So, I have never really been all that good at meeting my deadlines. Well, no, I meet them, I just usually don’t do it until the last possible second. I figured this out fairly early in the game, so I tried to get a jump on things, and write two columns in one month, giving me a "buffer".

And then KC Carlson decided to run them both in issue #4. Jesus.

This ran as "Tilting at Windmills PLUS".

Needless to say, I didn’t try that again.

Again, this is pretty "nuts and bolts", so don’t glaze your eyes over, Charlie.

As this is an opinion column, I usually have the freedom to write about anything I damn well please. However, this month, KC has asked me to write a column about in-store promotion. Well, he certainly couldn't have asked for a harder column, because I have a little secret to share with you: promotion (for me at least) is about 75% inspiration, and 25% perspiration.

Well, I certainly can't teach inspiration to you, it's either there or it isn't. But, I can point you towards some of the ways to focus your perspiration.

My single greatest resource for promotions is creator signings, and the best way to entice creators to appear in your store is to speak to them in person. Most of the contacts I make with pros are comics conventions. I never set up shop at these events, preferring to use my time making connections. Generally, I only attend the larger cons (like WonderCon in Oakland, or the San Diego ComicCon), as the smaller cons usually have a handful of guests, most of whom will attend the larger shows.

(I need to make a digression here. It is important to state from the onset that my store is located in a large cultural mecca, San Francisco, and that my very location provides numerous advantages to facilitating events. Most people want to come to the Bay Area, so it is far easier to set up signings here than it would be in, say, Des Moines. Moreover, the Bay Area is filled with local creators, so traveling expenses are negligible. So, some of my tactics may prove useless to you, but hopefully you'll be able to extrapolate some underlying attitudes.)

I can not overstate the value of going to as many major cons as you can afford. The contacts that you can make, if you're prepared to work a little bit, will provide invaluable to you. You will probably find that creators, themselves, are generally prepared to go that extra mile to promote their work directly in your store, whether it be from a personal appearance, to assisting you in getting promotion materials (creating an original piece of artwork or design for your flyers, or making additional phone calls to get promotional material directly to you). Additionally, it is beneficial to create as many relationships as you can with the marketing people from the various publishers. You never know when someone could do you a favor that can create a promotional bonanza.

Of course, I'm discussing here the art of the schmooze -- another concept difficult to discuss empirically. Let it suffice that if you feel an itch to talk to people, to create and broaden your working relationships, then you have the schmooze. If you feel none of these symptoms, well, you probably even be bothering to read this magazine (or at least this article...)

Anyway, as you make more contacts, more will be available to you. And then more still, and so on.

There are two major expenses involved in creator appearances: Travel/lodging/expenses for the pro and advertising. In the Bay Area, this is a $500+ commitment (and 80% of that is the advertisement) It is very important to remember that you won't make your money back on the day of the event (normally, at least). Personal appearances will create sales in the long run, not the short run.

You want to make sure that you have at least one month to promote personal appearances. This is the minimum amount of time you'll need to create window displays, send out press releases, create and run flyers and display advertising, etc. While I've always found it a necessity to advertise in local "hip" media, the most effective advertisement is (assuming you have a sufficient lead time) is flyers, displays, signage, and word of mouth. Media advertising merely serves to reinforce your message. Don't forget to send press releases to both your local papers (especially independents) and the Comic Buyer’s Guide!

It is essential that you treat the pro well. Put them up in a nice place, find out if they have any special desires, provide refreshments for them during the event, and take them out to dinner afterwards, picking their brains for ways you can better promote their material, or if the have suggestions on how to better display their work. While many of their suggestions may prove unusable, I have gotten wonderful suggestions from pros, that helped me sell far more copies of their work.

After the signing, if you had a notable success, or anything out of the usual happened, write a news report, and send it to the local media, and to the CBG. You might as well get your promotion to do double duty for you!

There are pros and cons in working with publishers (as opposed to dealing with the creator directly) - especially with Marvel and DC -- on setting up creator appearances. The big pro argument is that if you work with them, many of your expenses for the appearance are eligible for co-op reimbursement. A major con in working with the Big Two is that they are hesitant to schedule too many appearances with their "big gun" talent -- especially if they are deadline offenders. The bottom line -- most creators are not under exclusive contract to their publishers and will ultimately do what they want to do. You may be able to snag them on your own, but you may have to forgo the co-op option if the publisher is not happy about them going on the road.

However, you can save money by doing your own legwork, and still get some co-op support. You know your area better than the folks in New York (or whatever) and can find affordable, but nice, hotels that will save everybody money. And watch for "package tours" forming. Hypothetically, chances are slim that DC will spring to fly Neil Gaiman into South Dakota for a one-day signing, but they may be open to a plan that will take him to sever area shops for a short number of days to promote a special project. In fact, such "tours" may be company-sponsored and a phone call may be all you need to get you signed up for a slot.

As I said, creator appearances are my most frequent promotion, but I can suggest a few other ways you can draw attention to your store.

Try to form alliances with purveyors of other media in your area. Talk to book stores, record stores, video stores, theaters, etc. Look for ways to generate traffic between your store and theirs. For example, theaters (and their publicity departments) are often happy to get you movie posters, pins, and other paraphernalia, if you give it away in your store, and help promote the film. They get the additional (and effectively free) potential consumers you appeal to, and you get a good reputation from your customers. When a genre related film runs, you can donate related comics material, to give-away, or raffle at the premiere. You could set up a display in the lobby, or leave flyers. Either way you do it, it's important to not wait until the genre film opens -- most theaters will want to see some other participation (on films that really need help) before they'll throw you the bone of a big movie.

Another example of positive use of non-comics connections: When Alpha Flight #106 came out, we held a panel at a local gay bookstore, debating the portrayal of homosexuals in comics. We made a couple phone calls to artists and activists, ran off some flyers, and bingo, we had an event. Rather trying to sell a crummy superhero comic for 5 times cover price, we pointed out the diversity of material available, in genre and not. For a small investment (less than $30 -- and that includes my time), we potentially showed 100 new customers what comics were. (it is important to not let your personal interests limit you to what opportunities you explore. I myself am not gay, nor do I have any interest in gay subculture, but I saw a clear opportunity to introduce a new group of people to comics)

The final promotional tool you must use is usually the most neglected one: In store signage and displays. The way your store looks, and "feels" is important as any event or advertising. If you have new faces coming into your store, you must work to keep them there. The front of your store should be clean, and neat (not covered in generic superhero posters) and clearly marking your store name. If at all possible, you should try to have some sort of cool display in your front windows. I'm lucky enough to have two deep bays, one of which we use exclusively for "artistic" displays, hyping a specific event or appearance. Your store should be well organized, with signs and placards directing people to specific areas, and bringing their attention to whatever special sales or features of your store. Always try to look at your store as an outsider -- someone who has no idea whatsoever as to what comics are, or that they even exist. You'll probably find numerous ways to make your store more palatable to the non-comics person. Listen to your customers! They'll often point out things that you've become blind to.

In summary, keep an open mind, and flexible attitude. Look at the world around you, and explore your opportunities. Always remember that most promotions won't show immediate results. You have to have a fair amount of patience. But, eventually you'll see a steady and inexorable growth in sales. Let me close with one recommendation: seek out a copy of Jay Conrad Levinson's Guerrilla Marketing. It's worth having.