, that's not enough. As with every event at SDCC, you have to arrive early, which I did, getting in line sometime soon after 11 am. I was already in the third curve of the line which snaked out from the wall into the floor of the convention center, where I stood backpack on my back and holding a poster tube in anticipation. 

And, even then, that wasn't enough, as you had to get a ticket to redeem for the poster. That doesn't even get to the rules involved: No photographs, no video, no interaction. As if you were on a conveyor belt get your poster and keep moving. While I am not a huge fan of Ozzy, I had seen Black Sabbath on their final tour. The rest of my family had signed up for the 1:10 signing which while I'm standing in line seemed like an afterthought to the organizers as they didn't seem to know where people should line up for that. 

As if that weren't bad enough, 12 o'clock comes and goes and we don't move an inch. Sometime around 12:15 Ozzy shows up. I know, big star and I'm only a peon but there is such a thing as respecting other people's time and the effect you have on them, especially at a place like SDCC. Now, the professional might have gotten out of line to attend the Kickstarter panel, the father in me wanted to make sure we got one, as others are bigger fans. 

They take us 10 at a time over to where the Prince of  Darkness is waiting. The closest thing I can compare it to is a freak show (not that I'm calling him a freak) but the experience was somewhat similar There is no interaction or eye contact and by the time you've seen him, they're already hurrying you through the line, with an attendant handing you a pre-autographed poster. And as soon as you have that, they cut the wristband off of you and send you on your way with a stiff 11 X 17 poster into the wilds of SDCC. 

There appear to be four autographs on the poster. Ozzy's, McFarlane's and a couple of randos who I'm sure are crucial to the process but unidentified. I'm sorry to say I don't know what Todd McFarlane looks like so he might have been there; another man sat across the table from us but there was no time to see who he was and there were no introductions made.

I wasn't even sure what time it was but I knew I couldn't keep this in any sort of quality condition as is. I saw one of my sons, Trevor, in line for the next signing and told him I was going to look for a top loader for the poster. Artist Alley was nearby but none of the art supplies there sold them. The only place I knew of was somewhere on the other side of the floor. I'm trying to contact my family using my phone with one hand as I feared putting the poster down. Others were aware and wanted to see it. One guy offering me $10 for it. I countered with $1000 and the negotiations stopped.

Finally, find Hot Flips in the 1200s buy two top loaders and head back to where I had last seen Trevor. However, by then his line had moved and been capped, without him and Paul, who had also arrived for the line and sent him on to another signing. With the 1:10 signing in doubt, we go to eat while things are sorted out. 

Long story short, all three, Paul, Trevor and my wife, Nancy, all managed to get through and get their posters, though none were signed by Todd MacFarlane, adding insult to injury. Given the experience the booth could have given the posters away instead of trooping people by him. 

Rant over, several of the panels that I thought might help me didn't really address anything that would help me in the long run. I had thought about turning some of the artwork for Powers Squared into enamel pins. Well, the panel Enamel Pins: Creating Collectibles, held promise, it was more about those who make them and do it as a side gig. I already have a side gig and there are already people who make custom enamel pins so while I listened I don't think this was right for me.

Neither was the How to Be A One Person Comic Book Company. While it is certainly possible and the guy leading the panel was making a living doing it, his presentation was more about the software you'd need to have in place to pull it off. While 3-D modeling has it place and with three batches of software, you can make them talk, it would be a much different look than what Powers Squared looks like and I don't know about you, I'd rather write than learn how to make iClone 7 work with Poser and Blender.

Also, I enjoy the collaborative nature of putting together the books. Writing with Paul, and watching Rachel Wells put together the visuals and Julia Canon's coloring add to the enjoyment. Oftentimes, Rachel will come up with something we hadn't thought about for the visuals. I would think being the one person who does it all would be the end of all of that.

While the title Help I'm Lost in a Sea of Content seemed to address my world, the panel really didn't. The panelists were involved in other aspects of content, clothing, reporting, and streaming they really didn't offer anything that turned the lightbulb on, "if only I did this" sort of thing. I did learn that reactive videos are a thing, as if people had the time to watch someone else watching something. I know I don't.

The first panel I attended, How to Get News Coverage was probably the most helpful. I had attended it at least once before at WonderCon and while some of the panelists were the same, having sent press releases that failed to get published I was interested in learning from my own experience. So, pro note: reach out to publications beforehand and introduce yourself. Ask how they want to hear about you and your work, don't assume that you know what they're looking for. Try to get to know the journalists at them, by reading their stories and following them on social media. Contact them before you do something, like a Kickstarter, not after it's already going. Be short and get to the point. A lot of groundwork but in many ways common sense.

There were other panels I attended and people I reached out to, though there were several I would have liked to have met there but didn't. Some of the best moments at the con are conversations with people and while those may be hard to have they really do mean the most. 

What's in store for the next one? Well, I'm going to try and get a table next time, maybe even Small Press for SRCC Press.

