A number of comics sites have been debating the merits of an argument put forward by the ComicsPro organisation which has attacked publishers for direct sales of their titles – especially brand-new debut titles – at comics conventions, arguing that it often takes sales out of the pockets of the retailers who sell their works all year round. If you haven’t been following the growing circle of discussion this has sparked among the comics community Dirk at Journalista and Tom at Comics Reporter have both covered it pretty well; now our own Richard Bruton has weighed into the debate, looking at ComicsPro’s arguments from the point of view of a fan, a reviewer and someone who spent a long time in comics retailing. And he doesn’t seem terribly impressed with ComicsPro’s line that publishers are effectively stealing potential sales and customers from their retailers with sales at comics conventions. Richard also notes that the independent presses like Top Shelf and Fantagraphics need those convention special sales to help keep their businesses afloat, quoting Top Shelf’s Chris Staros in a recent interview for The Comics Journal where he commented that roughly a third of their sales came from conventions and mail-ins. If that helps keep them going, thus allowing them to publish more works by different creators that retailers can offer to customers then how is that bad?
Since a number of informed commentators – including Richard – have commented on this already I’m not going to add much more. Other than to say that the argument seems rather selective – why stop at blaming direct convention sales? Why not demand publishers stop selling to mainstream, high street bookstores? How dare they let them sell the same titles we do! How dare they sell them to online retailers! How dare they sell their own comics and graphic novels on their own official websites! Damn their hides, they even sometimes sell special signed editions only through their own site or sometimes the artist might do it themselves. The gall of it! Why isn’t all of this part of ComicsPro’s argument too? Seems to me to be the logical extension of what they were saying. And like that argument I don’t think there is much in it.
I’ve been to comics conventions and big science fiction shindigs – both retailers and publishers are in attendance and usually doing brisk business. Conventions draw in people who are clearly interested in the medium and motivated enough to travel to the site, often from some distance away. It’s a chance to see more than they might in their local store – assuming they have a nearby local store, not all of them will – and, more importantly, to meet writers, artists and other fans in a fairly informal setting where they can actually talk to them, get books signed, see something new and have someone who knows about it take time to discuss it with them, recommend other works they might like. Does this steal sales from the shops? I’m far from convinced that it does and even if it does I suspect the ‘lost’ sales are small and, more to the point, the positive aspects of a convention are something a good, knowledgeable retailer can use to offset any possible lost sales.
How? Well just think about it – a large number of people all excited about comics and books descend on a convention. They come away with some books they may have planned to buy beforehand but I’m betting a fair number of them come away with more because they were exposed to more works in an enthusiastic atmosphere. That builds awareness of good comics, good writers, good artists and interesting publishers – especially the independent ones, because being at a convention is a bit like being at the Edinburgh Festival: there are certain things you want to see and do, but while you’re there you’re thinking, let’s try something new, something different. What’s that? Who is this? Might give this a try…
Surely that’s good in the long run for any retailer? Readers more knowledgeable and enthused about the medium who, when they go home after the con, will have more they would like to be able to get from their local store; they’re going to be more open to different works. Surely if it creates awareness and enthusiasm for the medium then that is something a good retailer can capitalise on? Especially given that many of us in the trade aren’t just retailers, we’re also readers, we’re fans and we love sharing interesting new work with our customers. Its one of the reasons we like to talk about new works, post reviews and talk to creators on here. It is satisfying on a personal level (recommending good new work to someone and finding they loved it is a great feeling) and from a pragmatic, business perspective it is a terrific way to bond with your customers so they come to see your store as ‘their’ store (and they should, they’re the ones who keep us going, after all), somewhere they want to go and not just an anonymous retailer shifting units. And customers like that come back regularly and are more willing in my experience to try new works. And those are the same sort of informed and enthusiastic customers who also want to go to conventions. Sorry, what was the problem again?
January 22nd, 2008 at 11:31 am
You know, there’s an easy way to stop big comics publishers from selling at a convention. You just make the convention so small and poorly attended that they don’t think it is worth their while.