Pitching Self-Published Comics to Book Stores
Presentation from Indie Comics Creator Con, 2025
It was a privilege to be a presenter at Indie Comics Creator Con 2025 in New Haven, CT. My talk focused on how self-published comic book creators can get their books on store shelves. The most direct route is to pitch the book yourself.
Attached are my slides from the presentation. Some are more self-explanatory than others, so I’ll dole out a few specifics at the bottom of the post.
If you’d rather watch my chat, you can do that in the player below. We’ll also set it up in our podcast feed.
Some notes:
I can’t stress this enough: Research the store before you pitch. There is no reason to waste everyone’s time. If a shop doesn’t already sell self-published work or support your creator community, chances are that you won’t be their first.
Retail pricing should use a 4x pricing model. If it cost you $5 to print your comic, the retail price should be at least $20. That way, you can afford to set the wholesale cost at $10. You double your investment and the shop doubles theirs.
Subconsciously, people are comparing your price point to other books in the store. A new issue of Batman is around $5. What are you offering at your retail price?
Get an editor. Or two. Let lots of people read your book BEFORE you print it. This will not hurt your sales. In fact, it will help them.
Comments are open on this post to everyone, so let me know your thoughts and questions. Make more comics!