Hello @Kecks38 and welcome to the forums! Great post for your first one. That statement that your retailer made about floppies being the testing ground for projects I think is fallacious at least in today's marketplace.
It seems that most companies are writing for the trade so I think they already have committed to creating six issues of the book. I would love to read the story in one fell swoop and I am more than likely to buy the next trade regardless if I liked it or not. If I liked it then I will enthusiastically buy the next one and if I didn't I will hope the story gets better. I might buy the trade for Squirrel Girl because I think I could flip it easierly.
I think I would have an easier time selling the two trades then the 12 single issues. I mean book publishers don't sell books by chapters.
This is my first time posting on the forums, so in the way of a brief introduction:
Like Mr. Eberle, I am a public school teacher and comics lover/scholar. I am not, however, a comics retailer, although I am fascinated by that side of the industry. I am also an avid CGS listener/subscriber. My absolute favorite episodes are the Spotlights; the level of scholarship Chris and Murd, in particular, bring to the podcast is eminently appreciated.
In this week's Comic Talk episode, Chris and Bill discussed at length their decision to eliminate new comics from their store, which, despite their on-air disclaimer, I found riveting. I have had several conversations with my local retailer about the endurance of floppies in the market. I tend to agree with you gentlemen that they cannot last given the steep rise in prices over the last decade and a half. The publishers are producing less content for more money, and the market cannot, and frankly should not, support that business model. Trade paperbacks, in my opinion, are a less expensive option that offer a better reading experience simply by nature of the fact that one can read an entire story at once. They can be placed neatly and attractively on bookshelves, and it is a much easier pill to swallow for first-time comics readers to try something that looks and feels like and actual book rather than a stack of bagged and boarded floppies. In fact, I recently sold the bulk of my single issue collection, approximately 10,000 books, so I could reacquire many of the same stories in trade format. Now I teach with trades, I lend them to my students, colleagues, and friends, and I use them to conduct research for my doctoral studies on the effectiveness of comics in secondary education.
My retailer maintains that floppies need to exist to "test the waters" for projects from the comic book companies. For instance, Marvel may not want to invest significant money for Ryan North and Erica Henderson to write and draw, respectively, six issues of The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl for a trade paperback that may or may not strike a chord with an audience. Instead, they pay to have the single issues produced one at a time, examine the sales figures each month, and make decisions about whether to continue publishing it or cancel it. On the strength of a given book, a trade paperback or hardcover collection can be produced, and now the companies are only paying for the printing costs as they've already paid the creative talent. Ultra-successful books will see multiple printings and deluxe editions and whatnot, all while the single issues keep rolling out.
Since you, Chris and Bill, are retailers with very strong feelings about this subject, I would love to hear your thoughts on the matter.
P.S. I am planning a trip from Long Island to Wild Pig Comics sometime in the next few months with a friend or two. Are there specific days/times you are there?
I really don't know how a LCS can survive today. I give Chris and his crew a lot of credit for not sitting idly by but taking steps to ensure the shop stays successful. Frankly, back issues are the only reason I'd set foot in a LCS(if I had one!). Monthly books are just too expensive at full price. We complain about the floppies but trades are getting out of hand too.
I was surprised to hear that back issues were doing so well at Wild Pigs. A big congrats for the success!
For me, when I'm shopping for back issues I'm almost always shopping for specific issues. And the chances a comic store has the exact issues I need are low. Maybe if I go in looking for 15 books I'll find 2 or 3. That's just my experience. So I buy back issues from mycomicship, atomicavenue and (last resort) midtown. I don't go to a comic shop to just browse through back issues. But again, just my experience.
Frankly, I disagree that any of these reasons are even a fraction of the reason why the industry is declining. The only reason that really matters is that the comic industry makes it very difficult to buy their products. The idea that you have to know 3 months in advance what you want to buy is just so mind-numbingly stupid that I don't understand how the industry has survived this long. It's 100% anti-consumer. Only the nerdiest of nerds is going to sit down and spend an hour or 2 looking through Previews to pick out something they'll want to read 3 months from now. No one approaching "normal" would ever do that.
Just imagine you had to buy Avengers movie tickets 3 months in advance or you couldn't see it. Sure, you and I would do that (gladly!) but I'd be surprised if they broke 50 million with that model. Humans just don't plan in advance.
