Man, things must be humming at Lunar Distribution: yet another publisher has announced they are partnering with them. Image, Mad Cave, TwoMorrows, and Vault were all previously sub-distributed by Diamond but no longer will do so.
And now Massive Publishing is going with Lunar with a for its titles and imprints, including its premium brand Massive Select. Massive was previously exclusive with Diamond to comics shops, and Simon & Schuster for book stores. Massive had previously been upfront about leaving Diamond and the challenges they were facing in the new retail landscape.
Lunar co-owner Christina Merkler is one person whose workload has increased, at least in terms of writing forward looking statements.
“Teaming up with Massive Publishing is a fantastic opportunity to further enrich our catalog,” she writes of the Massive deal. “Their diverse titles complement our existing lineup and allow us to offer even more variety to our retail partners. We’re eager to see the positive impact this partnership will have on our distribution network and the industry as a whole.
Massive is adding an interesting wrinkle to their plan however: Massive Indies, a sub-distribution program for smaller publishers to go through Lunar via Massive:
This will be an open platform for submitting titles for consideration in the Massive Indies solicitations of the Lunar catalog. Unlike the more common imprint model for publishers, this sub-distribution model will allow each publisher/studio to maintain their absolute independence and control over their publishing line. Massive is prioritizing publishers affected by the recent news of Diamond Comic Distributor’s Chapter 11 Bankruptcy filing but sees this as a possible game-changing process for creators to access the direct market without signing deals which compromise their intellectual property rights.
“Massive started as a small team of self-published creators, freelancers, and indie press publishers with a mission of bringing the individual pieces together to create a stronger whole. Our goal is to ensure that indie comics continue to make their way onto the shelves of comic book shops and ultimately into the homes of readers.” – Michael Calero, CEO and Co-Publisher of Massive Publishing
“Our new partnership with Lunar is a reflection of our mutual commitment to comic book retailers and has the potential to be a game-changer for the way creators get their work out into the world.” – Kevin Roditeli, Co-Publisher of Massive Publishing
We’re seeing all kinds of workarounds for the small publishers who will be most hurt by Diamond’s impending sale/reorganization, including going direct to consumers, but this kind of sub-distribution idea is one we’ve heard kicked around a few times. Massive is the first plan to be formally announced – who will sign up for it?
Massive will begin to solicit products through Lunar Distribution starting in February. For publishers and studios interested in submitting to Massive Indies, please visit www.massiveindies.com
