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Post by Bogatan on Nov 30, 2018 19:31:53 GMT
You could try doing a "premium" edition of some kind. Sell it on the TMUK table with half the money going to toyfu the rest to help cover printing costs for all the runs.
What would constitute "premium" and how much it would cost versus how much it would make for charity or printing costs are very valid questions.
Maybe make the give away copy mostly black and white with a more colour edition for sale for a couple of quid.
Or make a Mister Johnson edition thats the same size as the Hachette books.
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Post by blueshift on Nov 30, 2018 19:34:50 GMT
Or make a Mister Johnson edition thats the same size as the Hachette books. Tempt me not, Satan! I've got loads of ideas actually, too many as usual! |
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Post by blueshift on Dec 1, 2018 12:59:44 GMT
How exciting, I just got a big pack full of paper swatches from the printers. I will no longer have to guess what the hell it is I'm ordering.
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Post by Pinwig on Dec 1, 2018 13:06:16 GMT
Does this mean they now see you as a VALUED REGULAR CUSTOMER?
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Post by blueshift on Dec 1, 2018 13:09:44 GMT
Does this mean they now see you as a VALUED REGULAR CUSTOMER? Without quite wanting to reveal how much I've been spending on printing, I hope so! |
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Post by blueshift on Dec 1, 2018 13:10:43 GMT
I am going back and forth on having the whole zine printed professionally next year. I think I can get the costs down to about the same or a bit less than doing it by hand BUT I know the hand-made aspect is really exciting
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Post by Pinwig on Dec 1, 2018 13:21:23 GMT
If it costs the same think time saved.
All that time you could be making more BADGES.
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Post by blueshift on Dec 1, 2018 13:24:57 GMT
If it costs the same think time saved. All that time you could be making more BADGES. The only thing with doing it professionally is that I'd need to have all the contents way in advance. Hand-made I can be making tweaks and adding bits right up to the last minute |
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Post by blueshift on Dec 1, 2018 13:46:03 GMT
Okay, so if you're interested, looking at my spreadsheet last year's costs break down as: | Cover | £60 | | Laser cartridges | £84 | | Paper | £26 | | Total | £170 |
Which is a bit more than was in my head so I sort I wished I hadn't just totalled it up! I saved quite a bit on paper by getting a 100gsm pack of A4 and using my guillotine to cut it down to A4. I could have saved a LOT more by going down on paper quality but I've kept it at 100gsm so far. Having it an extra 12 pages with a lot more solid black illustrations almost doubled the printing price though, which is why I very keen to keep it to lineart! However if we go the professional route, than the same number of copies/pages would come to £155.50. If we stick to the 28 pages as before, that would be £131.00 I have a better quote for the cover printing now, which would bring it down to £45, making the total the same as the professional option!! Doing it in colour would boost the price to £226 so we're not doing that!! |
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Post by Pinwig on Dec 1, 2018 13:51:19 GMT
I see the dilemma. I'm trying to imagine if I was doing that, £170 is a lot to swallow but it's your project - something you're doing and providing, so I get the pride in wanting to do it all yourself. Out of interest, and I know you don't charge, but how many issues did that make? what was the cost per issue?
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Post by blueshift on Dec 1, 2018 13:55:59 GMT
I see the dilemma. I'm trying to imagine if I was doing that, £170 is a lot to swallow but it's your project - something you're doing and providing, so I get the pride in wanting to do it all yourself. Out of interest, and I know you don't charge, but how many issues did that make? what was the cost per issue? 200, so 85p per issue The other ones were around 50p per issue, so the added size/ink costs of this one hurt a lot! I mean yes a smaller print run might be better, but honestly I'm more interested in pushing it into as many people's hands as possible, and that number feels right to me. |
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Post by Pinwig on Dec 1, 2018 14:52:45 GMT
If you're shifting the 200, then I wouldn't reduce the print run. 200! There were like a thousand people at the last con weren't there? That is outrageous. Blue's zines should be the FIRST thing ANYONE picks up in the dealers' room. These things should be HIGHLY REGARDED COLLECTORS' ITEMS.
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Post by blueshift on Dec 1, 2018 15:39:55 GMT
If you're shifting the 200, then I wouldn't reduce the print run. 200! There were like a thousand people at the last con weren't there? That is outrageous. Blue's zines should be the FIRST thing ANYONE picks up in the dealers' room. These things should be HIGHLY REGARDED COLLECTORS' ITEMS. People can be surprisingly hard to engage. First year a lot of people asked what a 'fanzine' was, unbelievably enough, though this year we had lots of people actually asking for them! |
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Post by Pinwig on Dec 1, 2018 15:49:12 GMT
the word spreads...
