Hey folks!
Well, it’s been a really exciting week for me.
“Why?” I hear you ask? I’ll tell you why…
Because Exit Generation #1 went up for preorder in Previews Magazine!
Yes, that’s right; you can now head down to your local comics emporium & ask them politely to order a copy (or two; we’ve got variants!) of the first issue of Exit Generation when it drops in September!
Said retailers can find it on Page 316 of Previews Magazine July, with the order code JUL151204, & below you can see our lovely entry (spotlighted, no less) in all its glory!
“That’s me in the corner; that’s me in the spot-light…”
To celebrate this occasion, I’ve popped up a 5-page preview of the book over HERE! So please go & check out Caio’s beautiful art, Ruth’s gorgeous colours, Colin’s snazzy letters, Ramon, Joe & Jules‘ wonderful covers, & perhaps consider putting it on your pull list!
On that note; for those folks out there who are unfamiliar with why people need to go order a comic that isn’t out for two months, a lil’ explanation…
What We Talk About When We Talk About Comic Preorders
Most monthly comics arrive at market through Diamond Comic Distributors, who solicit comics to retail (i.e. your local store) on behalf of publishers (i.e. ComixTribe) via a monthly magazine called Previews, which features releases scheduled to come out in two months time (hence July Previews containing books for September).
Previews July 2015 Magazine in all its glory!
With this in their hands, retailers then use their hard-won knowledge & well-honed intuition to make choices on what to preorder, based on what they believe will sell for them. It also helps publishers decide what the demand is for their books, so they can fulfil the orders retailers make by printing enough/not printing too many.
Now, when it comes to books like Batman, Avengers etc retailers can expect a certain level of sales, thanks to the prestige & profile these types of book enjoy, & so take risks on them. But with smaller names (i.e. me!) retailers need your help in deciding if it is worth taking a chance on them, or even to be aware of them, because there are a lot of comics in Previews competing for their attention.
Previews (left) next to a graphic novel; a BIG read…
In raising retailer awareness of a title you would like, or better yet preordering, this both ensures you get your coverted copy, & avoids the unfortunately all-too-common situation where folks head out on release day to check out a book, only to find their retailer didn’t know about it, let alone order it in for their shelves.
A peek at just one page of a Previews order form; a whole lotta books for retailers to choose from!
But you can help avoid that situation! Head to your local store (or if you shop online; your website) & tell them about the books you’ve seen & ask for them, because unless the book you’re looking for is also a TV show or movie, there exists a chance that however tuned into the comics grapevine your retailer is, they may not have heard about it.
This why every single copy of Exit Generation #1 that you order means a tremendous amount to us; retailers have a tough job, & any help they can get deciding what might do well for them is so important.
I worked in comics retail for several years, & I know that it is the readers who make comics. It is their passion & enthusiasm that is the cornerstone of the industry; something never more clear than when it comes to the ‘art’ of preordering.
I hope that helps demystify the whole deal with preordering a little, & explains why I’m asking those people interested in the series to request Exit Generation #1 (JUL151204!) from their local comic book stores. The whole team is grateful for your support.
Take care ’till next time, people!
Sam
Sam Read Writes 