And why should they? There's no good reason why comics can't be printed on-demand. I should be able to go online and order a copy of Action Comics #1 right now for $3. Put a big "Reprint" stamp on it so it doesn't affect the value of the originals. But my point is that, like every other entertainment industry, comics should be available to customers on their terms. Not on an ancient system.
Chris, because of you and this podcast, I have learned so much from the retail perspective. You a great bonus to this podcast cast with insightful information. One time I was a deadbeat, after getting myself into some debt, I let my list back up and never went in to claim it. It took me several years to walk back into that store because of the guilt I felt and the relationship I had felt severed because of this incident.
I personally buy trade paperbacks. I pretty much stay away from floppys (very few exceptions) but I also have curved my buying because it is a costly hobby. I totally understand your stance on the floppy comics.
Only the nerdiest of nerds is going to sit down and spend an hour or 2 looking through Previews to pick out something they'll want to read 3 months from now. No one approaching "normal" would ever do that.
There's no good reason why comics can't be printed on-demand. I should be able to go online and order a copy of Action Comics #1 right now for $3.
It costs about $2 to print on demand single copies of 24-page books. Action Comics #1 was 68 pages, so we'll be generous and say $5. Then you'll have to ship that First Class at the cheapest, so that's another $2.40. Let's be very generous and say DC only wants $1 for back issues older than a certain point (they will have to pay someone to pack it up and ship it out after all, and they'll want at least a little profit from the exchange). That's a total of $8.40.
Or did you mean the New52 Action Comics #1? That'll be $5.35, please.
$3 is a number I made up. The point is that the cost should not be $3 million. If $9 is how much it costs to produce it, so be it, I should have that option. Currently I have none. No other entertainment medium has this problem. They do have their share of distribution issues (like international availability) but the comic industry's archaic distribution makes the others look completely modern.
but I will agree that this is not the norm and is the antithesis of the way the public at large shops.
Well yeah, of course, myself as well, but we are an ever-shrinking group who is so enthusiastic about something that we'll take a large amount of time and do a lot of planning for what is essentially throwaway entertainment. Most people are simply not devoted like this, entertainment is just entertainment. And so the industry should cater to the way people make purchases (impulse, mostly).
Frankly, I disagree that any of these reasons are even a fraction of the reason why the industry is declining. The only reason that really matters is that the comic industry makes it very difficult to buy their products. The idea that you have to know 3 months in advance what you want to buy is just so mind-numbingly stupid that I don't understand how the industry has survived this long. It's 100% anti-consumer. Only the nerdiest of nerds is going to sit down and spend an hour or 2 looking through Previews to pick out something they'll want to read 3 months from now. No one approaching "normal" would ever do that.
You said it better than I could.. I was trying to get at this point when I posted above. Consumers dictate the terms these days, which generally makes for a fantastic purchasing experience, in most industries. Not so in comics.. yet.
but I will agree that this is not the norm and is the antithesis of the way the public at large shops.
Well yeah, of course, myself as well, but we are an ever-shrinking group who is so enthusiastic about something that we'll take a large amount of time and do a lot of planning for what is essentially throwaway entertainment. Most people are simply not devoted like this, entertainment is just entertainment. And so the industry should cater to the way people make purchases (impulse, mostly).
I think most comics publishers are doing exactly what you are asking for when it comes to making their content accessible for an on demand impulse buy.
$3 is a number I made up. The point is that the cost should not be $3 million. If $9 is how much it costs to produce it, so be it, I should have that option. Currently I have none. No other entertainment medium has this problem. They do have their share of distribution issues (like international availability) but the comic industry's archaic distribution makes the others look completely modern.
Well the publishers are not set up to do print-on-demand in-house, nor should they be. It would require finding a printer who would be willing to take that on. There are probably enough desperate printers out there who would be willing to take on that challenge now. I know of a few printers that will mail out subscription copies directly from their facility, though, again, bulk mail is a lot easier to facilitate than single copy purchases, particularly in terms of managing production time and scheduling for labor needs. And I really don't see any publisher outside of Marvel and DC that would remotely find this to be worth their time and effort. And I think Marvel and DC would much rather sell you a $50 hardcover collection than a single print-on-demand copy of a random back issue, and that collectors would rather have that hardcover collection than a bunch of reprinted single issues which will have no collectors’ value, and casual readers would also rather have that convenient collection rather than a bunch of fragile single issues at five bucks a pop.
