January of 1989.
Today is the big day. The release of the Slam Dunk and Ghost Report/YuYu Hakusho comics. The manga's colors are portrayed in a carefully detailed black-and-white tone, thanks to my superior drawing skills. I hope to achieve a complete sale of 50,000 copies of both series this month. The initial distribution will take place nationwide, with plans to expand to Canada soon. In summary, there are nearly one million potential comic readers in the population, and if we consider the drawing update, my skill level would be categorized around 2010, which is quite acceptable.
In the end, with the top position at Dark Horse Comics, a total of 500,000 copies were printed, with around 25,000 copies to be distributed per serial number.
The first Slam Dunk comic introduces our protagonist Sakuragi/Wilt Robertson, a teenager with anger issues who is considered a delinquent due to his behavior. He has one goal only: to find a girlfriend who will love him, despite having an impressive record of fifty rejections, which makes him the laughingstock among his loyal friends who are also considered a gang.
In an unlikely encounter, he meets Haruko Akagi/Hanna Brosmer and becomes completely infatuated with her. Being a basketball fanatic, Sakuragi/Wilt tries to impress her with his basketball skills, despite never having played basketball before and having no knowledge of the sport's main rules.
The manga begins with a girl with black hair and smooth, fair skin.
-I like Orlando from the basketball team. - I'm sorry, Sakuragi/Wilt, - the woman says.
Sakuragi/Wilt can only scream in regret as his heart breaks in two. A crowd in the distance shouts, "Ohhhhh!"
You could graduate peacefully. -
-Fifty girls, hooray! -
-Congratulations, Wilt. In three years of junior high, you've been rejected by fifty girls. -
-No one will beat that record for sure! -
The miserable Sakuragi/Wilt thinks.
-Ouch! Don't hit us! - say the group of boys who are struck by Sakuragi/Wilt.
The manga's storyline continues with Wilt's depression caused by the rejection from girls and his enrollment in senior high school.
Since 10:00 AM, comic stores have opened, offering manga. Overall, the manga features an impressive full-color cover of Sakuragi/Wilt holding a basketball, wearing the orange school uniform of South California. The cover is embossed cardboard, and the pages are on 140-gram offset paper, thick and glossy, with beautiful illustrations. Given the American interest in sports, it's highly likely that most people will be interested in buying the comic, priced at $1.99.
If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.
-How are you? -my father asked.
-I'm fine. I'm confident. I'll be satisfied if the first issue of Slam Dunk sells 50,000 copies. As for Ghost Report, which premieres tomorrow, I don't have a general estimate yet, but I hope for a similar value, - I replied.
The cost of the 500,000 copies amounted to seven cents per issue, which is $35,000. The amount was borrowed from Dark Horse Comics with a monthly interest rate of 5%, and the pressure weighed on my mind.
The system classified the sale of 100,000 copies. I'm partially certain that among future wishes, one of them is to have a book signing or to complete a series. Maybe become an actor. In my next steps, I'm waiting to improve my drawing skills and buy some series before their publication.
Although I'll try to extend some series and use others, it's not possible to have a book signing for more than 10 series at once if I want to become an actor. Therefore, I'll focus on finishing Slam Dunk and Ghost Report as quickly as possible to move on to the next series.
Due to the impressive print run we conducted; production costs are not particularly high. However, we need $40,000 to start recovering the lost money, which is focused solely on Ghost Report/YuYu Hakusho. It's quite peculiar how fame can help one series contribute to the success of another, given the market's attraction.
Therefore, on January 10, 1989, the new wave of comics began. Deep down, my only desire was to fulfill my goals as an actor. But the key moment of comic sales is also a crucial part of my creative development idea.
The following day, on January 11, 1989, Ghost Report premiered. I restarted school and resumed my new acting idea at the theater club, taking advantage of the acting classes my grandfather secretly paid for as a Christmas gift. Almost fifteen days passed, and today, on January 25, the first sales report for comics by states would be carried out. Throughout the day, I received exciting feedback from my readers, which gave me a good omen that the sales were going well.
The results were revealing: a total of 23,000 copies for the first volume of Slam Dunk, and 21,000 copies for the second volume. Not bad considering they had only been on shelves for five days.
Ghost Report sold 18,000 copies in the first release and 19,000 copies in the second, which is inconsistent since the second part sold more copies than the first, whereas Slam Dunk had the opposite outcome.
The first two issues of each series sold an estimated 81,000 copies. The total profit after loans and distribution commissions amounts to $76,083, which will be used to repay the $20,000 bank debt.
According to my father, the expenses and costs of operations for this first month are not $56,000; they are $45,000 after deducting fixed and operational expenses like rent and discrimination. The profitability tax is 34%, which is insane, amounting to $15,000. However, due to some exemptions, it will be reduced to 25%, which is $11,250 for the $45,000, but this will only last for the first year as a company. After that, the full rate will be paid.
With the current crisis of savings and loans, the IRS has slightly relaxed its rates for new entrepreneurs who have just started a business. However, the payment is for the following year. For example, if a new expense line related to the company is opened, the tax is lower.
We didn't reach the goal of 30,000 sales per chapter/book, but we managed to cover the basic production and transportation costs. The sale of posters reached a total of 1,200 posters for both series, providing a temporary relief as no more posters would be dispatched until May, closing and beginning the summer.
There was still a stock of 1,600 posters distributed across the states, but it was insignificant and the investment was recovered. Each poster has a value of 20 cents, so the profit doesn't exceed $200. Nonetheless, it's a profit and the next step.
My excitement levels had never been so high. I gained so much that it probably summed up all my months of effort with the fulfillment of wishes and continuous displays in the school's art club.
That's chapter six of this series.