How I PUBLISHED a COMIC BOOK / GRAPHIC NOVEL (and how you can too)

[@mewTripled]

Thanks to Milanote for sponsoring this video! Sign up for free and start your next creative project: milanote.com/mewtripled1023

[@pyeitme508]

Noice 👌

[@anthonyw2931]

​@@pyeitme508😅

[@angelmichaela5807]

Girls your so talented your an animator an illustrator and a graphic comic novel artist wow

[@dewkissedherba]

YOUR BABY COMICS, I haven’t even finished the video literally the first 9 seconds already had me happy sobbing 😂😭

[@mewTripled]

ahahah yess... we have come a long way

[@AdeyemiPeace-g4d]

Ok

[@samshughart3479]

too i’d love to know more about the “5 ideas” stage?? was it 5 separate ideas with the same characters? the same genre but different themes?? you mentioned you were kinda able to combine them all into what Meesh ended up being! i think learning more about that development process was like for pitching!

[@mizubiart6230]

I suggest Belgium. They’re really big on comics and graphic novels, there are so many little book/comic shops around the city and there are so many big conventions in Brussels.

[@iprefermadneto]

Dude. This is so eerie because I was hoping to see a video on this exact topic!! I recently want to undertake making a graphic novel but have like 0 online following/experience, so Im legit excited about this 🎉

[@mewTripled]

Thank you! I wanted to make videos y'all suggested so here they are!

[@trippettfamily4686]

Thanks so much for the guidance. Back when I was 14 like a year ago I wasn't sure if I wanted to become a professional illustrator anymore, but then I decided to try the comic business and I'm currently in a character design process for a cartoon comic character called "Reagan Cage". I appreciate her outlook and in depth advice on the matter. Literally saved me as an artist

[@bamb3928]

Congrats! I’ve been thinking about making my own comics recently so I’m excited to watch this video. ❤ Edit: watched the video, this is great information. Thank you for sharing. It’s a bit disappointing to know they don’t do more for marketing and publicity. Something I’ll have to think about.

[@mewTripled]

Thank you so much! Yeah.. marketing and publicity always falls on the shoulders of the artists sadly.

[@lajwaart]

Can you make a video about the pros and cons of self publishing vs traditional publishing?

[@ASIRA89]

Ok this is very different from how I imagined it. I always thought an artist/author first creates storyboards and at least 1-(a few) finished chapters of a comic story, and THEN sends this "portfolio?" to different publishing places in hopes of getting at least 1 "looks good, let's meet and maybe strike a deal". First getting an agent (which i'd not be able to pay without income), then pitch ideas to the agent and work out which would be best to persue -> then contacting publishers with a pitch packet -> THEN start to make the actual book/comic. I had no idea that it works that way. Or could it be very different depending on the country?

[@mewTripled]

It really depends on what the publishing house would like to see. In American I feel like they do more pitch packets with supplemental art examples, but in Asia they are more likely to pitch a whole chapter / pilot of their book itself. I'm sure some publishing houses here accept those too, but I think they prefer to know the overall big idea instead of a segment of it. That's just my experience tho!

[@human_no847]

All publishers are different. I drew the first 10 pages of my graphic novel and submitted it to a few publishers who said they were open to unsolicited submissions (you can easily find this info on their websites) and one publisher wrote back to me. A 10 page opening submission is what I thought was pretty standard here (Europe) for GNs but it's nice to know there are other options.

[@himignicest1571]

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS as a homeschooler i was literally just debating on incorporating more comic-work into my curriculum and I've been wanting to figure out how THE PROCESS OF PUBLISHING WORKS this is literally perfect, thank you so much maam

[@Moonleii]

Thank you so, so much for this video. I feel like i’ve said this so many times on different comic related videos, but making comics is my passion and i really hope to be a published author and artist someday! I read your graphic novel and it makes me so happy that you’re showing us the behind the scenes :DD

[@Moonleii]

Ps. Some of those pages didn’t look familiar :o Meesh book two? Also! What kind of things would you need in a pitch packet? Concept art? Plot ideas? Any big specifics?