As I mentioned last week, no real writing got done this week though some things did move forward. New reviews hit Trophy Unlocked with Paul's review of Five Nights at Freddy's: Security Breach coming out on Wednesday Game Day and his review of  Atlantis: Milo's Return being the Saturday Morning Review.

The most pleasant surprise was how well On the Air with Powers Squared did without us. Rachel and Julia did a really great job without us. I think it's one of the best shows. I find it rewarding that something we started and sustain without us. The two of them have really great chemistry and did some art challenges related to Powers Squared. We're a little late with some of the technical aspects: the audio version, but it will go up on Wednesday on our YouTube channel and I would highly recommend the show.

Well, that about does it for me. Keep writing and I'll see you next week.

A Week in Writing #309 - Report from the Home Front

If you've been reading this blog for any length of time, you'll no doubt remember that when I attend a con, I try to give you a report detailing what I've learned, as a Report from the Front. With COVID-19 spreading, San Diego Comic-Con went virtual this year, so while I attended, I never did leave my couch.

Usually, I make an effort to attend as many how-to programs and panels, but this year there were far fewer of those types and even fewer that really interested me. So my report this time will be somewhat limited. We, as a family, attended several panels via YouTube, which was the only way for the Comic-Con sponsored ones. (Adult Swim, as an example, had their own panels via Twitch). I would say that we spent a lot of time attending panels that were sponsored by Warner Bros, either the Archive or HBO Max, the latter of which seems to be where all the new Cartoon Network-produced programming is going. We have a lot of favorites, such as Summer Camp Island and Adventure Time, which were part of several panels, including one about Storyboarding, which was very interesting.

There was also a Phineas and Ferb panel, this one from Disney+ about the Candace Against the Universe movie that is coming out on that streaming service later in the summer. We've been watching the series pretty much every weekday at lunch, and I think we're all looking forward to the movie, even though we currently don't subscribe to the streaming service.

Warner Bros sponsored two panels, one about the 80th Anniversary of Bugs Bunny, which was a long infomercial for a set they're releasing later this year. And Warner Archives sponsored one about the Secret Origin of Saturday Morning Cartoons, even though the secret is that the original cartoons were reruns of theatrically released cartoons. Both were interesting but not really how-to presentations.

Even though we have a colorist, Paul and I were interested in How To Color a Comic Book, sponsored by Hi-Fi, a coloring service that walked through their process and gave some tips on what they do versus what others do. Fairly informative though I'm still happy with the colorist we have and the work she does.

There were a couple of panels about the Narrative in Videogames, which I think Paul understood better than the rest of us. I've always thought there is a videogame in Powers Squared and watching the panel did get me to thinking about story branches and alternative endings, though I profess not to know a thing about scripting one. It is interesting to hear terms like "Bark", "Cinematic" and "V.O." being used.

We did watch a panel that promised to discuss the science behind Back to the Future, but which really discussed science in comic books and science fiction. This is one of the issues with panels is that they sometimes don't get to point they were supposed to. I was hoping to hear something about hoverboards and instead saw a brief demonstration of a robotic skirt that one of the panelists designed.

Watched a panel about networking. These panels are never really about how-to but more the benefits of having done so in nature. There was a panelist who does marketing for comic books, so I did contact her after the panel. Too soon to have heard back and I don't want to get ahead of myself and commit to hiring her, though I would like to hear what she could do for us and Issue #10, which is coming out soon. I will, of course, let you know if anything comes of this.

Two more panels on Sunday had some useful information. There was a panel on The Writer's Journey: Developing a Producer's Mentality. This was more about working on your own IPs rather than someone else's. And while you may have to be willing to make some changes to get it published or produced, there has to be a line that you're not willing to cross; and if you walk away, you have to really walk away.

The other panel, and our last one of the Con, The Grind NEVER Stops, not even during a quarantine led by Bryan "Kaiser" Tillman. He led another panel that we attended last year and is really a very inspirational speaker. His point was that creatives should use the time during a pandemic to get things done, rather than play videogames and watching Netflix. His advice was 1) Time Management: Plan out your day and then you'll see how much time you actually have; 2) Study: Look at the work of others and see why it is effective; 3) Practice: Work on the areas that you need to improve; 4) Development: The first draft is not going to be your best. You need to work on it to make it better; and, 5) Network: Find groups of like people on social media and share with them and comment on their work as well. While I think Kaiser's intended audience is artists, much of what he said is applicable to writers as well.

Since all the panels were pre-recorded and available on YouTube, it's probably not too late to watch them. You can go to https://www.comic-con.org/cciathome/2020/programming-schedule and see what you might have missed.

I did manage to get some writing done this week and during the downtimes between "Panels". One of the advantages of Comic-Con@Home is that you're not trapped there and can do other things while you wait.

This week, I finished the pencil and paper editing on The Runaway and began to type up those changes. I think I was hoping that the edits would not only make the book better but might have a few more words. I think I was hoping for at least 1000, but I've only added a couple of 100 words and I'm about 25% of the way through the book this time around, or version 9 if you're keeping track.

