IMAGE COMICS BLOG
Posted on February 22, 2012
Every week, Image Comics sends a newsletter about our upcoming releases to retailers with a letter at the beginning. This message, by Image Comics PR & Marketing Director Jennifer de Guzman was in the January 30, 2012 newsletter.
This week we’ve received some reminders here at Image Comics of just how fortunate we are to have the support of dedicated and enthusiastic retailers who champion our comics to their customers.
First, there was the guest post on the Image Comics blog by Challengers Comics + Conversation owners Patrick Brower and W. Dal Bush about the art of hand-selling comics. “[S]ometimes being on the frontline of comic book retail is like fighting a military campaign,” they wrote. “It’s a struggle we want every side to win, but it’s still an ongoing fight. Helping you discover a great new comic is how we win each battle. And we want YOU to win the war.”
Then, there was Rick Shea of Famous Faces and Funnies put that art into action in an impassioned post on the CBIA board, urging his fellow retailers to order SAGA #1 by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples and to encourage their customers to buy it because “this is that book that they will really regret missing out on when the buzz goes wild as soon as it ships.”
These guys show just how important it is for both retailers and publishers to have passion for what they do and how they can turn their passion into great sales and relationships. Relationships are all-important in any business, and they start with interaction.
Challengers’ tagline says it all, really: Comics and Conversation. And of course conversation means listening as much as talking. Those of us in sales and marketing (because what you do and what I do are two sides of the same coin, really) tend to love to talk. But if we’re really good at what we do, we rein in our natural impulse and consider what the person across the counter (literally in your case figuratively in mine) is saying.
Sure, we can tell them all about a comic we love and think they should buy, and if we’ve fostered trust in them, that goes a long way. But it isn’t going to sell that comic if it simply isn’t to a particular reader’s taste.
So we need to consider what customers say, both in words and deeds. Not just what they tell us but also what they show us they want with what they already buy. And, to add to that, we need to consider what the people who aren’t buying anything are saying too.
There are a lot of new readers coming into comics, readers whose tastes lie outside the science fiction, fantasy, and superhero genres we’re used to comics readers loving. How do we reach them?
All of this requires a little Buddhist-style relinquishment of self. We need to forget what we like and think about what they like. This is something I had to learn in my career as an editor. Were there comics that I chose from the slushpile, advocated for, and helped nurture into fruition because I personally loved them? Of course. There were also comics that weren’t for me. But they weren’t supposed to be for me. My job was to make them the best comics they could be for the readers whom they were for.
It’s fine to advocate for titles you think are great, like SAGA. Better than fine! Fabulous and wholeheartedly appreciated! But what about that comic or graphic novel that has striking art and a well-crafted story, but, nevertheless, isn’t really your taste? That doesn’t have superstar creator names on its cover? Titles like the rollicking all-ages Western REED GUNTHER or the poignant and inspiring BETWEEN GEARS? They also need your advocating to find their readers.
Who are those readers? You already know. Because you know your customers. You’ve been listening to them.
– Jennifer de Guzman
Posted on February 20, 2012
Andre reports an art collector bought him out of all his HELL YEAH covers and promo art. To celebrate, I thought you guys might dig on getting an early look at #4.
PRETTY SWEET, HUH?
As far as who that lady is, well, keep reading.
Posted on February 16, 2012
Posted on February 16, 2012
On Thursday, March 1st Floating World Comics in Portland, OR will feature a release party for both GLORY #23 AND HELL YEAH #1! Good enough? TOO BAD! It also features the First Thursday art gallery opening of artwork by GLORY’s Ross Campbell and HELL YEAH’s Andre Szymanowicz!
COME ON BY!
Posted on February 16, 2012
Posted on February 15, 2012
