KCU Logo Contest!
Until now, Kids Comics Unite has been a private online community, but the next chapter in its existence will be a public website... loaded with useful resources for creators and professionals in the field of kids graphic novels.
But before we launch the website, we want to shape a new visual identity for KCU!
We are seeking artists and designers to help us craft that identity. And to do that, we're sponsoring a logo contest! Yes — IT’S BRANDING TIME.
The upcoming Kids Comics Unite website needs a brand spankin’ new logo, and that design could be yours.
The winner of the contest will get:
- a $500 cash prize
- a free one year subscription of Kids Comics Insider, and
- free attendance to the 2022 Kids Comics Intensive!
That’s a total value of $2,060. Sweet!
Are you enticed?
The creative brief and how to enter:
Click here to read the Logo Contest Guidelines
The deadline for entries is 11:59PM EST on June 30th, 2021.
We can't wait to see your work!
Have more questions? Here is our Q&A sheet and replay of the live Q&A session! If you have another one, leave a comment below or leave a message inside Kids Comics Unite!
Kids Comics Unite Community Development and Marketing Internships!
I am looking for Kids Comics Unite’s first “crew members” who will help me turn Kids Comics Unite into a website chock-full of resources, and continue growing and improving our fabulous community. You'll play a critical role in charting the future of KCU, and help create new programs that support all our members and leverage the knowledge and insight of our super users.
What You’ll Do:
- Help shape the future of KCU
- Help plan and launch the KCU website
- Celebrate, organize, and boost the resources and stories that come from our community
- Edit videos for posting internally and on the KCU YouTube channel
- Write a monthly KCU newsletter
- Oversee the future KCU blog
- Organize internal processes to support the development of consistent, high quality content and programs
- Track and report on our performance and make recommendations for improvement
What You Should Have:
- Passion for helping artists and writers build their careers, and for helping the kids graphic novel market grow
- Strong interest in the business and marketing side of publishing and online community building
- A friendly personality, team spirit, and desire to help others
- The ability to commit time and focus every week to this position
Skills I’m Looking For:
You don’t need all these, but at least some of them.
- Excellent listening and analytical skills and ability to spot “patterns in the noise”
- Strong organization skills
- Some experience in blogging, email or social media marketing, and/or community moderating
- Video editing expertise
- Great writing and editing skills
- Bookkeeping, finance, or administrative experience
What You’ll Get:
These are part-time paid internship positions. They include:
- Monthly private mentoring session with Janna
- Monthly stipend (tbd, depending on experience, scope of work, and time involved)
- Free membership in all KCU programs
- Behind the scenes experience in building a thriving online community, advising comics creators, and marketing a creative business
- Completely flexible schedule
Fill out this form to apply:
https://forms.gle/shErx1scT91Lksvi7
The application period is open until Wednesday, April 28, 2021. If you want to apply, you must submit your application by EOD on April 28th.
Kristen McLean Interview: The Future of Children's Book and Graphic Novel Publishing in the Covid-19 Era
Last week I interviewed Kristen McLean, publishing industry analyst and VP of business development for market research firm NPD Group.
She answered a lot of burning questions about what's happening in the children's book and graphic novel market right now, like:
- What's happened to book sales overall since the coronavirus crisis began?
- What's the biggest "white space" in the book market at this time?
- How have comics and graphic novel sales been affected in 2020?
- How might the comics distribution system in the US change in the near future?
- What categories of books are selling best during this crisis? What's been negatively affected?
- Which trends might be accelerated by this crisis?
- How is the crisis causing innovation to happen, and which innovations might change the publishing landscape once the acute crisis abates?
It was a fascinating discussion. Click to view the full interview on YouTube.
Big, Big, VERY BIG News
2020 is going to be a BIG YEAR for three reasons:
Reason #1:
“2020” sounds awesome. It’s alliterative and stands for perfect vision.
Reason #2:
According to the Chinese zodiac, 2020 is the year of the metal rat, which is supposed to be a particularly strong, prosperous, and lucky year. It’s an especially good year for new beginnings. (And I’m a rat, so it’s my double lucky year!)
Reason #3:
Today, I'm relaunching Janna Co. as a literary and illustration agency specializing in graphic novels and visual storytelling for kids!
It’s a totally new business and a huge new chapter in my career.
Please browse around my new website here and take a peek at the fabulous artists and authors I’m representing. You can also find me on Instagram (gasp!). Please connect with me there so I’m not all alone!
2020 will be a wild ride filled with lots of new adventures, new clients, new friends, new challenges… and my favorite things in the world, new books! I’m excited to be sharing this journey with you, and will keep you posted as it unfolds.
Happy New Year!
P.S. Special shout out to Abby Denson and Matt Loux for being the people who set the wheels in motion for this to happen.
