mikespit12000

November 18, 2010 10:52 am Or maybe this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humble_Indie_Bundle

November 18, 2010 10:49 am

@wallythegreenmonster Fair enough. But the fact remains they are making a living with the strategy that Doran cites as untenable. Can you refute the success of Jonathan Coulton and Cory Doctorow then? Or @Steve_Lieber of Underground fame? Can you explain this: http://robot6.comicbookresources.com/2010/10/4chan-piracy-causes-spike-in-sales-for-lieber-and-parkers-underground/

  

November 18, 2010 10:33 am

I'm sure I'll get flamed and/or banned for this but here goes--Doran is completely wrong on this issue as are most other creators. I'll freely admit that I've pirated a ton of comics in addition to buying a ton at my local shop. However, the amount I buy physically has dropped dramatically because quite frankly I don't want physical media anymore. It's big, expensive, cumbersome to read and takes up a ton of space.

I've tried some of the various online distribution models like Comixology, graphic.ly and I've not been satisfied with any of them. Either the interface stinks or the selection is anemic. That's the sad reality. The biggest mistake Doran and all creators make is assuming that pirates simply don't want to pay for media. For me that's untrue, I WANT to pay for the things I like but I'm not going to settle for an inferior product when there is a better one for free. How do you compete with free? Simple: service. I've pirated a ton of video games but now almost none since I discovered Steam. Great UI, ease of use, unlimited downloads, etc. etc. Same with iTunes. Comics just need an equivalent distribution method but creators, publishers, whomever have not given it to us. That's on them.

I also think it's unfair of Doran to simply equate her lack of sales with piracy. I looked at her webcomic site and honestly it's not how I want to consume media. I don't want to view a comic page by page wrapped in a cumbersome site. Sorry. Follow @steve_lieber 's advice and release a .cbr and maybe I'll check out her stuff. There are tons of creators making a great living giving some/most/all of their stuff away for free. See Cory Doctorow, Radiohead, Jonathan Coulton,Trent_Reznor, Penny-arcade, on and on. The trick is to engage your audience and provide them a product that they want in a way they want to consume it. 

 

/soapbox

 

  That said, sales are declining because quite frankly no one wants physical media anymore. It's expensive, cumbersome