The short version of this review is this: If you have any interest in self-publishing your own work, you need this book. True Facts is subtitled "a pocket guide to self-publishing your own comic books" and it lives up to that title, as Larry Young gives an overview of the pitfalls and possible rewards of publishing from an experienced point-of-view. More to the point, while True Facts is educational, it's also a lot of fun, as Young's down-home manly man persona is ideally suited to a philosophy of comics which can best be summed up as "Do it. Nobody's stopping you."
I'll be honest, I don't have much interest in the publishing side of the industry from anything but an academic perspective. I don't plan to publish books at any time in the future, but that doesn't mean I'm not curious about what goes on when you're on the other side of the curtain, and I'm always up for a good story, told in an entertaining manner. Young's approach is a mix between the wise fatherly figure and the arrogant young upstart, with the experience of the former and the entertaining manner of the latter. It's impressive that topics like choosing a printer or basic marketing are conveyed not only clearly, but with a sense of humor that makes them easy reading.
Because this was originally a series of columns rather than a complete book, it does sometimes look a little unfocused. The "be the bunny" column, while a lot of fun, is interesting as a general philosophy but is only marginally related to publishing in general. The story about Comix Experience and their buying habits is likewise highly entertaining, but not necessarily related to the general focus. And the tail end of the book, when Larry Young begins analyzing Marvel, is much more in tune with Loose Cannon, his freewheeling column at CBR, than the mandate that defined True Facts. Which doesn't mean these aren't entertaining pieces - in many ways, they're my favorite part of the book - but they do seem a bit out of place.
However, the range of topics in here is wide and varied, and the majority of the columns are directly applicable to taking an idea and turning it into a comic (or series of comics) that you can sell. Young covers everything, from the more nuts and bolts matters like hooking up with Diamond to a heavy focus on the different aspects of marketing: branding, online viral marketing, news releases and various and sundry related topics. He also manages to sneak in a few plugs for his publishing house and the people he's working with, using the successes of AIT/Planet Lar as examples for the lessons he's imparting.
True Facts is a useful book, but more importantly, it's an entertaining one. An interest in publishing makes the book indispensable, but even those who are just seeking an entertaining read about the industry will find plenty to like in this book.