[@jascherry]

I got my copy and love it! Not in middle school but I wish I had it in middle school!

[@RisingJay]

Awesome rundown! With peeps talking about animation being in flux rn, making your own book seems like a viable outlet & I've seen folks advocate for pursuing other ways in the meantime to tell stories & comics seem like a good way! I've been curious about Meesh since seeing the character jump from insta/web to book & if there were any logistical/legal hoops to worry about

[@mewTripled]

Yeah, I highly encourage it as a second route due to how similar the craft is in nature. A lot of animators have also been getting into publishing, so why not? I think it's fun to just have as a second thing to do even if you are or aren't working an animation job! But yeah we did have to differentiate Meesh the Bad Demon from "Succubishez," but ultimately, the copyright remains mine and not the publishing house. The publishing house only asks that if you continue to do a book 2,3,4+ of a series, that you continue it with them.

[@RisingJay]

@@mewTripled Ahh okay I see, great that you keep the copyright! Guess it also makes sense they’d want to distinguish the material since it skews younger in the book yeah?

[@poenpotzu2865]

Congratulations! Hope to read it soon.

[@mewTripled]

Thank you!

[@rebecamelo6255]

thank you so much for your insight on this subject! I always wondered how all the bussiness burocracy worked so its nice to know :)

[@mewTripled]

Yeah, np! Glad to share some of the insight on that from my end

[@theelitebrawlersbakuganleg4224]

Hoping Meesh will be released in Africa, awesome video, thanks!!!❤❤❤

[@mewTripled]

Thank you! Hope so too!

[@sophiyastudios]

Congratulations! It’s a great achievement just to finish writing a book, let alone illustrating it all 😊 I’m feeling inspired to try to finish writing my book during NaNoWriMo. Thank you for this video!

[@rhinosaras]

Love your cute new bob! I'm going through an art reset (haven't posted anything on IG since 2021 because I was focusing on pressing life priorities and realized that what I was doing with my art didn't further my goals) but I'm hoping to eventually make a comic as well so you are one of my biggest inspos and love all the behind-the-curtain info you give! 💖

[@mewTripled]

Thank you so much!

[@MsMarly10]

You are very inspirational to us, wanna be graphic novel writers, thanks for this video! I will check out your book!

[@rachelvella1119]

This was really informative! Thank you for sharing your experience

[@coyoteclockworkstudios3140]

Oh, wow, thank you so much for this!

[@ChantelleArts]

this is such an interesting look into the process 💜

[@mewTripled]

Thanks!

[@fuzzydragons]

you got a really good deal for Meesh the Bad Demon!

[@inkmatcha]

I've been watching your account for a long time, but haven't had the courage to comment. So, I want to take this opportunity to thank you for sharing all the insights from the industry, and all the tips and tricks on how an artist can make a living. Your work is a constant inspiration and you helped me realise that maybe one day I too can publish my comic book. :) Thank you!

[@GoddessofWisdom]

I know it's been a few videos since you cut it, but I love your hair!

[@charlierharper]

Great video. Is the six-figure deal all you are paid? Is there an ongoing percentage of sales etc. long term to be made?

[@mewTripled]

Yep, basically after your book is published you can gain royalties after your book makes back the advance payments, and you also can get international advances if your book gets picked up in another country!

[@pyeitme508]

Woah that's awesome!

[@camcam159-t1y]

Omg thank you so much, I'm a 13 year old trying to make my own graphic novel, I'm still making a ruff draft of my story, I'm googling how long it will take and I'm so exited, my book is going to be called "love stopper", its a gay romance book and I can't wait, thank you so much!

[@angelbaby1811]

I don’t think I’d like being published in the traditional sense. I guess more self publishing or web toon would be more for me than going through all of that with a publisher. Your video was very helpful. Thank you.

[@zionleach3001]

I found a few publishers willing to accept a writer-only proposals, but most will only accept a graphic novel or ongoing series. I want to write comics similar to indie and manga were it's multiple stories in one book. Course I gotta finish the first draft.