I also finished the two reviews I started last weekend, The Bribe and Top Gun. They'll be coming out sometime in the future. This week, we continued the trend of publishing a videogame review on Wednesdays with Trevor's review of Spec Ops: The Line for PS3. In keeping with the spirit of Comic-Con, my review of Batman: The Killing Joke went up on Saturday. A bit of coincidence that was also the 4th anniversary of its release in theaters.

We even managed to review some inks from Rachel for Powers Squared and work a little bit on getting a Discord group up and running. Our colorist, Julia Canon, is the spearhead behind that and it promises to make the communication and sharing easier.

We also had the time to write and send the latest newsletter on Powers Squared, The Bark, which you can subscribe to here.

So, to wrap this up, while I enjoyed the extra time and extra money that Comic-Con@Home provided me, I really missed the actual event itself. With all the hassles and people, there is really nothing like it and missing it for a year makes me more excited about going next year.

Keep writing and I'll see you back here next week.

A Week in Writing #286 - Under the Weather but Still Writing

Being under the weather and writing don't go hand-in-hand, or at least you really can't be one and do much with the other. I'm mentioning this because I've been a touch under the weather for the past few days. Nothing serious, not even really a cold or the terrible Coronavirus. Just a little dry throat, running nose and weak in the knees. As I'm writing this, I'm feeling better but this isn't how I wanted to spend the day off I took on Friday nor the upcoming President's Day holiday. But what is it they say, life is what happens while you're busy making other plans. I'm sure I've used that before to describe a week of writing that has not gone as planned.

Let's start with Trophy Unlocked this time to reveal how little I've done this week. No new reviews from me, though the blog has been busy. Seven reviews were posted in seven days, a rare feat for the site. 6 of them were related to Sonic Week, five reviews of games and a Japanese OVA leading to the release of Sonic The Hedgehog (2020) and that review, which was posted today. The Saturday Morning Review was Kingdom Hearts III Re Mind + Concert Video (DLC). None of these seven reviews were written by me, which is fine. Sonic is not really in my wheelhouse.

I did have an idea for a review but when I sat down to work on it I couldn't concentrate enough on it to make any headway. The review would be for next Valentine's Day, The Valentine's Day Massacre (1967), which I happened to have seen the next day on TV in its entirety and without commercial interruption. It seems fitting for next year. I just have to write it.

Did some work on The Runaway. There was another unrelated news story that I was able to weave into the story, or at least I'd like to think I was able to. All the same, not really all that much progress was made overall on the story.

This leaves us with Powers Squared, and it is once again here that I think I spent most of my time. This week, Paul and I each, separately, went over the last three issues of the book, 10-13, What's in a Name? looking at the lettering. For the most part, there weren't any issues, just a couple of run together words and some misplaced punctuations. Paul did edit down some dialogue and had Trevor, who does the lettering, move a speech bubble. This led to our weekly podcast, On The Air With Powers Squared, inviting Trevor on as a guest and talking about the importance of lettering as the topic.

Finishing them off allowed us to send out the last of the Kickstarter rewards. So, we're finally finished with that project.

During the week, I managed to nail down our signing at Golden Apple, a very important comic book store here in Los Angeles. We're scheduled for two hours on the afternoon of March 14th. I spoke to one of the owners by phone on Monday so I guess it's as official as it will get. I've ordered issues to sell and we've designed a special trading card for the occasion. We're hoping to make the most of the event as we can.

Paul and I, despite being under the weather, did our weekly video A Week in Powers Squared and sent out the latest edition of our mini newsletter, The Bark. As they say in the theater, the show must go on.

Well, that about does it for me this week. Keep writing and I'll see you next week.

A Week in Writing #274

It's amazing the difference a week can make. Our Kickstarter is doing much better. We're up to about 60% funded, so there's still hope that we will fund.

Otherwise, it was a big week for Powers Squared. On Monday, I was interviewed by Adam Torres for his Money Matters podcast. He was really easy to talk to and was not only enthusiastic but also very professional. We talked about the comic book, the Kickstarter as well as let me plug our own YouTube channel and podcast, On the Air With Powers Squared. He also did us a solid and moved the broadcast to the next day to help us with the Kickstarter. A really good experience.

On Tuesday night, we opened a surprise package from Artithmeric, our on-demand publisher. They publish a magazine, Artithemeric 9, the 9th Art and there were two articles that involved us. One was a very impressive story about Powers Squared, which makes us sound like the important comic book we want to be.

The other story was about a promotion Artithneric is doing with Canon printers. Artithmeric uses Canon for their printing because they meet their high standards. Apparently, Canon was also a fan of Artithmeric and wanted to use some of their creators in a promotion with their customers. As a result, Powers Squared was one of three creator-owned comics chosen. As a result, 1500 copies of our first issue will be sent to Canon customers in the United States. Hopefully, that will lead to new readers.

In addition, we received new pages from both our artists, pencils for four pages in Issue #13 and four colored pages from our colorist from Issue #12.

