FML

"ARE WE DOOMED?" Probably. I don't know. It was the subject line of a New Yorker email and made me laugh for some reason. YMMV.

First: yes, we still intend to move to Buttondown. I set up a paid account and everything. However, I’m having a tech issue where signing in to some sites (Buttondown included) triggers my Apple ID to lock. I called the help desk on Monday and the problem has been escalated to the Apple engineering department (I know, I feel fancy), but in the meantime, we’re still at Substack. This has prompted me to question my every life decision leading to this moment, so please bear with me. I’m in a weird headspace right now.

Moving on! I won’t bore you with everything that’s been going on with us over the last few years because you have better things to do and I hate whiners. Ultimately, I trying to focus on the big picture: I have a great job, great friends, the best partner I could imagine, and two insanely terrific kids. (The dogs are mezzo mezzo, but whatever.)

Let’s talk about that great job. Part of it involves a new creator-owned book! My first CO launch in nearly a decade. The market has changed considerably since Bitch Planet first launched, and though I tend to think of myself as ‘pretty good at marketing’ (whatever that means), I have yet to figure out how exactly to go about getting my digital house in order.

(It occurs to me that I might ought to have this conversation with Bendis. Have you checked out his Jinxworld thing? He’s wrapped his arms around this well.)

Strategy is key. My impulse is to just DO SOMETHING or even DO ALL THE THINGS but I’m trying to be smart about this. I don’t have have time for my usual spaghetti-slinging/intuitive approach. And honestly, the time and money I’ve put into trying to bring the #VisibleWomen project into its post-Twitter era incarnation has yet to bear fruit, so I’m losing a bit of the confidence I used to have around navigating virtual spaces. Decentralization has a lot to do with it. With Twitter having taken such a heel-turn, there’s no one town square – there’s like, what, 5 or 6? Let’s see… Bluesky, Threads, Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, Twitch, Reddit… I’m probably missing a few. Plus semi-private groups like those on Discords or Slacks... Then there are the comic shops, of course. They’re a huge part of the equation.

Think with me: What’s the problem that needs to be solved?

How do we bring the new book to the attention of those readers who might enjoy it?

Easy answer: make sure that Comic Book Retailers know about the book and have everything they need to recommend it to the right readers.

Next logical question: Who are those readers?

Avoiding giving away too much about the book too early (I’ve made this mistake before), in broad terms, potential readers fall into to first level subgroups:

My People—people who’ve read and enjoyed previous books by myself and the rest of the creative team (hopefully you, dear reader, are among them); and Potential My People—people who are interested in the topics or tone of the new book. (This whole vague thing is gonna get old fast, isn’t it?)

Egotistical much, Kel? Let’s call the first group FRIENDS instead. For our Friends, we need to make sure they know the book is coming (HI THE BOOK IS COMING) and where to find it. (You’ll be able to pre-order it through your aforementioned local comic book shop soon, though not quite yet.)

Obviously, we can’t take our FRIENDS for granted, so we also need to tell them what kind of book it is, what sort of story, and why we’re excited. Plus, we need to do that somewhere they’re likely to see it. Sure helps if we can come up with some fun and hasn’t-been-done-a-million-times incentives and hooks too. Some JOY. Some FUN. Jesus, we all need some joy and some fun right now, don’t we?

FRIENDS are already inclined to pick up the book, we just need to make it easy and appealing. The second group, the ones we’re gonna call POTENTIAL FRIENDS, they’re a bigger puzzle. They also need some joy and some fun, but first, we have to find them, meet them where they are, and then with the hooks and the joy and fun. It’s harder to think through this “out loud” until I can go into more detail, but let’s just say, since Twitter sucks and Instagram destroyed hashtags (way to destroy a thing that’s working, guy, thanks), identifying interest arenas and using those tags on social media is not likely a winning strategy anymore.

This might sound like rambling, but this is the process. Does it make sense so far?

Hilariously, one step I’ve taken toward figuring the digital part out is to dust off my Tumblr. (“Hilariously,” because when I started thinking this through I said that I can’t depend on the tools that worked for Bitch Planet (Twitter), but Tumblr was a HUGE part of marketing Captain Marvel. )

Everything old is new again? Maybe.

But it’s not gonna be that easy, alas. This collection of thoughts is neither a cogent marketing strategy nor a particularly sticky newsletter, but if you’ve ever wondered about how professional creatives approach marketing their independent work… Well, everything starts—for me anyway—with this kind of messy brain dump. Figure out what problem you’re trying to solve first. Then research the questions that follow, THEN you can start looking at creative solutions.

One stop shopping—something like Bendis’s approach with Jinxworld—is so smart and appealing, but Bendis has been tending that garden in one way or another for more than 20 years. I’m not sure that’s a thing that can, or should be, duplicated.

