This transcript was generated from the episode audio and may contain minor errors.
[Music]
Hey friends, what's up? Welcome to a brand new month. Welcome back to the podcast, Side Hustle School. My name is Chris Guillebeau, your host. Today's question is a subscription box for indie comics, the right idea.
I love helping people think through their business ideas or side hustle ideas. And something you can do right at the outset is kind of ask yourself, is there a market for this idea? Not just people who are like, oh, this is a cool thing. That's not a market. The market is people who are willing to pay, like potential buyers who don't have too many objections, or at least it's easy to overcome those objections and get them to commit.
So in this episode, we're gonna help a comic enthusiast decide whether a subscription box is the best way to promote indie creators. We'll also consider some alternative models that might be more flexible, cost effective, and easier to manage. But of course, I want to be encouraging, not discouraging. So that's whenever I try to redirect something, that's always the intent, just so you know. And hopefully it's helpful, not just to our caller today, but to somebody else out there who's figuring out their next steps.
So what is the best path to achieve your goals? That's basically what we're coming down to today, specifically looking at this zine subscription or comic book subscription. Stay tuned for the detailed question and my answer. [Music]
Hey, Chris, I'm Daniel. I want to start a subscription box that promotes indie comic creators and zines, but the challenge is finding creators who can produce consistently and fit a niche audience.
How do I ensure steady supply while creating a unique value proposition for comic fans? I'm afraid of investing time and money into this, only for the content to dry out. - All right, Daniel, it is an inspiring concept. I respect the hustle. I love to support indie comic creators as well, or at least I love that vision, as well as introducing them to a dedicated audience.
Nevertheless, a subscription box comes with significant challenges. So I think it's smart to ask, is this the best way to achieve your goals? Which, as I said in the introduction, that's what it comes down to. There might be more than one way to achieve your goals. There might be more than one business model for this hobby you have or this interest you have, whatever you're passionate about.
So sometimes you need to kind of develop that a bit more. Let's break it down. The challenges of subscription boxes are real, like subscription boxes rely on consistent supply and demand. You're gonna have churn, which is basically people signing up and then canceling. So you need to always have new people coming in.
It can really lead to burnout. I've seen it happen with a lot of people. You have this vision and you're excited about it, but then you just have to keep hustling all the time. And obviously we like hustling here on Side Hustle School, but I also think it's important to work smart, not just hard, and it can be difficult. So perhaps a better way to achieve your goals.
What about like a one-time collection where you're selling a bundle and that way you don't have to keep trying to get people to re-engage and re-engage, gives you more flexibility, leads to passive income perhaps, and a platform like Gumroad could be great for that. I used to use Gumroad when selling information products many years ago. I think it's been like a decade, but Gumroad is still around, going strong, and it's really great for independent creators like Daniel. So check that out, gumroad.com. I also might encourage you to consider a digital first option in addition to the printed comics or zines.
Just consider a digital option and just make some things easier. And again, I understand that some people really want the physical product, I respect that too. Just consider it. And as you move forward and kind of regroup a little bit, focus on supporting the community. If your passion lies in promoting indie creators, what are some other ways to elevate their work?
Maybe you can open an online storefront that features indie comics and zines on consignment. So you're earning an affiliate commission essentially. Maybe there could be some kind of event or showcase that you could host. There's probably all kinds of other stuff. So I just think personally about this idea, I think it's gonna be challenging to do it.
And if your goal is not to make money, then that's fine. But if you want to make money, I think maybe something else might be less stressful and more feasible. That's my two cents. I always try to give it to you straight, but I hope it is helpful. Listeners, let me know what you think.
And if you have a question, sidehustleschool.com/questions, we've got all kinds of stuff coming out this year and a new episode every day. That's right, seven days a week. You can find the entire archives on the website, sidehustleschool.com, or you can subscribe or follow wherever you get your podcasts for new episodes. Thank you once again. I'll be back tomorrow.
My name is Chris Guillebeau. This is "Side Hustle School." [Music]
From the Onward Project.
