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Monday 15 October 2012

Comicsy, British small press marketplace launched

A brand new website designed to help UK small press creators sell their wares has just been launched by Tim West, co-editor and and writer for the horror anthology Hallowscream.

Tim tells us Comicsy - already being used by creators such as Malcolm Kirk, Jim Cameron and the Midlands Comics Collective - is suitable for those looking to get their goods online, in an easy to manage web store, and for folk who have already set up their own sales site but want the benefits of being part of a small press shopping network.

"Think of it as a permanently open, online comic expo," he says.

Whatever you're looking to sell - comics, artwork, books, posters, sketches, graphic novels, or anything, with Comicsy, you can be up and running in no time," he continues. "Simply open your own 'Comicsy Shop', add your products, and start receiving orders.

"I've been looking at doing something like this for a long time but couldn't find any software that did exactly what I needed," Tim explains. "I'd given up for a while but some positive feedback about such a site like this on the spcomics.org forum sparked my interest again and I continued my search for something suitable and found it.

"After messing around in small press comics for a few years previously,  I went to the 2012 Bristol Comics Expo. I met a load of really nice people and was surprised at the skills, passion and commitment of all the exhibitors. There are so many talented folk, producing great stuff, yet they’re unknown outside of the scene.

"It seemed a shame that small press creators only had expos and conventions where they could come together and sell their products.

"Most of these comics creators and artists had their own websites but finding other related stuff involved trawling through the internet, not really knowing what to search for.

"I thought -  why not have a permanently online comic expo where goods are for sale 24/7? Strength in numbers and cross selling galore.

"There are some useful buyers and sellers guides on the site that explain the site’s functions but, in a nutshell, sellers can sell physical goods and post them out, offer digital downloads of their products, or link back to other websites if they sell directly from their own site or use a print on demand service like Lulu.

"Hopefully these three options means there’s something for everyone.

"If the site gets popular I have plans to develop it further, with extra services and better design.

"The advantage of being a member of the Comicsy network is that your goods will sit alongside other UK small press creator's work," he enthuses. "Buyers will be able to browse all items on the site, hopefully resulting in more sales for everyone.

"I hope this sounds an appealing idea to comic creators. Marketplace style websites have proven themselves to be a successful way to engage a target audience and generate sales. The small press industry here in the UK produces some amazing work.

"If this site can raise the profile of creators and the spread the goodness of self publishing, then it's got to be worth it."

• For more info on selling via Comicsy take a look at their sellers guide.

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