Okay, I’ve got to get back to actual writing, but expect more next week at this time. Will it be Substack or Buttondown? WHO KNOWS. Please feel free to share your thoughts and suggestions in the comments. Your feedback, suggestions and ideas are always appreciated!

—Kelly Sue

Upcoming Appearances

• Saturday, June 15

  • KS will be at Books with Pictures Minicon in support of G. Willow Wilson

• August 8 - 12

  • KS will be at WorldCon - Glasgow 2024.

    • I’m not a guest of the show, but Historia’s up for a Hugo. I didn’t go the year Bitch Planet was nominated and I’ve always regretted it, so this year I’m going. I got my membership but haven’t made any travel plans or booked any accomodations yet. If you have recommendations, by all means — share!

• August 29 - September 2

  • KS will be at Dragon*Con with Good Trouble/CAAVE Media team

• September 6 - 8

  • KS and Fraction will both be at Rose City Comic Con

• October

  • Italy in October. I want to see the Biennale again (I went last in 1993), then head south so the kids can see a bit of Rome, maybe swing by the Tarot Garden and, at the end, meet Denise and my dad in Sicily. Dad’s health is failing, dementia is setting in and if I want to see Piraino, where our family is from, with him, I need to do it soon. Very soon. Like, it-might-already-be-too-late soon. I share this here in case I’ve got any friends in Italy with comic shop connections that might want to do a signing or something while we’re there. The trip is going to be expensive—there’s just no way around that, and travel is always worth it—but if we could do a professional appearance or two while we’re there we might be able to offset and/or write off a bit of it. No pressure or anything, just a thought I’m putting to the universe to see if anything sparks.

    • Speaking of Italy — have any of you gone through this process? https://itamcap.com/dual-citizenship/jure-sanguinis/

Things You Might Have Missed

• Fraction and I both made contributions to the The Men’s Health Comic Book Omnibus. (Yes, we think that’s as funny as you do.) Did you catch what both my picks have in common?

• Pretty Deadly Vault Edition is out! It’s so beautiful. (I love that they left the inscriptions on the pages.)

• Speaking of Emma Ríos, Anzuelo will be out in November!

• Page I Love with Kelly Sue DeConnick

• Wonder Woman Historia: The Amazons latest accolades. (We’re chuffed. Chuffed, I say.)

  • 2024 Hugo Finalist

  • 2024 Oregon Book Award Finalist

  • 2024 Eisner nominated

  • 2024 Pop Culture Classroom Excellence in Graphic Literature Award Finalist

Various Nonsense

• Media Diet

  • I’m currently reading Rebel Girl, Parasol Against the Axe, Mary Tyler Moorehawk and an advance copy of this.

  • I loved, loved, loved The Fall Guy and if you did too, you can thank the guy that wrote it by buying one or both of these hats. I’ve made my choice.

• Kid Updates

  • Henry Leo went to prom as a sophomore. Theme was “Vampire Prom.” Young man did us proud.

  • Tee’s taken up guitar! Here she is trying to play for her dad, but he keeps cracking her up.

• Where to find us on the interwebs -

  • Cara.app - I went ahead and joined even though it felt vaguely inappropriate since the site is clearly meant to be for artists. Like, OH GOOD. HERE COME THE WRITERS. MAYBE NOW THEY’LL GET SOME ATTENTION FOR A CHANGE. [If you’re new to the internet, that’s sarcasm.] Haven’t figured out what or how to post there. I don’t think it’s appropriate to post other people’s art under my profile, so maybe it’ll just be a place I lurk and signal boost. I dunno. Will think on it.

  • Community - You can join our text lists by texting any or all of the following codes to (503) 738-1029. You can also text me directly there. I can’t always respond, but I often do. It’s free (your carrier’s messaging rates may apply), but only available in the US and Canada.

    • BGSD - This is the Bitches Get Shit Done list. I used to send out near-daily, uh, let’s say inspirational messages focused on productivity and goal focus. Then 2016 happened and now it’s the occasional reminder to drink water and take care of yourself. The “Shit” in question evolves, okay?

    • MILKFED - General Kelly Sue and Matt stuff — books, signings, cons, shows, etc.

    • VISIBLE - for updates on the #VisibleWomen project.

    • FML - I’m not telling. You’ll have to join to find out.

  • Fraction is not super big on social media, but you can find him occasionally on Bluesky. (I think his Instagram is private. I’ll have to check.) I’m there too.

• House DeFraction

  • You can measure my stress level by my interest in household projects. When one goes up, so does the other. As a result I’ve recently redecorated the kids’ bathroom and the powder room, bought a new kitchen table (ours had belonged to my grandmother and had been in service since the early 1960s. It was falling apart and it was time. RIP, Table. You served us all so well), got a bunch of quotes to replace all the carpet in the house with LVT and LVP. Funniest (?) part is that I have ADHD, so I get one project alllllll most finished and then I move on to the next thing. Our house is a minefield of paint cans and random building materials at the moment. Good times. (I already see a therapist, but thanks for your concern.)
    
