Things I Learned from Diamond Distributing/Promotions
by Gary Scott Beatty, Owner and Production Manager, Aazurn Publishing
"Seductions" is in January's Previews comic book catalog for preorder through your local comic shop. "Adam Among the Gods" will appear next week in February's Previews. Pages are ready to deliver for printing when my Diamond brand manager contacts me with a quantity. Promotions are in full swing as the world learns of the return of done-in-one, comic book short stories through Aazurn Publishing. A pile of cash waits for February and March, when major money exchanges hands for the launch of Aazurn. And I finally have a few minutes to write to all of my friends and supporters to detail how this all came about!
It turns out even an old hand at publishing like myself can be surprised when venturing into new territory. First and foremost is the wonder I have that any small company can go through this process with product every month. My deep and abiding respect goes out to those publishers everywhere. Hiring the right people who can complete the job under budget and on time has resonance when you can seriously annoy many thousands of customers and retailers with a late book. I'm beginning to think more reputations are ruined and companies closed by disorganization than crappy books.
Aazurn books were, of course, ready to go before I even sent them off to potential publishers. I knew no publisher would take a chance on an unknown they could not at least see and read.
Perhaps the biggest surprise was my handling by Diamond itself. Horror stories abound out there, but considering the sheer quantity of product the company carries every single month, I was pleasantly surprised by the responsiveness, helpfulness and efficiency of both my Brand Manager Keith Davidsen and Advertising Manager Andrew Smith. Once you're chosen for their distribution efforts, the guys at Diamond want you to succeed!
Of course, I didn't call them every hour with questions. I did my homework, made a list of important questions and went through everything in that first phone call with Keith. Backup questions were minimal and handled through a couple of emails.
Some definitions first. The comic book company is the vendor and the comic book shop is the retailer.
I was not sure, when I sent in my Aazurn package, if Diamond would be interested. After all, it's a bloated market. "Seductions" and "Adam Among the Gods" received some glowing comments from other publishers, but were rejected by all. My plans call for done-in-one comics, not the continued stories that keep readers buying monthly. How would my package be received?
I decided to increase my chances as much as possible. I read everything available about Diamond in their helpful (though sometimes contradictory) online resource. I sent the necessary paperwork exactly how they described. I beefed up the description of the books beyond what I had submitted to publishers, then I cut, cut, cut back to the essence of what the books meant and what they were about. Since both books were completed, I sent full color mockups, folded, stapled and trimmed. The submission package was complete and professional, without typos and of a reasonable length to read (short!).
It worked. Keith told me, when asked about the submission package, that's exactly what they look for - a professional looking, complete package.
I was surprised to learn they don't read everything submitted, although in retrospect it makes sense. Who has that kind of time?
Keith said they look at the book as if it were being pulled off the shelf at a comic shop and ask themselves if it is a product customers would buy. First glance judgment. When you think about it, that's what every publisher, artist, writer, colorist and letterer should do! It's certainly what comic buyers do every day.
MARKETING
It's easy for a listing to be lost among all the other listings in the Previews catalog and no one should count on getting by without spending money on promotions. Overpromotion is expensive and unnecessary. Luckily, I've had ad agency experience and came up with a plan I deemed sufficient and affordable. I divided my promotion options into four catagories: print, online, email list and retailer contact.
The best advice I can give to anyone coming up with a marketing program is study your own buying habits. If your "target market" is at all like you, they probably buy like you, also. "Targeting" those customers will keep you from going overboard spending to reach them.
The Diamond brand manager will talk you through their promotion options. After digging for information with Keith, I altered my plans. He talked me out of a retailer artwork giveaway and I now agree - it was too complicated for retailers to easily grasp. I kept my plan for a half page, black and white ad each month next to my listing. I repeated this ad in Comic Buyers Guide (a national magazine I, myself, read) to reenforce the message outside of Previews and, possibly, pick up some press coverage.
Effective ads, above, resist the temptation to fill every empty space with copy (words). I came up with a couple of short sentences of description, promoted myself, the known artists and the fact that they're "done-in-one," and let the cover graphics take over. When people are in a comic shop looking at the wall of available titles, the cover graphic is what they will remember.
I contemplated using one of Diamond's email to retailers programs but decided to handle the retailer contact myself. I have my own list of comic retailers that carry independents, so I thought I could devote time to calling them, one by one, for that personal touch. This is the way salesmen throughout the world operate! Because my work sells me better than my words, I launched both books in their entirety online, so interested retailers could read everything before ordering. These guys have my sympathy - they have a lot to risk and can easily go broke buying a bunch of books that end up in their bargain bins. So far no retailer has used the handy online response form to send me suggestions about "Seductions," so no telling how this is working. I haven't worked my way through the list, either! This missing step in my marketing plan may lead to many lost sales.
I still have time to invest in Diamond's email services for "Adam" if "Seductions" numbers are extremely low - I'll know that the middle of February, when the Previews order numbers come in.
I repeated the print ads in color at Aazurn.com, along with the whole Aazurn Saga and a Diamond comic shop locator. Time and again I've read that a successful website (now including MySpace) is important for a new company, but can't be the only promotion. Costwise, it's a good investment, as long as the professionalism of the site mirrors the professionalism of the books.
For a couple of years I've been collecting information about websites and publications that specialize in comics. This massive list received three news releases in December and two in January. I've written hundreds of news releases in my time, also called press releases, those short articles sent to publications so the reporters there can follow up on the news they contain and expand or contract the story to fit the publication. News releases are also good investments of time and money, since they could lead to free publicity. These articles need to be short and informative, and should have a unique "hook" beyond, "We're doing a comic book."
I set up a section of the website just for the press, with news releases and artwork downloads in online and print resolution. I'm an editor myself, and I knew the easier I make it for editors to put together something interesting, the better my chances at free promotion.
So that leads us full circle, to YOU, the online readers of this blog and those who signed up for email updates. "Seductions" and "Adam Among the Gods" are available for preorder. Find your local comic shop at http://csls.diamondcomics.com.
Don't think this is the end of the Aazurn Saga! There's still the Diamond wrap up blog, when I analyze what worked - and what didn't. There's the summer convention season, where I chronicle my baby steps on the convention circuit, beginning with the Small Press and Alternative Comics Expo in Ohio and ending with Wizard World Chicago.
Thanks for being interested! We're having a blast telling stories over here.
- Gary
PUT YOURSELF ON THE EMAIL LIST to learn when Aazurn comics are available and where to buy them! See below!