As if that wasn't enough to report, our colorist, Nina Gaillard, is leaving us after she completes work on Issue #12 and we're beginning to look for a replacement colorist. Not sure how we're going to fit that in before the end of the year, but we will try.

In between sending emails to practically everyone I know to mention the Kickstarter, I did manage to do some more work on The Runaway. Got about three chapters done but that was about all the other writing I could manage. It's nice to have the release and I really feel bad if I don't actually write during the week. I don't know what I would do if I didn't.

No new reviews this week from me. Trophy Unlocked did publish one of Paul's for the animated Tarzan (1999).

Well, that's about all from me this week. Keep writing and I'll see you next week.

A Week in Writing #256: Report From the Front: SDCC 2019

A day late, but better late than never, right?

Every year, for 13 of the past 14, I've attended San Diego Comic-Con and every year, since I've been blogging, I've written about my experience, first on Trophy Unlocked and then here for the past few years now. I write about my experience at the Con and the panels I've attended, sharing what I've learned in hopes that it will help me make more sense of what I've learned and to pass that on to you, dear reader, in case something I've learned would be helpful to you.

The San Diego Convention Center at night.

I will write about about some aspects of the convention but if you're looking for photos of Cosplayers or a rundown of the MCU Phase 4, I'm going to have to tell you to look elsewhere, as there are much better sources for that sort of information. In all the years I've attended, I've never made it into Hall H, nor have I attended the Masquerade ball they have on Saturday nights.

This is the first year that I've attended the event as a Professional, thanks to Powers Squared. Obviously, sales numbers are not taken into consideration when it comes to handing out that sort of badge. Being a Professional means that you don't have to go through the registration process, you get all four days and preview night, and you don't have to pay for admission. While that is all pretty sweet, that is all that you really get. After that, you are simply an attendee with no other real perks, or at least ones worth noting here.

For those who couldn't attend, I put up some photos as a sort of travelogue on the Powers Squared Instagram page, which means they showed up double on the comic's Facebook page, Twitter feed, and Tumblr. If you want to see lines and crowds and see where we ate while there, please check that out. Paul and I also did short videos which will be edited together for next week's A Week in Powers Squared vlog that we put up on our YouTube channel.

Let's get over the basics, Comic-Con is tiring and expensive. For the most part, you're one in a sea of people all trying to do something different, which means there is general organized chaos going on at all times. Lines are long, even for pre-ordered items, and having a magic ticket, so to speak, means you're at the end of a line that never seems to move more often than not. Some booths, like Hasbro, seem to know how to handle a giveaway while others, like Viz, still do not. Last year, they nearly shut down the Con based on the near-riots that they caused.

While I want to have fun at Comic-Con and did attend some panels in that vein, over the past few years I've trying to attend more learning and professional sessions and that's what I write about here. There was one panel, The Art of the Pitch, that I could not get into. Not sure why, but I suspect that it had something to do with Yvette Nicole Brown, of Community fame, being the moderator. Don't know for sure because I never got into the room and I wasn't paying attention to what the next panel was supposed to be in that room. For some panels, especially the popular ones, you have to sometimes sit through one or more prior to get to the one you want to see. I didn't expect one about Pitching to "sell out," so I missed that.

There is no substitution for actually attending these sorts of panels. I know not everyone can, so I try to present what I learned to help those who can't.

I did make it into Finance Your Indie Comic Now, moderated by Barbara Randall Kesel, and while it featured four male black creators and one woman, as Kesel pointed out, this wasn't about diversity in comics. The nice thing about the panelists is that they, like many in the room, were creatives; Andre Owens had recently become a full-time creative, which is, of course, everyone's goal.

Like most panels, there really isn't that much that you haven't already learned and you will sometimes hear advice that is impractical for your situation. However, here is what I was taught in the panel:

1) If you spend more than $162 a page, in a comic book, and your sales are not 5000 and up, there is no way to make money on your book.

2) You should try to price your book at about half of what Marvel and DC charge for the same amount of pages $4 to $5, which means you should price at $2 to $2.50, or make up for it by offering more than what they provide for the same price.

3) The sources for funding are the usual: Crowdfunding (Kickstarter and the like), Print-on-Demand and Digital-only distribution. They did agree that there is a little Kickstarter fatigue that has set in, which, if true, is not a good thing.

4) They did mention a website that I have not had a chance to explore, http://www.creatorresource.com, which is meant to provide comic book freelancing tools and resources.

Nerdy Finance was actually a replacement panel, but when I heard about it, I wanted to be sure to attend. Presented by Neil Narvaez, the panel discussed the tax implications of a hobby and trying to run a business, or as he put it, trying to make money.

His first bit of advice was to have an accountant do your taxes, as they know, or should know, the ins and outs of the tax codes and will allow you to take full advantage of all deductions.