$3 is a number I made up. The point is that the cost should not be $3 million. If $9 is how much it costs to produce it, so be it, I should have that option. Currently I have none. No other entertainment medium has this problem. They do have their share of distribution issues (like international availability) but the comic industry's archaic distribution makes the others look completely modern.
Well the publishers are not set up to do print-on-demand in-house, nor should they be. It would require finding a printer who would be willing to take that on. There are probably enough desperate printers out there who would be willing to take on that challenge now. I know of a few printers that will mail out subscription copies directly from their facility, though, again, bulk mail is a lot easier to facilitate than single copy purchases, particularly in terms of managing production time and scheduling for labor needs. And I really don't see any publisher outside of Marvel and DC that would remotely find this to be worth their time and effort. And I think Marvel and DC would much rather sell you a $50 hardcover collection than a single print-on-demand copy of a random back issue, and that collectors would rather have that hardcover collection than a bunch of reprinted single issues which will have no collectors’ value, and casual readers would also rather have that convenient collection rather than a bunch of fragile single issues at five bucks a pop.
You're too focused on the minutiae and are missing the bigger picture. Whether it is literally implemented as on-demand printing or implemented as printing orders, the publishers should have a sufficient quantity of books available to meet the buying demand.
The same way every other entertainment industry has their product available for purchase (for the most part). I can buy a New York Times best seller (new copy) that came out 2 months ago but I can't buy a popular Marvel or DC title that came out 2 months ago (unless the LCS hasn't sold all of theirs) and that's just absurd.
I'm sure these comic publishers are doing all they can to not only survive, but thrive. I've certainly joined the ranks many times in pretending I know better than they do about how to run their business, but if I'm that serious, there are plenty of publishers for sale right now if I dare to put my money where my thread posts are...
but I will agree that this is not the norm and is the antithesis of the way the public at large shops.
Well yeah, of course, myself as well, but we are an ever-shrinking group who is so enthusiastic about something that we'll take a large amount of time and do a lot of planning for what is essentially throwaway entertainment. Most people are simply not devoted like this, entertainment is just entertainment. And so the industry should cater to the way people make purchases (impulse, mostly).
I think most comics publishers are doing exactly what you are asking for when it comes to making their content accessible for an on demand impulse buy.
They just aren't doing it on paper.
That's an excellent point, actually. They have done quite well in digital. I still think there's a long way to go though. Can you subscribe to a book digitally? Does it show up in an "unread" pile? Last time I used it it did not have these features. Also the image quality tended to be poor when I used it. But these are all a bit of nitpicks, overall they have done very well digitally.
It seems that most companies are writing for the trade so I think they already have committed to creating six issues of the book. I would love to read the story in one fell swoop and I am more than likely to buy the next trade regardless if I liked it or not. If I liked it then I will enthusiastically buy the next one and if I didn't I will hope the story gets better.
I agree, MatchkitJOHN! In fact, I think Image and Valiant have the right ideas with the pricing of their books. The first trade of any series is $9.99 so that the consumer doesn't have to break the bank to try out a new concept. I just made that decision this past Wednesday in buying Mark Millar and Sean Murphy's Chrononauts. I wasn't familiar with the book, but I like the two creators, but did I want to gamble on a full arc? For $10 I do!! And if I don't like it I don't have to continue. But the subsequent trades will likely be $14.99 or so - very reasonable.
Many of Marvel's trade paperbacks are way overpriced for my taste. And DC's are more competitively priced, but they aren't released until about a year after the floppies with the same storyline. By that point the whole thing has been spoiled for me and the DC universe as a whole has changed so much as to render the trade irrelevant.
Reading the posts on this thread, I am more and more convinced that trades are the way to go!
Image and Valiant have the right ideas with the pricing of their books. The first trade of any series is $9.99 so that the consumer doesn't have to break the bank to try out a new concept. I just made that decision this past Wednesday in buying Mark Millar and Sean Murphy's Chrononauts. I wasn't familiar with the book, but I like the two creators, but did I want to gamble on a full arc? For $10 I do!! And if I don't like it I don't have to continue. But the subsequent trades will likely be $14.99 or so - very reasonable.
