I feel like I've been making my presence less and less known as the months drag on. Could be that maybe February has still been gnawing at me, which is quite lamentable seeing has how it's not getting me anywhere. Seriously, I don't know how long I'm gonna grieve until I'm quite back to my former self. I'm not used to this, and I'm not really liking it either. Life moves on regardless, and I'm trying to force myself back into the present and get back to things that I've been wanting to do, make myself motivated so that I'm not just going through motions of the day. I need to live again, simply existing is simply exhausting, lol.
I made one step in the right direction though. Today I spent the better part of the day stuck in my seat reading and getting stuff together to make our business an formal entity. Hopefully I should get the papers within the month. I've talked about it enough, Dee Jay and I have talked about what we wanted and needed till the cows came home but we never took action. Today I guess I figured if want to get it done, I'm going to have to get it done. So I did. It's a small accomplishment but...dammit it feels great! I just need to file one more piece of info so that I can tax properly.
Cons are coming up in the next few months, and I'm hoping to get my hands in them as soon as I can. That also means getting suitable goods to sell at said conventions, but I'm really need to try to take advantage of the fact that the park closes early. I'll be tired as hell when I get home, but I gotta make myself understand that some lost sleep is just a sacrifice for something that will, god willing be profitable in the long run.
Also, I seem to be scratching my head as to what to sell besides just prints at our tables. So far, we've considered:
bookmarks
postcards
stickers
buttons (maybe?)
Other options are
Sketchbooks (rough in process work)
artbooks (a selection of finished work)
posters
calendars
I'm in a bind as to what people would really use nowadays. I'm a paper junkie, so traditional calendars, planners and stuff I use, but in the world of Blackberrys and iPhones, I don't know if anyone even consider these options anymore.
Anyone have any ideas?
As for conventions, Sketchbook comics always sell like hotcakes. People also like BOGOF options. I like buildables because people love crafty things for conventions and they love getting free things, they're so easy to design once you get past your first one. Below are links to the types of buildables I'm talking about. I think yours and Dee Jay's design sense would translate very well to paper models.
Plushies go well, but they're expensive. DVDs have to be of very good material for people to buy, usually of something they're comfortable with. Don't forget commissions are your friend at conventions. Oh, and Posters! Cafepress' poster shop print quality isn't bad for what you pay. Might be an option to sell yourself 10-20 posters per convention to sell at a higher markup AT the convention.
Designer Paper Models
Creative closeup examples
Just a visual example of what I'm talking about.
idk.
I DO love those paper models though. hnngggh.... I may make some of those for this next con :3c
I did learn that people are interested in takeaways though, which seems kind of lame but also working on things while you are at the table is fun too. Plus a lot of people bought my $3 GRS comics and asked me to sign them. It was pretty neato.
Still eager to learn more though.
I just got myself a button press, so I might be trying my hand at that before the next con (which is in about 2 weeks for us!)
If I bought any sort of comic book from you I'd totally ask you to sign it. You never know when you become a comic celebrity I can fish that thing out and say "I got this when she was still local" lol!
...or I could just go over the deep end like I've done with one of my friends (which I told her I'd do as a joke but it never stops being funny for us) that I will be super evident in my brown nosing while telling everyone that I'm cooler than they are because we're buddies and they're not, LMAO!
I caved and got a button press actually...though now I'm not sure what to make! I've been thinking like, zodiac signs or anime emoticons (like the sweatdrop, the dotdotdot, that pinched nerve, etc) but people have already done that and I'm not sure if that's horrible copying or not. Any suggestions?