Let’s get right to it. Without readers like you and I pre-ordering comic books, it is tough for a creator to continue making comics.
Pre-orders are essential for print run numbers. The general rule for a physical copy is the more copies you print, the cheaper it costs. The lower the price, the better likely hood of creators breaking even or even making a small profit.
You might be thinking that pre-ordering doesn’t matter cause comic shops will have them just like video game stores always have newly released games right? Wrong.
There was a time many years ago when pre-ordering a new triple-A video game was essential, or you would have to wait months for more copies to arrive at your favourite retailer. That is not the case today the industry adapted to the explosion in consumer consumption of video games. It’s unwise to pre-order video games due to companies getting cash up front. They have little obligation to give you a completed game and charge you later for the rest of it marketed as DLC (downloadable content). So please don’t pre-order your video games!
In the comic book, industry pre-orders are everything. If you do not tell your local shop that you want this new comic coming out in a couple of months, chances are they will not order it unless it’s a bigger know name. Even if your the only one who orders the comic the shop owner will not have a problem with that because it’s a guaranteed sale. Like I’ve said in the past profit margins are tight for everyone involved (except for diamond comics distributors). Shop owners are constantly trying to balance what their customers want and what they think will bring in new customers, and how much to order of each title. Pre-Orders make everyone’s life easier.
There are minimum orders required for a creators comic book to be distributed through the direct market to brick and mortar comic shops. Comics are ordered two months in advance through retailers. If the creators comic does not hit the standard minimum order diamond may try again next month but usually will cancel the title. The creator(s) are left to sell it themselves online and at conventions. The sad truth is that none of the previous avenues mentioned guarantees sales, even with great press and hype around the comic.
The issue that arises next is shop friendliness and not being located near a comic shop. Unfortunately, some stores can be run by elitist fanboys that scoff at customers who are not diehard and knowledgeable comic fans. I like to think those are rare. For the most part, comic shop owners and employees are friendly, knowledgeable and willing to make recommendations for new and long time customers alike. If your shop is not like this, find another one, it’s not worth your time or money.
For those who do not have a local comic book store Comixolgy has recently made it possible to pre-order digital comic books and have a pull list just like a brick and mortar store. If you prefer complete stories, you can pre-order/order the volumes (trade paperbacks / hardcovers) from your local comic shop as well as Amazon and any other online book retailer that carries them. Kickstarter has been a great and easy way to, get comics as well. Creators calculate what goal is needed to make and ship copies to backers, and it’s delivered right to your door. Just pledge hope the campaign reaches its goal (also give you the incentive to share the project to help them out) and wait for it to arrive. This waiting period is usually longer than when pre-ordering through a comic shop.
Comic book writer Kieron Gillen (known for writing Young Avengers & Origin II for Marvel Comics and his current creator-owned project the Wicked + the Divine through Image Comics) created a step by step comic strip on how to pre-order a comic book a couple of years ago and it worth reposting here.
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