It's been a few months since ComiXology teased its plan to more broadly open its digital distribution doors to independent comics creators, but starting right now, individuals can submit their own creator-owned material straight to the digital distributor via the ComiXology Submit portal.Submitting to ComiXology requires a user account (the same one users already have set up to buy content) and specified digital files. Creators who submit comics through ComiXology will retain full ownership of their works.

ComiXology notes that its approval process is still a work in progress, but that "First and foremost, we want to maintain a level of professional content that comiXology users have come to expect from our platform. What the definition of professional content is will certainly be something that we refine as we progress into this brave new world."

After being approved, comics are formatted for standard and ComiXology's patent-pending Guided View format, which gives readers the ability to read material panel-by-panel.

Following formatting, comics will appear in the ComiXology store with prices set by the creator (although "free" is not currently an option).

From there, ComiXology splits the profit from all sales 50/50 "after subtracting any standard fees charged by the payment processors," with said fees currently listed as running between 8-30 percent, depending on whether the content is sold directly through ComiXology's site or through Apple's iOS devices, which take an additional cut.



According to Comixology's FAQ, payments will be made by check or Automated Clearing House transfer 45 days from the end of each financial quarter as long as a given release meets a minimum total accrued payment of $100. Minimums that aren't met roll over into subsequent quarters until a book makes at least $100.

While it's still up to creators to promote their work independently to ensure that they can profit from the Submit function in a meaningful way, it seems poised to provide those capable of harnessing its full potential with a revenue stream alongside print and ad supported/freemium/pay-what-you-want webcomic methods. The continuing popularity of Comixology as a reading platform doesn't guarantee creators a large audience on its own, but it does provide a an inherent degree of visibility if fans search for a given work there.

As yet, it's unknown how long the vetting process will take or how exactly approved submissions will be integrated into the main site. In the meantime, ComiXology is spotlighting a select list of independent creators and their comics on the Submit page as an example of what the end-result of the process will look like.

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