Many of Marvel's trade paperbacks are way overpriced for my taste. And DC's are more competitively priced, but they aren't released until about a year after the floppies with the same storyline. By that point the whole thing has been spoiled for me and the DC universe as a whole has changed so much as to render the trade irrelevant.
Reading the posts on this thread, I am more and more convinced that trades are the way to go!
Speaking of Chrononauts, the TPB is only $5.99 through DCBS and InStocktrades.
I'm sure these comic publishers are doing all they can to not only survive, but thrive. I've certainly joined the ranks many times in pretending I know better than they do about how to run their business, but if I'm that serious, there are plenty of publishers for sale right now if I dare to put my money where my thread posts are...
Not every business will survive these changes.. some will evolve and win. Some will not. While not every evolution of the products are for me, I'm not one to complain about it much or to mourn the losses along the way.
The monthly hardcores and Wednesday warriors are really a niche, of a niche. With the numbers as small as they are these days, I feel lucky that monthly comics still exist to buy at all at this point.
When I can't get paper issues anymore, I'll go fully digital.. I'm already getting about half the titles I buy that way already. I like reading new stuff digitally and I like diving for back issues. Trades may be the way many go but for me, I like a little story every month rather than waiting half a year.
The new comic product I buy now is much different from the one I bought as a 5-6 year old kid just starting out, and I am still finding things I enjoy and reading new books. Some things are better than they were 35 years ago and some things are worse. But I am still having fun with it overall.
At some point, based on where the publishers think they can make the best profit margins, the product could change into something I don't want anymore or be priced in a way where other entertainment takes priority over my comic purchase, and at that point I would just stop buying new issues. I'm already well down that path towards the tipping point in some respects, as I habitually do whatever possible to take advantage of discounts, to be able to read more books for the money.
That said, digital seems to be the way to keep me. I like the experience and convenience of reading on an iPad, and I think the monthly model could continue to exist that way, if/when the new paper issue business dies. Trade fans could still do their thing if they want 1-2 books a year instead of issues. @wildpigcomics is just getting ahead of that curve.
bralinator said: Speaking of Chrononauts, the TPB is only $5.99 through DCBS and InStocktrades.
I know there are cheaper ways to get books, but I'm still committed to the social aspect of collecting. Going to the brick and mortar store each week keeps me in touch with the guys who own and run the store as well as other regular customers. We chat about books we like and don't like, trends in the industry, movies and TV, and non-comics related topics like family. I'm not ready to cut that tie yet.
bralinator said: Speaking of Chrononauts, the TPB is only $5.99 through DCBS and InStocktrades.
I know there are cheaper ways to get books, but I'm still committed to the social aspect of collecting. Going to the brick and mortar store each week keeps me in touch with the guys who own and run the store as well as other regular customers. We chat about books we like and don't like, trends in the industry, movies and TV, and non-comics related topics like family. I'm not ready to cut that tie yet.
Agreed. It's funny, but back issues are the thing that keeps me going into stores and having those conversations. So while I've been a DCBS/digital guy for the new stuff, the shops do still get some money out of me.
TPB is another area where the industry makes it really difficult to buy their products. Try buying the 4 most recent Justice League trades without spending 30 minutes doing research. Why they can't just number TPBs in order and list them by date (even you, InStockTrades) is something I'll never understand. Then you have the fact that TPBs are often held back for many months so you wind up with, what, maybe 2 trades for an ongoing per year released?
This is why I've never collected a lot of trades. I can't remember a storyline I read 6 months ago. This is why I like monthly floppies or full-run collections. Monthly is soon enough that I'll remember what's going on and full-runs are nice when I really want to absorb a book fully. Trades are just frustrating if they are not completely self contained.
You're too focused on the minutiae and are missing the bigger picture. Whether it is literally implemented as on-demand printing or implemented as printing orders, the publishers should have a sufficient quantity of books available to meet the buying demand.
The same way every other entertainment industry has their product available for purchase (for the most part). I can buy a New York Times best seller (new copy) that came out 2 months ago but I can't buy a popular Marvel or DC title that came out 2 months ago (unless the LCS hasn't sold all of theirs) and that's just absurd.