[@peterxyz3541]

Lum & Wong Kar Wai In the mood for love 👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼

[@AliMadigele]

Thank you for sharing this information

[@Eiskeks98]

Somehow I miss her old videos.. I think she reminds me more and more of an real estate agent but for the set community…

[@Remirlis]

Do you think you could make a video going into more detail on outlining a story from being to end?

[@Komikino]

How about self publishing on your own through something like Amazon?

[@mewTripled]

It's a possibility, however, there are no advance payments and you would have to do the promotion 100%, whereas in traditional publishing you still receive SOME level help, which includes having your books in physical stores. It's up to you, but I think it's worth trying self publishing to see if it's worth it!

[@Komikino]

@@mewTripled thanks! I'm up in the air with what would be the best way to go with a project that I have in mind. I guess working with an editor would be beneficial from what you were saying here.

[@popesuavecitoxii2379]

@@Komikino Self-publishing you keep more of the profits. If you're not online famous like Michelle is you'll get ripped off by publishers who will take most of the profits as marketing fees.

[@Komikino]

​@@popesuavecitoxii2379good point....

[@LutherAllen-m3v]

OKAY I LOVE YOU TOO!

[@angelmichaela5807]

Hiii so i was drawing comics but i kinda dont know how to publish them because i draw them on papers which is a problem cause i dont usually kinda skipped a year

[@ayanathewitch]

Thank you for this video! I had NO IDEA how it's done in the US and in general. I always thought that you needed to have your comic first and then try to find a publisher 😅 Are there any chances of your comic being published in Russian? I would love to read it and support you

[@DoomedMadhouse]

What's the best way to learn how to structure a manhwa? I'm wanting to make a few of my own but comprehending how to make them and stay motivated especially is very difficult.

[@mewTripled]

I think it's definitely good to keep in mind the overall big picture before laying down each chapter. I haven't made a manhwa myself before, but there's a lot of planning that goes behind most manga/manhua/manhwas i know of!

[@drshema]

Do you recommend doing the comic convention circuit to help promote your work or does your agent make that call?

[@AyeeNinuh]

This is off topic but I noticed a lot of artists especially in the comic and cartoon art community have cats😭😭 including me and it’s funny how that’s something a lot of us have in common. Aside from that this video was very helpful ❤️❤️

[@Dalimink]

i'm having a crush for Michelle

[@kat.ex3909]

How did you outline your comic? I want to create one but im a pantser and i never can create an outline and i honeslty get disappointedin my skills that i cant even draw scenes and i start right back at zero

[@mewTripled]

Usually for me I would look at an arc structure and plot points of my story / plug story points to story structures. Then I would write them out in an outline form to put in more detail!

[@CulturesInterlude]

What if you are writer with a graphic novel idea, is there a way to still get paid to get it illustrated by the publishing company

[@LutherAllen-m3v]

yeah we casn talk in Seattle. yeah. Iam a hoffamn! MARY! YOURE MARRIED. RESPECT THE REALMS OF THER NERDS! GO! GO! GO YOU NON NERD! . Yeah. we keep in touch.

[@LutherAllen-m3v]

OKAY KATS, I AM GLAD YOU MET NINA AND MADDY THEY GET A VOUCH AND I TOLD YOU BLACK BEARTD'S CLOSET UM, I MOVE IN ABOUT FOUR MONTHS WHEN I GET STABLE INCOME AND CLOSE IS CLEAR TELL YOUR GRANDMOTHER WE WILL GET TO HER BIRTHDAY PARTY IN JUNE I SAVE FOR A SUIT AND YES, I AM GOING NEED HELP WITH THE IMAGES FOR THE GRAPHIC NOVELS.

[@Mochikoiya]

I just noticed you cut your hair!

[@nimroddormin9844]

Gudetama!

[@charlology7219]

Hey do you think publishing my work at Image Comic would be a good idea.

