A couple of weeks ago, Marvel sent out a press release that had me shaking my head. It seems that putting out multiple variant covers and chasing that first-issue sales bump over and over doesn’t lead to healthy long-term sales, so they announced “Marvel’s Issue #2 Promotional Program”: we’re pleased to announce a new initiative that will provide extra promotion and marketing for the exciting issue #2’s of new series! In addition to heavy promotion and marketing for the first […]

I was pondering whether these links were too old to talk about now, when retailer Mike Sterling posted a related item and made everything current again. (Thanks, Mike!) But first, some context. When you think about buying a comic, you probably assume that a reader is the customer. But in the comic store direct market, most all those pretty pieces of paper are sold non-returnably, so the actual customer of the publisher is the retailer/store owner. If something doesn’t sell, […]

I’m really glad we’re living in a golden age of comic reprints, with all kinds of terrific books and strips easily available. However, too many times, when announcing a new reprint project, publishers assume readers already know about the comic. I know those decision-makers are familiar with how great the project is, or presumably, they wouldn’t choose to republish it, but particularly when you’re reprinting something from more than five years ago, there’s a whole generation of potential customers that […]

I’ve really come to appreciate PDF review copies. They’re easy to access from multiple locations and devices, they don’t take up shelf space, and they don’t have delays between the query and the receipt of the actual comic. They’re easy for publishers to send out without cost, too. However, they’re so easy to send that it seems some people might not be paying enough attention when mailing. I recently got an email that included the cover of the comic offered […]

A company whose works I’ve recommended in the past sent out this press release recently. ACTION LAB’S ZOMBIE TRAMP GOES IN HOUSE! The popular Danger Zone series becomes Action Lab Entertainment’s first company funded series. Dan Mendoza’s grindhouse revenge series, Zombie Tramp, started it’s undead rise as a critically acclaimed independent title that recently saw new life at Action Lab Entertainment’s mature readers Danger Zone imprint. The Story follows Janey Bell, Hollywood’s most popular high-priced call girl, who through the […]

I got the following press release from Diamond yesterday, titled “Diamond, Oni Press Extend Distribution Agreement”. Diamond Book Distributors has extended its agreement with one of independent comics’ most respected and innovative publishing houses, Oni Press. DBD will continue to provide sales, distribution, and marketing services for Oni Press, selling its graphic novels and other merchandise into book stores, mass-market merchandisers, libraries and other outlets worldwide. “We’re very excited to continue our relationship with Diamond Book Distributors,” said Joe Nozemack, […]