Guts N' Gutters #10 (July 2025)
TL;DR (Too Long, Don’t (Wanna) Read)
Rise of the Flightless is Live!
Grow In Grow Out Books Are In!
Support Cthuhlu Invades Fairytales on Kickstarter!
Into the Gutters: The Real Secrets to Marketing
Go support Sink to the Top, Weird Stories & GLIMM*R Magazine, Vol 2 on Kickstarter!
WHAT’S THE WORD?
Stutter - To restrict the movement of by bonds or obstacles. To moderate or limit the effect or full exercise of. A large basket usually with a cover for packing, storing, or transporting articles (such as food or laundry).
Rise of the Flightless is Live!
Thanks to many wonderful donations, we’ve raised $156 toward our $500 goal. The book’s only $1, and every little bit helps, so be sure to pick up your copy!
Prism Funded!
Thanks to everyone who helped Prism reach its goal!
Grow In Grow Out
Books are in and for sale on Ko-Fi!
Cthulhu Invades Fairytales
In case you missed the announcement earlier this month, I have a Tom Thumb psychological horror story in Cthulhu Invades Fairytales!
The book is already funded, so you’re guaranteed to get the your copy.
INTO THE GUTTERS
Just F$%#ing Go or How to Market Without Marketing
In the indie comics communities I participate in, I see a LOT of talk about how marketing is the most dreaded thing. They feel like they’re being annoying by posting regularly, but also feel that’s what’s needed in today’s online landscape, where attention is coveted above all. Everyone complains about being constantly “on” because every sale or little bit of approval is shoved into their face by notifications. In addition, the black mirror of our phones makes everyone, including colleagues who can commiserate, more demanding of each other’s time and opinions because we’re essentially talking to one another through a mask.
In short, promoting our art is exhausting.
I’m not claiming to be devoid of these feelings, but I often feel like I came into indie comics a step ahead of a lot of people and I don’t experience them as often.
A short list of my experiences that contributed to my marketing knowledge before coming to indie comics:
Boy Scouts - public speaking, project planning skills and a general popping of that anxious bubble that prevented me from talking about myself.
Independent journalist - writing quickly and accurately while grabbing attentions.
Freelance Marketing Editor - social media management and search engine optimization.
Medium Blog - eyecatching graphic design, linking my writing to current events, finding audiences who like the things I wrote
Master’s in Communications and Mass Media - A LOT.
Through all of these experiences, I've learned that what’s helped me most are things not specific to marketing, like data analysis or copywriting, but shifts in attitude that can be applied to many things. I don’t think a lot of creators realize how many things are a part of marketing but don’t feel like it and with enough practice, may even make the more typical promotional practices feel fun.
Now, I’m not a guru by any means, but I have years of failing and succeeding in a variety of endeavors that have made those non-marketing marketing things much easier. So, for this month’s article, I want to explore what has worked for me (because I don’t believe in stating things WILL work for anyone) and hopefully, someone will find something helpful.
Refuse to Shut the Hell Up
“I feel like I’m being annoying by talking about my stuff a lot.”
Here’s the truth: only about 1% to 10% (on a good day) are seeing you talk about your art. Your friends and supporters aren’t engaging because they don’t care; it’s likely they just haven’t seen your posts, newsletters, or whatever.
One of the techniques I learned in Boy Scouts was to think of communication as a leaking tent. Next to your tent is a ton of rain tarps, but they are leaky as well, so no matter how many you throw on top of the tent, some rain will inevitably get in. However, very little will slip through if you use every tarp in your arsenal.
I was taught this to better announce events and service projects to the area I led, but it applies to anything. The more you talk about something, the less chance there is of someone missing out.
Shoot, just this month, I was on a stream with creators from Cthuhlu Invade Fairytales where I was asked why they had just now heard about Rise of the Flightless. Many of these creators follow me and are in the same Discord channels as me, but the message hadn’t reached them until I did that stream. It wasn’t that they didn’t like the book, they had no clue it existed.
Once you accept these things, the anxiety of imposing on people gets easier to manage.
