Change Your Position. Not Your Swing.
How Every Convention Improves the Next One
Garden State Comic Fest was successful last month because of the lessons learned at Terrificon the year before.
Last year, I wrote an article Adapting to Change in Comics, where I recapped my tabling experience at Terrificon. Since then, the lessons learned from that convention have influenced the success of future cons. While attending Garden State Comic Fest a couple of weeks ago, I found my sales groove and learned that success at conventions compounds when you apply lessons learned from previous ones.
Every convention should make the next one better.
GSCF was a night and day experience compared to my very first convention where being at my table felt like being adrift at sea. Waiting for a customer to check out my books instead of actively trying to reel them in. Coupled with not knowing any creators, my first tabling experience was the most isolated it had ever been.
Every time you table at a convention or run a Kickstarter, you learn information about what sells and your strengths as a salesman. I learned my personability is my strong suit. Being able to shake up the sales pitch on the fly or sell certain books depending on the vibe of the reader stopping at my table has proven lucrative over time.
“Hey, Superman! I’ve got a Super Comic for you,” was one line I said to a cosplayer as I stood on the mat-covered ice rink at GSCF. Not only did they stop and buy a copy of Star Noir, but we chatted about the new Supergirl film for a few minutes. That sales tactic didn’t exist in my arsenal a year ago.
That line worked because it created an instant connection rather than relying on a robotic sales pitch. It was learned from a previous convention.
Like a stand-up comedian, every outing gives you information on what works. When did they laugh? When did they get quiet? At GSCF, Star Noir and Reloader sold well. The grayscale trade of Star Noir: Books 1-3 was a breakout hit. Moonshine had new readers excited and generated late pledges after reading the preview.
Garden State Comic Fest felt like hitting my stride as both a creator and a seller. My table presentation was better optimized based on how readers stopped and scanned items at previous conventions. Books tend to sell incredibly well, so they became the centerpiece. People stop for pop culture posters, but they don’t always convert. My Batman and Akira prints were positioned as openers, with books as the headliners.
GSCF was the first time where my peers took notice. Creators I’d never met before came up to the table to buy books. Other creators stopped by to ask questions about marketing, the efficacy of variant covers, or to tell me that Star Noir’s 20k+ Kickstarter success gave them hope that success in comics wasn’t exclusive to NSFW books.
I’m grateful for the passionate new readers that continue to give me the confidence to sell my work to them. A new reader at GSCF was bubbly with excitement cradling three Star Noir books in their hand. Another told me how much they love the way my artist Pablo draws 1940s cars as they thumbed through their copy. A third was super hyped about the Dead Space cover for my cyberpunk comic Reloader.
People react to confidence. The more success you find, the easier it is to maintain that confidence and perfect your presentation for new readers.
The success of Terrificon broke the mold of the taciturn creator and created a more active sales person chasing connection over a dollar. GSCF taught me that there’s further room for improvement. A creator across the aisle played thematic music for his tribal comic book. Another next to me had their art prints pinned to an art wall that more effectively caught people’s attention.
Like previous conventions, these were two good ideas that I plan to make my own to add to my sales arsenal and further improve my odds at the next convention.
There’s excitement with every new convention I attend now. It’s the opportunity to learn new information about how I present myself and my comics. When you know your books sell well at a proven price point, you shift to perfecting the experience. The variability of cons has taught me how to position myself depending on the crowd.
Legendary baseball player Pete Rose has this viral clip where he talks about how batters can get out of hitting slumps. “Never change your swing. Your swing got you to the big leagues. You change your positioning in the batter’s box.” Whenever I modify my approach to selling my comics, I think about this lesson when making changes.
As I told a creator at GSCF - people want to read your books. You have to reel them in. Like the comics themselves, you achieve that by offering a great reader experience.
This year’s Garden State Comic Fest was another positive turning point for my comics career. My first couple of table outings felt like I was struggling to find my footing. Terrificon broke the mold and forced me to be a more active salesman. GSCF took those lessons and started helping me build a stronger table experience.
The reader experience is everything. Every con I attend continues to prove that.
Until next time. Stay Cool!
- Tony James