Funding Options for Comic Creators

For those looking to make comics, it might be a good idea to know about the available funding options for comic creators.

This article will focus on explaining the differences between the two types of funding options; project and ongoing. As well as some of the tools available for obtaining funds. I will not discuss how to obtain a loan from a bank (I am not even sure if that is an option for comic creators).

You could consider using project-based funding when you require a fixed amount of capital to begin and finish a project.

In order to get the most out of project-based funding, you must have a clear plan for completing your project. You should know exactly what you need from the moment you get the money to finishing project.

If you are making content on a regular basis you could benefit from a recurring source of funding. Ideal for people that work on an ongoing basis. I.e. working on an ongoing comic series (that they own). This method is quite common for webcomic creators.

You can be a hobbyist or a professional trying to make ends meet with the comic(s) you create and sell. You can use your creative process to prepare and offer exclusive content in exchange for ongoing monetary support.

Regardless of what content you provide, the people who are willing to financially support you will be your biggest fans. Because they want you to continue being you.

Crowdfunding tools are tools to promote a project or yourself in order to obtain funds. I’ll discuss the two most popular tools; Kickstarter and Patreon.

Kickstarter is probably the most well-known of the options available for project funding.

Kickstarter allows you to present your comic, or other ideas, and request that people offer you monetary support in order for you to reach your goal to cover the costs necessary for being able to complete your comic. You can even offer rewards (not required but strongly recommended) for providing a specific monetary contribution.

You have a set time limit where you can be promoting your Kickstarter page. If you reach the goal you set you to get the money you raised (minus the cut going to Kickstarter).

If you don’t reach your goal nobody loses any money. So no harm no foul.

If you’re looking for a tool to automate your ongoing funding for your comic(s) or content then look no further. Patreon has all the bells and whistles to help you talk with your supporters, distribute exclusive content, and (of course) receive your funds in a timely manner.

In this day and age, people are more inclined to support a creator directly. Not necessarily by buying their comics from retailers (brick and mortar or other). Instead, they are leaning more towards paying a creator directly to continue doing what they’re doing. Patreon offers an easy and manageable way of doing this.

I know I’m no comic writer (yet) but allow me to use my Patreon page as an example. I release content on a regular basis (once every two weeks on Thursdays). I have a significant number of returning readers.

This way I receive support directly from my readers who want to encourage me to continue doing what I do. In my case, that’s researching comics and create content helpful for producing them.

An alternative to crowdfunding is friends and family. Asking for their help and support for your comic can lead to constructive and unexpected results.

The reason being, there are benefits that come from asking them for help like:

By now you have a good idea of the types of funding options and tools available for comic creators to get the capital to start or continue making comics.

No third party sources were used for this article!