[@charlology7219]

Will your editor help get you a inker and color design to help finishing my book

[@ma8mad801]

I have an inquiry please not related to the video but to the subject am trying to reprint comic book out of stock via printing company and the problem they do require to set margins and bleeding points before uploading files and honestly I have searched all over the internet to find away to determine the right margins and bleeding points for my comic book the size is 8.5x11 inch and I couldn’t come up with an answer I would appreciate any tips thank you. key points that I already found and didn’t help me are cover type, page count, book size, paper weight and material unfortunately 😂 they didn’t help in narrowing down the final margins and bleeding needed i would appreciate your assistance thank you 🙏

[@Ziyon_]

Great advice..Awsome 👍

[@TheVeyZ]

I have a question: I'm creating a graphic novel in Clip Studio Paint. When I'm done with it, it'll roughly be around 200 pages. How do you save or work on a file that has so many pages without slowing the program down? Do you only do a certain number of pages with multiple files and then combine them all using a different program?

[@kiwifruitkl]

Michelle Lam's Chinese surname is 林. The spelling of Lam is derived from Hong Kong, so her family must come from Hong Kong. Keep in mind that what works for Michelle Lam may not work for everyone, because this person has worked with big media companies to produce artworks. People know her in the industry so they are more willing to work with her. A random artist on Instagram (such as me) may be a tough sell. That's one. From what I see in this video, she assumes that the publisher is willing to hire a colorist to collaborate with the comic book artist-author, and the colorist is hired by the publishing house. That's a full-time salary over there. There must be a reason why the publisher is willing to invest in such an author-illustrator. Maybe the author-illustrator has experience in the art industry and a charismatic personality on social media? That stuff helps. A random comic artist on Instagram probably isn't going to be picked up by anyone because there are already so many Instagram artists.

[@user-ko3vw7ow8l]

*hug*

[@yvonila]

so better to get an agent instead of reaching out to publishers correct?

[@charlology7219]

I can't find the editors on comic book

[@RazorsGamingChannel]

I actually make my comics in a empty sketchbook and they are AWESOME. I guess I'm like you!

[@charlology7219]

What if I can't find the name of the editor on the comic book

[@SunnySkidzzIris]

Is it possible for your book to be discovered at cons or comic book stores?

[@mewTripled]

Yep, for sure! This process may be a little slower, but it's helpful regardless to have that physical exposure.

[@P.E_Animations]

what software do you use?

[@anthonyw2931]

I'm assuming that if you don't have a social media following there's no need to even start

[@popesuavecitoxii2379]

Don't have such a defeatist attitude. You can self-publish, promote your own work. There are plenty of artists who are not famous and get their projects funded on kickstarter. Don't fall into the trap of believing you need thousands of followers to be a successful artist.

[@anthonyw2931]

@@popesuavecitoxii2379 thanks

[@agiori1005]

this is absolutely not the case, you don't need necessary social media to become a successful writer. The most popular publishers i know in my country (for teen comics) are barely known in social media or don't do it at all. One of my storyboard professors have published nearly 5 comic books and again, he's not known in social media. She is talking about her own experience as a content creator, this days some people can get contacted through social media, but it is not the usual thing.

[@LutherAllen-m3v]

BABY HE LOST 500 GRAND! DAT MONEY!

[@allenwilson4321]

Cool really?!

[@mewTripled]

Thank you!

[@allenwilson4321]

Your welcome!

[@LutherAllen-m3v]

I KNOW CECIL IS A BIT STAND OFFISH, ITS JUST THAT HE STRESSED. TRUST ME WHAT YOU GET TO KNOW HIM, YEAH WASABA BEANS LOOK, I KNOW LEXI IS PISSED BUT IT WAS ROBERTO MILLION DOLLAR BOOKMAKING EMPIRE WE HAD TO DO STRASTIC THINGS!

[@GeckoCraft13]

What r u wearing? 😆

[@KindaLikeWater]

So if I understand correctly, you didn't publish the comic book, you GOT it published by a publisher. Because of the title of the video I had been under the impression this video would be about how you self-published. At any rate, congratulations on your accomplishment.

[@mewTripled]

Yes for this book it was published with a publisher. But I have other videos on my channel on self publishing books as well. Thank you!