The bigger picture is this: The profit in individual comic book issue sales, combined with the relatively low demand for those issues, means that the on-demand buying you're talking about is financially impractical for print comics. Especially for publishers not named DC or Marvel. That's why publishers are moving more and more to digital. Digital has its own set of financial hurdles, but at least publishers can hope to make money there.
We don't know the demand for individual issues of comics because they have never been for sale. They only way to get individual issues (reliably) is to order them 3 months in advance. This greatly shrinks the pool of customers and gives us a false representation of their popularity.
We do know that in every other medium the product is available for sale for quite a while after production (often in perpetuity) and the publishers do make a profit on it.
TPB is another area where the industry makes it really difficult to buy their products. Try buying the 4 most recent Justice League trades without spending 30 minutes doing research. Why they can't just number TPBs in order and list them by date (even you, InStockTrades) is something I'll never understand. Then you have the fact that TPBs are often held back for many months so you wind up with, what, maybe 2 trades for an ongoing per year released?
DC and Marvel are the only places you run into these problems. And I think the reason DC and Marvel trades aren't more simply numbered is: 1) they can't afford to keep everything in print, and who wants to start buying trades with volume 12 of a series? True, we all started reading comics at some point that likely didn't start with a #1, but just as people treat book series and magazines differently, so too do I think people treat trade collections and individual issues differently.
And 2) it's about perception. Too many titles have multiple volumes. To properly number all their books, Marvel would potentially have six different series of Thor collections in print—six different “Vol. X, Book 1” books on a shelf. It's what I would prefer, but I don't know if new readers would be able to figure out the best place to start any better than they can now.
We don't know the demand for individual issues of comics because they have never been for sale. They only way to get individual issues (reliably) is to order them 3 months in advance. This greatly shrinks the pool of customers and gives us a false representation of their popularity.
We do know that in every other medium the product is available for sale for quite a while after production (often in perpetuity) and the publishers do make a profit on it.
The percentage of novels that stay in print in perpetuity is tiny, and even a sizeable number of those go in and out of print. And the book publishing business is having every bit as much trouble right now as the comic book industry.
The magazine industry keeps nothing in print (though some specialty magazines will keep their back stock available for purchase). And the magazine publishing business is arguably in worse trouble than the comic book industry.
The record industry has shrunk substantially over the past 10 years. Record stores are a thing of the past, and CD sections in big box stores tend to carry only top sellers and discount items. The industry is quickly moving to streaming services in an effort to survive, and it's projected that income from streaming will overtake individual sales within just a few years.
DVD sales dropped by 28% last year. It's projected that the movie/TV studios will make more from streaming services next year than from DVD sales.
It's not just the comic book industry. The demand for physical product is being overwhelmed by the demand for cheaper product across all entertainment mediums. Digital product is meeting that greater demand.
Sometimes I think that the comic book industry is making the same mistake that daytime soap operas have made: that in its crazed zeal to attract a younger audience it will never again have, it has alienated the older audience it already did have. I admit, I'm thinking mostly about DC here (which is publishing more titles I couldn't care less about than it has during any other time of my long, comic book reading life) but Marvel also folds into this, with regard to its Secret War/Battleworld reboot; this particular event has generated what amounts to be tons of "what if?" titles which will be more or less irrelevant once Marvel's true New Earth forms, in yet another soon-to-come event. Pardon me if I save my money and skip the whole damn thing. Wake me when my comic stories count again.
I know that new writers hate continuity, and that some new readers can be intimidated by it. But as a loyal, longtime comic book buyer? I have invested years and a small fortune in the legacy of DC's and Marvel's continuities. That same history which apparently drives away prospective writers and readers alike just so happens to be my most cherished playground.
As for Chris' revised Wild Pig strategy of forgoing floppies… I say, great move! :smiley: Especially in light of what he said about bookstore chains praising their "Graphic Novel / Trade Paperback" sections as being their biggest bread-winners. Why let cold, carpet-bagging Barnes & Noble be the face of hot-selling comic book trades?! Our Local Comic Shops should be that face - they deserve to own that corner of the retail market. Hopefully, what Chris is doing is something that many other LCSes will do, all to wonderful success.
