Comments on: FCBD Dropout http://comicsworthreading.com/2007/04/19/fcbd-dropout/ Independent Opinions on Comics of All Kinds Wed, 22 May 2013 12:00:13 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.5.1 By: Alan Coil http://comicsworthreading.com/2007/04/19/fcbd-dropout/comment-page-1/#comment-60467 Alan Coil Fri, 20 Apr 2007 21:01:54 +0000 http://comicsworthreading.com/2007/04/19/fcbd-dropout/#comment-60467 markus, I just don’t understand what you are discussing.

]]> By: Nat Gertler http://comicsworthreading.com/2007/04/19/fcbd-dropout/comment-page-1/#comment-60444 Nat Gertler Fri, 20 Apr 2007 18:47:49 +0000 http://comicsworthreading.com/2007/04/19/fcbd-dropout/#comment-60444 Markus:

Please reread the original message. The statement of Johanna’s that you quote is not in regard to FCBD; it is in regard to their plan to relist the book (as a non-FCBD book) at the “discounted” rate of 50 cents. This is not a suggestion of retailers charging money for a Free Comic Book Day book (which is against the FCBD rules).

]]> By: markus http://comicsworthreading.com/2007/04/19/fcbd-dropout/comment-page-1/#comment-60433 markus Fri, 20 Apr 2007 17:02:40 +0000 http://comicsworthreading.com/2007/04/19/fcbd-dropout/#comment-60433 @Johanna
I got that, apparently the same isn’t true for you and my comment. Please ask.

@Nat Gertler
Re-read the originl post, we’re talking about FCBD. Which is a promotional event where both retailer and publisher operate at a loss or next to no gain in the hope of generating future or concurrent sales. (See, from you posting I knew you’ appreciate having the obvious pointed out to you.)
So, once more (I’m sure you appreciate that as well): (1) the retailer is the customer, but a customer who would simply eat my freebies (sell for $3) to enrich himself with no kickback/goodwill for me is a parasite. (2) Yes, retailers make less profit on FCBD books. How long did it take you to figure that out?
(3) Free. Comic. Book. Day.
And sorry, no publisher can consistently produce 25c issues (well, the ones that could own the DM to the extent that retailers are better described as their underlings not as their customers.) And no, Diamond discounts are lower for those publishes depending on the goodwill of the retailers and given their higher production costs from lower print runs, your scheme, while reasonable (if unrelated to the original post and my comment) just doesn’t work. Rather what takes care of those books is retailers interested in diversifying their audience. A non monetary gain, but still a gain (keeping with the explanation of the obvious theme here).

]]> By: Nat Gertler http://comicsworthreading.com/2007/04/19/fcbd-dropout/comment-page-1/#comment-60218 Nat Gertler Fri, 20 Apr 2007 01:09:47 +0000 http://comicsworthreading.com/2007/04/19/fcbd-dropout/#comment-60218 The publisher that offers a steep discount on a volume is looking like a good guy — to their customers. Remember, in the direct market, the comic book store is the publisher’s customer.
The publisher that puts out a 50 cent cover price comic at standard discount is asking the retailer to do the same amount of work stocking and selling the book as books they make six times as much profit on. In fact, it’s worse than that, since the retailer is paying the same amount for shipping the book from Diamond (assuming it’s a full-length book.)
The publisher that wants the retailer to carry their book should give them the incentive necessary to do so. If they cannot create great confidence in the retailer selling the book (and in the case of a 50 cent issue, in the ability of that book to drive sales of later issues), then the publisher needs to increase the payback to make it worth the gamble.

]]> By: Johanna http://comicsworthreading.com/2007/04/19/fcbd-dropout/comment-page-1/#comment-60217 Johanna Fri, 20 Apr 2007 01:02:27 +0000 http://comicsworthreading.com/2007/04/19/fcbd-dropout/#comment-60217 It’s not retailers charging $3 for a 25c book; it’s publishers selling a $3 book for 25c instead of $1.50 to retailers.

]]> By: markus http://comicsworthreading.com/2007/04/19/fcbd-dropout/comment-page-1/#comment-60215 markus Fri, 20 Apr 2007 00:39:09 +0000 http://comicsworthreading.com/2007/04/19/fcbd-dropout/#comment-60215 If you give retailers a lot more leeway on pricing, then they can give readers a promotional discount or special deal and look like good guys to their customers. Or they can sell it for full price and take much more profit.
Sure, why would the company be interested in looking like the good guy here? Makes much more sense to offer the retailer the opportunity to make a killing by converting said publisher-goodwill into cash. Unsurprisingly retailer would want that. Equally unsurprisingly, publishers should ignore them.
Retailers who _are_ the good guys wouldn’t overcharge anyway, so there’s little point in a wrong price. Retailers who charge $3 for a 25c promotional book are scum and it’s a good idea for everyone to make their life as hard as possible.

]]> By: Nat Gertler http://comicsworthreading.com/2007/04/19/fcbd-dropout/comment-page-1/#comment-60028 Nat Gertler Thu, 19 Apr 2007 13:22:44 +0000 http://comicsworthreading.com/2007/04/19/fcbd-dropout/#comment-60028 While I can’t speak to this year’s books, dropping out of FCBD is not unprecedented. Crossgen did it with American Power, and that was a gold-level book, which meant it was a required purchase for retailers who wished to be seen as participating in FCBD and it had been promoted on the FCBD posters.

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