Distribution Face Slap!

Well, I'll not give a name as I want to keep any future options open (though I'll be fecked if I can think what those might be!).  But, a distributor I've met a couple times and chatted to and been in touch with via email has gotten back to me regarding my inquiries re. Black Tower book distribution.

(1) "What is your yearly turnover?" You CANNOT take this any further unless you have one).

(2)"What is your expected turnover for 2015?"  Now this HAS to be based on previous year's sales so you have to have good enough sales, making enough money to interest the distributor.

(3)"Make a detailed proposal re. your back list"  and while I'm doing all this I need to keep in mind they are looking for hot books and publishers....see below

Basically, they just didn't want to know unless I was selling books like crazy...if I was I would NOT be looking for a distributor.

And I've been hanging on to this one since before Christmas.  Yes, I tried Diamond but they shot the idea down as my books "do not fit in with (our) current distribution catalogue".

That's it.  Yes, I did write about this a lot on the old WordPress CBO but Diamond has a monopoly on comic distribution in the UK (yes, everyone knows monopolies are illegal -who is going to complain?).  And that other distributor....comic shops will not buy from because they are scared of Diamond.

Go direct to a comic store chain?  "We only order books via Diamond"

Seriously, that is it.

Interesting, though, is how, when the industry collapsed and these leeches were losing money they grabbed and bent over backwards for independent comics that were selling -hence the black and white comics explosion of the 1980s.

Or when a certain Icelandic volcano halted air transport and the poor distributor and comic store owners were trying to get any Indie UK title they could to fill shelves because they were losing money.  OH DISASTER!!!

And those small publishers that took advantage of "this great opportunity to get your books on the shelves!"....what happened to their books when the "industry disaster" ceased?  They were dumped in bins or chucked in a box and out of the way.  Their use was over.

But surely they demanded to know what happened to their books -did they sell?  This is the kicker: I know for a fact that store owners never heard from them.  Those that dd get in touch were told they could have their books back but they'd need to pay postage and packaging.  I spoke to some of those publishers who just wrote off their books!

Now you are thinking "But they could all band together and demand a shelf presence or whatever!"  I'm laughing.  No.  Because the idea of two publishers linking up to make a stand is unbelievable enough but many?  No.  And WHO was going to listen -the distributor who does not care?  The store owner who does not give a crap?

It's why I have written that we get the comics 'industry' we deserve.  I tried to sort it out once and learnt a lesson -creators screaming "I never asked for creators rights!" and those small publishers who squealed incessantly "No one will review/sell our books!" just could not be bothered when given the chance....and they are still squealing the same tune ten years on.


Not sure how it works in the US but it cannot b e this bad.  And I hope Europe is far better...it seems to be -no surprise!

Well, this certainly seems to have turned into Raging At The Industry New Years Day!