http://www.newsarama.com/Tilting2_0/Tilting45.html

In his latest column, Hibbs tackles the "Wait For The Trade" mindset. Basically, he says that Vertigo has trained its readership to "Wait For The Trade" and that's killing sales of the periodicals which is the feeder for the paperbacks which means everything gets cut short.

So the solution he proposes is basically to punish that mentality - increase delays between serialization and complete publication to a year-minimum, include serial-exclusive backmatter and increase uncertainty that serials will ever be "collected."

I think Vertigo should go the other way. Get a "mini-series" in the can and publish the "collected" version the same day as the first part of the serial and see what happens. Same for the "ongoing series."

Part of Hibbs' thesis is that the serial is an easier point of entry because it costs less. I think it's more of a factor that the serials are better at creating a sense of immediacy because if you don't pick up one part, then it'll sell out and you won't be able to get the next and who knows whether there'll be a paperback whereas unserialized books can be reordered. Also, serials have the advantage of simply being released first, so for those who simply want the story regardless of format, it makes sense they'd pick up whatever's released earliest.

So see what happens when serials don't have the advantage of early release - I bet the answers would surprise.

Of course, if Vertigo were to act on Hibbs' advice, I doubt many of the "wait for the traders" would say, "well, I guess I'm buying the serials." Some would I'm sure, but I think many are well aware that serials exist and even now not everything gets "traded" and would just find something else for their comics dollar - or buy the "uncollected" books on ebay for much less than the retailer was trying to sell them for in the first place.

EDITED: 19 Oct 2007 by MORGANAGROM

And if the mini-series/trade tanks, the publisher is out a buttload of money.

They will have paid up front, for four issues of work, and have to wait 150-180 days to recoup their expenses, if they even manage to do that. With a monthly, it's 60-90 days to recoup expenses for the first issue, and every 30 days after that, providing it all ships on time.

Not to mention the extra expenses of printing both a trade, and comics. With comics, if a series tanks, they can cancel it before it is finished, and save themselves money.

And instead of steady, monthly income, they have now have quarterly income from the trades that is more unpredictable.

This also puts more financial strain on the retailers who will now have to order both trades and floppies, neither of which is returnable if it tanks.

And the main reason trades are cheaper is that the work is already paid for (writer, penciler, inker, colorist, letterer etc). Your only cost is printing at that point.

And while the trade may be cheaper, it doesn't mean people always buy them, as they have monthly, or even weekly budgets for purchasing, and don't necessarily have the extra cash for a trade up front, but may have enough for an extra issue of that new series.

A single comic can also give them a taste of the series, without going all in. Buy the first issue, and don't like it, you've lost $3-4. Buy a trade for $20, and don't like it, you're out a lot more.

Releasing trades at the same time as the series will just cannibalize their own sales, much like releasing a movie in both in theaters and on dvd at the same time would kill sales, and revenue. And trades released at the same time as comics will have to be higher priced as the cost of the creators on the book have not yet been covered.

EDITED: 19 Oct 2007 by SWEENEY

One other aspect of "trade waiting" is that most people don't live close enough to a well-stocked comic shop to be sure they can make it in to catch each issue of a book as it's released.

-BCM

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Hawaiian Dick Online
BCM Message Board @ Imagecomics.com
The Daily '76 Blog! | Atomic Revolver: Six Chambers of Awesome

EDITED: 19 Oct 2007 by MORGANAGROM

I have to agree with Brian Hibbs on this. From the economical standpoint which he takes, the periodical is extremely important to the comic shops, companies, and creators. And the wait for the trade mentality certainly does hurt that. As others have stated, all the up front costs for that trade are sunk into the periodical, which not only allows the writers and artists, letterers and colorist a regular paycheck, but it also can allow for a series to find an audience.

If readers don't support the monthly then there will be no viable reason to produce the trade. Also, the option of buying the individual issues can act as a budgeting process for the comics fan. As Mark stated, shelling out twenty bucks for a trade can be a bit more difficult for some, whereas paying three dollars once a month for a set number of months is far easier.

chris

Edited to state it was Mark who mentioned buyers' budgets.

"In the end, utopia has got to be a verb rather than a noun. It's got to be the journey rather than the arrival." -Alan Moore

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EDITED: 19 Oct 2007 by CHRISBECKETT

<<..I think DC Comics should satisfy my curiosity and make one series with its intended star and then another series they publish at the same time where they photoshop pictures of Howard Cosell where the lead should be.>>

I'm trying this in my next Batbook. You'll get credit.

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_{http://www.myspace.com/rlissau}

EDITED: 19 Oct 2007 by RLISSAU

Teens and tweens always have more disposable income than those who need to budget their purchasing, and I would say that for the most part people reading Vertigo books are not the ones reading manga.

How do the teens and tweens have Abercrombie jeans and ipod nanos? Same thing. A disposable income which they spend on what interests them.

A better question might be, why can't the Western market more readily tap into what makes manga so popular with kids? Which is not the same as asking, why doesn't the Western market produce manga, or some semblance thereof?

chris

"In the end, utopia has got to be a verb rather than a noun. It's got to be the journey rather than the arrival." -Alan Moore

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I never said trade waiting was a terrible thing.

And it's not going to change anytime soon.

-BCM

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Hawaiian Dick Online
BCM Message Board @ Imagecomics.com
The Daily '76 Blog! | Atomic Revolver: Six Chambers of Awesome

They do - there's actually a pretty strong OEL (original english language) manga movement, especially among bookstore publishing imprints. That style (if you can call it a style) is in huge demand right now.

Trouble is, many manga fans can tell the difference and look down upon OEL compared to its Japanese translated brethren.

But it is a good point - that $9.99 cost for a tankobon (manga digest) is no barrier at all.

Yes... I've noticed that freedom in the bookshops.

Of course, the really savvy kids are downloading scanlations of the manga off the net, often ready years before the legit US editions finally hit the shelves.

Yes. I've seen some of these and I've been told to read Becky Cloonan's East Coast Rising. Seeing as how I'm a fan of her work, I probably will.

But I still think the fanbase for these is different than that for Vertigo books, or for most superhero books. And I think that helps to overcome the $10 pricetag, though I admit I could be wrong. But I can remember when I was younger, picking up innumerable superhero books each week at my local bookstore. I didn't need to worry about budgeting then. All of my money from lawnmowing and delivering newspapers could easily go to comics and fantasy and science fiction paperbacks if I wanted. The cumulative pricetag is at least equal to this $10 one, and I didn't bat an eye at that age.

Today. It's far different. I have to go through and revise my monthly list to get it down to a where my budget allows (I order my books through an online service).

chris

"In the end, utopia has got to be a verb rather than a noun. It's got to be the journey rather than the arrival." -Alan Moore

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