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Terry Hooper-Scharf

Thursday 26 May 2016

Small Pressers, Freebies and a Bit More

Back in the old Yahoo 360 and later WordPress CBO days I put a number of comics up for sale.  No one would buy.  I tried several times but I heard the same thing -no one wanted to give out their "personal details" (addresses, etc).

Then, on three occasions, there was the chance to win a free book/graphic novel as part of a Titan Books (I can't remember who the other company was -Classical Comics?) promotion.  No takers. FREE books worth £15 -£25 and NO ONE was interested.

Was it a year or two years ago that I tried selling Black Tower books on CBO and my various (about 20) yahoo groups and Google+....nothing.

How do others manage?  Apparently, they don't.  Unless its a friend of the publisher who runs the blog it seems no one goes for these offers.  That's just insane. Free offers on the internet -ignored. Buy books cheaper via the internet -ignored.

And here is the thing I've heard from a few people now.  Small Pressers are giving up, particularly when it comes to manning tables at events. They are trying to sell via the net but nothing. I'd kill for a cheap table at a UK event but these people do not want tables because it involves work, sitting/standing there and talking to the punters..that is how you sell books.

Now I can only go by what I know and that is the UK market.  And the UK market is dead and it is not getting the boost it needs because the new crop of Small Pressers don't like leaving the cafe or house to sell.  How fecking insane is that?

That written, I have to state that the United States and France appear to be the main two countries interested in and purchasing Black Tower comics. Both have long histories of comics so perhaps they are seeing something the UK market doesn't?

It does seem to be the case (in the UK) of getting out there and selling.  However, with current restrictive practices that doesn't seem very likely.

If I'd known all this back in the 1980s maybe I would have retired and gone into another business!

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