Creating a Graphic Novel Part 3: Sharing the Story!

Hello friends! Here is the final part of the 3-part series about creating my webcomic/graphic novel, Imaginarium.

Part 3: Sharing the Story

Guys, I've decided this is my favorite image from this series of emails:


100 pages (+2 short stories) all in one place!


Yay! Now I have a story...but who will read it?

My goal was always to make a printed book, but I knew that online it would find a wider audience as a webcomic. So, it's time to make Imaginarium webcomic-friendly!


I took my finished pages, chopped them up, and rearranged them into a long, scrolling format that's easier to read on small screens.

It was an interesting challenge to reformat my pages, making lots of decisions on how to cut and space the panels to give a smooth reading experience!

I tried to choose natural breaking points for each weekly episode, usually turning two pages into an episode.



I used several different cover images for the story...I'm still learning and experimenting, but the goal is an intriguing, easily readable picture that catches peoples' interest and makes them want to click!

Now that the story is almost complete online (the last episode will be posted on April 29th!) I'm ready to publish the whole story as a softcover book.

Of course, that means that I needed to design a cover! As with the webcomic cover images, the goal is an interesting image that won't appear cluttered or confusing--especially at small sizes. Today I'm excited to share with you the complete wraparound cover image for Imaginarium!



I decided to focus on Verity, as the main character, and add the castle and chapel as silhouettes on the back cover. I still might adjust the colors and shading a bit, but you get the general idea. :)

This morning I took the next step in getting this story into your hands: the Imaginarium Kickstarter is now live!

I'm planning to make Imaginarium available through Amazon and other online retailers and this Kickstarter will help me cover the initial setup/printing costs. It's also an opportunity for you to get a signed copy of the book!

Whew--it's been a long journey, but I've learned so much along the way! As this story comes to a close, I'm excited to get started on my next project.

I hope you've enjoyed seeing a bit of what went into creating my first graphic novel and that you've been inspired to tackle your own creative projects!

Thank you so much for being part of the story,
Amanda

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