We’ll we’re off…

Null Space gets a bit of a launch write up here: https://downthetubes.net/launching-today-pj-holdens-null-space (thank you John Freeman!) Let’s see how it goes. I suppose there’s a few valuable lessons I’ve already learnt from a project like this.

One I do like variety, but it’s tempting to draw multiple strips in a week and that produces samey-ness. So I’ve already drawn two fantasy strips one week after another, although one is outright comedy and the other sort of dark fantasy, because I drew them within a day or so I ended up in a similar place art wise. So I’m giving a bit of time between the two Christmas episodes to see if my brain can’t come up with something different.

Organising working with a lot of writers is hard! Anthologies are hard! they’re all lovely, it’s just my level of competence is low for this sort of work.

I need to be a lot better at contacting websites about PR stuff. It’s very much I want people to see it, but I have no idea how best to do that. I should be less afraid of just straight up asking, what would help you to publicise this (because those websites need content as much as I need people to see the thing exists)

Probably my biggest asset right now is my mailing list of 360 people, and so I need to figure out ways to build that up (and ways to offer content in it that is unique and useful)

I think I got the branding nearly right, calling it “PJ Holden’s Null Space” is a little cringe, I admit, but I think I need to brand every project that I get involved in with my name. Because A4 could be anything, Null Space could be anything. But lobbing my name on them in front gives nice clear water between “PJ Holden’s A4” and “A4”. That said, when I talk about these things I’ll be dropping the naming and just going with A4 because otherwise I’ll look like an egocentric monster. And I’m only one of those things.

Self hosting was a tough call, I did – years ago – set up a website for a thing such as this, channelhex.com, but I never used it for anything and over the years the naming has felt more and more pointless. So I’ll probably let the domain go. I did try hosting it there, but it became “PJ Holden’s Channel Hex hosting PJ Holden’s Null Space” (well, not really, but it could’ve IT COULD HAVE!)

There’s a chance I’m going to throw a version of it up on tapas, which I think will bring a lot more eyeballs to the strip. (I’m a firm believer that comics need to be read by an audience otherwise it’s just a very enjoyable four-five hours spent in your own company drawing a comic for no one to read) I’ll likely do it so it comes out midweek, behind this website. We’ll see.

Anyway, bookmark it, tell your friends – tell all your friends! Next week The Victim by Tade Thompson