The IRS considers you a business if you are:

1) Acting like a business (i.e., trying to make money)
2) What is the time and effort you're putting into it (can't be an hour a week or a month)?
3) Do you depend on the income generated by your business?
4) Are losses beyond your control?
5) Do you change strategies to be more profitable?
6) Do you have knowledge/skill?
7) Did you make a profit in the past?
8) If you made a profit, how much?

The top five deductions for a creative:

1) Home Office. If there is a part of your home that is only used for your business, you can claim that percentage against everything from mortgage/rent to property taxes to utilities as a deduction on your taxes.

2) Travel - to conventions, etc. This is no longer allowed for W-2 work, but if you're your own business, then it is still allowed up to 50%.

3) Meals while traveling. Again, it's up to 50%

4) Materials and supplies.

5) Hiring your children to work in your business.

He also talked about the perceived tax advantage of being an LLC. While a Limited Liability Company does provide you with some sort of protection, it does not have an impact on your Federal or State Taxes. He made it sound like it is more trouble than it is worth. In states like California, it costs $800 a year to register. There might be cheaper ways to protect yourself, like an Umbrella insurance policy.

He also did not recommend forming an S Corp unless your income is $60,000 or more. Again, costs and bookkeeping, etc.

He also talked about Estimated Tax payments. While these are voluntary, if you owe Uncle Sam more than $1000 at the end of the year, they will fine you, so if your accountant recommends you make them, you should.

See an accountant!

Bryan Kaiser Tillman leading Proper Pitching and Promoting Yourself panel at SDCC 2019.

Proper Pitching and Promoting Yourself was moderated by Bryan Kaiser Tillman, a very charismatic behind-the-scenes creative who has been doing some form of this panel for the past 10 years. He opened by saying that you wouldn't necessarily hear something you had never heard before, but he would make it so that you would remember.

He went over the top five rules for proper pitching:

1) Know your product. There will be questions asked that you need to be prepared to answer. The better you know your product, the more confidence you'll have when presenting. Rehearse. Everyone is in the same boat you are, but the more you practice what you'll say, the better you'll present. And most importantly, you need to believe in it.

2) BS your way to the Truth. If in your presentation you're asked something you haven't considered before, you'll need to come up with an answer on the fly and then make it part of the story. DON'T LIE!! (as an example: Don't say you can pencil 24 pages in a week because when you can't, no one will hire you.) If you didn't think about it but can fix it in your presentation, do it. But remember to be consistent. If you give an explanation one time, you need to give the same one each time, as you don't want to lose the confidence of those you are presenting to.

3) Don't Cross the Thin Line between Confident and Cocky. No one will want to hire or work with you if you're a jerk. Something that was mentioned more than once in several of these panels is the old adage that you need to be two of three things; Fast, Good, Friendly. If you're a jerk, then you have to be good and fast, which is difficult if not impossible. Be nice to people. Don't be a jerk.

4) Network. Okay, we're all introverts in this room, but it can start with nothing more than saying "Hi" to someone and talking to them. Ask questions. Go to conventions in your area of interest. He made a point that if you're a creative, you don't or shouldn't go to Comic-Con to go to Funko, you should go for the opportunities to meet like-minded people and learn. And don't be creepy.

5) It's not about you. It's about the product. Learn to detach yourself from your work.

The final panel I attended, Full Time Creative Work on a Part-Time Schedule, spoke to me when I saw it in the list of panels. Oddly enough, this panel was one of the last ones offered at the Convention. You'd think if you have a full-time job, then you might be leaving earlier than most to get back home. This one was held at 4 to 5 when the convention closes down at 5, so there's no revisiting the floor after this one.

This panel was actually pretty good and included an opportunity to network with the panelists as well as others in the room. Of course, it was important to have a business card which one of the panelists, Sean Glumace, emphasized. He talked about the ability to use software like Evernote to ingest business cards and set up networks. To demonstrate, he used his phone to scan and send emails to Trevor, Paul and I during the panel itself. Unlike most people, we actually had cards to hand out. Very effective demo. One of the things I need to do a better job of is following up with people.

In addition to having business cards, it is recommended to have a page on Linkedin and Facebook, which people who hire still use and will look there to see who you are and to look at your work. Apparently, Linkedin now has a place for portfolios.

They took Q & A, which for the most part was specific to the person asking the question. However, advice to writers: Always Keep Writing, Keep Sharing and Surround Yourself with other writers, including writing groups.

They also provided the basics part-timers need to be aware of:

Communication - Everyone needs to be on the same page.
Focus and Time Management - Rearrange as much of your life as possible so that it points to your goals.
Never Too Early to Start - So many people get their start in college.
Organization - Make lists and use them.
Networking - This comes up in every panel.
Support - You need as many people helping you as possible, but it is a two-way street.

So much for the panels I attended. Again, if you have the chance to go to Comic-Con or a like convention, then I recommend trying to attend professional panels if they are offered.