Sometimes I think that the comic book industry is making the same mistake that daytime soap operas have made: that in its crazed zeal to attract a younger audience it will never again have, it has alienated the older audience it already did have. I admit, I'm thinking mostly about DC here (which is publishing more titles I couldn't care less about than it has during any other time of my long, comic book reading life) but Marvel also folds into this, with regard to its Secret War/Battleworld reboot; this particular event has generated what amounts to be tons of "what if?" titles which will be more or less irrelevant once Marvel's true New Earth forms, in yet another soon-to-come event. Pardon me if I save my money and skip the whole damn thing. Wake me when my comic stories count again.
Time marches on. Us older guys will die off, and if that's what you're going after, then you're dead anyway.
What I'm learning reading this thread: lots of armchair publishers discounting those with actual experience. Also, making assumptions based on their own individual needs/wants/desires over the realities of a business model they barely understand. But by all means! Have at it! Haha.
Comments
Hello @Kecks38 and welcome to the forums! Great post for your first one. That statement that your retailer made about floppies being the testing ground for projects I think is fallacious at least in today's marketplace.
It seems that most companies are writing for the trade so I think they already have committed to creating six issues of the book. I would love to read the story in one fell swoop and I am more than likely to buy the next trade regardless if I liked it or not. If I liked it then I will enthusiastically buy the next one and if I didn't I will hope the story gets better. I might buy the trade for Squirrel Girl because I think I could flip it easierly.
I think I would have an easier time selling the two trades then the 12 single issues. I mean book publishers don't sell books by chapters.
Once again welcome.
For me, when I'm shopping for back issues I'm almost always shopping for specific issues. And the chances a comic store has the exact issues I need are low. Maybe if I go in looking for 15 books I'll find 2 or 3. That's just my experience. So I buy back issues from mycomicship, atomicavenue and (last resort) midtown. I don't go to a comic shop to just browse through back issues. But again, just my experience.
Frankly, I disagree that any of these reasons are even a fraction of the reason why the industry is declining. The only reason that really matters is that the comic industry makes it very difficult to buy their products. The idea that you have to know 3 months in advance what you want to buy is just so mind-numbingly stupid that I don't understand how the industry has survived this long. It's 100% anti-consumer. Only the nerdiest of nerds is going to sit down and spend an hour or 2 looking through Previews to pick out something they'll want to read 3 months from now. No one approaching "normal" would ever do that.
Just imagine you had to buy Avengers movie tickets 3 months in advance or you couldn't see it. Sure, you and I would do that (gladly!) but I'd be surprised if they broke 50 million with that model. Humans just don't plan in advance.
And why should they? There's no good reason why comics can't be printed on-demand. I should be able to go online and order a copy of Action Comics #1 right now for $3. Put a big "Reprint" stamp on it so it doesn't affect the value of the originals. But my point is that, like every other entertainment industry, comics should be available to customers on their terms. Not on an ancient system.
I personally buy trade paperbacks. I pretty much stay away from floppys (very few exceptions) but I also have curved my buying because it is a costly hobby. I totally understand your stance on the floppy comics.
It costs about $2 to print on demand single copies of 24-page books. Action Comics #1 was 68 pages, so we'll be generous and say $5. Then you'll have to ship that First Class at the cheapest, so that's another $2.40. Let's be very generous and say DC only wants $1 for back issues older than a certain point (they will have to pay someone to pack it up and ship it out after all, and they'll want at least a little profit from the exchange). That's a total of $8.40.
Or did you mean the New52 Action Comics #1? That'll be $5.35, please.
but I will agree that this is not the norm and is the antithesis of the way the public at large shops.
They just aren't doing it on paper.
The same way every other entertainment industry has their product available for purchase (for the most part). I can buy a New York Times best seller (new copy) that came out 2 months ago but I can't buy a popular Marvel or DC title that came out 2 months ago (unless the LCS hasn't sold all of theirs) and that's just absurd.
I'm sure these comic publishers are doing all they can to not only survive, but thrive. I've certainly joined the ranks many times in pretending I know better than they do about how to run their business, but if I'm that serious, there are plenty of publishers for sale right now if I dare to put my money where my thread posts are...
I agree, MatchkitJOHN! In fact, I think Image and Valiant have the right ideas with the pricing of their books. The first trade of any series is $9.99 so that the consumer doesn't have to break the bank to try out a new concept. I just made that decision this past Wednesday in buying Mark Millar and Sean Murphy's Chrononauts. I wasn't familiar with the book, but I like the two creators, but did I want to gamble on a full arc? For $10 I do!! And if I don't like it I don't have to continue. But the subsequent trades will likely be $14.99 or so - very reasonable.
