As Bill points out, this process is normal ops for other industries.

And I would argue that the buzz created by these rollouts actually bring in more sales than are lost, because there will be no demand for a product that no one is aware is out there.

As I alluded to earlier, I hate the DM system because it conditions retailers to order primarily what they need (i.e., what their pull customers ask for), with few (if any) extras to go out on the rack. And, since I almost never pre-order books, there is a lot of product I never even see until its third or fourth issue. This immediately eliminates my interest in any miniseries or continued story arc (which is what, 90 percent of what’s out there now?), because I absolutely hate to jump into the middle of a story where I have absolutely no idea what is going on.

Why don’t I pre-order my stuff? Simple. I’m old school, and I’m art-centric, and I thus like to see what I’m buying before I actually shell out my dough. But as stubborn as my buying habits may be, they mirror those of the new customer — something that is crucial for any retailer/publisher who is trying to grow their business. So if I never see the hot book of the month, neither will any new customers, stunting sales its growth potential. In many cases, the current state of the DM almost guarantees the pre-orders for issue #2 will be lower than a premier issue.

In the old days, when everything was returnable and there was zero risk (except taking up shelf space) for retailers to take a stack of copies of a new title, the sales of a book like “Amazing Spider-Man” could rise rapidly each month, as word-of-mouth among new readers fueled demand.

Today, that is difficult achieve with the cloistered, incartificially constricted DM system.

Only in the future, when print-on-demand or electronic download is widespread, will the market return to a truly open one again.

It’s because they -

1) Haven’t given concrete numerical evidence as you say.

2) Haven’t factored in other sales from referrals as I mentioned above.

3) Don’t realize other industries do it all the time (Home entertainment, automotive, fashion) and to great positive effect to the retail market.

Like I said, there needs to be coordination amongst the players for an effective con promotion that retailers can get behind instead of their pointing the finger and saying “Evil publishers.”

And while I loathe dredging up this particular equine carcass and beating it again, we all know of many retailers who are ignorant of, or inadequately equipped to deal with “retail business” in the comics “industry.”
(To be fair there are many “publishers” out there in the same boat and taking on water).

“Problems” in any industry are opportunities for business and they should be approached and solved in that manner. Con promotions are a “problem” that should be solved and not the subject of the “blame game.”

I do understand the other arguments quite well. Some fans want to buy it from the creators. The publishers can enthusiastically hand sell the books while the retailers can’t. A lot of stores don’t buy the comics for the racks so this is the only real chance to see the books, etc..

Nobody has really said how any of that would change for the worse if the books were on sale at DM stores two weeks prior to the convention. Unless, umm.. they KNOW that they are selling to some customers that already pre-ordered the book and would rather have that money for themselves.

Nat, I’d like to hear a SPECIFIC example of two books that caused two retailers to experience “damages.”

And if anyone else cares to chime in from the retail or publishing fronts – I’d like to hear of situations where people heard of a book or saw a book or bought a book at a con and later bought it (or subsequent vols. ) at their LCS. Or possibly referred the book to a fellow fan who went and bought it.

I’m willing to bet that those “lost sales” at the con more than made up for themselves when the customers came back to the store looking for more material from that publisher or by that creator.

See, I’ve had someone from Tokyopop give me a copy of Skull Man and I went and bought the rest in the series at my LCS. After that free taste I was hooked.

Nat, you and I can agree that the publishers should announce their promotions and give their retailers tips on how to maximize that con promotion at their store. That’s just good business for all. I also agree that you should hold customers to their orders.

But I am telling you now there will come a day when ALL comics will be delivered via the web for free to readers. Later those comics will be collected in big print editions which retailers will sell. No periodicals in print. The economy and the ecology won’t allow it.

Perhaps the next white paper needs to be formulating a way to create a better guarantee for retailers that their customers pick up books they ordered as I can’t think of one store that asks for any kind of deposit of stuff ordered through Previews- though sometimes the big ticket statues and stuff may get them to ask for something up front but I don’t think it happens much with books.

common, don’t we have bigger fish to fry guys?

This whole debate is another example of a market in blind and fear driven retreat, trying to crawl into a shell and save every last cell from perceived danger – but in doing so it stops eating, breathing, and hastens it’s own death.

We have so few ways to effectively promote our books as is. And the retailers want us to loose one of the best of them left to save themselves maybe at best a $100 collectively here and there? And in fact, it may well be that it made them several $100 more here and there through increased over all demand if the book found an audience.

ALL the more so in the case of early releases at cons, that’s the WHOLE and ONLY point for me and I think most of us on the creating end of things. Thinking otherwise is really a bit paranoid. Building up a bit of a early buzz about a book is purpose built to encourage readers to take an interest, to excite them, to get some to see it and say to the rest ‘hey this is tasty, you need to try it out’ and thus also not just encourage retailers to buy more, but HELP them sell the ones they do.

-B