P.P.S. If you want a copy of the official press release, you can download it here:
Janna Co. Agency Launch press release (1)
My honest Publishing University review
I had had a vague inkling of the existence of IBPA, the Independent Book Publishers Association, but hadn't thought much about them until I stumbled upon the website advertising their upcoming annual conference. Scrolling through the schedule, I saw sessions like:
- "The Ins and Outs of Book Distribution"
- Selling to Libraries: the Untapped Market
- Launch that book!: How to Sell More Books with Presale Campaigns, Beta Readers, and Amazon Ads
- Crowdfunding the Capital You Need
I was sold within a hot minute. I registered for the conference, bought my plane ticket, reserved my hotel room. and was rarin' to go... without knowing a single soul who'd be there!
Last week, I finally attended the 2019 conference -- dubbed "Publishing University" -- in Chicago.
What was the upshot? Was it worth it?
Here's my honest review...
Who Publishing University is for
Publishing University is an educational event aimed at helping small publishers grow. But that doesn't mean it's only helpful for publishers. Here's the list of people who would benefit from attending:
- Small to medium-sized publishers and their employees
For one-person companies operating out of a spare bedroom, to multi-million dollar niche publishers, Publishing University is the perfect place to learn and network. - Author-publishers
For writers who are serious about self-publishing and intend to build a full-time career from publishing their books, this conference is a boon. - Author and publisher service providers
All the freelancers and service businesses that cater to publishers will do very well at this show. Editors, ghostwriters, book designers, print brokers, marketing and sales consultants, etc. will find plenty of opportunities to give out their business cards and meet customers eager for their skills.
Reasons for attending
- To learn
This conference is chock full of very targeted panels, such as deep dives into the Amazon ecosystem; how to get distribution; figuring out what publishing business model is right for you; how to sell into schools or libraries; crowd-funding; understanding and maximizing metadata, etc. If you want to learn the art and science of publishing, I would venture to say there isn't a better way to spend your weekend. - To meet people
It's so important to find your peers and mentors! Some of the people you meet at this show may become your friends and cheerleaders, and you need those people. You also need to meet the people who know what you don't know, and who can help you ask the right questions. - To get out of your box and see fresh perspectives
Stepping away from your routine, having time to think, being open to chance encounters, and encouraging epiphanies to happen... those are superb reasons to spend the time and money attending a show.
What do you learn?
- All aspects of the book publishing trade
There are panels and sessions on editorial and acquisition, design, production, distribution, metadata, marketing, PR, sales channels, business planning, etc. - Big picture to nitty gritty
Some panels are open discussions about broad trends in publishing, predictions about the future, and best practices. Others are ultra-detailed step-by-step workshops on specific issues such as marketing to a specific sales channel, understanding one aspect of Amazon, or improving your use of metadata. - Beginner to advanced
IBPA kindly designates each session "Beginner," "Intermediate," or "Advanced." So if your book publishing business is still just a twinkle in your eye and you're just learning the ropes, you'll know which sessions to attend. Or if you've been in business for years and you want to fine-tune a specific aspect of your workflow, you'll have opportunities to learn, as well.
Is it worth it?
You can probably tell I got a lot out of the show, and that I'm a raving fan. You'll definitely see me at the 2020 show in Redondo Beach, California!
Here's why I recommend it so highly:
- I made some new connections and met people I hope to get to know better in the future.
This was my main reason for attending. I know a lot of people at "The Big 5" publishing companies in NYC, but not many people in the small press world. By nature, I'm entrepreneurial, so I figured I'd get along well with scrappy folks from the indie publishing world. That definitely proved true. - IBPA is well-managed, organized, and focused.
I'm always looking for organizations that have these traits... because the older I get, the more I realize how rare they are! I want to associate with people and entities I admire, that I can learn from, that behave in an ethical, open-minded, responsible way. Although I don't know IBPA too well yet, I definitely was impressed with what I saw at the conference. - I started figuring out who can help me answer some of my most burning questions.
I knew I probably wouldn't get all my questions answered in one 48-hour whirlwind, but I was hoping that I'd start identifying the people who could help me. And that's exactly what happened. I now know who I can talk to about:
- distribution
- budgeting and forecasting demand
- estimating printing and shipping costs
- hybrid publishing and other alternative business models
- timelines and key dates - I laughed. Many times.
Not every industry shindig seems to have a sense of humor baked into their DNA. But IBPA does. Have you ever been to a trade show and engaged in a group sing-a-long with every attendee in the Marriott Hotel ballroom? Let me assure you that it is a fun experience. And you will have that experience at IBPA.
Are you thinking about attending IBPA in 2020? I'd love to see you there!
Let me know in the comments if you have any questions about it!