One of the important things about conventions is to make contacts and to keep up with the ones you've already made. Was able to touch base again with Doug and Corey at the Comic Creator Connection. Their book, Epic Win!, was very important for me when we started Powers Squared. Also able to run into our contacts at comiXology and at IDW. The former is our digital publisher and the latter is someone we've known through various conventions for the past ten years it seems. I had been carrying around printed versions of Powers Squared for a couple of days, which for 9+ hours a day can get quite heavy. I wanted to be prepared, if the opportunity arose, to show them to someone. I managed to get up the courage to show them to our friend at IDW.

He was very complimentary, saying they're getting better as they go along, which they should. He also liked the artwork. I had to point out to him that we had changed artists; he had thought the artist had simply gotten better with time. I know it's not much of a win, but hearing that from him made me feel like we're at least on the right track.

Did make an effort to support other creatives when I could, reaching out to Don Nguyen and Andy Nordvall, who were doing a signing at the Geekscape booth on Sunday. Nice to put a face to people you've only met through social media. Wanted to support them as well. Bought some of their books and will discuss as I read them. Right now I'm still working my way, slowly, through Spider-Man Noir.

Next year, I'd like to try to do some portfolio review with the book. Maybe we could interest someone in picking it up or maybe we could find additional work because of it.

In our absence, work continued on Powers Squared, with Rachel sending up four more penciled pages that Paul and I, as of this writing, have yet to have a chance to review.

No new reviews for Trophy Unlocked. Our Saturday Morning Review was another old favorite we hadn't previously reviewed: Toy Story 2, which Trevor reviewed. We are trying to onboard a new reviewer, but not sure where that stands at the moment. More if that materializes.

Did some more rewrites on The Runaway on Monday and Tuesday but like everything else, they were on-hold during Comic-Con. And surprise, no response from the editor on Familiar Stranger. WTF.

Well, that sort of wraps up this week in writing. If you have any comments or questions, please let me know. So, until next week, keep writing.

A Week in Writing #218 - Report from the Front - Writers Digest Novel Writing Conference 2018

Well, as the title indicates, I attended the Writer's Digest Novel Writing Conference 2018, along with Paul, this past weekend in Pasadena, Californa. As whenever I go to a convention, I try to summarize my experience here.

Going to this convention was a little like going to San Diego Comic-Con, in that you leave feeling excited about the future. Writing is what I want to do and I've just been immersed in a two and a half day celebration and learning session. The feeling is that if I can just keep with it, I, too, will eventually be published, not rich but published. There is a great emphasis on the fact that one does not necessarily lead to the other. But I'm not picky, one step at a time.

It's not to say that all the advice on getting to step one is consistent or equal. I attended several "so you want to get published" types of programs and the advice was sometimes complementary and sometimes contradictory. Case in point, mainstream publishing. Agent Barbara Poelle, whom I saw on two panels, made the point that if a book goes out of print, you can ask for the publishing rights back. This was 180 degrees different than advice from April Eberhardt, who, as part of her pitch for Hybrid publishing, said that mainstream publishers want the rights for the length of copyright and will not ever give them back.

And there is also the issue of self-publishing, which again Poelle said would keep you from getting the book published by a mainstream publisher and later, Danny Manus, during his panel Everybody Says My Book Should be a Movie, said if you self-publish and it doesn't sell, mainstream publishers will be okay if you change the title and submit it to them.

In both these instances, I would tend to believe Poelle, though I'm not trying to call anyone out on this.

Friday began with a really good panel called FightWrite led by Carla Hoch. Really interesting. An overview of what you need to know before writing fight scenes, Battles and Brawls. I won't go into everything she said, though I did think it would be a good panel for Comic-Con since there are several panels there already devoted to writing. She's also a weapons expert and that would also do well there. She also has a blog I would recommend, fightwrite.net.

Fearless Marketing lead by William Kenower was a sort of last-minute replacement when another presenter became ill that morning. Not really about how to market but more about how, as a writer, you need to bring your love of writing to that side of the business. More of an inspirational session than down in the trenches on marketing.

The Query Letter Panel featured four agents: Barbara Poelle, Laurie McLean, Holly Root and Taylor Haggerty reacting to previously submitted query letters read by Writer's Digest editor Tyler Moss. As he read, each agent would raise their hand when they would stop reading the query.  A couple of takeaways: each agent is different in what they will react to. They are humans after all.

Good Comps are important to some agents but not so much to others. I didn't get the sense that if you didn't have a good comp, they would stop reading the query. They are more to give them an idea about what to expect. It is more if the subject or genre isn't something they represent that will stop them from reading. Again results will vary by agent.

Also, when comparing your book to another be sure to make the comps current (less than two years) but not a phenomenon, like J.K. Rowling or George R.R. Martin. Also, unless you already know comps, don't research online but ask a librarian for comparable titles.

The important elements are the Hook, the Book, and the Cook. Tell them about the hook or a logline that will grab their attention, as well as genre, word count, comps. Give them a couple of paragraphs summarizing the story (the Book) and tell them something about yourself (the Cook).

Don't follow up, unless the agent has asked for pages from you. Usually, there will be information about responses on the agent/agency website. Read those first before submitting as they all have different requirements.

