It is believed that if you find a job you love, you will never work a day in your life. That’s why almost everyone dreams about pursuing a job based on their hobby. Unfortunately, not everyone is lucky to achieve that due to different circumstances. However, if you believe in yourself, have a passion for your hobby, and don’t listen to other people’s opinions on your career decision, you can make it!
No doubt, everyone liked drawing frames and imagining different stories in our heads when we were kids. Hence, many people developed a love for comics, as creating them is one of the best ways you can express yourself and free your imagination without any restrictions. Some might even decide to study graphic design, fine art, game art, illustrations, or anything connected to art.
But the question remains – is it possible to make money on your hobby or even turn it into a stable source of income, and how can you combine it with education? If you are struggling with homework and writing essays in particular, EssayPro offers students paper writer service so that you can make time for your hobby. In this article, we will share information about how the love for fantasy books can become a great source of income.
Self-publish
Students who have enough skills and belief in themselves usually prefer to work in a traditional way by creating physical comics to keep their creative freedom. However, it’s not an easy task as, once again, you need a quite large audience. If you have one, you can start by buying an ISBN, designing a cover, and finally finding a print-on-demand company that will print your work and a shipping company.
Patreon
Patreon is one of the best platforms where creative people can get money for their art. Here people can post your works like music, illustrations, videos, and so on. But before starting, it’s of vital importance to develop a client base. Getting the audience is definitely no easy task and requires a lot of time and effort. Here are some platforms that can come in handy:
- Webtoon
- TikTok
Second, you need to create an account. First, you should visit Patreon and register as a creator. Then fill out the entire page, including tiers, goals, and also a short video about what you are doing. In this case, we recommend you thoroughly prepare the information and the way you will present it. The more informative and exciting your presentation is, the more fans you will get. Then, your followers can donate money in exchange for your art and various bonuses like a shout-out or exclusive content.
Publish a Comic Book Podcast
Just as physical books, podcasts have really boomed in popularity. Besides, they are very convenient as during the working days making time for reading is pretty hard. Hence, you can listen to podcasts of new releases of fantasy books by your favorite writer while doing other activities like exercising, cooking, cleaning, studying, and working.
There are two ways you can make money on podcasts – publish your own and discuss trending books with like-minded people or become a host for popular platforms like:
- Serious Issues
- Women of Marvel
- The Huntress Podcast
- Jay & Miles X-Plain the X-Men
- Manga in Your Ears
- Capes on The Couch
All you need to get started is a computer, a good microphone, and a passion for comics. If you are lucky, there is a chance you can interview prominent comic creators.
Merchandise
In case you have a pretty big audience, another way to make money is selling merchandise tied to your comics. It can be everything starting from T-shirt designs, stickers, cups, art books, mugs, or board games with your comic characters, etc. If you can’t choose which product to sell, you can ask your fans what they would like to buy. Satisfying your customers is a key to getting more money and developing brand loyalty.
One of the ways to sell your products is using specific platforms that will help you to sell the merch. They usually take a commission of up to 30%, which is not quite profitable if you are a student without any job with a reasonable salary. For instance, Teespring is a service that prints t-shirts, ships them directly to your place, and takes around $10 from every sale.
In case you don’t want to lose profit and use third-party platforms, you can create your own website and print everything by yourself. You can buy special equipment for making rugs, t-shirts, or whatever you want and sell on the website. Make sure you get a professional to develop your online shop because you don’t want the site crashing every time more than one person is on it. Besides, consider turning to a lawyer to prepare all the documents so that you can sell your merch legally without getting into any trouble.
Sell Your Work at Comic Book Convention
When attending comic con, it seems like you are diving into a fairytale world. This is a perfect place for geeks as they can sell or buy comics and manga there, do cosplays, attend panels, and get an autograph of a famous writer. Such places are very popular, more than thousands of people are attending it. Thus, the convention is the best place where you can sell your comics and merchandise.
A basic thing many newbies don’t know is how to engage with the crowd. Besides, you should also be prepared for big competition among other authors. To stand out from other sellers and attract fans, you need to get yourself a big roller banner, an evocative tablecloth, and some cute toys on it. Also, consider taking drawing materials with you for work when you are free. As the process of creation is very spectacular, more and more people will be interested in your table.
Freelance
If you love creating comics but have a small audience or no fans at all, you can start as a freelancer. Try to get hired to draw or write someone else’s comics. Of course, this is not as profitable as publishing your own comic. However, it’s a good start and a chance to gain or improve skills and get an audience and experience.
What you need is to set up a portfolio on a relevant platform and advertise yourself on social media. To be hired, you need to showcase your best frames and remain determined with your advertisements.
In addition, you can try drawing niche comics for paper and newsletters. Thus, you can make a name for yourself while churning out topical comics that address some important issues like culture or the economy. If your works are good enough, local newspapers and regional periodicals might be interested in hiring you.
Operate a Review-Style Website
As the variety and number of comic books are constantly growing, it’s getting harder for fans to choose a new series to follow. A good way out is to create and operate a review-style website.
By offering your thoughts on the merits of each book, you will simplify the search for the right book for many people and make good money. If you become a professional reviewer, you might have a chance that some popular authors will also send you their works for free so that you leave a constructive review.
To Wrap It Up
While the ideas we have listed are always sure-fire winners, they are hardly the only options considering the recent rapid growth of the comic business. If you have a passion for your hobby and want to make decent money on it, do a little brainstorming, and finally, you will come up with a potential idea.