What’s the first thing you think of when you think of Justice? Perhaps the Justice League? Perhaps Superman fighting for truth, justice, and the American way? Maybe the Justice Case Files? But what is justice? Is it fair? Is it still relevant today? We narrative art marketers can push justice on the pages of comics, but how can we actually live that way? Today, let’s sheath the sword. Let’s examine what it means to operate a narrative art business justly.

JUSTICE — Wrong none by doing injuries, or omitting the benefits that are your duty.

WRONG NONE BY DOING INJURIES

The first thing we could obviously look at is that in our practice of narrative art, we want to not harm another person. This takes many forms. Specifically, in the business world though, I would apply this to

— not paying people that have done work for you.
— for not delivering your product once people have paid for it.
— for doing a poor quality job for the job you have been hired for.
— for blatantly falsifying contractual obligations
— for trying to deceive anyone or hide the truth behind any ill intent.
— for lying.
— for selfishness.
— not doing due diligence of research.
— failing to correct problems, once spotted.
— not doing due diligence so the project is well accepted by all parties involved.
— repeatedly asking for payment outside the company’s normal stream of pay.
— exacting revenge on a person or company who has hurt you.

Wronging others is a terrible way to run a business. As you can probably imagine, you can’t do this very long–or very often and still have a business. People simply won’t buy from you. You’ve heard the expression to never burn your bridges. This is exactly what people do who engage in this behavior. All the work that goes into building a relationship bridge with those you work with to be burned down by a slight off-color remark or a negative word toward an employer or contractor.

One of my favorite lines is “Love those who hate you, and in doing so, you heap flaming coals on their head.” Most people just can’t understand it when you are nice to them after they have been a jerk. But you benefit greatly from doing this. You are free to have a good attitude, enjoy a still intact bridge, and you are healthy to run a better a business by treating your customers with patience, peace, and respect.

WRONG NONE BY OMITTING THE BENEFITS THAT ARE YOUR DUTY.

Even though harming others during the daily practices of your narrative art comic book business is borderline evil, omitting benefits you offer is much worse.

If you have a benefit you know you are helping people with, this is your obligation to sell it in the best way possible. It is your obligation to cut through the noise, to cut through the chatter, to engage your prospect in conversations that will allow them to also see the benefit of such great media as narrative art. This is your duty.

Without people knowing that narrative art is the best possible way to tell their story, promote their product, or communicate an idea, all is lost.

You must learn what makes a person tick, what calls them to action, what they are looking for, how your narrative art product can help them.  If you don’t do it, no one else will. they will be missing out on all the benefits you can provide them with your narrative art comic book novel.

Be compelling. Be shrewd. Be intelligent. Be nice. Be forthcoming. Answer questions. State facts. Evade all reasonable doubt. Evoke feelings of success, profit, confidence, life of legacy, beauty, hard work, accomplishments. You must make them believe. It is your duty to enlighten, to educate… to seek justice.