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Post by Bogatan on Dec 1, 2018 16:29:29 GMT
Its actually a useful guide to how many people we sell too. Im sure more than a few people ended up with more than one copy, but I think we mostly asked if people wanted one and most people did but would decline if they already had one. I can't remember if we ran out but we must have been pretty close to if we didn't.
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Post by blueshift on Dec 1, 2018 16:35:30 GMT
Its actually a useful guide to how many people we sell too. Im sure more than a few people ended up with more than one copy, but I think we mostly asked if people wanted one and most people did but would decline if they already had one. I can't remember if we ran out but we must have been pretty close to if we didn't. We actually ran out midday Sunday this year, usually we don't |
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Post by The Doctor on Dec 1, 2018 20:47:20 GMT
If you're shifting the 200, then I wouldn't reduce the print run. 200! There were like a thousand people at the last con weren't there? That is outrageous. Blue's zines should be the FIRST thing ANYONE picks up in the dealers' room. These things should be HIGHLY REGARDED COLLECTORS' ITEMS. You would be surprised how many people just aren't interested in fan stuff, even if it is free. 200 is pretty darn high a number to shift. -Ralph |
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Post by Andy Turnbull on Dec 1, 2018 21:15:25 GMT
It all depends.
It's always an easier sell when the official material is either hard to get hold of or is pish.
You are also looking at from the point of view that if you manage to snag 10% or more of the attendees into picking something up, you are doing a good job.
Andy
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Post by legios on Dec 1, 2018 21:34:31 GMT
Indeed - there is a huge diversity in terms of peoples reasons for coming to TF:Nation. Some are there purely to buy toys and socialise, and have no interest in picking up anything else. Some have been there because they are specifically fans of IDW's Transformers comics - and don't have an interest in any other aspect of Transformers. Some don't have any interest in any media that isn't official because they think that all fan media is inherently "crap" <quoting an actual overheard conversation>. You can't look purely at the headline numbers of people there and take that as the size of the potential market - there are sufficient different demographic groups that you have to assume that some portion of attendees never reflected potential sales in the first place.
In the face of that I would argue that getting 200 sales on a fan-produced magazine, printed on standard grade paper rather than heavyweight magazine paper is pretty darned good going! Well done Matt!
Karl
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Post by blueshift on Dec 1, 2018 21:40:20 GMT
Karl has handed a piece in so far, well done Karl
Look to him as your spiritual leader everyone
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Post by Andy Turnbull on Dec 1, 2018 21:46:59 GMT
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Post by Pinwig on Dec 1, 2018 21:47:44 GMT
Yep. I understand all that. I'm just supporting Blue's endeavours.
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Post by Jaymz on Dec 2, 2018 13:12:35 GMT
I've written a 2 page strip and handed it over to Dan to artist! Hopefully he'll have time to draw it this month.
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Post by browny87 on Dec 3, 2018 13:13:56 GMT
I will my page over xmas when I'm on holiday!
I know this shouldn't factor into it but... are people more likely to take it when its free/donation only than a actual price?
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Post by browny87 on Dec 3, 2018 13:14:43 GMT
the quality of the making of it is sensational matt so no one can ever doubt that, I suppose the other question is do you enjoy making it?
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Post by blueshift on Dec 3, 2018 14:52:41 GMT
the quality of the making of it is sensational matt so no one can ever doubt that, I suppose the other question is do you enjoy making it? Oh yes 110% |
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Post by browny87 on Dec 3, 2018 18:12:06 GMT
then if theres hardly any price difference and its something you enjoy id keep on with it  understandable if you have to charge a little to keep your costs down tho! |
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Post by blueshift on Dec 3, 2018 21:45:37 GMT
Has anyone got a high-res image of that Micromaster silhouette the comic used as a competition?
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Post by Grand Moff Muffin on Dec 6, 2018 17:48:22 GMT
Now that I'm back in the game I have no excuse not to offer to do a short text story. Will try to knock something together this weekend if not too hung over from tomorrow's work Christmas do. Martin |
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Post by Andy Turnbull on Dec 7, 2018 0:31:27 GMT
Has anyone got a high-res image of that Micromaster silhouette the comic used as a competition? I shall scan and then do a vector trace of it so you can get whatever size you need. Andy |
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understandable if you have to charge a little to keep your costs down tho!