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Documentation and Support.
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CommentAuthorSalgood Sam
- CommentTimeNov 25th 2010
Or building an comic app?
Wondering what software there is to use to build an app version of my own comics with, and/or what work i have to do to prepare the pages to be read in an app? Thought folks here might have an idea or two.
I don't have a Ipad or phone, but i work on a HP tm2 tablet PC running windows 7.
So where do i start?
FYI Also looking at taking the books to Comixoligy, Longboxdigital and the like, but considering what's involved in doing it myself as well. -
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It depends on what you want to do, creating your own app seems like overkill unless you have something special you want to do.
I have started a thread on this over at Bleeding Cool - I am not sure how you get on Graphic.ly or Comicxology or the big names yet (although it seems like some are working on developer's tools to make it easy for people to add their comics so they may roll this out further down the line). You can get a comic book onto electronic sites for sale online pretty quickly and easily.
To get on the iPad your easiest options seem to be through Amazon or Lulu:
http://dtp.amazon.co.uk
http://dtp.amazon.com
http://www.lulu.com/apple-ipad-publishing
If anyone has any other tips I'd be interested in hearing them as I suspect this angle is something a lot of people are thinking about at the moment. -
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CommentAuthorSalgood Sam
- CommentTimeNov 26th 2010
Thanks Emperor, that's a start.
Mostly i'm thinking about the possibility of doing it on my own to keep a bigger slice to myself. With the open agreements a lot of the platform publishers are using it's also something i'm entertaining as an as-well-as option. I have a few things i want to put out, might try one approach for one thing, another for another...
When you use Graphic.ly or Comicxology, and download a given comics, what's the file format the comic comes in? It's not an app itself right? -
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I've only got Graphic.ly installed on this computer (I'll need to check the other one for comiXology) but it definitely downloads in its own file format (a .tc file), which is a bad idea as far as I'm concerned as it leaves you locked into that device.
I'd rather buy a CBZ and have my pick of readers. -
CBZ and PDF are the easiest and quickest, with the farthest reach across devices -- especially pdf. Sell them through your own website using Paypal.
If you want to get onto the B&N color nook, consider epub or pdf. The best way to convert your images to those formats is to use Calibre, an excellent conversion program. Register through their PubIt! service and you'll be OK.
You can get onto iTunes the same way through their iBooks -- though you'll have to sign up with iBooks to get into their register (good luck, they can be tricky). Registering your comic through Smashwords is a better way to go to get into iBooks. They're considerably cheaper and easier than both Amazon and Lulu.
To get into Graphic.ly, just send them an e-mail through their website. Micah is quick to respond and they are hungry for content. iVerse used to be very difficult, but I understand they are more responsive now, so you might want to give them a try as well.
Comixology is all but impossible for an indy to get into right now, but they are releasing their formatting process to make them more accessible. It's only to select publishers right now, but I understand they will be opening it up to everyone soon. David at Comixology is committed to the "long tail" of comics, but right now his staff has their hands full converting Marvel and DC's tremendous backlog. Keep checking their site for updates, and when their formatting is released, jump on it.
Amazon's Kindle still isn't ready for comics and I'm not sure how they're apps handle graphic content. Might want to download their free reader software and demo some comics to see how they look, might help you figure out how you want to format your book for their system.
I'd also give Robot Comics an email, to see if they're willing to take on new books. They have an app for both iPhone and Android. Your book will be connected through their network, but will be it's own title in the iTunes directory (so you can link to it directly instead of to Comixology's App, for example).
Bottom Line: There are a lot of ways to get onto any device you want. Apps are great, but they aren't everything. And remember, despite the hype iPhones are only 15% of the mobile device market. If you want real penetration of the mobile market, think universal formatting (i.e .pdf). No matter what, though, be prepared to market your butt off -- in this day and age, no one else will do it for you. -
Thanks for the information.
Amazon's Kindle still isn't ready for comics and I'm not sure how they're apps handle graphic content. Might want to download their free reader software and demo some comics to see how they look, might help you figure out how you want to format your book for their system.
Someone I know has put their comic on the Kindle and through Amazon the iPad, they have written up here:
http://www.spacebabe113.co.uk/sb-amazon.htm -
Comixology is all but impossible for an indy to get into right now, but they are releasing their formatting process to make them more accessible. It's only to select publishers right now, but I understand they will be opening it up to everyone soon.
I was reading this on their making their developer tools available small publishers and comicXology do have a beta sign-up page. So those interested might want to apply now, it won't roll out until 2011 but the sooner you are in the better.
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