The Four Color Media Monitor

I discovered the following conversation Canadian-based writer Zub had, where he answered the following question:

It's absolutely possible. Graphic Novel sales are doing really well, but that doesn't mean releasing a book straight to GN is an instant slam dunk.

Bookstores are ordering way more GNs, but not necessarily for the same demographic as traditional comic shops. https://t.co/1rjNz1jHrb

— Jim Zub (@JimZub) October 21, 2020

Do you have work that comic shops, bookstores and libraries are eager to carry?

Do you have a publisher/distributor that can get your graphic novel in front of the people who buy for those markets?

— Jim Zub (@JimZub) October 21, 2020

If not, then you have to look at alternative/additional sources.

Serialization ideally allows you to amortize the production cost and advertise your title over multiple months.

Digital has no print cost.
Crowdfunding cuts out the middleman.
Same with in-person convention sales.

— Jim Zub (@JimZub) October 21, 2020

There are more libraries (public and school libraries) than bookstores in the U.S. so, if you're able to get on high profile reading lists/award lists, sales through those channels can be substantial.

Same goes for high profile/starred reviews.

— Jim Zub (@JimZub) October 21, 2020

Everyone's trying to raise their profile and increase visibility for what they create.

Free digital comics, livestreams, giveaways, recommendations from known creators, you name it.

Anything you can do to make the work stand out and convince people it's worth trying.

— Jim Zub (@JimZub) October 21, 2020

This, again, makes a case similar to what I've been advocating for comicdom as we know it - abandoning what's fast become an antiquated, unprofitable format today priced expensively at 4 dollars-plus (yet with page counts possibly getting lower to 20 or less), and going for what can be relatively cheaper as a whole, rather than the sum of parts. This way, a reader also gets a fuller story without having to worry about missing anything, and possibly spending more to get a paperback collection in order to get the whole story that way.

One more, closely connected statement Zub made worth noting:

Quick clarification:
Readers are willing to _pay_ for physical books.

The number of digital readers is massive, but most are reading via free webcomic platforms (Webtoon, Hiveworks, etc.) or through pirate sources (which get traffic many times the physical sales of the books).

— Jim Zub (@JimZub) October 21, 2020

Oh, he's right about that. There's a lot of stories I'm willing to buy in trade format, if that says anything, so the argument has to be made further why it's best at this point to go with trades-only, and save money by jettisoning the floppies.

In addition, an end to floppies could bring about the end of company wide crossovers, and no doubt, that's one of the reasons why the Big Two have clung to the antiquated format till now, because of all the corruption they find appealing in jamming these crossovers down everyone's throats so they can milk the speculator market's dollars dry, along with the aimless addicts who buy out of an absurd habit not based on merit. One more reason why the time's come to stop buying a story even remotely connected to a crossover, because buying them only ensures they still won't get the message we can't accept this anymore, and they'll keep on doing it. But again, let's remember that the Big 2 are on their way down and out, as more people have luckily caught on to how poor their conduct really is.

Labels: libraries, sales, technology