[...] We’re using the latest hot buzzwords [...]

If I was “excessively negative” towards you, I wouldn’t have allowed you to post what amounts to three ads on my site. As for review copies, you haven’t yet contacted me to ask how to get them to me. I hope you’re not expecting me to seek YOU out — I already have too many review copies waiting for my attention, from companies who’ve been sensible and polite.

If you think I’m “excessive”, and you can’t take this level of criticism, then you’re not ready to launch a public comic company. People don’t start with neutral attitudes; many start with the expectation that they won’t bother with you or your publications until you give them a reason to seek you out. Wasting your time arguing with me isn’t spreading the good word about your books.

The most minimal level of ‘exposure’ would be something similar to what Brian had mentioned above, only sending out an email to all the online comic sites, or perhaps merely sitting upon a Previews listing and hoping for the best. I am advertising within the largest and widest-read trade periodical , and marketing directly to the fans and retailers through conventions, direct advertising and also online; this is a proper advertising setup. The definition of minimal is ‘smallest possible in amount or extent’. I would not consider an advertising/marketing campaign with a dual demographic (fan, retailer) that utilizes multiple media and direct marketing to be a minimalist approach.

Your excessive negativity towards myself and company, to which you have admittedly never come across on shelves nor personally seen, met, or read, is unfounded. I will happily provide copies of the product for review to enable a just opinion.

For more information on Americanime Productions and ours series, visit the websites at:

http://www.americanimeproductions.com or
http://www.americanimecomics.com

Best,

Michael Westerman

What you’re describing, to anyone familiar with the comic market, is only the most minimal level of “exposure”. It won’t sell your books, because there’s just too much other stuff out there doing exactly the same thing.

Links to the current reviews of Americanime’s series can be found on the main page of the Productions website and news link on the Comics site. Below is a list of the past, and planned, conventions that Americanime has or will attend within the small-press or exhibitor areas.

2005:
Anime Boston – Boston, MA
Anime Central – Chicago, IL
Otakon – Baltimore, MD
Monkeyhouse Comic-Book Spectacular – Boston, MA
Wizard Boston – Boston, MA
Big Apple Con – New York, NY

2006:
Monkeyhouse Comic-Book Spectacular – Boston, MA
New York Comic Con – New York, NY

Upcoming:
May – Anime Boston
July – San Diego Comic Con
…and potentially a few others!

For more information check out the websites!

http://www.americanimeproductions.com
or
http://www.americanimecomics.com

Regards,

Michael Westerman

You seem to be overlooking something pretty fundamental here. Your business model is based on the assumption that people will buy your comics. So many publishers just put their stuff out there and don’t know how to support it. We’ve seen so many publishers come bursting out of the gates with the right intentions (Crossgen, Dreamwave, Alias, Speakeasy, etc.) but crash and burn due to poor marketing practices. I noticed in a previous post that you had questioned the validity of someone’s argument by challengin their experience in the industry. I can tell you that, yes, I have had experience in the comics industry; not just being some punk kid with a portfolio, but working in the editorial department for IDW Publishing, a now well-known indy publisher. If anything, theirs is the business model you should be following. They picked up well-known properties with established fan-bases (CSI, The Shield, 24, etc.) and provided an exclusive product. They also used established relationships built from within the industry to procure well-known talent (Ashley Wood, Steve Niles, Ben Templesmith) with established fan-bases. They then used the capital from those projects to fund smaller but promising projects. What you are doing is presuming that people want American stories in a Japanese art style. This is far from an exclusive product. In fact, one might say the market is super-saturated with this. If you walk into a Barnes & Noble, TokyoPop has more books on the shelf than any other graphic novel publisher.

Avid comics readers are very discerning and must be very selective when deciding what will be on their pull list. Yes, you have released seven issues, but how much of the market share did those seven issues get? What was your initial print, and what were your initial order numbers from Diamond? Retailers also have to be very selective with what they bring into their stores. How much promotion did you do pre-launch? Did you contact any retailers directly to promote your books? Did you send out flyers? Or, was your only means of promotion sending out your well thought-out press release to every comics site on the web?

What I’m basically getting at is that any potential readers out there will look beyond theatrics and buzzwords and look for actual substance in your books. They might indeed be great works, but no one will even give them a chance if you do not promote properly and offer something that no one else is offering.

