Why I've signed with ComiXology

I've signed with ComiXology to make my comics available digitally. This weekend I'll be prepping SIP for them. I'd like to get Rachel Rising to them ASAP as well.

Don't misunderstand me as abandoning print. That's not the case at all. I'm adding this to the mix, not replacing anything. For me, digital is another retail outlet. I want—I NEED—to be on your iPad, and ComiXology is the way to do that. I'm very happy to work with them and I'm happy they want to carry my work.

Because I have a larger readership than my direct market figures suggest, I constantly hear from readers about the difficulty in finding my books. That's not good. Today, in the age of iPad, new readers are practically demanding I get my digital act together. And they're right. It's time.  I leave you with my latest readers's story. This is from Aaron in Massachusetts. I couldn't agree with him more.

Add me to the list of those who really hope Rachel Rising will be going digital as soon as possible. The current Direct Market is thoroughly broken, in my opinion. I work in Framingham, MA, and there simply is no comic shop worthy of the name here. I read only a few books a month, but your comics have always been among them. The problem is availability. I went to Bedrock Comics today, asked about Rachel Rising #5, and was told that they only ordered two copies, and both were pre-orders. The shopkeeper said when the book first came out, he ordered more, based on track record, but they didn't sell. I simply don't have the time to go searching around, and I don't buy enough comics to warrant a pull list. I'm not sure what the problem is that there "isn't a single penny" for you with digital, but I'd buy PDFs straight from this site if I could. Unfortunately, I can't justify $6.99 plus shipping for a comic. How many others are there in my position? How many more issues could you sell, if only they were available to purchase? Is the problem piracy? Conversion costs? Honestly, a bit of piracy would probably be a good thing for Rachel Rising, because it would get the title into more people's hands, build more buzz.

There is something profoundly wrong with the distribution system when a title from a leading creator can't be found at a comic store in a major metropolitan area. I can't see how digital would be any worse for you, and it would be a lot better for me (and I'm betting plenty of others). I want to support your work, but it shouldn't be this difficult.