Marketing

[Dirk]

Thanks for the input, guys.  I'll revisit the banners later.

Now I have to write a PRESS RELEASE, and I am not a qualified journalist. 

All I have is a fairly-well respected and liked graphic novel that is finally seeing nation-wide release.  I have been told to 'think like a journalist' in order to 'find the hook', but I'm having difficulty not making it sound like hype. 

Anyway, this is what I have:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CULT FAVORITE PARADIGM SHIFT HITS SHELVES

CHICAGO, IL – December 3rd,  2007 – Long-time indy favorite Dirk Tiede unveils his underground graphic novel hit Paradigm Shift to unsuspecting comic fans this winter, marking the beginning of national distribution for this web comic classic.

Strap in for a ride through Chicago’s dark back alleys and side streets as detectives Kate McAllister and Mike Stuart follow a trail of mauled victims left by neither man nor beast. Called “a wonderfully written and drawn police thriller” by Moviepoopshoot.com, Paradigm Shift is a police procedural punctuated by explosive gunfights, sardonic humor, and supernatural horror.

Known for its intense action, old-school manga feel, and gritty, authentic Chicago backdrop, Paradigm Shift originally appeared in the starting lineup of the exclusive online comics portal, Modern Tales, and now thrills thousands of fans worldwide with weekly installments at Webcomicsnation.com. Site founder Joey Manley said, “Paradigm Shift reinvents everything it touches… Tiede’s beautiful, engaging art and strong writing make for a very auspicious debut.”  Billed as clever hybrid of slick Japanese style and smart American storytelling by Newtype USA, this paranormal detective thriller delivers twists and turns that will leave readers gasping for more.

Released in black and white digest format Paradigm Shift – Part One: Equilibrium (ISBN-13: 978-0-9789717-1-7) is priced at $9.95. The books ship in February from Dynamanga.net, distributed by Diamond Comics Distributors.

Sample art from the comic is available upon request.

###

For further information contact:
Dynamanga.net
Dirk I, Tiede, Owner
dirk@dynamanga.net
(###) ###-####

This is the base release for comics news sites.  I'm going to modify it slightly for the anime sites (substitute 'manga' in for graphic novel), and then draft an entirely different release for the Chicago home town press playing up the self-publishing local artist angle.

Anyway, thoughts appreciated.

[Adam]

Good Start.

Know any journalist types?

[Dirk]

Here's the next draft:

CULT FAVORITE PARADIGM SHIFT HITS SHELVES

CHICAGO, IL – December 3rd,  2007 – Long-time indy favorite Dirk Tiede unveils his self-published graphic novel hit, Paradigm Shift, to the public this winter, marking the beginning of national distribution for this Webcomic classic.

Strap in for a ride through Chicago’s dark alleys and side streets as detectives Kate McAllister and Mike Stuart follow a trail of mauled victims left by neither man nor beast. Called “a wonderfully written and drawn police thriller” by Moviepoopshoot.com, Paradigm Shift is a police procedural punctuated by sardonic humor, explosive gunfights, and supernatural horror. Billed as a clever hybrid of slick Japanese style and smart American storytelling by Newtype USA, and known for its intense action, old-school manga feel, and gritty, authentic Chicago backdrop, this paranormal detective thriller delivers twists and turns that will leave readers gasping for more.

Paradigm Shift originally appeared in the starting lineup of the exclusive online comics portal, Modern Tales, and now thrills thousands of fans worldwide with weekly installments at Webcomicsnation.com. Site founder Joey Manley said, “Paradigm Shift reinvents everything it touches… Tiede’s beautiful, engaging art and strong writing make for a very auspicious debut.” 

A professional illustrator by trade, Tiede’s work has appeared in the books TOON ART: The Graphic Art of Digital Cartooning and WEBCOMICS, and is highly regarded for the meticulous care he takes in the detailed depictions his home city of Chicago. “I was inspired to draw the comic after I moved here a decade ago,” Tiede said,  “I work from photos taken around the city of places I think will fit into the story.”   A regular on the comics and anime convention scenes, Tiede also makes frequent guest appearances to speak about the process of creating comics and the business of art. 

Released in black and white digest format Paradigm Shift – Part One: Equilibrium (ISBN-13: 978-0-9789717-1-7) collects the first volume of online material, including a special bonus section detailing the process of creating the comic and is priced at $9.95. The books ship in February from Dynamanga.net, distributed by Diamond Comics Distributors.

Sample art from the comic is available upon request.

###

For further information contact:
Dynamanga.net
Dirk I, Tiede, Owner
dirk@dynamanga.net
(###) ###-####

I have to admit I'm struggling on what to say in that first paragraph. Is PS  a 'independent underground alternative manga graphic novel hit'?  What is the best adjective to use here?  I've been told, "Nobody knows what 'indy' or 'underground' means," and "'Self-Published' is the kiss of death."

Maybe I should go with "Long-time Chicago favorite Dirk Tiede unveils his independent graphic novel hit, Paradigm Shift..."

Also, I've gotten my Diamond Order Code, so it's time to get those postcard designs finalized.  Barring minor text edits, here's what I'm going with:



I'm considering printing up extras of these to hand out at cons and to give to stores as bag-stuffers.

