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Creating Comics: check out “Crowdfunding Comics: A Guide to Marketing, Running and Fulfilling a Comic Book Kickstarter”

By John Freeman on September 17, 2023

After running ten Kickstarter campaigns and raising over £73,000 in funding, back in 2021 award-winning comic author Dave Cook compiled all of the harsh truths, hidden tips and strategies that lie behind the best crowdfunding campaigns into a downloadable book, Crowdfunding Comics: A Guide to Marketing, Running and Fulfilling a Comic Book Kickstarter.

Crowdfunding Comics: A Guide to Marketing, Running and Fulfilling a Comic Book Kickstarter

Available through Gumroad, the current edition of this helpful 100-page plus guide, published in 2021, includes insights from Dave’s career in digital marketing, PR, journalism and comic writing to cover the full life cycle of a Kickstarter campaign.

From pre-planning and building a fan base, to running a campaign and fulfilling mail orders, Dave says Crowdfunding Comics has everything you need from start to finish.

You can grab a copy here from Gumroad – chose a price you think appropriate for the book you think appropriate at checkout.

“I’m going to publish a new edition of this soon, as the crowdfunding landscape has changed a lot in recent years – but this is absolutely free if anyone fancies it,” Dave says, who has frequently shared tips about crowdfunding with creators in the past.

“I’m just happy to help people out by sharing all I’ve learned over the years.”

Based in Edinburgh, Dave Cook, creator of Killtopia, is a comic writer, gaming journalist and author of video game history books. You can subscribe to his newsletter to stay up to date with his writing projects, sent out every other Friday, or follow him on social media such as X (Twitter) or BlueSky.

Killtopia Volume One By Dave Cook and Craig Paton

Killtopia Volume Two By Dave Cook and Craig Paton

For those who came in late, Killtopia – a story told over five volumes, written by Dave, with art by Craig Paton and Clark Bint, is set in future Japan, and follows a salvage hunter called Shinji and his robot sidekick Crash.

Once word gets out that Crash holds the secret to curing a deadly nano-virus that’s killed millions around the world, every bounty hunter and Yakuza thug for 1000 city blocks joins the hunt for our heroes. Can they survive the night and change the course of humanity forever?

• Killtopia is available to buy through AmazonUK (Affiliate Link) or direct from publisher BHP Comics here

John Freeman

The founder of downthetubes, which he established in 1998. John works as a comics and magazine editor, writer, and on promotional work for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. He is currently editor of Star Trek Explorer, published by Titan – his third tour of duty on the title originally titled Star Trek Magazine.

Working in British comics publishing since the 1980s, his credits include editor of titles such as Doctor Who Magazine, Babylon 5 Magazine, and more. He also edited the comics anthology STRIP Magazine and edited several audio comics for ROK Comics. He has also edited several comic collections, including volumes of “Charley’s War” and “Dan Dare”.

He’s the writer of “Pilgrim: Secrets and Lies” for B7 Comics; “Crucible”, a creator-owned project with 2000AD artist Smuzz; and “Death Duty” and “Skow Dogs” with Dave Hailwood.