The Most Expensive Part of Building Zamora Isn't Drawing It: It's Believing It's Worth Printing
- JP de la Rama
- 2 days ago
- 5 min read
"The biggest investment you'll ever make in your art isn't the money you spend printing it. It's believing your story deserves to exist in someone else's hands."
Introduction: Setting the Stage
These past few weeks have felt less like making comics...
...and more like running a small publishing company.
One day, I'm lettering the final pages of Zamora Volume 1.
Next, I'm driving across town visiting printers.
Comparing paper stocks.
Asking about binding.
Calculating production costs.
Requesting quotations.
Recalculating those quotations after seeing my bank account.
Then, doing it all over again.
If everything stays on schedule, Zamora Volume 1 will finally head to the printer in time for its debut at Cagayanime this August.
For years, the biggest challenge was creating the story.
Now the challenge is something completely different.
Making sure people can actually hold it in their hands.
And that's a challenge many artists never talk about.
Because creating art is only half the journey.
Producing it is an entirely different skill.
The Hidden Cost of Building Your Own IP
When people imagine making a graphic novel, they usually picture someone sitting quietly at a desk drawing pages.
That's certainly part of it.
But once the artwork is finished...
...a completely different game begins.
Paper.
Binding.
Packaging.
Merchandise.
Shipping.
Pricing.
Cash flow.
Return on investment.
Suddenly, you're no longer thinking like an artist.
You're thinking like a publisher.
A manufacturer.
A small business owner.
And honestly?
That transition can be intimidating.
I'm aiming for something inspired by the quality of DC Compact Comics.
A 6 × 9-inch format.
A full-color interior printed on stock bond to keep costs manageable.
Hopefully, a glossy cover if the budget allows.
Then there's the companion Lorebook.
A smaller, 24-page black-and-white guide introducing readers to Zamora's mythology, characters, monsters, and early concept art.
More affordable.
More accessible.
A gateway into the world.
Then come the shirts.
The stickers.
Maybe even a handful of hand-drawn sketch cards if the budget stretches far enough.
Each decision sounds small.
Until you add them together.
Then reality arrives.
Printing isn't cheap.
Especially when you're funding it yourself.
Emotion Commits the Crime, Logic Does the Cover-Up
This is usually where many creators stop.
Not because they lack talent.
Because fear starts making financial arguments.
"What if nobody buys it?"
"What if I never recover the investment?"
"What if I lose money?"
"What if I'm not well-known enough?"
Those sound like logical business questions.
But underneath them is something emotional.
Fear of rejection.
Fear of failure.
Fear that your work won't matter.
I've asked myself every one of those questions.
Especially while comparing production quotes.
Because the truth is simple.
I'm still an independent creator.
I'm not a household name.
There's no guarantee this investment pays for itself.
And that's okay.
Because I had to stop looking at production as an expense.
And start looking at it as something else.
The Visibility Investment
I call it:
The Visibility Investment
Some investments generate immediate profit.
Others generate opportunities.
Printing Zamora isn't simply about selling books.
It's about making the project real.
It's about creating something people can pick up, flip through, photograph, recommend, and remember.
It's about showing up.
Meeting readers.
Talking to fellow artists.
Building relationships.
Testing ideas.
Learning what resonates.
Every copy sold is wonderful.
Every conversation is valuable.
Every person who discovers Zamora becomes another seed planted for the future.
That's an investment that spreadsheets struggle to measure.
But creators understand it instinctively.
Because visibility compounds.
Just like habits do.
The Small Wins Compound
Reading Atomic Habits changed how I think about progress.
James Clear argues that remarkable results are rarely created by one giant leap.
They're built through small actions repeated consistently.
The same principle applies to creative businesses.
One comic becomes two.
One convention becomes five.
One reader tells another.
One sketch card becomes a collector's item.
One conversation becomes a collaboration.
One fan becomes a lifelong supporter.
None of those moments look significant on their own.
Together, they build momentum.
Momentum eventually becomes a career.
That's why I'm willing to make sacrifices now.
Not because I'm expecting instant returns.
Because I'm investing in future possibilities.
Five Lessons Every Artist Should Learn Before Printing Their First Book
1. Budget for More Than the Book
Printing is only one expense.
Packaging, displays, merchandise, transportation, and unexpected costs arrive quickly.
Always leave room for surprises.
2. Design Around Your Resources
Dream big.
Produce realistically.
Sometimes a stock bond interior and a smaller format allow the project to exist today instead of waiting another year.
Finished beats perfect.
3. Think Like a Publisher
Creating the artwork is only one responsibility.
Pricing, manufacturing, presentation, and customer experience matter just as much.
4. Treat Early Projects as Marketing
Your first release doesn't have to maximize profit.
Sometimes its greatest value is introducing people to your world.
Visibility often produces opportunities long after the event ends.
5. Celebrate Small Wins
One printed comic.
One satisfied reader.
One meaningful conversation.
Those moments compound into something much larger over time.
Never underestimate incremental progress.
For Artists and Entrepreneurs
If you're an artist...
Don't judge your first release solely by profit.
Judge it by what it teaches you.
By the people you meet.
By the confidence you gain.
If you're building a business...
The principle is the same.
Sometimes your first product isn't your biggest revenue generator.
It's your introduction to the market.
Different industries.
Same lesson.
Momentum is built before success becomes visible.
Before vs. After
Before
Dreaming about publishing.
Thinking only about making art.
Waiting until everything felt perfect.
Seeing production as an obstacle.
After
Comparing printers.
Managing budgets.
Building merchandise.
Preparing for conventions.
Thinking like both an artist and a publisher.
Understanding that every release is an investment in the future.
The Real Return on Investment
Will I recover every peso I spend on Zamora?
Maybe.
Maybe not.
And strangely...
That's no longer the question keeping me awake.
The better question is this:
What happens if I never give people the chance to discover it?
A story hidden on a hard drive changes no one.
A comic sitting in someone's hands might.
That's worth investing in.
Not because success is guaranteed.
Because regret is far more expensive.
Ask, and You Shall Receive
Let me ask you something.
What's one investment you've been avoiding because the return isn't guaranteed?
A product?
A book?
A course?
A business?
A creative project?
Now ask yourself this:
What if the greatest return isn't immediate profit, but becoming the kind of person who finishes what they start?
That's the investment I'm making with Zamora.
One page.
One book.
One convention.
One small win at a time.
Because that's how creative careers are built.
Not through giant breakthroughs.
But through hundreds of small decisions that compound into something bigger than you imagined.
Next Newsletter
I'll take you behind the convention table and share everything I'm preparing for Cagayanime—from booth design and merchandising to pricing strategies, reader psychology, and the lessons every indie creator should know before selling their first original IP in person.
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