Monetizing the Audience for Your Cartoons

Here's a recent email I have received about gag cartoons and my response. 

QUESTION

I need to monetize on the audience i'm building online... Just cant figure out how to do that. 

I have considered submitting to print publications, would love to sell cartoons this way too... Just seem to be missing something.

MIKE'S TWO CENTS

Sounds like you want to grow your creative career. If you are asking about submitting to paying print markets, go for it! 

I know that I only got better when I took the risk and quit my day job 16 years ago. But that's a heavy, personal choice. 

I have had good luck (and a fun time) drawing some long-form comics with some friends of mine. (RACONTEUR, now on sale.) That brought in extra money. I have a Zazzle store at my site and blog. (And there's Kickstarter and Patreon, to name a couple more I know about but have no experience with yet.)

Is this what you mean? How to start up income streams? I guess you have to think about that. I mean, you have to actually do it! 

And now is the time what with the holidays coming up! 

Honestly, there are few full-time cartoonists who just draw 100% of the time. Most all of the successful ones have to be businesspeople as well. 

People love cartoons. The more people who see them, the better. And a certain percentage of those eyeballs out there will buy stuff. 

Not sure if this helps, but I hope so.