STANDARD ATTRITION

[olethros]

Also, we should make a new thread. Loveless is what it was; it's time to move on

Ask, and you shall receive.

I'm not sure what to do to combat the flagging monthly sales of creator-owned works, short of forcing fanboys to put down their 3 alternate covers of Infinite Status Quo at gunpoint and make them buy something good instead.

However, I would suggest that to boost trade sales and make these titles less dependent on the direct market that the publishers should start paying promotional money to the big chain bookstores like B&N and Borders to secure endcap and center aisle displays, and perhaps do author/artist book tours in these venues as well. Because the average weekly comic buyer isn't going to give up on his superhero fix - he's too invested in that world.

It's probably more useful in the long run to increase the profile of these types of stories by marketing to people who don't ever set foot in a comic shop than to try to convert the fella who's been reading all 36 Spidey books since 1976. Display 100B next to Ken Bruen and Robert Ludlum, that sort of thing. Put Scalped and Loveless on a shelf next to No Country For Old Men. More importantly, do it on that big fucking kiosk at the front that you have to pole vault over to get to the rest of the store.

As for the monthly buyers, I'm not too sure what can be done to reach them, short of Mr. Chiang's zombie suggestion.
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[DrGonzo77]

I just posted this in the Loveless thread, but since we're starting a new one:

I think interviews are a great way of getting oneself out there as well as having a Message Board that you frequent. I think getting word out when a new series is launching is key. Get the thing hyped up months before, especially with advance solicitations. And of course cross-promotion is always a good thing. I wonder how many people pick up a comic or trade that has a blurb from an author that they like? It certainly can't hurt. I know I follow writers a lot more than artists, so if I see your name on something or even something you read and enjoyed, I am more likely to pick it up.

I'm one of many BKV Castaways who frequent this board and one thing I loved that BKV did was his Top 5 comics that were coming out each week. First, it would sometimes let me know when stuff I was interested in was coming out that I may have forgetten to look for on that week's release lists, and second, he recommended stuff many times that I didn't know about that sounded cool. Sometimes author recommendations go a long way. We need to spread the word of cool comics, not just on here, but other comic messageboards too and at comic websites. And, if anyone here works at bookstores or something, maybe having a cool but not well known trade out on a display or a Staff Pick could also help (I don't know if that's possible, but it's worth putting it out there). Banners for people's signatures in Messageboards could also help - especially if people go to other boards. I loved Aaron's money-back guarantee on the first Scalped trade. I'm not sure if that affected sales or not, but perhaps if readers feel like they have nothing to lose, they'll check something out. Of course, that or the $10 price point for new Vertigo title trades or double-sized first issues won't mean anything if the word of that title isn't getting around. That's done by both the creative team, comic websites and us messageboarders all talking about it. Willow 's Air is probably going to be the next new Vertigo title that is probably not that well known, so maybe let that be the grand experiment and see what we all can do to spread the word?

And if that doesn't work, well, we could always force people to buy non-superhero comics at gun-point.

[Willow]

Azz, I'm totally down with the interview idea if you are.

[Caleb Monroe]

[LenNWallace]

I'd be down for the interview. Not sure my book would be up your particular alley, but who am I to say. Plus it's not going to be out until around February of next year (Which we're trying to have coincide with Valentine's Day for marketing reasons) but it's on schedual and for a 180 page OGN, it's half way drawn already.

(Can't announce who's publishing it yet publicly, but if you're curious, send a PM.)
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[olethros]

[Cliff Chiang]

I've been to Meltdown, and it's one of those shops that reaffirms your faith in the business. Like Rocketship here in NY, I'm sure Meltdown and other shops like it contribute to Vertigo's numbers in a major way. Since we know that there are quite a few stores out there that don't order ANY Vertigo books, maybe it's not such a stretch to think that we can cultivate a relationship with those that do?

I remember doing a lot of outreach for Beware the Creeper years ago. Jason Hall and I put out a press release and emailed some big retailer message board, offering promo material -- including full color shelf talkers and a large piece of original art they could auction or give away to promote the first issue release. I think we got about 50 takers -- which meant about 6 hours of my time doing the sketches and Jason mailing out 50 large packages. I'll never know how effective that was (DC also debuted a new sales program + DCU character recognition) but we did debut in the 38K range. Which isn't too bad for a couple of unknown creators, and at the time, very good for a new miniseries.
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[ivan brandon]

[Cliff Chiang]

[Jason Aaron]

I'm really excited about the potential of the Random House deal. It'll be interesting to see the effect it has, especially for Vertigo.
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[ivan brandon]

i hope so. i wish i could say i was optimistic, but there are SO many obstacles in place, you know? the bigger retailers have to have their own interests at heart (who doesn't?) and random house has a full plate of books to distribute and promote that probably make them a hell of a lot more money than comics will, so i can't imagine them treating the little guy the same way they'd treat oprah's favorite tear-jerker. i guess at the very least it shifts the direct market a little bit off the beaten (to death) path it's on.

anyway i don't want to seem like i'm shouting down good ideas. what i guess i was getting at, in any case, is i'd personally be interested to hear any suggestions that i can put to work with my own hands, so to speak.
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i v a n b r a n d o n d o t c o m

[Jason Aaron]

[brianwood]

I third the Random House thing. Talked to the guys at NYCC who are heading up the graphic novel section, and they seem to know what they're doing and they know comics pretty well. At the very least, its not going to get WORSE, and bookstore sales for Vertigo have always been pretty great.

bri
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[jock]

i hear the random house deal is working out VERY well.... their first numbers are lookin good.
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[brianwood]