But beyond the pragmatic reasons, you should refuse to shut up because passion is sexy and i don’t believe anyone should deny themselves joy. There’s so much depressing crap going on worldwide, and our society values stoic empiricism over a lot and demeans anything deemed “emotional”, so SCREW THAT.
Beyond the benefits refusing to shut up brings to my work, I do it because it makes me happier and less anxious. So, try being a geek about your comics, stories, and poems. Be excited even if it feels like others won’t care. In my experience, it’s infectious and will dissipate into everything else, including my marketing efforts.
Celebrate Every Little Thing
I started college as a Music Education major (I didn’t finish that degree, and learned afterwards teaching in public school was not for me), and I use a lot of what I learned in my promotion, more for myself than for my audience. My professor for teaching beginning concert band was quite a character, and he believed that whenever a student makes that first sound on their instrument, the teacher should go hog wild with excitement. Literally, he demonstrated by shouting “YES” after the class played a note.
For my Kickstarters, I continually post little challenges like “Can we crack 10% by the end of the day” or “Only $17 more until we hit $500!”. Whenever those landmarks are reached, I don’t hold back my excitement, and at this point, it’s completely genuine. I’m stoked to crack $500 even if it’s only 10% of my goal.
Like the last tip, I do this for practical and personal reasons that transfer into marketing.
Practically, this makes it more likely for supporters to feel like they can make a difference. It’s less daunting to help somebody get $20 than $2000. This gives my supporters something small to contribute, and because I’m freaking jazzed by getting that small amount, they feel good for hitting something that seems significant.
Personally, it’s much easier to stay motivated and avoid wallowing in pity while looking at the size of unconquered ground before me. I know I can raise $25 easily. I’ve done it with multiple campaigns now, so if I do that enough times, I’ll hit my goal. More than convincing people to support, celebrating every little thing helps me maintain energy and positivity. I believe that others see that when I apply this to a BlueSky post or a newsletter.
Find Your People
I’ll keep this one short, as it’s the advice I see given most by indie comics people to others seeking opportunities. To build anything, a community of fellow travelers is essential. We need people who can help us grow and also be members of the band.
Ska has had quite a resurgence lately, and a big reason is because of the Skatune Network community. They’re essentially an online guild of ska musicians who all collaborate and bump each other’s stuff. I’ve followed their TikTok for years, and it’s amazing how many amazing bands and performers I’ve discovered because of them.
Like the Skatune Network, I wouldn’t be where I am without the Comic Jam. I realized this month that Cthuhlu Invades Fairytales is my first comic that hasn’t involved a single Jammer, and that’s a bit bittersweet. If anyone from the Jam reads this, sincerely, thank you for everything.
These aren’t merely colleagues who share my posts whenever I need them; they’re my friends and my favorite collaborators. This isn’t something I did to get more likes or shares, it was essential to enjoying creating comics.
Conclusion
If you’ll allow me some cheese, I think it’s important to market to yourself as much as your supporters, and that involves learning things that aren’t foolproof promotional strategies or finding the correct combination of keywords. Marketing is as much a personal journey as a trade. I hope what works for me can be helpful for any of your endeavors.
GUTTER BUDS
Shout out to these campaigns by friends and colleagues!
Sink to the Top - A Queer Thriller
A young male escort thinks he’s about to luck out with a big payout from a wealthy new client, but little does he know he’s about to be confronted by the darkest moments of his life.
Weird Stories - A Comics Magazine
These issues have been a labor of love for me. Ever since I was a kid, watching Twilight Zone reruns and reading comics. This is a project that tries to capture that time but in today's current events. The word "Weird" means different things to different people and I want to explore that.
GLIMM*R Magazine, Vol 2: Mirror
Yuri comics and illustration anthology GLIMM*R MAG is back for Volume 2!
G* Vol 2 features the work of 15 talented artists with 100 pages of comics and illustrations on the theme of MIRROR - whether taken literally, metaphorically, or thematically. And of course, includes gay girls, gay vibes!