Many of Marvel's trade paperbacks are way overpriced for my taste. And DC's are more competitively priced, but they aren't released until about a year after the floppies with the same storyline. By that point the whole thing has been spoiled for me and the DC universe as a whole has changed so much as to render the trade irrelevant.
Reading the posts on this thread, I am more and more convinced that trades are the way to go!
https://www.dcbservice.com/product/may150488/chrononauts-tp-vol-01-(mr)
The monthly hardcores and Wednesday warriors are really a niche, of a niche. With the numbers as small as they are these days, I feel lucky that monthly comics still exist to buy at all at this point.
When I can't get paper issues anymore, I'll go fully digital.. I'm already getting about half the titles I buy that way already. I like reading new stuff digitally and I like diving for back issues. Trades may be the way many go but for me, I like a little story every month rather than waiting half a year.
The new comic product I buy now is much different from the one I bought as a 5-6 year old kid just starting out, and I am still finding things I enjoy and reading new books. Some things are better than they were 35 years ago and some things are worse. But I am still having fun with it overall.
At some point, based on where the publishers think they can make the best profit margins, the product could change into something I don't want anymore or be priced in a way where other entertainment takes priority over my comic purchase, and at that point I would just stop buying new issues. I'm already well down that path towards the tipping point in some respects, as I habitually do whatever possible to take advantage of discounts, to be able to read more books for the money.
That said, digital seems to be the way to keep me. I like the experience and convenience of reading on an iPad, and I think the monthly model could continue to exist that way, if/when the new paper issue business dies. Trade fans could still do their thing if they want 1-2 books a year instead of issues. @wildpigcomics is just getting ahead of that curve.
I know there are cheaper ways to get books, but I'm still committed to the social aspect of collecting. Going to the brick and mortar store each week keeps me in touch with the guys who own and run the store as well as other regular customers. We chat about books we like and don't like, trends in the industry, movies and TV, and non-comics related topics like family. I'm not ready to cut that tie yet.
This is why I've never collected a lot of trades. I can't remember a storyline I read 6 months ago. This is why I like monthly floppies or full-run collections. Monthly is soon enough that I'll remember what's going on and full-runs are nice when I really want to absorb a book fully. Trades are just frustrating if they are not completely self contained.
We do know that in every other medium the product is available for sale for quite a while after production (often in perpetuity) and the publishers do make a profit on it.
And 2) it's about perception. Too many titles have multiple volumes. To properly number all their books, Marvel would potentially have six different series of Thor collections in print—six different “Vol. X, Book 1” books on a shelf. It's what I would prefer, but I don't know if new readers would be able to figure out the best place to start any better than they can now.
The magazine industry keeps nothing in print (though some specialty magazines will keep their back stock available for purchase). And the magazine publishing business is arguably in worse trouble than the comic book industry.
The record industry has shrunk substantially over the past 10 years. Record stores are a thing of the past, and CD sections in big box stores tend to carry only top sellers and discount items. The industry is quickly moving to streaming services in an effort to survive, and it's projected that income from streaming will overtake individual sales within just a few years.
DVD sales dropped by 28% last year. It's projected that the movie/TV studios will make more from streaming services next year than from DVD sales.
It's not just the comic book industry. The demand for physical product is being overwhelmed by the demand for cheaper product across all entertainment mediums. Digital product is meeting that greater demand.
I know that new writers hate continuity, and that some new readers can be intimidated by it. But as a loyal, longtime comic book buyer? I have invested years and a small fortune in the legacy of DC's and Marvel's continuities. That same history which apparently drives away prospective writers and readers alike just so happens to be my most cherished playground.
As for Chris' revised Wild Pig strategy of forgoing floppies… I say, great move! :smiley: Especially in light of what he said about bookstore chains praising their "Graphic Novel / Trade Paperback" sections as being their biggest bread-winners. Why let cold, carpet-bagging Barnes & Noble be the face of hot-selling comic book trades?! Our Local Comic Shops should be that face - they deserve to own that corner of the retail market. Hopefully, what Chris is doing is something that many other LCSes will do, all to wonderful success.