Writing Sex Scenes with Rachael Herron, Sophie Littlefield, and Adrienne Bell was next. Their point was that sex scenes are usually really emotional acts that will be significant later. Sex is not an accidental act. Each genre will have it's own conventions and expectations.

There are two types of sex scenes, Closed door, and open door, which I think are sort of self-explanatory. I tend to write closed door but there are apparently audiences for open door and they can go from "flower" and "staff" to "pussy" and "cock".

Simply put sex should mean something to the story and if the characters aren't well developed the sex won't work. Also, you should use protection when your characters are having sex. At least mention it once.

Rape is not sex, it is a crime scene.

The final panel on Friday was A Recipe for Disaster: 4 High Stakes Elements Every Character Needs, led by Jordan Rosenfeld.

Tension is what keeps the reader reading.

1) Danger can be broken down into 4 types:

Intentional Danger - brought on by the antagonist
Accidental Danger - an accident
Natural Danger - Hurricane, earthquake, etc.
Supernatural Danger

You can be in physical danger and emotional danger.

2) Conflict - an act of an opposing force. Opposing goals, wills, plans, etc.

Protagonist vs. Self
Protagonist vs. other characters (antagonist and allies)
Protagonist vs. Nature
Protagonist vs. Supernatural
Protagonist vs. Society (family, culture, religion, etc.)

3) Uncertainty/Suspense - Nobody knows what will happen next, that's why we keep reading. When characters are anxious, so are the readers.

Implausibility is when a character behaves in a way they have not before, surreal, creates uncertainty.

4) Withholding - The act of not giving someone something they want or not in the time they want it. It creates complex feelings within characters.

Things to withhold: approval/respect/esteem/material possessions/romantic union/information, etc.

Goals should be driven by character's backstory and by plot events. A character should have a goal in every scene.

Torture the protagonist. Be mean to him or her.

Eliminate the everyday, mundane dialogue and info dumps.

Have beautiful descriptions.

We stayed for the keynote speaker, Robert Crais. His advice:

Finish what you start - finish your book
Write about what you love - what you want to read
Don't chase trends
Defy the conventional wisdom - trust what you love
Free yourself from the yoke of perfection
There is no one way to write

Saturday started with 10 Best Ways to Market Your Book led by Laurie McLean

Her advice was to:

1) Develop 1 year and 5-year goals, which could be anything from finding an agent to quitting your day job in five years.

2) Know Who You Are
What could your author brand be?

3) Social Media Audit
Google yourself and see if you show up on the first page.

Ways to accomplish this:
Blog
Twitter
Facebook

Think of Twitter as a cocktail party and Facebook as a family reunion.

Set up an Amazon Profile - You can have one without having a published book. It is an aggregator of your social media

Use Pinterest

Podcast

One suggestion that came out of this which applies to writing queries. A lot of agents want the first ten pages in the body of the email. One way to do this, rather than cut and paste directly from Word, is to paste the first ten pages into a new document and save as plain text and then paste that into the email.

Next was The Changing Face of Publishing - What all Authors Need to Know with April Eberhardt.

Eberhardt is a writer's advocate as well as an agent. She gave pros and cons for various publishing including Traditional (Big Houses), Small Press, Self-Publishing (DIY), Assisted Self-Publishing, Amazon Publishing, Cooperative Publishing, and Hybrid Publishing.

While she will try traditional publishing, it seemed that the real point was to push Hybrid publishing as a second choice. The biggest pro, according to her, is that you get to keep your rights, but the biggest issue for many writers is the $5000 to $10,000 you'll have to spend out of your own pocket.

The choice is really up to you. What do you want personally? Professionally? If it's to make money, don't quit your day job (this would not be the only time I heard this at the convention).

Finally - Make Revision FUN! with Rachael Herron

She suggested using Nanowrimo to write as many bad words on the page because you need something to revise.

Remember: Not every suggestion will work for you.

Revision is when the magic happens. She considers the first draft to be the zero draft and revision gets it to the first draft.

The first thing is to finish your book. Revising as you go is a bad thing (this harks back to Robert Crais' advice as well.) That is unless that's the way you work and you're completing good works.

97% of writers never finish a book.

Start your revision with the theme. Every choice is made easier if you know the theme. Every scene should serve the theme whether explicitly or implicitly.

Make a sentence outline. For every scene write a brief sentence. Not the time to make line edits (you'll remember what needs to be changed.) Don't spend time fixing things you might not want to keep.

A sentence outline will allow you to read your book in a matter of minutes.

She uses post-its to keep track of changes she wants to make to the story. Then she combines the outline with the post-its.

Look for plot holes. Is there the inciting incident? Are there turning points? The context shifting mid-point? The Dark Moment? The Resolution?

Main characters must be primarily involved in creating/fixing/changing their internal and external plot conflicts.

Ask yourself: Are your characters believable? Individual? Are their goals/motivations/conflicts compelling? Enough to make the reader turn the page?

The sentence outline is your map.

Revisions are hard but only you can do it.

