What's Next For WildStar Press?

Let's cut to the chase: Anthologies and general comic submissions are being put on hiatus, IDEALLY until 2028.* 

So, for a full year there won't be any comic intakes that aren't hand picked or previously curated. *With the exception of possibly reaching out to people for acquisition.

But, why?  Well, while we (and by we I mean Akira, the one running the press) absolutely and genuinely appreciate all of the verbal and moral support, monetary support is what keeps the press running. And as the only person running this press, on-boarding costs of artists, printing, and general maintenance like keeping the website up is expensive! And the last thing I want is to put myself in debt and not be able to pay creators. Sacrifices have to be made to keep this press sustainable. 

So, if we're not taking submissions or creating anthologies, what's next for WildStar Press? 

Well! Relax and hold those metaphorical horses because books are still in the works! Collaborations are still being had! We're still here!

To name a few projects:

• An upcoming book, by Studio Cat Tie & Spookii, will be crowdfunded for print. This will be the first time we crowdfund for production and not just printing in an effort to make sure the creators can get the full pay they deserve.

• Bonedust Press and WildStar Press have an anthology collaboration in the works right now! 

• Plus, there's still books slated for release between now and 2028! (A new book that will be announced mid August, Plastic Crown getting a completed trade, Mere Mortals getting a vvolume 2 - to give you a sneak peek!) 

These projects still need YOUR help getting brought to life, so don't forget to support them when they debut. And while these projects are being created, WildStar will be focusing on doubling the marketing efforts. As much as we appreciate everyone on the convention scene that supports and picks up a book, convention costs are also expensive! Purchasing books directly from our site and telling comic and book shops to stock our books using our wholesale code [email for that: info@wildstarpress.com ] helps tremendously. 

And well, we know the world is in shambles (in a lot of ways) so if you can't support monetarily, then don't forget to just tell people about us! Not just friends and family, but comic journalists and podcasters that want to share more about comics, especially indie ones! Coverage is just as important as buying the books.

On top of that, we will also be dipping back into our online publications: Review Starlight - Book and Comic reviews, Curiosity’s Corner - helpful how-to guides to help those that are trying to just get started whether industry professional or hobbyist, and The Morning Dew - a discussion of industry and community topics. (We may even hire some writers in the future for these! Keep an eye out for that.)

There’s a lot of work happening in the background, all geared towards making sure I can keep WildStar Press moving forward and eventually expanding in some capacity, so as repetitive as it is, thank you for sticking with the press for as long as you have. And if you made it this far, then you get to know that in September, there will be an anniversary sale (8 years wow!), but to get the code you’ll have to sign up for the newsletter!

Lastly, we also have a tip jar [ko-fi] if you’re feeling generous and want to help us keep the lights on~

I hope to continue doing this for years to come and it’d be really cool if you helped me get to that point! But it's not just about me running an indie publisher, it's about giving a home to stories that have nowhere else to go. It's about breaking the "needing a job for experience but needing experience for a job" cycle.

It's about amplifying the voices of creatives that deserve to be heard.

Till next time 💫

Akira B.