It’s also a huge mistake to use this as a springboard into another industry. It has never ever worked. Every successful comic publisher has been in it to publish comics first. Any other media that gets developed from that is peripheral to the publishing end.

I now question your experience in the industry. Mark Alessi thought he had a great business model, but look at how that turned out. He has now gone back into IT consulting. I do hope the best for you, as I really am a fan of small press. I just suggest reevaluating your approach to the whole process.

This is Michael Westerman, the owner of Americanime Productions. The feedback to my press release is appreciated and welcome.

The document is intended to generate interest in the company and products; the result of a collaborative effort throughout the various incarnations of the business and marketing plan. The format and assertations are meant to impart upon audiences the nature of the art, and while it has been done by others such as the Marvel manga, the styles and artists on the titles are unique in their own way and thus may be categorized differently.

The mention of the developments of Americanime is indicative of the direction of the company, and considering the press release is influenced by the business goals of the organization are relevant data. The model of first developing comic-books, then proceeding to film, video-game, and other media development and licensing is the model followed by a majority of comic-book companies, yes, partially due to lack of a huge amount of start-up capital. The company has been built during my tenure at Northeastern University through investiture in the business plan and organizational structure through various means of financing.

Regarding the quality of the products, I will leave that judgement to the potential fan, as such things are subjective. Thus far seven issues from four series have been released nationally by Diamond Comic Distibutors and are available at a comic-store near you, can be ordered through Previews magazine, and are available on the Americanime Store.

For more information visit the Americanime sites at:
http://www.americanimeproductions.com
http://www.americanimecomics.com

Regards,

Michael Westerman

That’s pretty good advice. I’d also add “only promise what you can deliver.” On the business (rather than the creative) side, in the past five years, I’ve seen people discuss investors that didn’t end up investing, promises that an issue of a comic was “guaranteed to be the most talked about issue of the year,” companies promising to be out-selling other companies within a specific time frame. Limit statements to what you yourself can do, not what you think you are capable of.

Sure, there’s always hype, and there’s always an element of smoke and mirrors, but downplaying it and keeping your audience’s needs in mind goes a long way.

On a side note, self promotion is tricky. How do you show yourself in the best light without going too far and becoming a bullshitter? I always have trouble with self-promotion. I either come off too modest or over the top. I wonder if this man will chronically puff up, or if he’ll grow out of it?

That phrase just doesn’t make much sense. Recognizing he lacked capital is the way it probably should lead, or maybe he recognized it walking down the street, or maybe he recognized that others had it and he didn’t or…

and then a really good question from a poster:
“Alright…so let me get this strait. You plan to commission Japanese studios to take on American comics from an unheard of company? Where are the funds going to come on? Why would Japanese studios want American comics when they have an overabundance of Japanese comics at their disposal? Don’t forget language barriers and working laws. Why employ a Japanese studio, when American studios might be cheaper and produce much higher quality animation in terms of movement/fps/etc. ? This seems impratical to me and I’m curious how you could even get it to work…not realistic at all. Either that or you’re just looking at least 20 years into the future? I don’t mean that offensively at all, but this just doesn’t make any sense to me.”

and Westerman’s answer:
“The name of Americanime will not be unknown for much longer, so image will not be a problem. As far as production costs, it is far cheaper to utilize Japanese studios, who do primary animations themselves then sub-contract out the in-between art to firms in China and Singapore for expediency and economical reasons. For the translation of the title I already have two japanese translators, as well as German, Spanish, Filipino, and Italian if the opportunity should arise. I also have a business associate who will act as my interpreter in the coming negotiations, as my Japanese is not quite sharp enough to stand alone. I do not mind your skepticism, but I wonder as to its origins, have you had any experience in the industry?”

Hmmm, yes, I agree, this seems not very well thought out, and is using comics (and the people who make them) to propel his latent film career into action.

Wait…

It just doesn’t make a lot of sense…

I mean, this guy’s confusing an art style (which is way wider than he seems to think) and a historically traditional format (“American comics”) with a genre.

Aaron, heh, another good example of a predecessor.

I know we big-eye artists disagree a lot over terminology (OEL Manga? Manga-inspired? Amerimanga?), but this is just ridiculous. “Americanime Comics” is like saying “American Animation Comics.”

Sorry. I’m a semantics freak.

I love these examples of what not to do. They are fun and informative!