Go through revisions in a linear manner.

Pro Tip #1

Save each day's work with the date in the title and email it to yourself. It's a backup.

Pro Tip #2

Every day read over all post-its before you start working.

Make various passes through the manuscript:
Setting
Character Description
Character Voices
Replacing dialogue tags with action beats
Adding emotion and visceral feelings

Last pass:
Make line edits
Now is the time to make the book sing.
These scenes are staying. Make sentence edits.
Time to contract and expand when necessary.

Can't do your own copy edits (grammar) you won't see them.

And remember: Not all advice works for everyone.

The next panel was Research Writing What You Don't Know with John Dedakis

He talked about doing what he called Spade Work, i.e. prepping, tapping into your subconscious, interview your characters.

Do some preliminary research but don't get bogged down.

Write the first draft straight through - turning off your internal editor.

Note what you don't know but keep writing. This will help you focus your research.

Your first draft is not the final draft.

Research methods:

Online/books
Go There!
Have Beta-readers familiar with what you're writing about give you feedback.
Interviews - for writers who are introverts, this may seem like getting out of your comfort zone.

What to Expect When You're Expecting ... A Publishing Career led by Barbara Poelle.

Poelle gives a very breezy take on the steps once you've finished writing your book. It starts with you finishing your book. Then revising and revising again. Then there's the query letter (Hook, Book, Cook).

Thet letter should go out to about 15-30 agents (using their websites for specifics). Use a spreadsheet to keep track of the agents.

Of course, Barbara will be one of them and you'll want her to represent you. She'll ask for pages and you'll nudge her after 7 weeks and then every 2 weeks after that.

When she offers you representation, you're to ask to talk to two clients, to find out 1) what she does well and 2) what she needs to improve.

Then you'll want to know from her how much revision she thinks you need and to set your expectations.

She touched on movie/Tv rights, foreign rights, audio rights, in addition to publishing rights.

Even though you'll want her, she did talk about how new agents might have more bandwidth and be hungrier as they build their lists.

The final panel on Saturday was Everybody Says My Book Should Be a Movie with Danny Manus.

The bottom line is that most don't.

Themes have to be broad and universal. Must appeal to foreign audiences as well, since a bulk of the money comes from overseas.

Characters can't be ordinary people doing ordinary things.

Genre: Most have two. Primary, which sets the rules of the genre - the concept and a secondary one that moves the plot.

He talked a little about adaptations, but the overall feeling was that its an uphill fight.

And, Self-publishing is the mistake. Hollywood will not knock on the door.

The final panel on Sunday morning was Act of Villainy: Breathing Life into Your Antagonist with Phillip Athans.

Every story begins with an act of villainy.

A villain is a character who is actively destructive in some way.

The antagonist is a character in opposition to the protagonist but is not necessarily a villain.

A villain is someone whose motivation we understand but whose methods we find abhorrent.

He ventured the 3M's of a good villain:

Motivation
Motivation
Motivation

There are the obvious motivations:
Power
Money
Revenge
Pure Evil

Then there is the secret motivation - why the villain thinks he's doing this.

The final motivation is The Hole, or why the villain is really doing what he's doing. What hole in the villain's life or psyche is being filled by the villain? The why not the how. The villain doesn't necessarily understand what or know it in a conscious sense.

To write a convincing villain, you must explore the darkest corners of your own psyche. If you're freaking yourself out, you're probably on to something.

So that sort of sums up what I learned. The big takeaways are to keep writing and don't give up!

As far as my own novel, I did about 100 pages of editing. Attending this conference has given me some ideas that I'm trying to put into motion. I'm trying to go through Broken People (fka A Killer Blog). I've already excised the first two pages and am considering trying to combine the first two to get to the action faster. More on this as I go along.

Still, radio silence from the editor on Familiar Stranger, so nothing to report there.

Worked and finished two reviews for Trophy Unlocked: While the City Sleeps and Follow Me Quietly. As an added bonus, TCM was showing the latter on Saturday night, so I was able to watch it again and add some details that had been missing.

Published the last horror review for October, The Mummy (1959). Now we're closing in on Noirvember, as well as discussing the 900 review milestone, Christmas reviews, and the anniversary review as we're coming up on eight years.

Even though Paul and I were attending the conference we did manage to look new pages from both the artist (pages 5-8 issue 9) and the colorist (pages 17-20 and the cover for issue 8, as well as a holiday surprise for the website. Gave a little feedback but for the most part really good work. Our colorist already turned around the pages, so the artwork for Issue 8 is done.

Speaking of the website, there is a new poll question to answer:  Would you want to be able to make yourself invisible? Would love to see your vote on the website.

And speaking of all things Powers Squared, Paul and I made our 5th A Week in Powers Squared Vlog on YouTube, which we invite you to watch here. It's short and fun, so watch.

Well, that's about it for the week. Next week it's hopefully rewrites, reviews, and more planning on the future of Powers Squared.

If you have any comments or questions, I'd really like to see them.