    I’m doing a doodle thing in the powder room (that sounds nasty, but I mean like, on the walls. Wait—):

    

• Affiliate links — If you use these links, I get a vig of some kind. Nothing here I don’t legitimately use and endorse, just want to make sure I’m being transparent about this.

  • I’ve traded out at least a third of my closet this year using ThredUp. I LOVE IT SO MUCH. No lie. I’m currently waiting to receive a $150 Cos crossbody bag I’ve been coveting that I found second-hand on ThredUp for $38. Should be here on Thursday. Use my link and get 45% off your first order, plus free shipping. (Their coupons are usually stackable, FYI. Not always, but give it a try.)

  • I’ve been using SaneBox to help me keep my inbox manageable since 2013. SINCE 2013, y’all. That’s back when the world was a happier place! Remember?? Anyway, I obviously love it. You can try it out here: https://try.sanebox.com/3p775agcbhan

Friends and Family

A few things to spotlight from folks we dearly love:

• Anzuelo from Emma Ríos

The Sea, secretly more complex than anyone imagined, rises one day. The horizon folds as the Sea absorbs the world and transforms everything that's been pulled inside it. Three kids find themselves unmoored and lost, but brought together by the physical and mental changes wrought by the tides and a desire to avoid harming any living creature.

"Echoing the transformative odysseys of Octavia Butler and the speculative resilience of Margaret Atwood's MaddAddam trilogy, Emma Ríos’s Anzuelo is a story of survival, connection, and evolution that resonates with the depth and mystery of the ocean."

– Kelly Sue DeConnick (Bitch Planet)

• William of Newbury #1 from Mike Oeming

William of Newbury is a neurotic monk, fearful of the earthly world, but confident and unwavering in the face of true evil. He fights the dead to restore peace, but his brother is intent on stopping him, fearing for his soul.

Loosely based on real events in 12th century England during what was known as “The Anarchy”, a time beset with plague, civil war, and demons.
 

• The Second Chance of Darius Logan from David F. Walker

Darius Logan is far from a hero. Since his parents were killed, he has spent most of his life navigating foster homes and shelters, abandoned neighborhoods and decaying buildings. All Darius knows is survival. Life was hard enough, but now he finds himself being hunted by the police after a drug deal he never should have been involved in goes bad. And when they catch him, Darius is positive he will spend the rest of his life behind bars.

But in place of a long prison sentence, Darius is handed an opportunity almost too good to be true: the chance to get away from his circumstances by joining the Second Chance program of the Super Justice Force, a league of people with special powers who strive to do good and protect the world from harm. Darius soon discovers a strength he never knew he possessed, but evil forces manifest and threaten to destroy everything he holds dear. Will Darius be able to save the world when he faces a deadly--and all too familiar--enemy?

• Galaxy of Madness Vol. 1 from Magdalene Visaggio, Mike Oeming & Taki Soma
  

In the far-flung thrilling future of the 41st Century, and on the other side of the galaxy, a swashbuckling space archaeologist, Vigil Virgo, is on the cusp of learning a universe-shattering secret in this four-color fantasy! But she’ll have to dive into the abyss, where no human was ever meant to go, to do it. The question is what happens when she emerges from the other side.

• The Hunger and the Dusk Vol. 1 from G. Willow Wilson & Chris Wildgoose

In a dying world, only humans and orcs remain—mortal enemies battling for territory and political advantage. But when a group of fearsome ancient humanoids known as the Vangol arrive from across the sea, the two struggling civilizations are forced into a fragile alliance to protect what they have built.
Collects issues #1-6 of the critically acclaimed hit series.

• The Power Fantasy #1 from Kieron Gillen & Caspar Wijngaard

“The Power Fantasy emerged in a similar way to The Wicked + The Divine,” said Gillen in a statement. “I was doing a book at Marvel, and became aware of exactly the sort of things I could do with the reins taken off. “As The Wicked + the Divine was to Young Avengers, this is to Immortal X-men. It’s a comic informed by superheroes, but one where a fight is the absolute lose state, for everyone. It’s set from 1945-1999, and so is a chance to really have fun with an alternate cultural history too. I think you can see it as an extension of my best work: WicDivian alternate-pop culture, a cold-war take on Uber’s realpolitik, Die’s social group drama hyper-charged by genre.”

The book is said to sit in between the aesthetics of subversive works such as The Boys and Watchmen. It will be available in August.

• Chip Zdarsky.

Pretty sure Chip’s got 9000+ more books coming out tonight probably but I’m not gonna look them all up because I don’t know how he does it and therefore fuck that guy. That link is to his newsletter. I’m sure you’ll find everything there.

The End

Hey, you read all the way to the end! You’re awesome, thank you. Here’s a treat: there’s a secret message hidden in this newsletter. Can you find it?