Whoa whoa, wait a sec, I hafta know the cover price before I go to print! How do I figure that out?
• how big your comic is: by which we mean both “what size” and “how many pages”. Let’s assume an eight-page minicomic [one of the “industry standards” and probably the simplest]: each page is one-fourth of a sheet of copy paper, so that’s four pages per side, and comics are printed on both sides of the page, so one two-sided photocopy will hold an entire 8-page mini. • how many you print: if you’re just starting out, a pretty standard print-run for photocopied small press comics is 100. Most places will give you a reduced rate per page once you reach 100 copies, so take advantage of it. Besides, with the number of promo copies you’ll give out, that hundred will dry up sooner than you expect. • how much your printer charges: it usually isn’t too hard to find a printer who can do 100 two-sided copies @ 10 cents each — so that’s ten bucks total (plus tax if any). Therefore, each comic costs you anywhere from 10 to 12 cents, let’s say. Allow a few cents per envelope on mail orders and you
