Feb 21 2008
Pre-Ordering Comics
Publishers- if you wish to list your titles on the current Pre-Ordering Comics page or an upcoming one, let us know by using the Contact form.
Pre-Ordering comics and graphic novels is essential to the business of publishing indy comics and graphic novels. Pre-ordering can sometimes determine whether a comic / graphic novel is even printed. In some cases, if the pre-orders are not high enough for an independent comic book series, then Diamond Comics (the major distributor of comics) can decide not to distribute the comic book series.
Pre-ordering your comics doesn’t necessarily guarantee you will receive the titles you order. There are various reasons (some already covered in the opening paragraph) why you might not receive something you pre-ordered. But don’t let that sway you because chances are you will receive the titles you pre-order. You can’t rely or hope your local comic shop will order the titles you didn’t pre-order. If you do, then prepare to be disappointed.
So how does one pre-order comics and /or graphic novels? Here’s how:
• Visit your local comic shop and either ask if you can look through their current Previews catalog (a monthly catalog put out by Diamond listing all the products available that month for pre-ordering for delivery in two months time) or buy it if they sell them. Some comic shops even give them away. Make sure that it includes the companion order form for you to fill out.
• Go through the catalog and mark on the companion order form which titles you want to pre-order.
• Take the form back to your local comic shop and ask them add your order to theirs.
• And that’s it! When your pre-ordered books come in, the comic shop will set your books aside for you to pick up and, obviously, pay for.
Some comic shop retailers will even pre-order a title for their shelves if they see their customers are pre-ordering it.
Here at ICN, you can learn more about some titles currently available for pre-ordering this month by clicking on the appropriate link at the top of the page. The information found on the page is provided to ICN by the publisher themselves. So if you read about a title here but don’t have a Previews catalog handy, simply write down the title, publisher’s name, and the Diamond ordering code and give it to your local comic shop to pre-order it for you.
In a perfect world, every comic shop would carry every title distributed by Diamond. That is why pre-ordering is so vital. Help support indy comic publishers by pre-ordering.
Publishers- if you wish to list your titles on the current Pre-Ordering Comics page or an upcoming one, let us know by using the Contact form.
