Do you enjoy comic books and want to publish a comic book? You’re not alone. Comic book publishing has been a steady, dependable source of publishing sales since the 1960s. The segment is stronger than ever, and it shows no signs of slowing down.
Comic book sales generate more than $2 billion in revenue every year.
Sales of comic books have trended upward over the past 10 years.
Comic book sales saw a huge upsurge in 2024, driven primarily by new treatments of beloved characters like Batman, Spider-Man, and GI Joe.
You Can Publish a Comic Book Successfully
You don’t have to be linked to an established superhero to produce a successful comic book or comic book series. You can publish a comic book that appeals to readers looking for something new. If you have a great character, compelling plot, and eye-catching illustrations, your comic book will stand out.
1. Start with the Basics to Publish a Comic Book
At its most basic, comic book publishing means producing a book that has writing and pictures. Some authors create their own pictures, lettering, and layout. They like having full control of the creative process. Others work with collaborators who each handle one aspect of the work.
Before you start, you must have a well-developed sense of the:
Genre of your comic book.
Main character.
Antagonists and opponents.
Setting.
Story, including the plot points and ending.
It sounds simple enough. If you have a compelling hero in mind, your next steps involve creating a plot that readers can’t put down. You’ll also need a clear visual idea of what the characters and settings look like. You must work with an artist who brings those ideas to life.
2. Know the Language to Publish a Comic Book
All comic books use the same elements. Comic book publishing has its own language. You must know these terms used by printers and publishers.
Panel: This is an illustration surrounded by a border. It looks like a box. You can place text, drawings, or action inside this box. By going from box to box, the reader can follow the story.
Tier: A single row of panels. A page may have one or more tiers.
Gutter: The gutter is an interior border that divides the panels or boxes.
Splash: A full-page illustration. There is normally a splash at the beginning of a comic book. It sets up the hero’s world and introduces the characters. Some comic books use splashes to show the action moving to a different setting or plot point.
Spread: An illustration that takes up two pages.
Speech balloon: This is the familiar comic book “bubble” that tells you what someone is saying.
Caption: The caption area sits under the panel box. It is used to convey information that isn’t clear from the action or a character’s speech.
3. Pick Your Genre to Publish a Comic Book
Comics aren’t just for superheroes. You can publish a comic book in any genre, including:
Adventure
Action
Children’s story
Horror
Mystery
Fantasy
Thriller
Romance
Sports
Historical fantasy
Spiritual parable
Faith-based story
Historical fiction
4. Put Together Your Team to Publish a Comic Book
In commercial comic book publishing, a team puts together every issue.
Writer: The writer comes up with a hero, their antagonists and allies, and the plot of the comic book.
Editor: Editors proofread and reorganize the text.
Artist: The artist uses their skills to bring characters to life.
Letterer: This artist creates the titles and the font for the dialogue bubbles. They may use ink to outline the artist’s penciled drawings.
Colorist: This artist applies the final colors to the comic book.
If you’re going the fully independent route, you will do all those jobs yourself. Depending on your budget, you may hire someone to handle one or more of these responsibilities. It may be a lot of work to publish a comic book yourself, but it will be a wonderful experience.
5. Put Writing First to Publish a Comic Book
Write first, then decide what art you need.
This seems counterintuitive because everyone assumes the pictures are the most important part of a comic. They do matter. Just like any book, however, a comic book depends on well-developed characters and a strong story. Gorgeous illustrations can’t make up for a weak story or an unappealing hero. Also, it’s easier to change the writing than to redo illustrations because of a plot change.
What makes the best story? It must follow the classic plotlines of setup, introduction of the characters, conflict, and resolution. Your hero must be compelling, and the secondary characters must also be well-developed.
The story and the text drive the illustrations. It’s not the other way around. If you’re an artist and you already have a collection of pictures you’ve created, spend time developing a good story around them. That story will be the plot of your comic book.
Are you struggling with this part of the comic? You may have to hire a writer who can put your ideas into words.
Successful fiction and screenplay writers know that every story must have these six elements. Use them to make your comic book a page-turner.
Exposition: This is an introduction to the character and their world. It details where they live, play, and work. Start by showing a normal day for your characters.
Inciting incident: Something interrupts this normal day and causes a conflict for the main character. It could be a good change or a bad one, but it forces the character to act.
Rising action: This is the main part of the story. The character reacts to the inciting incident. They now have a goal they want to accomplish. To get there, they face obstacles, plot twists, and complications. They meet new people and go to unfamiliar places. Keep it changing, and keep the pressure on your characters.
Dilemma or crisis point: Finally, your hero faces a moment of decision. They must choose between two courses of action. After this, there is no going back.
Climax: The climax is where you make your readers wonder what will happen. What will the character choose? How will the story end? Create a decision that is satisfying and resolves all the loose ends.
Resolution: This is what happens after the hero completes their mission. Life may return to normal, but it will never be the same. The character has changed after going through the quest or mission. This is what writer Joseph Campbell calls the “hero’s return.”
7. Put It All Together to Publish a Comic Book
You’ve got your story, your artwork, and your team, even if your team is just you. To publish a comic book, follow these steps.
Start with a set of draft pages. Each page will have a series of blank panels.
Decide whether each panel should stand for an action, dialogue, or scene setting.
Write the dialogue. Keep it short and direct. If a panel shows action, you don’t need dialogue or a caption to explain what’s going on.
Keep the story moving at a brisk pace. Only use dialogue or captions when necessary. Let the pictures do most of the talking.
Each panel should move smoothly to the next. Consistency in your illustration is key to making this happen.
Add the artwork. Fill the panels that need illustrations. Do the lettering inside the dialogue bubbles. Create a cover.
Once you have a final draft that’s ready for publication, color the illustrations.
Take your comic book to a professional printing company. When you publish comic book, use high-quality printing to ensure the best color resolution.
Enjoy the Process to Publish a Comic Book
You can write, illustrate, and publish a comic book as a self-published writer. It’s a tough process, but it’s a wonderful way to express your creativity and your independent spirit. When your comic is ready, work with an experienced professional like Publishing Xpress. We’ll help you bring your comic to life.
