How Do I Get My Indie Comic Published Digitally?

Here at Indie Comics Zone, we’ve created a few “how-to” guides for creators who want to get their book reviewed, and one for those who would like to get their creation printed on paper. Now we’ like to present a guide for users who are looking to publish their work online also. Hopefully that makes sense.

Of the many things to consider when choosing a platform, a creator may want to consider factors like terms of service, revenue-sharing models, and the target audience of each platform. These might seem like no-brainers, but that second item could be very important in the future, especially if your book gets picked up by a different publisher.

Presented below is our first attempt at making a list for those getting started on their indie comic book creation journey. If we’ve missed something, or got a fact or quote wrong, please e-mail us at indiecomicszone@gmail.com and we’ll fix it as soon as we can.

A few years back, we would have told you that the place to go was Comixology… but not too long ago, that platform was rolled into the service known as Amazon KDP. That is, Amazon’s “Kindle Direct Publishing” platform. Everyone under the sun knows about Amazon, and their site is ubiquitous with shopping online, so this option could be a good one for you. Amazon says that users can publish comics and graphic novels for free using their KDP platform, and once there, indie comic book titles will be available to “millions of readers worldwide” via the Kindle reader.

Perhaps a new name for some, the Blurb company sports a self-publishing platform. According to their site, Blurb supports the creation and distribution of print and digital books, including comic books. Blurb also has some well-written guides for those who are just starting out on the indie comics scene.

Comichaus is a UK-based operation, and they feature an extensive search and ways for collectors to find the latest and back issues of their favorite book and creator. They also have a special deal just for indie creators. Their app is free for indie creators to use and upload to, which might be a way for folks to discover your titles. 

Comix is a different kind of animal. With Comix, creators can expect to use the following “powers” for their creative works — a portfolio management tool, a marketplace, a crowdfunding source and a social place on the internet for indie creators. Comix says that their  “mission is to become a thriving ecosystem for both the creators and fans of indie comics. We spoke with Saurabh Bhatia, who is based in Australia and the creative force behind the site, and he told us that he has a “global outlook” and he and his Comix team wants to welcome “everyone from around the globe” to their platform. He also said that an app native to iOS and Android is in the works too.

Another option for creators is DriveThruComics. According to their website, DriveThruComics allows indie comic book creators to sell digitally directly to readers. DriveThruComics support various formats, including PDF, Print, CBZ, EPUB, MOBI, HTML, while providing a marketplace for independent creators. DriveThruComics was among the first to offer this type of service for creators who were looking to get their book published online in a digital format.

The Duck is one of the oldest webcomic hosting platforms on the internet, and is still going strong.  Creators can post their comic book, strip, or story on The Duck. Users then can find what they are looking for based on a number of variables, including styles like “American, Manga, realism, sprite, sketch,  experimental, photographic, stick figure” and many more. The Duck also has free how-to guides for new creators.