In part 1, I wrote about things to consider when deciding on what to sell at conventions.
So you’ve been working on your main product to sell and have some low cost options planned as well (wow, that rhymed.) Now it’s time to talk about applying for events!
5. Look for comic festivals near you (and avoid comic cons)
Your typical comic con in the style of San Diego Comic Con is usually packed with presentations, stage shows, big vendors and constitute a magnet for cosplayers. As with any event, visitors usually want to get their ticket’s worth and will try to explore the entire space. But that doesn’t necessarily mean they will want to buy something.
You, the little artist, are now in direct competition with every other vendor on location. Which means the attendees’ budget will be stretched thin.
It’s the hard truth: People going to comic cons aren’t necessarily interested in buying comic books. With the rise of comic book movies (the MCU) and the ever-increasing popularity of anime, many nerdy passions have become mainstream interests. The world surrounding comics is bigger than ever.
So instead of comic cons, I would recommend looking for comic festivals. The word “festival” seems to indicate a focus on stories in comic book form. At these events, visitors are comic book enthusiasts, who are actually looking for new stories to discover and read!
A way to recognize these events is by looking at the application form for artists: Usually they will have a requirement for you to offer at least one self-made comic book.
So look for these events in your state or country using your favorite search engine. Or join an artist alley Discord, where you can find event calendars!
7. Keep your expenses low
If you’re just starting out, you likely won’t know which events will work for you. Even if you’ve tabled somewhere before, it might be different this time: Bad weather, bad economy, marketing fails on the organizer side: Events can be hit or miss.
So it’s best to keep your traveling costs low:
- Stay within your own country or state.
- Sleep over at your friends and family.
- Prepare your own meals.
- Skip expensive events/cities.
8. Book more space
Wait, I just recommended to save on costs, didn’t I?! On the other side…
This is something I quickly learned during my first big event: If your table is one meter wide, it can take visitors as few as two steps or one second to pass it. During that time, they might not even be looking in your direction: If something opposite your spot or right next to your table catches their eye, your table can easily be overlooked!
So if you can afford it, it makes sense to book two tables, especially for large (and crowded) events. Having a two meter wide space to present your work can make you look more legit (fake it, till you make it), and you don’t want to get stuck in between two very popular artists and have their crowd line up parallel to your table (it happens).
6. Apply for a table
Once you’ve found some events you’re interested in, make a list (or spreadsheet) and write the table fee next to the event name. I found it handy to write down the application deadline, as well.
The event might not be currently have open applications, so make sure to subscribe to their newsletter (or follow them on social media) to get notified. In my experience, applications usually close at the end of the month. So you could also check the event websites on the 20th, for example. Keep in mind that some events will assign spots on a first-come, first-serve basis.
Actually applying usually comes down to filling out a form with your personal data. Prepare a short artist bio, a few words about your work and a picture (your avatar or portrait photo), to be ready for this step.
You took your first step, congrats!
In part 3, I’ll cover some essentials when selling at the event. Stay tuned and subscribe, so you don’t miss it!
Leave a Reply