[Dirk]

Thanks for all your input, folks.  Between you guys and several other online friends, I think this is about ready for prime-time.  I'm pretty happy with this.   Take a look:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE


CULT FAVORITE PARADIGM SHIFT HITS SHELVES

CHICAGO, IL – December 3rd,  2007 – Longtime indy favorite Dirk Tiede brings his online graphic novel hit, Paradigm Shift, to stores this winter as a beautifully-designed trade paperback, marking the beginning of national distribution for this Webcomic classic. 

Strap in for a ride through Chicago’s dark alleys and side streets as detectives Kate McAllister and Mike Stuart follow a trail of victims mauled by neither man nor beast. Called “a wonderfully written and drawn police thriller” by Moviepoopshoot.com, and lauded as a clever hybrid of slick Japanese style and smart American storytelling by Newtype USA, Paradigm Shift is a police procedural punctuated by sardonic humor, explosive gunfights, and supernatural horror. With its intense action, old-school manga feel, and gritty, authentic Chicago backdrop, this paranormal detective thriller delivers twists and turns will leave readers gasping for more.

Paradigm Shift originally appeared in the starting lineup of the exclusive online comics portal, ModernTales, and now thrills thousands of fans worldwide with weekly installments at Webcomicsnation.com. Site founder Joey Manley said, “Paradigm Shift reinvents everything it touches… Tiede’s beautiful, engaging art and strong writing make for a very auspicious debut.” 

The series is highly regarded for the meticulous care taken in its detailed depictions of the artist’s home city of Chicago. “I was inspired to draw the comic after I moved here a decade ago,” Tiede said,  “I work from photos I take around the city of places that will fit into the story.”

A professional illustrator by trade, Tiede’s work has appeared in the books TOON ART: The Graphic Art of Digital Cartooning and WEBCOMICS.  A regular on the comics and anime convention scenes, he also makes frequent guest appearances to speak about the process of creating comics and the business of art at schools such as The School of the Art Institute of Chicago and The American Academy of Art. 

Released as a 100 page black-and-white, digest-sized soft cover, Paradigm Shift – Part One: Equilibrium (ISBN-13: 978-0-9789717-1-7) collects the first volume of online material, including a special bonus section detailing the process of creating the comic, and is priced at $9.95. The books ship in February from Dynamanga.net, distributed by Diamond Comics Distributors (Order Code: DEC073615 F).

Sample art from the comic is available upon request.

###

For further information contact:
Dynamanga.net
Dirk I, Tiede, Owner
dirk@dynamanga.net
(###) ###-####

   

Barring any major, glaring errors, this is what will go out to comic news outlets next week.  I'll use a slightly-altered version of this for the anime/manga news outlets, but I need to craft a separate release for the local Chicago press.

Thanks again for all your help!

[Adam]

It looks as if some folks have snagged those copies of PS I left at the FAirbanks Comic Shop.

[Dirk]

Awesome!  Well, I sent the big announcement to the comic and anime news sites this morning.  We'll see if anyone bites:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CULT FAVORITE PARADIGM SHIFT HITS SHELVES

CHICAGO, IL – December 3rd,  2007 – Indy webcomic favorite Dirk Tiede will be bringing his long-running online graphic novel Paradigm Shift to stores this February in a handsomely packaged trade paperback, marking the beginning of national distribution for this popular webcomic series.  

Strap in for a ride through Chicago’s dark alleys and side streets as detectives Kate McAllister and Mike Stuart follow a trail of victims mauled by neither man nor beast. Called “a wonderfully written and drawn police thriller” by Moviepoopshoot.com, and described by Newtype USA as a clever hybrid of slick Japanese style and smart American storytelling, Paradigm Shift is a police procedural punctuated by sardonic humor, explosive gunfights, and supernatural horror. With its intense action, old-school manga feel, and gritty, authentic Chicago backdrop, this paranormal detective thriller delivers twists and turns that will leave readers gasping for more.

Paradigm Shift originally appeared in the starting lineup of the exclusive online comics portal, ModernTales, and now thrills thousands of fans worldwide with weekly installments at Webcomicsnation.com. Site founder Joey Manley said, “Paradigm Shift reinvents everything it touches… Tiede’s beautiful, engaging art and strong writing make for a very auspicious debut.”  The series is applauded by fans and critics alike for the meticulous care taken in its detailed depictions of the artist’s home city of Chicago. “I was inspired to draw the comic after I moved here a decade ago,” Tiede said,  “I work from photos I take around the city of places that will fit into the story.”

A professional illustrator by trade, Tiede’s work has appeared in the books TOON ART: The Graphic Art of Digital Cartooning and WEBCOMICS.  A regular on the comics and anime convention scenes, he also makes frequent guest appearances to speak about the process of creating comics and the business of art at schools such as The School of the Art Institute of Chicago and The American Academy of Art. 

Paradigm Shift – Part One: Equilibrium (ISBN-13: 978-0-9789717-1-7) collects the first volume of online material, including a special bonus section detailing the process of creating the comic, and is priced at $9.95. Released as a 100 page black-and-white, digest-sized soft cover, the books ship in February from Dynamanga.net, distributed by Diamond Comics Distributors (Order Code: DEC073615 F).

Sample art from the comic is available upon request. Read the ongoing webcomic at www.paradigmshiftmanga.com and see more of Tiede’s work at www.dynamanga.net.

###

For further information contact:
Dynamanga.net
Dirk I, Tiede, Owner
dirk@dynamanga.net

(###) ###-####